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50 Tourists Share Their Surprising Discoveries From Around The World
In hindsight, it seems a bit silly to be surprised by the unexpected when traveling. After all, the entire point is to see and experience new things, otherwise, why spend all the time and money? So one should at least expect some amount of surprises and fortunately for all of us, these travelers made sure to document the unusual or unexpected things they encountered while traversing the globe.
So, wherever you are, get comfortable and prepare to scroll through all the memorable little things tourists and travelers have run into, upvote the experiences that caught you by surprise, and be sure to comment your own stories. And if some of the things listed here are pretty normal where you are from, let us know!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
They Have Pet Carts In Grocery Stores In Italy
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#2
This Museum In Berlin Has "Touchable" Versions Of Their Paintings For Blind People
#3
The Algerian Sahara By Night. With No Light Pollution, The Sky Is Truly Incredible
I spent four days camping out in the remote Algerian Sahara - just me and a local guide. I took a million photos but this was one of my favorites. Freezing cold at night, but free of all light pollution the sky was breathtakingly beautiful.
Burnt Bagel 3 years ago
The whole world is incredible if we could just stop fighting over it and learn to cooperatively enjoy it!
#4
An Albino Turtle I Saw On My Vacation In Sri Lanka
#5
After 4 Days Of Trekking Over The Salkantay Pass To Get To Machu Picchu, I Woke Up Around 3:30 Am To Try To Get There Before The Rest Of The Tourists
100% worth it for seeing the sunrise alone.
#6
Rainy Day In Ireland
#7
In Denmark, Some Of Our Light Signals Are Small Vikings
#8
My Hotel Phone In Iceland Has A Special Button That Will Wake You Up If There Are Northern Lights In The Sky
#9
My Hotel In China Has A Card To Give To A Taxi Driver So You Can Find Your Way Back
#10
Train Seats In Japan Facing Outwards So You Can See The Scenery
#11
Spotted The Hogwarts Express On My Trip To Scotland Last Year
#12
A Tram On The Stuttgart Rack Railway With A Trailer For Bikes. Stuttgart, Germany
#13
In The Ancient Egypt, Cats Were Sacred Animals. It Seems That Nothing Has Changed Since Then
#14
These Two Different Sets Of Shopping Baskets At A Department Store In Bangkok - For Those That Need Help Or Want To Be Left Alone
#15
Wuppertal's Suspension Railway (Monorail), Germany
#16
This Tree In Morocco Is Filled With Real Goats Standing On It
#17
The Way These Trees Grew On A Street In Amsterdam
#18
Subways In Japan Have Women-Only Cars
#19
In Finland, There Are Buttons To Thank The Bus Driver
#20
Found A Door Entering A Field In Denmark
#21
My Buddy And I Got Our Faces On The Foam Of Our Beers In Ireland
#22
Went To A Beach In Iceland And Took A Full-Color Picture That Looks Entirely Grayscale
#23
I Visited Antarctica Recently
#24
This Albino Reindeer I Saw While Traveling In Finnish Lapland
#25
Found A Statue In Rome With Bunny Socks
#26
Some Roads In Australia Are So Long And Boring That They Have Trivia Signs To Keep Drivers Alert
#27
This 2D Café We Visited In Seoul
#28
One Of My Bucket List Items Was To Visit This Stunning Town Where The Houses Are Literally Under The Rock
Beautiful white houses line up the narrow streets of Setenil de Las Bodegas.
ThatCapybara 3 years ago
How have I not heard of this beautiful place before? I must be living under a rock-
#29
Traveling Within Iceland Because We Couldn’t Go Elsewhere. Found These Guys Sheltering From The Wind
#30
Desert Oasis In Peru - Huacachina
#31
Lisbon Consists Of 7 Hills. In Order To Make It Easier For Residents And Tourists To Move Between The Different Neighborhoods, This Open-Air Escalator Was Installed
#32
I Found This Ceiling Light Full Of Rubber Ducks In A Pub In Edinburgh
#33
Giant Hives Hanging From The Ceiling Enclosed In A Glass Case With Outdoor Access At The “Home Of Bees” In Poyales Del Hoyo, Spain
#34
This Slide At The Berlin Mall
#35
Here In Italy Bars Are Starting To Use Pasta As Straws To Reduce Plastic Use. Our Technology Amazes The World Another Time
#36
The Town We Vacationed In Has Red Street Lights To Not Mess With The Wildlife
#37
UPS In Italy Use These "Bicycle Trucks" To Deliver Packages To Places In The Narrow Streets Of Rome
#38
This Guy Makes Pizza Using Volcanic Vents On The Volcán De Pacaya In Guatemala
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
I'd not be able to. These vents release SO2 gas which would probably infest the pizza and give me asthma. Terrible stuff.
#39
Green Train In Lower Silesia, Poland
#40
This Warning Sign For Ghosts At An Old Castle In Poland
General Anaesthesia 3 years ago (edited)
Are the ghosts married, the ball and chain? Edit to add, "/just kidding".
#41
In Italy They Got Free Water In Little Towns. You Can Choose Between Water With Gas, Cooled Or Regular
#42
I Was Visiting The Gulf Of Mexico Last Week, And It Was Genuinely Difficult To See Where The Sea Stopped And The Sky Started
#43
My Apartment For The Night In Porto, Portugal Has A Preserved 12th-Century Wall And Staircase Encased In The Bedroom
#44
Α Trireme At The Piraeus Port, Greece
#45
A Non-Muslim Section At A Grocery Store In Dubai
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
I have ZERO interest to go there. They have been giving refuge to the corrupt guys who stole 50bn of our government's money. (SA).
#46
This McDonald's Has A "Drive-Thru" For Boats. Located In Hamburg, Germany
#47
These Sprinklers On The Road Near The Ski Resort I'm At In Japan To Keep The Road From Freezing Over (Salt Water If You Were Wondering)
Shadowfall The Explorer 3 years ago
We have something like this in the US. They normally use magnesium chloride and not salt. Still not good on cars but better then salt.
#48
Today I Discovered That, In France, McDonald's Serves Mcbaguettes
#49
The Bone Church In The Czech Republic
#50
This McDonald's In New Zealand Has A Decommissioned Plane You Can Dine In
#51
Flew Over Greenland On A Clear Day
#52
Rush Hour In Copenhagen, Denmark
#53
This Supermarket In An Old Theatre In Venice, Italy
#54
The View Of Iceland's Active Volcano Behind A Mountain, Seen From My Balcony Tonight
#55
Reusable McDonald's Containers In Paris
Annik Perrot 3 years ago
Law makes it compulsory, for "on-site" meals. "To-go" containers are still disposable ones, but must be paper and cardboard, not plastic.
#56
I Visited Rouen Yesterday And Discovered WW2 Damage To The Town Hall Has Been Repaired With LEGO
Arabiata Arabiata 3 years ago
In downtown Budapest you can see war wounds on the walls, without Lego. You can guess whether the damages were done in '44 or '56.
#57
The Lobby Of My Apartment Building Has A Glass Floor So You Can See The Ancient Ruins Beneath (Italy)
#58
My Flight Flew Over A Wind Farm, The Northwest Coast Of England
#59
Eating A Haring In The Hague, Netherlands
#60
The Children's Playground At The Airport In Zürich, Switzerland Is A Miniature Airport
I think I’m hilarious 3 years ago
Seems like a good way to help kids that are afraid of flying
#61
The Thinnest House In Amsterdam
#62
These Roman Columns Inside A Supermarket In Split, Croatia
#63
This Bar In Mexico Has Swings Instead Of Chairs
#64
This 7-Eleven In Mexico Was Built Around A Tree
#65
This Bathroom Mirror In Tallinn Airport Has Instructions On How To Tie A Tie
#66
In Christchurch, NZ, The Tram Runs Through The Shopping Plaza
#67
Since There Are No Drivable Roads In Venice, They Use Boats To Deliver Packages
#68
Stayed In A Boeing 747 Converted To Hostel At Arlanda Airport, Sweden (Jumbo Stay)
#69
In The Narita Airport Of Japan, While It Says "Welcome To Japan" In English, The Japanese Text Says "Welcome Back"
#70
In Singapore, Elderly Pedestrians Can Tap Their Identity Cards To Have More Time At The Pedestrian Crossing
Daniel Rudolph 3 years ago
Why do we need to vet people who need more time? Just make a button that gives more time to anyone who wants it. I can wait an extra minute at the light for pedestrians.
#71
Emergency Alarm Chords Running Along The Floor Of The Disabled Toilet In Berlin Airport In Case Someone Falls Over And Requires Assistance
#72
A Stand For Bikers To Hold On To While Waiting For The Traffic Lights In Sweden
#73
Sign I Found In Bali, Downstairs For Fire, Up For Tsunami
#74
My Hotel Room In Amsterdam Has A Mini Vending Machine Instead Of A Minibar
S. E. in Indiana 3 years ago
Probably a lot cheaper this way. At least you don't get surprised by the mini bar price on your bill when you check out.
#75
In Australia, High Is The Second Lowest Fire Danger Rating
Pieter LeGrande 3 years ago
Simplified again recently - only four categories: moderate, high, extreme, catastrophic.
#77
This Building I Saw While On Vacation Is Made To Look Upside Down
#78
This Traffic Light In Germany Has A Little Girl And A Camel As Signal Lights
#79
This Church Under Water In Italy
#80
This Dog-Needs Station At The Airport I Traveled Through A Couple Of Days Ago, Complete With A Fire Hydrant
#81
When You Exit The Airport In Basel, You Can Exit Into France, Germany Or Switzerland
#82
Police In Venice Move Around On Jet Skis
#83
Several Apartment/Condo Towers I Visited In Brazil Have Built-In Charcoal Or Wood Barbeques On All The Balconies
#84
This Wet Umbrella Contraption At A Hospital In England, I Have Never Seen This Anywhere
#85
Very Long Escalator At The Subway Station In Chongqing, China
#86
Mario Kart Tour That I Encountered At The Famous Shibuya Crossing
#87
Train Station In Paris Had A Machine That Printed Out Short Stories To Read While You Wait
#88
Walked Into A Store In Hong Kong And Saw These Stacked Side By Side. Noodle-Flavored Pringles And Pringle-Flavored Noodles
#89
This Tiny Self-Driving Bus I Saw In Berlin, Germany
#90
Someone Taking The Platinum Jubilee Very Seriously This Morning In Greggs
Esme Weatherwax 3 years ago
It was her Majesty grabbing a sausage roll before the pomp & ceremony
#91
This UV Handrail Sterilizer On An Escalator In Hong Kong
#92
Vacationing In Cocoa Beach, FL. Got To See A Rocket Launch
ShellsBells 3 years ago
I live across the state, as long as it's not in the middle of the afternoon, I can watch the launches from my driveway.
#93
Some WW2 Defenses Were Uncovered After Some Recent Erosion. Newcastle, Australia
#94
This Tiny Bag Of Pasta I Got In Italy
#95
My Hotel In Hong Kong Includes This Local Phone To Use While In The City. It Even Works As A WiFi Hotspot
Kharyss 3 years ago
Cool idea but not sure I’d want my location tracked everywhere I went and every call or text monitored and recorded in some Chinese data centre. I know your own phone would probably do the same if you connect to a local network but at least you can turn some of the tracking stuff off
#96
Some Trams In Australia Have Spots For Your Surfboard
#97
I Saw This Social Distancing Sign Today In Sydney
Pieter LeGrande 3 years ago
Australia is decimalised: 10 bananas equals one drop-bear. 10 drop-bears equals one large male red kangaroo
#98
In Cairns, Australia You Can Just Buy Bananas In Unmanned Stands Based On Honesty
Molly Whuppie 3 years ago
You can do this all over Australia where people have farms and want to sell produce. For example you can buy Cherries in Tasmania and Oranges in NSW etc. I would assume its not limited to Australia either, Im sure this is a thing elsewhere.
#99
My Parents Met A Friendly Stingray On Vacation
#100
In India Subway Has A Separate Line For Normal Subs And Vegetarians. The One On The Left Is For Vegetarians
Bruce Horton 3 years ago (edited)
At first glance I thought, why can't vegetarians ride on the same subway car as everyone else?
#101
Dawn Breaking, As Seen From Floor 121 Of The Burj Khalifa, Dubai
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
And tom cruise actually climbed that thing, as if we needed to question his sanity.
#102
You Can Cross The Sahara By Hopping An Iron Ore Train
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
totally going to die from heat stroke on that black pile of stuff exposed to the sun... not so?
#103
Squared Trees In Sevilla, Spain
#104
My Father Is Visiting Bangkok. The Hotel That He Is Staying At Serves Honey On The Honeycomb
David Paterson 3 years ago (edited)
That's delicious, very much nicer than honey from a jar. Now if only the hotel also had sugar from a sugar cane.
#105
We Visited The Largest Bench In Germany
#106
Japan’s Highest Bridge’s Height Is Compared To Godzilla
Mimi La Souris 3 years ago
godzilla is a national reference, as kangaroo for social distance in australia :D
#107
Bike Police In Downtown Minneapolis Travel With Tons Of Helmets To Give Away To Bikers Without One
#108
This Supermarket In Hong Kong Has A Mini IKEA In The Back
#109
This Kindergarten In Australia Enforces A One-Way Road With Spikes
Not-a-Clue-What-to-Call-Myself 3 years ago
There are a lot of these in the UK (for example at car parks) to stop people going in the exit or out the entrance (to avoid paying)
#110
Enough Rattlesnakes Have Visited This Bench That They Had To Put Up A Warning Sign
#111
This Public Restroom In Iceland
#112
The Old Escalators Of Wynyard Train Station In Sydney Now Hang From The Ceiling
David Paterson 3 years ago
Lol. These used to be like the escalators in Kings Cross Station in London. The ones that caught fire.
#113
Mexican Government Puts Warnings On High Sugar And Caffeine Products With The Warning “Not For Children”
#114
The Coffee I Ordered In Bosnia Came With A Complimentary Cigarette
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
How you can tell you are in eastern europe: everyone has tracksuits, the coffee is strong and black, and you get a cigarette with your meal.
#115
The Vacation House We Rented Has A Toaster Built Into The Wall
#116
I Went To North Korea In 2016 And Took This Picture From The Top Of The Juche Tower In Pyongyang
#117
In México, There Are McDonald's Stands That Serve Only Ice Cream
S. E. in Indiana 3 years ago
So that's where all the ice cream machines that actually work went to.
#118
Hotel In Europe Offers A Rent A Pet Fish For Single Travelers
#119
An Underground Church In Poland With A Train Passing Right Through Its Middle
#120
Chip Bags In India Come With Free Mobile Data
4G data is so cheap in India that you get 2GB free with a ₹20 ($0.27) pack of chips.
#121
I Recently Visited Muskoka, Ontario. Stayed In The Same Room As Barack Obama During The G8 Summit
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
And if you go to Moscow you can rent Trump's peepee room. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk1uBMZOaXc
#123
In Bali The Cars Don't Have Heating Available On The Air Conditioning
Riche White 3 years ago
It's the same in Thailand. None of our families vehicles have a heater.
#124
This KFC In Japan Has Colonel Sanders Dressed In A Samurai Attire (And A Matching Mask)
KittyGaming 3 years ago
Japan does this at almost every single location of KFC as they basically worship it as its so popular and fun fact KFC only exists there bc of christmas. Search it up
#125
There Are Random Freezers On Some Streets Of Dubai That Have Food And Drinks For Whoever Needs It
#126
This Really Long Table Football At The Milan Airport
#127
In A French Village I Am Staying In, They Have Camouflaged The Rubbish Bins To Have A Less Visual Impact On The Village
#128
It Ain't So Bad Stopping At Red Lights In Colorado
#129
The Hotel I'm Staying At In Brazil Has A Remote That Comes With An Immediate Soccer-Watching Button
Camila Esteban Guerrero 3 years ago
I have the same remote, it adjusts color and sound. Chile.
#130
Certain Hasidic Jewish Sects Travel With Blindfolds To Prevent Young Men From Seeing Immodestly Clad Women
censorshipsucks 3 years ago
I like this. Even if you want to be a religious nutter, at least you are imposing it on yourself. Better than forcing women to wear excessively large and bulky clothing to fully cover their bodies and infringe on their autonomy. However, it still basically says that women are mere sex objects and young men have zero self-control, so it is STILL perpetuating grotesque patriarchal values. Speaking as a person with jewish family, so don't even come at me with antisemitism c**p.
#131
Amsterdam Has Urinals Out In The Open On This Public Street
Myrtille rat 3 years ago
People behind the windows must be pleased about that urinals placement
#132
Bath In The Floor. Hull, UK
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What do you think ?
Karen Weiss 3 years ago
Hi, at least 15 of these pix are repeated twice, sometimes 3 times. I see this all too often on Bored Panda. Could someone please check out collections of items before posting to avoid these duplications?
madbakes 3 years ago
They're not duplicates. As individual posts in a thread are upvoted and downvoted, the list updates in real time. The order is constantly changing.
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Karen Weiss 3 years ago
Hi, at least 15 of these pix are repeated twice, sometimes 3 times. I see this all too often on Bored Panda. Could someone please check out collections of items before posting to avoid these duplications?
madbakes 3 years ago
They're not duplicates. As individual posts in a thread are upvoted and downvoted, the list updates in real time. The order is constantly changing.
Load More Replies... 
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