By Nikki Bayley
Car, tram, train, bike... there are so many ways of getting from A to B, but who wants to travel on a boring old bus when you could leap aboard a rain-powered B-bug instead? Here's our favourite unusual modes of transport that you can enjoy as you travel around the world.
Madeira's Monte toboggan
For a ride that even famous daredevil Ernest Hemingway described as 'the most exhilarating experience of my life', head to the beautiful flower-filled island of Madeira. High above the capital, Funchal, in the suburb of Monte, you'll find wicker toboggans which will whizz you 2 km downhill to Livramento at speeds of up to 45 km per hour! It's just a tourist thing now, but it used to be how the locals got around in the late 1800s. You're steered by two rubber-shoe-wearing locals who use the soles of their shoes to get you safely around the corners.
For a ride that even famous daredevil Ernest Hemingway described as 'the most exhilarating experience of my life', head to the beautiful flower-filled island of Madeira. High above the capital, Funchal, in the suburb of Monte, you'll find wicker toboggans which will whizz you 2 km downhill to Livramento at speeds of up to 45 km per hour! It's just a tourist thing now, but it used to be how the locals got around in the late 1800s. You're steered by two rubber-shoe-wearing locals who use the soles of their shoes to get you safely around the corners.
B-bugs in the Beacons
We adore this innovative, eco-friendly, rain-powered buggy that's being trialled this summer in the Brecon Beacons. The B-bug runs on locally-sourced electricity from the micro-hydro system which is powered by Welsh rain – something they are unlikely to run out of! Travelling at speeds of up to 30 mph, you need a UK driving licence to hop on board, and it's as easy to drive as a go-kart. The B-bugs are currently available free-of-charge and make a pretty perfect way to zoom around the national park.
We adore this innovative, eco-friendly, rain-powered buggy that's being trialled this summer in the Brecon Beacons. The B-bug runs on locally-sourced electricity from the micro-hydro system which is powered by Welsh rain – something they are unlikely to run out of! Travelling at speeds of up to 30 mph, you need a UK driving licence to hop on board, and it's as easy to drive as a go-kart. The B-bugs are currently available free-of-charge and make a pretty perfect way to zoom around the national park.
Hop on a hippo
No, not the animal kind, they really aren't like George off Rainbow, you know. In real life, they're a bit, um, aggressive and might not like you trying to leap on their back. Instead try riding the Toronto Hippo, a bus-boat hybrid which floats across Lake Ontario and also travels along Toronto's city streets. Try and sit near the front - when the hippo noses into the lake, the splash is fantastic!
No, not the animal kind, they really aren't like George off Rainbow, you know. In real life, they're a bit, um, aggressive and might not like you trying to leap on their back. Instead try riding the Toronto Hippo, a bus-boat hybrid which floats across Lake Ontario and also travels along Toronto's city streets. Try and sit near the front - when the hippo noses into the lake, the splash is fantastic!
Speeding sauna boat
Is it a boat? Is it a kind of spa treatment? Um, it's both! Where else but Sweden would have the world's fastest floating sauna-boat? Secured to a catamaran platform and powered by diesel, the SS Silla can reach speeds of 15 knots and putters around the waters near the little island of Klädesholmen. Enjoy the beneficial effects of the sauna and then chill out above deck and watch the world go by.
Is it a boat? Is it a kind of spa treatment? Um, it's both! Where else but Sweden would have the world's fastest floating sauna-boat? Secured to a catamaran platform and powered by diesel, the SS Silla can reach speeds of 15 knots and putters around the waters near the little island of Klädesholmen. Enjoy the beneficial effects of the sauna and then chill out above deck and watch the world go by.
Hold tight to the Wuppertal
Now, we know that thanks to trusty German engineering, the Wuppertal Schwebebahn is incredibly safe, but why does it have to look so wretchedly perilous?! It's the oldest elevated railway in the world, and made its first trip on 1 March 1901. Unlike most monorails, the Wuppertal floats from a track above, rather than below, and when it was first proposed, the locals denounced it, saying that it was 'tempting God' and branded it a 'satanic' idea. Seems that they were wrong as it still carries around 25 million passengers each year.
Now, we know that thanks to trusty German engineering, the Wuppertal Schwebebahn is incredibly safe, but why does it have to look so wretchedly perilous?! It's the oldest elevated railway in the world, and made its first trip on 1 March 1901. Unlike most monorails, the Wuppertal floats from a track above, rather than below, and when it was first proposed, the locals denounced it, saying that it was 'tempting God' and branded it a 'satanic' idea. Seems that they were wrong as it still carries around 25 million passengers each year.
Bamboo train
One of the most popular ways to take a trip along Cambodia's backpacker trail may soon be closing. The infamous bamboo train, a brilliant, but bone-rattling piece of ingenuity, may finally be replaced by a proper railway system again. The bamboo trains are made usually from old tyres and a bamboo platform, and are powered by small generators which allow them to chug along at around 25mph. Yes, you are inches away from the track, and yes, if another train is coming in the opposite direction with a heavier load, you will have to get off, unload and let them go by, but could you have a more fun journey? We don't think so.
One of the most popular ways to take a trip along Cambodia's backpacker trail may soon be closing. The infamous bamboo train, a brilliant, but bone-rattling piece of ingenuity, may finally be replaced by a proper railway system again. The bamboo trains are made usually from old tyres and a bamboo platform, and are powered by small generators which allow them to chug along at around 25mph. Yes, you are inches away from the track, and yes, if another train is coming in the opposite direction with a heavier load, you will have to get off, unload and let them go by, but could you have a more fun journey? We don't think so.
Cheers to the beer bike
There's no way of looking at this and not thinking, 'a guy designed this, didn't he?'. The beer bike seats up to 18 and is powered by pedalling, as you sit at the bar and drink your way through the 30 litres of beer provided. Amsterdam city council require that you go out with a responsible guide/driver, who'll safely steer you around the sights and along the canal rings
There's no way of looking at this and not thinking, 'a guy designed this, didn't he?'. The beer bike seats up to 18 and is powered by pedalling, as you sit at the bar and drink your way through the 30 litres of beer provided. Amsterdam city council require that you go out with a responsible guide/driver, who'll safely steer you around the sights and along the canal rings
All aboard the sugar train
Probably one of the most popular attractions in St Kitts, the Sugar Train is the only chance you'll get to ride the rails in the Caribbean. After the collapse of the sugar trade, the canny locals turned the narrow gauge railway, which used to transport sugar around the island for processing, into a tourist train. You travel 30 miles around the island on the super-cute little train which is perfect for chilled-out sightseeing with an entertaining guide. Oh - and there's rum-packed punch served up along the way! You're also serenaded by a local school gospel choir and waved at by excited children who whoop at you, from their gardens all along the route - absolutely magical.
Probably one of the most popular attractions in St Kitts, the Sugar Train is the only chance you'll get to ride the rails in the Caribbean. After the collapse of the sugar trade, the canny locals turned the narrow gauge railway, which used to transport sugar around the island for processing, into a tourist train. You travel 30 miles around the island on the super-cute little train which is perfect for chilled-out sightseeing with an entertaining guide. Oh - and there's rum-packed punch served up along the way! You're also serenaded by a local school gospel choir and waved at by excited children who whoop at you, from their gardens all along the route - absolutely magical.
Posting Source: http://uk.travel.yahoo.com/p-promo-3361342
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