What makes Batanes unique?

One of the most notable facts about Batanes is its claim to a zero crime rate. Violent crime is unheard of on the islands and even petty theft is a rare occurrence. Visitors who misplaced or lost personal items are told to visit the local radio station in Batanes so that an island-wide bulletin can be aired. Locals who have found items are also likely to drop them off at the station.

Batanes' Honesty Coffee Shop, believe it or not, there is no one minding the store. Instead, a clear plastic jar is left on the counter for customers to pay for their snacks and get their own change. It works under the honesty system. Softdrinks, instant coffee, candies, biscuits, noodles, chips and other snacks are available. This is one of the many things that make Batanes a unique place to visit.

Here are some other things that make Batanes unique among other tourist destinations in the world;

Batanes is a special place. Isolated from the rest of the country, it has evolved into a truly unique destination - unlike any other island in the Philippine archipelago. Batanes is absolutely pollution-free. No traffic jams. All you can see are beauty of nature.

Unique architecture of Ivatan houses made of thick lime and stone walls with cogon grass roof has made it a favorite attraction to visitors. They were built this way to endure typhoons that frequently hit the area.

Batanes is made up mostly of hills and mountains. Lush greenery tapers off to give way to stretches of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines.

Batanes is suitable to hardy, outdoor types who enjoy hiking over hills and vales, swimming and discovering a unique local culture, rather than indulging in material pleasures.

The people are different - a brave and skillful race of hardy, inscrutable survivors. They are notable for their honesty, industry and hospitability.

The topography coupled with its constant rainfall and strong winds have created a destination that is truly one-of-a-kind. The weather is different. In fact, the weather is the king.

The boats, the language, the crafts, and the wine (called palek-from sugarcane) - they are all different.

Aside from the festive town fiestas, free and natural beaches, trekking adventures, bird watching in October or fishing in summer, there are a lot of other local attractions worth visiting such as:

The undisturbed and unspoiled Sabtang Island, with its sandy beaches and rugged country trails make it a secret paradise.

Historic Churches in every town which were over 200 years old made of massive mixture of lime and stone.

Radar tukon in Basco rests on the hilltop overlooking a 360 degree view of the cliffs, hills and the seas around the island.

And the Interior road, a trail of unending countryside panoramic views, rock formations and rolling terrain

Other places of interest in Batanes include; House of Dakay (1887) a UNESCO heritage building; Mt. Iraya - A 1008-meter mountain on Batan Island; Mahatao View Deck; Burial Caves - Pre-historic burial caves in the town of Itbayat; Sumhao Wind Power Plant; Nakaboang Beach, Ark & Cave; Songsong Ruins; Beaches - Chadpidan Beach, White Beach; and Payaman - known as "Marlboro Country", a pasture overlooking farm fields & the Pacific Ocean.

The best time to visit Batanes is from February to July.

Australia has a unique climate. It sits in many climate zones because of its large size. These zones include tropical, sub-tropical, temperate, and sub-temperate. Most of Australia has four seasons, summer, autumn, winter, and spring, in other places it is two seasons and they are the wet and dry seasons. From blistering hot temperatures in Darwin to below zero temperatures in Hobart, Australia's climate is one of many things that make Australia unique.

Next in line is Australia's landscape. Australia has many different terrains from forests to deserts and this is also because of its large size. The edge of Australia is mostly green except for the western coast; the rest of Australia is mainly dry and arid. Australia's shape, size, and location also make it a continent, country, and also an island.

The flora in Australia is truly amazing. Australia has a wide range of flora, like bottle brushes, waratahs, and eucalyptus trees. All the plants mentioned are unique to Australia, with many more that haven't been mentioned. These plants are also important to Australia's fauna for habitat and food. These plants also make Australia a colourful and beautiful place.

As mentioned in the above paragraph, Australian fauna is important to Australia. The creatures unique to Australia are the kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, emus, koalas, kookaburras, etc. If u look on the Australian emblem u should see two animals unique to Australia, the emu and the kangaroo.

Australian lifestyle is well sought after. It is sought after because of the easy going, laid back nature of all Australians. Everyone seems to be happy and enjoying life while in America everyone is stressed and working very hard. The Australian lifestyle also involves the great out doors. The dominant male is at the BBQ cooking shrimp and steak holding a VB while a game of cricket is going on in the background. These points make the Australian lifestyle favourable.

The reason the Australian lifestyle is as it is now is because of its government. Australia originally had 6 colonies until it was federated in 1900. Since then Australia has improved and has learnt from past mistakes. The Australian government makes sure that all cultures and races are accepted as equals, which makes it a multicultural government.

This brings us to the next point, multiculturalism. Australia is unique because it is one of the few countries where all cultures and races are respected for who they are and treated as equals. This makes Australia an ideal country to travel to for non-white people because it guarantees that they would be treated fairly while in this country.

Australia is pretty significant when it comes to development and technology. Australia are major contributors to medical research especially in the cancer research section. Australians are also leaders in sports technology, mainly to do with rugby, cricket, and AFL. This makes Australia ideal for people interested in sports and cancer research.

The following reasons above make me strongly believe that Australia is a unique country. To live in this amazing country is a privilege and should be respected because of it is a one of a kind country, and is confirmed in the above paragraphs.

The Jones Soda Company of Seattle, USA is a soda-making company with many strange and exotic soda flavors such as broccoli casserole, taco, corn on the cob, tuna and Brussels sprout. They have this so called Holiday Pack during the Christmas time, consisting festive soda flavors like Turkey and Gravy, Dinner Roll, Pea and Antacid-Flavored.

The company has also came up with Dessert Pack which includes sweet, sugary flavors like Banana Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie, Cherry Pie and Blueberry Pie. For Halloween, the company has soda lineups like Candy Corn Soda, Pumpkin Soda, Caramel Apple, Scary Berry Lemonade and Strawberry Slime. More recently, Jones Soda came up with sodas to honor the Seattle Seahawks NFL team. The flavors in the said pack include Perspiration, Dirt, Natural Field Turf, Sports Cream and Sweet Victory.

Even though the flavors are very unusual and taste gross, Jones Soda products are always sold out as people are curious and most of their exotic lines are only available in limited quantities.

2. KIMURA BEVERAGES

Kimura Beverages of Japan produces these strange flavored sodas for summer this year: Wasabi and Curry. They have very strange sweet and spicy taste that will linger in your mouth for quite sometime.

3. CHOICE ENABLED BOTTLE

Ipfini, a company based in Sudbury, Massachusetts came up with a brilliant technology and idea of "Choice Enabled Packaging" which comes in a bottle of soda with several buttons, each indicating a flavor. The buttons on the bottle can be pressed to create any customized soda drink flavors. The company produced a prototype 6-buttoned bottle which can create 64 flavor combinations.

4. ICE CUCUMBER PEPSI

Japanese sole distributor of Pepsi, Suntory Limited produced this ice cucumber flavored soda for the Japanese market. The product is sold in 500 ml bottles for 147 yen (about US$1.20). It tastes like cola with a mixture of taste which is more like sweet melon than cucumber.

5. CALORIES-BURNING SODA

A new product line called the Enviga from Nestle and Coca Cola is said to contain a unique formulae designed to improve human body's ability to burn calories. The 5-calories-a-can soda will comes three flavors, green tea, berry and peach, and will sell for $1.29 to $1.49 per can.

6. WATER SALAD

Water Salad is a soda drink in Japan. It is said that Water Salad is a salad-flavored soda pops for the health conscious.

7. ANYTHING AND WHATEVER

A Singapore based company, Out of the Box Ltd produced two complimentary brands called "Anything and Whatever; for people who can"t decide of what to actually drink. The company's fizzy line called "Anything" comes in six flavors: Apple, Cola with Lemon, Fizz Up, Cloudy Lemon and Root Beer.

Another product line called "Whatever" is non-carbonated drink: Ice Lemon Tea, Peach Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, White Grape Tea, Apple Tea, Chrysanthemum Tea. The drink comes as a surprise as the consumers will not know which flavor they are getting until they open the can and take a sip. Each can is simply labeled "Anything and Whatever", with limited generic wording and ingredient.

Gamirasu Cave Hotel, Turkey

The cave was originally inhabited by the Christian monks in the Byzantine era for more than 5,000 years. The volcanic rock insulates the cave, keeping the temperature naturally comfortable. Opened in 1999, the restored cave hotel has a total of 18 rooms at around $100 - $150 per night.

Kokopelli's Cave, New Mexico, USA

This is actually a privately owned luxury cliff dwelling in Farmington, New Mexico. The one bedroom cave home is carved from a 65 million year old sandstone formation. For about $280 per night, not only you will get a "living-in-cave" experience but also a superb view of the La Plata River as well as La Plata and San Juan mountains.

2. TREE HOUSE

Woodpecker Hotel, Vasteras, Sweden

This is a tree house built on a 130 year old oak tree located in the Vaserparken park. At 13 meters above ground, the only access to the tree house is by a rope ladder. The tree house was built by a Swedish artist, Mikael Genberg. Even though small, the tree house is furnished with all the basic amenities. As this is the only tree house in that area, early booking is necessary and expect to pay around $300 per night.

Green Magic Tree Houses, Kerala, India

This is a tree house built on a tropical rainforest tree at around 100 feet high above the ground. The only access to the tree house is via a hanging bridge. As the tree houses are located in a protected rainforest, they are all eco-friendly and use alternative energy to keep running. There are four double rooms in two tree houses. Costing around $250-$300 per night, each room is equipped with a bathroom and telephone.

3. ICE

Ice Hotel, Sweden

Ice Hotel of Sweden is the original and the world's first ice hotel made of 6,000 square feet of ice and snow. This hotel only exists from December to April every year since 1990. At an average temperature of about 17 degrees Fahrenheit, the hotel beds are also specially made of ice and snow, topped with a couple of layers of reindeer skins with a thermal sleeping bed for the guests to sleep. The hotel charges around $200 per night. It has 80 rooms including suites, a church and a bar called the Absolute Icebar.

Alta Igloo Hotel, Norway

This hotel is made of snow and ice, measuring about 2,000 square meters. The hotel is decorated with ice sculptures depending on the theme set each year, for instance, Viking myth (2004), Norwegian fairytales (2005) and wild animals (2006). The temperature in the igloo remains between minus 4 and minus 7 degrees Celsius. To ensure comfort of the guests, the bed is made up of reindeer hide mattresses and a thermal sleeping bag. The hotel has 30 rooms which cost around $250-$300 per night.

4. DESERT

Al Maha Desert Resort, United Arab Emirates

This luxurious hotel has received world recognition for its architecture which comprises 40 Bedouin-tent shaped villas and two suites. The resort has a full spa complex with a large pool and gym. Each room is equipped with air-conditioning, a giant bed and a luxurious bathroom, costing between $800-$1500 per night.

5. UNDERWATER

Utter Inn, Stockholm, Sweden

This is an underwater hotel with a floating top which looks like a little red house in the Lake Malaran. The bedroom is like an underwater hatch with windows. This is in fact another creation of Swedish artist, Mikael Genberg. Access to the underwater hotel is by boat. Meals will also be delivered by boat. A night stay with dinner costs around $350.

Jules Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida

It claims to be the world's first underwater hotel, 21 feet below the sea. It was originally built in the 1970s as a research lab off the coast of Puerto Rico. It was only opened to public in 1986. The only access to the hotel is by diving for 21 feet underwater. Each room is equipped with a kitchenette, shower and window (for underwater viewing), costing around $350 per night.

6. CAPSULE

Capsule Inn, Tokyo, Japan

This is more like a capsule than a standard hotel room. These capsules are made of reinforced plastics. Each capsule has all the basic amenities such as TV, radio, alarm clock and lightings. The Inn also provides lounge and also shared bathrooms. It charges around $50-$100 per night.

7. FANTASY / WEIRD DECOS

Hobbit Motel, Woodlyn Park, Otorohanga, New Zealand

Hobbit Motel is one of the 3 unique motel units in Woodlyn Park. It resembles the authentic Hobbit home based on Tolkiens's books with the Hobbit furniture and circular windows. Comes with a very basic amenities, you can stay here for under $100 per night.

Propeller Island City Lodge, Berlin, Germany

This hotel is especially designed for people who like weird decorations and arts. Each room at Propeller Island Lodge is distinct in its own way. For instance, one room is orange in color, another comes with a slanted bed as if floating in the air. There's also a room complete with coffins that double as beds or you can even sleep in a lion cage. Cost per night comes to around $150-$200.

8. BIZARRE WALK-THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach California, USA

Queen Mary was once a luxurious ocean liner and first set sail in 1934, carrying about 3,000 passengers and crew. During World War II, the ship carried around 16,000 troops at a time and also became a hospital for a short while. Right after the 1,001th voyage, the ship was permanently docked in Long Beach in 1967 and was transformed into a hotel with an interactive museum. Ghost sightings are quite common among the guests and the crew. However, if you can't see one, there is also the "Ghosts and Legends" tour, which is a special effect walk-through tour that dramatizes most of the ghostly stories reported on the ship. There are 365 rooms and suites. Price starts at around $150-$200 per night.

Old Jail Mount, Mount Gambier, Australia

This old jail house was transformed into a lodging aimed at budget travelers and backpackers. Guests will get the experience of being locked up during the night, pay legal fees, court appearance, eat in mess hall, sleep next to a toilet; all for less than $100 per night.

9. TRANSPORTATION

Imperial Boathouse, Hotel Cheong Mun Beach, Thailand

These boathouses were originally rice barges which are transformed into 34 luxurious beach-front suites. These two-storey boathouses are equipped with a luxurious bedroom, bathroom, dining area, living room and sunbathing deck, with a starting price of about $600 per night.

Exploranter - Overland Hotel, Sao Paulo, Brazil

This is actually a hotel on wheels. The hotel amenities include a shared kitchen, hot showers and a total of 28 beds. There is also a traveling chef on board who are also adventurous in preparing international cuisine. You can expect to pay less than $100 per night.

10. ANIMALS AND PETS

Dog Bark Park Inn, Indiana, USA

This is a two storey building in a shape of a giant beagle. For less than $100 per night, the rooms are well equipped with a queen sized bed, bathroom, fridge, microwave, hair dryer and a coffee maker.

Paw House Inn, Vermont, USA

This hotel is specialized for pets traveling with their owners. The pets get its own custom made dog bed complete with quilt and pillows. There is also a day care center for the pets to enjoy the scenic countryside. Price starts at around $200 per night.

CHOCOPOLOGIE

• Creator: Knipschildt
• Cost: $2,600 per pound
• Location: Norwalk, Connecticut

Founded by Fritz Knipschildt, a chef who got his culinary education in Denmark, in 1999, Knischildt creates one of the world's tastiest chocolates. Its costliest on-piece chocolate is a $250 dark chocolate truffle with French black truffle within it (in picture). This special truffle, available only on a pre-order basis, is mainly composed of 70% Valhrona cacao blended into a creamy ganache with truffle oil. The truffle is made with extremely precise bare hands and finally dusted with cocoa powder.

NOKA

• Creator: Noka Vintages Collection
• Cost: $854 per pound
• Location: Dallas, Texas

A compilation of the finest dark chocolates obtained from selective plantations in Venezuela, Côte d'Ivoire, Trinidad and Ecuador, Noka chocolate is the second most expensive in the world. It comprises of 75% pure, single-origin cacao with other ingredients like cacao butter and sugar. One amazing fact about this chocolate manufacturer is that it does not add any type of emulsifier or vanilla flavors in its chocolates.

DELAFEE

• Creator: Delfee©
• Cost: $504 per pound
• Location: Neuchatel, Switzerland

For those ladies who are fans of gold, there's Delafee to be tried out, because this chocolate is made by applying real 24K edible flakes of gold to each praline by hand. Otherwise, it is composed of sugar, coconut oil, cocoa butter, milk powder and vanilla.

RICHART

• Creator: Richart ©
• Cost: $120 per pound
• Location: Lyon, France

Richart chocolate might be only the fourth most expensive chocolate in the world, but it is made up of 70% Criollo cocoa from Venezuela, which is considered to be the best quality of chocolate in the world. The cocoa used in the chocolates is finely ground, to give a smooth taste to any taster. To match with the finest chocolate, the best varieties of almonds, raspberries, strawberries and other exotic species are used.

GODIVA

• Creator: Godiva “G” Collection
• Cost: $117 per pound
• Location: New York City, New York

With its origins from Belgium, the well known chocolatier, Godiva, introduced its “G” Collection of chocolates only recently. The whole of “G” Collections is comprised of various ingredients and flavors like Palet d'Or, Tasmanian honey and Mexican Hot Chocolate. The flavoring of the chocolates depends on the type of bon-bon that is manufactured.