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Smithsonian Lists

The Smithsonian Life List

From Iguazu Falls to the Outer Hebrides: 43 places to see this lifetime

Top EvoTourism Destinations

The best places to see the wonders of evolution

Editors' Picks

The Great Books and Movies to Read and Watch Before Visiting India

A list of some of the best books and films about the subcontinent to take in before you go.

The Mooncake: A Treat, a Bribe or a Tradition Whose Time Has Passed?

Is the mooncake just going through a phase or are these new variations on the Chinese treat here to stay?

New Zealand’s Darkest, Bloodiest Secret: The Sandfly

Kiwi recommendations for stopping the biting beasts: DEET, geranium leaves, garlic, rancid bacon, Marmite, Vegemite. Does anything really work?

Beautiful Photos of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors

Photo contest submissions capture the eye-popping colors of the annual celebration

The Komodo Dragon is an All-Purpose Killing Machine

A visit to one of Indonesia’s most popular tourist destinations could be your last
February 2013 | By Brendan Borrell

This Japanese Theater Company Has a Robot Actress

No, it’s not Brent Spiner. It's an honest-to-goodness robot
February 01, 2013 | By Lauren Kirchner

Searching for the Russian Loch Ness Monster in a Frozen Siberian Lake

In a record-breaking dive, the head of the Russian Geographical Society sunk to the bottom of Lake Labynkyr in Siberia, one of the coldest lakes in the world
February 04, 2013 | By Rachel Nuwer

A Frightening and Fascinating Journey Through North Korea

When a Philadelphia couple took a world tour in 2011, they quickly struck upon the idea of visiting one of the world's most mysterious places
December 18, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas

Thanks to the insanely successful “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974, Japan can't get enough KFC on Christmas Day
December 14, 2012 | By K. Annabelle Smith

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Welcome to Seoul, the City of the Future

The once poor South Korean city has bloomed into a cultural capital with high-profile architecture, top museums and an influential arts scene
November 2012 | By Tom Downey

Meet the Salak, the Ubiquitous Indonesian Fruit You’ve Never Heard Of

It may not be the biggest or brightest of southeast Asian fruits, but the snakefruit is the locals snack of choice
November 09, 2012 | By Rachel Nuwer

Faces From Afar: Two Oregonians on the Hunt for Exotic Durians

Meet Lindsay Gasik and Rob Culclasure, who are spending a year of their lives in Southeast Asia feasting on the bizarre fruit
November 02, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

All the Insane Australian Fruit You Can Eat

What the heck are black sapotes, carambolas and pomelo fruits?
October 02, 2012 | By Guest Blogger

Moon Festival

The Mooncake: A Treat, a Bribe or a Tradition Whose Time Has Passed?

Is the mooncake just going through a phase or are these new variations on the Chinese treat here to stay?
October 02, 2012 | By Mike Ives

Lake Baikal and More of the Weirdest Lakes of the World

Set deep within the Russian subcontinent, Baikal is the deepest, oldest and most voluminous of all lakes
August 07, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

A Trio of French Colonial Sites in Hanoi

In Vietnam's capital city you can still find many wonderful examples of French colonial architecture, including St. Joseph's Cathedral, the Opera House and the luxurious Hotel Metropole
July 03, 2012 | By Susan Spano

Prospero’s Island in the South Pacific

Was it Bermuda—or the dreamy French Polynesian island of Huahine—that inspired the setting for Shakespeare's The Tempest?
June 11, 2012 | By Susan Spano

Jaipur via The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

A delightful new film takes viewers to India’s picturesque western state of Rajasthan
June 07, 2012 | By Susan Spano

The Great Books and Movies to Read and Watch Before Visiting India

A list of some of the best books and films about the subcontinent to take in before you go.
May 16, 2012 | By Susan Spano

All Aboard the Beijing-Lhasa Express

The writer casts aside concerns about comfort and political correctness to take the rail trip of a lifetime
April 26, 2012 | By Susan Spano

Wineglass Bay

Nudity, Art, Sex and Death – Tasmania Awaits You

With one big bet, an art-loving professional gambler has made the Australian island into the world’s most surprising new cultural destination
May 2012 | By Tony Perrottet

Sunrise at Cape Tourville.

The Top 10 Places to See in Tasmania

With Tasmania's 3.4-million acres of protected wilderness, this alluring isle feels close to heaven—Tasmanian devils included
April 17, 2012 | By Tony Perrottet

The Forest Of The Future

An ambitious project in Singapore will boast 18 supertrees, climbing up to 160 feet tall
April 2012 | By Mark Strauss

New Zealand: What’s Hot and What’s Not

From Stewart Island in the far south to the Surville Cliffs in the far north, New Zealand is a country almost as geographically diverse as the United States
March 01, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

Free Camping in New Zealand: Don’t Bank on It

Wild camping isn't just a pleasure; it's a necessity for many cyclists
February 28, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

Halfway to the Bottom of the Earth: The Catlins

To see this place on a globe, home of the world's southernmost tapas reastaurant, one must lift it upward to expose the underbelly of the planet
February 23, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

Is New Zealand Too Dangerous for Cycling?

A Christchurch gentleman claimed to have knocked two cyclists off the road with his black H-2 Hummer and threatened to "nail" more
February 21, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

Shattered: Christchurch After 10,000 Earthquakes

The abandoned boulevards and blocks of condemned buildings look like a scene from an unhappy future in which the world's cities are only inhabited by ruins, ghosts and silence
February 09, 2012 | By Alastair Bland

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