15 Travel facts you probably didn’t know

Travelling means different things to different people. Some find it exciting, uplifting and others find it scary and intimidating. For all of us, from novice travellers to experts however, it is almost always surprising.

To keep you going during these tough no-travel days, here are some interesting travel facts you probably didn’t know.

1.Jet lag is worse from west to east

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lens (@magiciansyellow) on Apr 16, 2020 at 5:04am PDT

Jet lag might be the worst part of travelling. No matter how well you prepare, it is likely to effect you. Research shows that it is worse in one direction and not the other. Since our internal clock seems to be just over 24 hours, travelling from west to east makes the day short and therefore harder to adapt to.

2.The world’s shortest international flight is 15 minutes

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Amanda. 60 Países antes dos 30 (@manda60antesdos30) on Nov 13, 2019 at 5:12am PST

The shortest international flight available to take is a 15 minute flip from Saint Maarten (Dutch territory) to Anguilla (British territory) in the Caribbean.

3.Bangkok isn’t the city’s full name

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by мιимιи 📸 (@phantomminn) on Apr 16, 2020 at 4:33am PDT

Bangkok is the English name of Thailand’s capital. In Thai and written out in full, it is much, much longer. Here is the full name and translation:

Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit

The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (unlike Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.

4. Å, Norway

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Davide Campagna (@davcampa) on Feb 16, 2020 at 1:20am PST

Yep, there is a town in the Scandinavian country just called ‘Å’, pronounced ‘aw’.

5.Australia, the land of beaches

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matt Gencevski (@mattgencevski) on Oct 13, 2019 at 1:01am PDT

Sydney isn’t the only Australian city with a beach, the massive island continent/ country have over 10,000 beaches.

6.Words other than wanderlust

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Fernweh… #thailand #krabi #railaybeach #sommer #sonne #qualitytime #urlaub #fernweh #erinnerungen #schönezeit

A post shared by Carolin (@caro_gesundheitscoach) on Apr 16, 2020 at 5:15am PDT

Wanderlust has become overused, from regrettable tattoos to pencil case coverings. If you’re looking for another way to express your yearning for a travelling adventure, why not try the German ‘fernweh’ which means ‘far sickness’ or an intense urge to travel.

7.Kiribati conquering

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tropicals (@tropicals) on Nov 7, 2019 at 11:53am PST

The island of Kiribati in the Pacific is the only country to fall into all four hemispheres by sitting over the equator and stretching across the western and eastern hemispheres.

8.Dry Saudi Arabia

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by jamsheer ahmed k k (@jamsheer_k_k) on Apr 16, 2020 at 4:39am PDT

Not not just talking about alcohol, the country has no official rivers.

9. Which languages rule

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Chako in London (@chakolondon) on Apr 10, 2020 at 3:11pm PDT

Only 4% of all the world’s languages are spoken by 96% of its population.

10.Always on time in France

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by L i l y 🐝 (@lily_moonchild) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:29am PDT

France covers more timezones than any other country in the world. Now you might be scratching your head, but remember, France owns a fair few island across the world.

11.Russia is bigger than a ‘planet’

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jesus | Travel + Photography (@jes.peniche) on Mar 20, 2020 at 8:24am PDT

Okay the planet is Pluto which is so small it has been in the middle of an argument about whether it is even a planet at all. But either way, Russia is pretty big.

12.Linguistically gifted Papua New Guinea

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Marjorie Rita Taatu (@neraina_marj) on Mar 24, 2020 at 9:49pm PDT

South Africa may think 11 official languages is impressive but Papua New Guinea takes the cake. With over 820 languages listed as being spoken in its country, it must surely get a bit confusing.

13.Charitable Roman fountain

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Italy • Travel • Passion (@italy.photos) on Apr 14, 2020 at 11:00am PDT

Every coin thrown into Rome’s Trevi Fountain is collected every day and donated to a number of charities. So don’t be afraid to be a cliche and toss in your coin, it’s for a good cause!

14.A city on stilts

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by BENIN 🇧🇯 (@benin229) on Mar 25, 2020 at 8:57pm PDT

Ganvie in Benin is the largest city in Africa built entirely on stilts.

15.Busiest airport

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Perfect Publicity© (@perfectpublicity) on Apr 14, 2020 at 3:39pm PDT

You might expect a major hub like Dubai or London Heathrow to take this title, but in reality the busiest airport in the world is Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, USA.

Image: Unsplash