Awesome Travel

This massive structure was once used to house airships, but has been converted into an indoor resort. Located in Eastern Germany Tropical Islands features an indoor rainforest, hiking paths, waterslide, hotel rooms, restaurants, and a beach. Wonder World takes us inside.

Organize your grooming kit on the go with this waterproof and scratch-resistant toiletry bag. It has a roll-up design to make it compact and expandable mesh pockets for your toothbrush, toothpaste, facial wash and more. It also has two zipped pockets and a leather loop.

Vollebak’s spendy pants are made from three layers of fabric that make them resistant to fire, water, wind and abrasion. They also have four zipped pockets, leg vents that go all the way up to the knee, and an adjustable belt tape to protect your ankles. Also available as shorts.

The Heirloom world map has a magnetic surface. It comes with 50 magnets in five different colors so you can chart past, current and future travels. Additional magnets are available for purchase. There are also variants of the map with different frames and colors.

The Rover Speed is the improved version of Cowarobot’s R1 robotic suitcase. It now has a more stylish design and is faster. It can move at up to 10 mph and lasts up to 12 mi per charge. Its battery is removable and doubles as a power bank.

Photographer Joerg Daiber of LittleBigWorld recently traveled to North Korea, where he managed to capture tilt-shift, time-lapse images of its enigmatic capital city. Politics and human rights concerns aside, the vibrant imagery belies most impressions of the country.

Bagsmart’s Xpedition backpack uses modules that attach to an X-shaped frame using Fidlock magnetic snaps. This not only keeps your items compartmentalized, it also distributes weight evenly, reducing strain when carrying the bag. You can choose from three module sets.

Filmmaker Spike Jonze collaborated with The North Face’s Japan-only sub-brand Purple Label to make two wonderful bags – a shuttle roller and The North Face’s classic 3Way Bag. Both bags are made of Italian wool and come in two plaid color schemes.

We flew to Las Vegas for another off-road adventure with the Trail Trek Tour. While we spent our days on the trails, we spent evenings enjoying the comforts of the new Park MGM, eating like kings, enjoying nightlife, and getting a taste of what MGM Resorts has to offer.

Bond Travel Gear’s Escapade Pouch makes for a great EDC bag or packing cube. It’s made of 1000D ballistic nylon, has double stitched zippers and stress points, uses weatherproof zippers and has silicone-backed elastic straps to secure your belongings.

The Droplet is a camping pod inspired by teardrop trailers. It’s fully insulated and comes with a queen size bed and a fully equipped kitchen. Best of all, it weighs only 950lb, meaning even a compact car can comfortably tow it.

This high tech translator device has a detachable module that lets the person you’re talking to speak clearly into the microphone. It supports voice and text translations for 37 languages. It works via Wi-Fi or cellular data, and also acts as a mobile hotspot.

Kammok’s Bobcat packable quilt is great for overnight camping or long haul travel. It’s made of soft ripstop nylon that’s tear-resistant and water-repellent. It has straps to attach it to a camping mattress, and drawstring cords to turn it into a sleeping bag.

Eagle Creek’s money belt has a hidden, 19″-long zippered pocket where you can keep your bills discreetly but still have them within reach. Its buckle has a brushed metal finish but is actually made of plastic, so you don’t have to take it off for metal detectors.

While fillmakers Robin Pogorzelski and Simon Bourrat were in Nepal working on the documentary Everest Green, they shot this short film, which is packed with beautifully lit and composed vignettes, each of which could be a still photograph hanging on a gallery wall.

Mexico’s Oaxacan highlands play host to the Trans Sierra Norte, a grueling mountain bike race, which ends in Oaxaca City just in time for the Day of the Dead celebration. Red Bull’s exceptional short film invites us to experience both with a rider touched by death.

When we were in Tokyo, we were fascinated that when we wanted some “vanilla ice cream,” we had to ask for “Baniraaisukurīmu.” Double Yolk looks at how Japan incorporates English words and deeper meanings into their language in some truly wonderful ways.

GoFastCampers claims that they’ve made the world’s thinnest roof top tent with its upcoming Platform RTT. It’s only 6″ thick when folded, but unfolds to 4′ tall when deployed. It doubles as a rack where you can mount roof racks and more. Drops Summer 2018 for $3250+.

Instead of a monthly subscription or data packages, Tern is a global wireless hotspot that lets you compare and select plans from the local providers at your destination via its mobile app. It even gives you a local phone number to make and receive calls.

The Go Chair is a portable chair that’s almost as easy to carry and use as an umbrella. It weighs 3lb and is only 11″ tall when folded. But it unfolds in just 5 seconds and can support up to 300lb. Folding it is as easy as pushing a button.

Kikkerland’s Compact Suit Folder lets you carry a shirt, coat, tie and pants in a fraction of the space that a garment bag occupies. It comes with simple instructions on how to insert and fold your clothes. It also comes with a nylon carrying case.

We recently took the newly upgraded 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata on a 600 mile road trip through scenic Southern California. Check out some of the sights we took in with the top down, and then check out our first drive review and driving impressions on 95Octane.

Matador’s squishy and flexible containers are 5 times lighter and 3.5 times more compact than traditional silicone travel bottles. Use them to carry anything from soap to toothpaste. They have a snap loop, are waterproof and are TSA-approved.

Guinness World Records spoke with the creators of Miniatur Wunderland, the world’s largest model train set. Despite already having thousands of vehicles across different country sections, they are still expanding. Their latest addition is Italy, which took 2 years to build.

While the building has yet to be completed, we still are wowed by the idea that a 400 foot-tall skyscraper has a working 350 foot-tall waterfall built into its facade. The Liebian International Building is being built in Guiyang, China. Sadly, they can’t run it all the time.

Take a ride on Switzerland’s Gelmerbahn – an open-air funicular that sends passengers along a 3,373 foot-long route with a maximum 106º grade. Raphael Sandoz captured this time-lapse footage to speed up the 8-minute journey. If you prefer a more leisurely ride, try this.