6 Amazing Things You Can Do In Rio De Janeiro

As the second most populous city in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro offers a lot in the way of activities. Here are the ones we like best!

1. Visit Christ The Redeemer

Whether or not you’re religious, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janeiro is worth seeing up close for yourself. One of the Seven Wonders of the World, this mesmerizing representation of Jesus sits at a staggering altitude of 2,330 feet, gazing out at the favelas and thoroughfares below. You don’t have to be a Christian to appreciate the beauty and symbolism of this work of art.

Aside from the visual appeal of the Redeemer, there’s a rich history to learn about as well. Completed in 1931, this monument is covered in mosaic tiles and serves as a symbol of the welcoming culture in Rio de Janeiro.

Tijuca National Park is located on Corcovado Mountain where the statue is located, so you can make a day of it and explore the park at the same time.

Christ the Redeemer. Unsplash / Robert Nyman

2. See The Graffiti Wall

Most cities have graffiti, but it’s not usually listed as one of the main attractions. The graffiti wall on Rio’s Olympic Boulevard, however, is like none other and deserves a spot on this list.

The wall measures 32,300 square feet, and it has been awarded the title of largest graffiti mural in the world by Guinness World Records. It’s twice the size of the next biggest such artwork in Mexico.

It was commissioned by the city for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and it commemorated the first and only time the Olympics have been held in South America. Artist Eduardo Kobra designed the piece, which identifies people from five different continents and uses color schemes that match the Olympic rings.

You can easily spend a couple hours on the Olympic Boulevard of Rio appreciating this massive work of art.

3. Take A Cable Car Ride Up Sugarloaf Mountain

Another lofty sight to in Rio is Sugarloaf Mountain. It towers a majestic 1,299 feet high and provides a unique vantage point over the sprawling metropolis in the Guanabara Bay area below.

Apart from the view at the top, visitors are also greeted by spectacular vistas while riding the cable cars to the summit. The first ride is from Praia Vermelha to Morro da Urca, followed by another ride to the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Watching the sunrise or sunset from the top of the Sugarloaf is an experience you won’t soon forget, and you’ll also be able to check out a historical exhibit showcasing the cable cars that were used in the past. There’s food, shopping, and an amphitheater on the mountain as well.

Sugarloaf Mountain. Pixabay / nuno_lopes

4. Do Some Reading At The Royal Portuguese Cabinet Of Reading

Do you like books? Us too! But even if you don’t, you’ll still be amazed by The Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading. Affectionately dubbed “library porn” by tourists, the Cabinet has the largest collection of Portuguese books outside of Portugal itself.

The library first opened in 1887 and is nearing a grand total of 400,000 volumes with 6,000 new books being added every year.

The immense bookshelves and meticulously detailed interior will give you a new appreciation for libraries!

Royal Portuguese Cabinet Of Reading. Pinterest

5. Soak Up The Sun On Ipanema Beach

If you’re a fan of beaches and people-watching, the Ipanema Beach has you covered. With sandy shores stretching 2-miles across the Zona Sul neighborhood of Rio, visitors will be blown away by breathtaking mountain views while they lounge in the sun.

Perhaps you’ll be interested in partaking in a game of futevolei (essentially volleyball without hands) or else you can simply watch while others play the game. There are no shortage of beachgoers, so if you want to be at one of the more happening beaches in Rio, this is the place.

The beach is lined with a string of restaurants and shops, so you’ll get a big helping of local culture. For a less crowded spot, check out Grumari Beach.

6. See The Green Paradise Of Your Dreams

Rio has greenery in spades, especially at Jardim Botanico, a 340-acre paradise with botanical wonders as far as the eye can see.

If you’re a lover of flora, you can’t skip this scenic garden. It hosts over 6,000 exotic species of plants and has been a popular sanctuary for tourists and locals alike over the years.

Take in the sights and enjoy some fine food at La Bicyclette, a highly-reviewed restaurant conveniently located in the park.

Rio has a number of other architectural masterpieces and monuments worth exploring like the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, Parque Lage, and Largo do Boticario, but you might not have time to see them all. We highly recommend the spots on this list, but do some more research and determine if they match up exactly with the type of trip you want to have. You certainly won’t be disappointed by any of these, though!

7 Fascinating Facts About Nicaragua

Nicaragua likely isn’t a destination you’ve considered, but it’s quickly becoming the new must-visit destination in Central America. Before you start planning your visit, there are some things you should know.

1. One Of The Poorest Countries In The World

Nicaragua is the second-poorest country in the Americas, next to only Haiti. The country’s total GDP is $10.5 billion. To give that number some perspective, the GDP of the US is around $18.5 trillion. How does that low productivity affect individuals? Statistics show that roughly 75% of the country’s 6,000,000 people live on less than $2 per day.

A poor economy has caused many locals to migrate to places like Costa Rica or Panama in search of work, and working elsewhere while sending money home to family is a popular idea right now. A substantial percentage of the GDP is actually from Nicaraguans that remit money from abroad.

The economy is expected to climb slowly on the back of a strong agricultural and commercial industry. But it’s something to think about if you’re planning to visit: how can you ensure your tourist dollars get into the hands of Nicaraguan workers who could really use it?

Little Corn Island in Nicaragua. — Joseph Mortimer / Shutterstock

2. Tourism Is Huge

Nicaragua still isn’t on the same level as many household-name travel destinations, but it’s been growing steadily. In fact, over the past decade, the tourism sector has seen 10% year-on-year increases.

If you know little of Nicaragua and are wondering what the main draw is for visitors, there are actually quite a few. Corn Islands offers premium scuba diving, backpacking, and beaches. There are also beautiful wildlife reserves, and natural wonders like the Momotombo volcano to hike. If you’re looking for an active(ish) outdoorsy place to spend your vacation, Nicaragua should definitely rate.

Tourism has become so prominent in here that it’s the country’s second-largest industry. In 2010, Nicaraguan tourism broke the threshold of one million visitors. The country plans to boost their economy with tourism, so it might be better to go now before it gets too busy!

3. The Largest Lake In Central America

Nicaragua holds a number of titles, and you can add the largest lake in Central America to the list.

Called Mar Dulce or the “sweet sea” by the Spanish, Lake Nicaragua is 8,264 square kilometers, and is one of the biggest attractions in the country.

It’s one of Nicaragua’s major sources of drinking water. Despite being a freshwater lake, it’s home to sharks, sawfish, and tarpon, meaning you should be careful if you go for a dip!

Lake Nicaragua is actually the only lake that has freshwater sharks, giving the country yet another title.

The Ruins of Leon Viejo in Nicaragua. — Inspired By Maps / Shutterstock

4. The Oldest City In Central America

Besides great beaches and scenic volcanos, Nicaragua is home to the oldest city in all of Central America. The Ruins of León Viejo date back over 500 years, and it’s another big draw for tourists. It’s located near the famous Momotombo volcano. History tells us that León was a Spanish colonial settlement that didn’t quite develop, and insted ended up laying abandoned for centuries.

It was damaged by Momotombo’s eruption in the 1500’s, but it has been preserved and even moved to maintain its historical legacy. León is officially a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it’s well worth checking out if you’re visiting Nicaragua.

5. See More Stars Than Anywhere Else

Most people love watching the stars, and can spend hours staring at them, trying to decipher the different constellations. If you’re an avid stargazer, you’ll want to visit Nicaragua: of the 88 constellations that exist in the night sky, a whopping 86 of them can be seen vividly if you’re in Nicaragua.

The reason? The sky is very different as you travel from locations near the North Pole and towards the South Pole. The sky in the Northern Hemisphere is not the same as the one in the South, but Nicaragua has a wonderful equatorial location that offers the best view of both hemispheres.

A street in Leon, Nicaragua. — Fotos593 / Shutterstock

6. Finding Streets Can Be Challenging

As a traveler, it will be no surprise to you that some countries are more difficult to navigate than others. Nicaragua sure hasn’t made it easier for visitors, as there are no official street names in the country.

If you were looking for directions in Nicaragua, you would be given them in relation to various landmarks, such as “across from the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral and take two lefts.”

This likely works better for locals than it does for tourists, but perhaps there’s some charm to the “no street name” rule.

7. It’s Very Safe

Of paramount importance to visitors and locals alike is safety. Nicaragua is considered by many to be one of the safest countries in Central America to visit.

Every year, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime puts out a homicide report, and Nicaragua has fared well with a rate of roughly 11 homicides per 100,000 population in its 2013 report. To compare to a neighbor country in Central America, Honduras had a rate of 90.4/100,000 in 2013.

While that might scare you away from traveling to Honduras anytime soon, it also might make you a lot more comfortable in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua is an amazing place with interesting landmarks and quirks that make up the fabric of the country. While every country has its downsides, the freshwater sharks and the clear starry skies are certainly reason to appreciate and visit Nicaragua’s gems. Just make sure you do it in a sustainable way that helps the Nicaraguan people realize their aspirations as well.

7 Things To Know About The Wine Of Napa Valley

Northern California is home to one of the world’s great wine-growing regions, and this breathtaking valley is filled with some serious surprises. Time to pour a glass and plan a wine tour! Here are some facts about Napa you’ll want to know before you head out on your tasting.

1. Mountainside Grapes Have A Distinct Flavor

Vines that grow along a mountain tend to produce grapes with a much fruitier taste. This isn’t vineyard magic: it’s due to the roots being much shallower and getting less water on an incline. This causes the grapes to grow smaller, and less skin means a more vibrant, fruitier taste with each and every drop. Popular wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Merlot are all crisp, sweet vintages that many of us have grown to love – especially when we’re looking for something light and refreshing.

Mountainside winery — Flickr / valkyrieh116

2. One Man Started A Wine Revolution

Napa never would have claimed its place in the wine pantheon if it weren’t for one man who decided to use the land to grow grapes. George C. Yount – a trapper from New Mexico – ventured north to California in 1831. In 1836, he planted the first vineyard in Napa County, claiming: “In such a place I should love to clear the land and make my home. In such a place I should love to live and die.” The first winery planted for commercial use was created in the year 1861 by Charles Krug. And the rest has become history.

3. A Rare, Ideal Climate For Grape-Growing

It’s really no surprise that Napa Valley has had such astronomical success when it comes to producing some the world’s finest wines. This region in Northern California is pretty much the perfect environment for growing flavorful grapes – and vineyards are taking full advantage of these conditions.

Napa is described as having a Dry Mediterranean climate, which can only be found on 2% of the entire earth’s surface. The average high temperature during the summer months is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit in the southern portion of Napa Valley and 95 degrees Fahrenheit in the north. Overnight temperatures during the summer rarely exceed 53 degrees Fahrenheit, thanks to the abundance of fog. This temperature range is perfect for enabling grapes to grow plentifully, and with an ideal character for fermentation.

4. Your Favorite Vino Boosts The American Economy

Most people savor a glass of their favorite wine, and brands that come from Napa Valley have had a pretty significant impact on the United States economy. The wine industry of Napa Valley contributes more than $50 billion to the state’s GDP every year. Napa County also provides more than 300,000 jobs, making Wine Country one seriously lucrative piece of California property. Here’s to enjoying some adult grape juice and creating jobs, all at the same time!

5. Grapes Come In Almost Endless Varieties

Although your main concern with wine may be choosing between your favorite red or white, it obviously gets way more complicated when you start talking about different strains of grapes. Napa Valley is home to more than 34 different varieties of grapes, and their individual attributes have a big impact on the finished product. Your favorite glass is probably dependent on one a very specific type of grape.

White wine grapes take up around 23% of vineyard space, whereas red wine grapes dominate 77% of the average vineyard. The specific wine that takes up the most acreage? Cabernet Sauvignon – a wildly popular red that pairs well with a juicy burger or steak.

6. Wine Country Houses Hundreds Of Wineries

Many are surprised to learn that only a mere 4% of California’s wine comes from Napa Valley, but this doesn’t mean Napa County isn’t bustling with a ton of vineyard activity. For an area of only 45,000 acres, Napa Valley is home to more than 420 individual wineries. This equates to over 800 brands of wine produced — making Wine Country a definite powerhouse in the world of fine wines. Small, but undoubtedly mighty, Napa Valley is a top tourist destination for a reason. There are a variety of vineyards to tour and a ton of tastings to partake in.

7. Patience Is A Virtue On The Vineyard

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was a successful, thriving vineyard. Growing ripe, delicious grapes doesn’t happen overnight. Vines take an average of six to seven years to grow grapes suitable for making wine. Although this may seem like a stretch when it comes to keeping the finest vino flowing, vines are known to produce good fruit for up to 30 years before needing to be replanted. Good wines come to those who wait, and they stay for the long haul.

Whether you consider yourself a wine-enthusiast or you just like to sip on something tasty once in awhile, we hope these facts encourage you to think about taking a wine tour. Napa is waiting for you: time to pop a cork and see all that Northern California has to offer. Cheers!

25 Amazing Facts About Nashville

1. City Origins

Nashville is named after Francis Nash, one of the few Patriot generals who were killed during the American Revolution.

2. AT&T Tower

The downtown tower is nicknamed the Batman Building because of its resemblance of bat ears.

3. Slogan Origins

President Theodore Roosevelt coined the phrase “good to the last drop” after drinking a cup of local Nashville coffee at the Maxwell House Hotel.

4. FM Radio

Nashville was the first city nationwide to be granted an FM-broadcasting license. The original WSM and radio announcer David Cobb called Nashville “Music City” for the first time in the 1950s.

Nashville's replica Parthenon — Nashville’s replica Parthenon. Wikimedia Commons

5. Centennial Park

The park is home to the only real replica of the Greek Parthenon. Sometimes referred to as the Athens of the South, the city of Nashville built it for the World Exposition in 1897. It is the Western Hemisphere’s tallest enclosed sculpture and houses a full-scale replica of the statue.

6. GooGoos

This iconic local candy is made of caramel, marshmallow, milk chocolate and peanuts. The name is believed to stand for “Grand Ole Opry.”

7. Elvis

Elvis recorded well over 200 of his songs at RCA’s historic Studio B on Music Row. A string of Christmas lights put up by Elvis to get into the holiday spirit while working on an album still hangs in the studio to this day.

8. Founders

The daughter of John Donelson, one of the city’s founders, married Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

The grave of Andrew Jackson at the Hermitage. Wikimedia Commons

9. Hermitage

This was Andrew Jackson’s local residence, which he constructed in 1835. The driveway was made in the shape of a guitar. Many believe this was some sort of magical foreshadowing of the city’s future as an influential center of music.

10. Seeing-Eye Dogs

Morris Frank first brainstormed the idea of using seeing-eye dogs in 1928 after reading a magazine article about guide dogs in Switzerland. The blind Vanderbilt University student first brought them back to the country after traveling to Europe in order to train with a German Shepherd. He returned less than a year later and founded The Seeing Eye, Inc., the first seeing-eye dog training school in the country.

11. Belle Meade Plantation

Two well-known thoroughbreds, Seabiscuit and War Admiral come from Nashville. The novel and movie Seabiscuit told the story of a horse that traces its lineage to Iroquois who was the first thoroughbred to win the English Derby.

12. Old Glory

Sea captain and Nashville resident, William Driver, is credited with first calling the flag “Old Glory” in 1837.

13. Grand Ole Opry

Originally named WSM Barn Dance, Nashville’s famous weekly country music show was renamed “the Grand Ole Opry” in 1927. It remains the world’s longest-running live music radio show.

14. Ryman Auditorium

Also known as the Mother Church of Country Music, this venue began its life as a place for gospel meetings. A small circle was removed from the stage here and embedded center stage at the Grand Ole Opry House when it was first built in 1974.

15. Tin Pan South

This is the largest songwriter’s festival in the world with nearly 350 songwriters performing original music in various venues around Nashville. The festival lasts for a whole week in spring.

16. Kurds

With nearly 11,000 people in the local Kurdish community, it is the largest anywhere in North America.

17. Hot Chicken

This local culinary tradition was first created to inflict pain. Thornton Prince’s girlfriend thought he was cheating on her in the 1930s, so she added extra seasoning to the chicken batter in an attempt to make him suffer. However, he liked the fiery flavor so much that he changed his recipe and opened Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack.

18. Oprah Winfrey

She got her big break in television as the first black female news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV while she was still a Tennessee State University student.

19. Tomato

The Five Points District hosts an annual costume art festival dedicated to the beloved tomato. A King and Queen Tomato are elected to lead a parade each year.

20. Vinyl Records

United Records Pressing is one of only four companies left in the nation still producing vinyl records. The Blue Room, a live venue located inside of Jack White’s Third Man Records, is the only venue globally that can still record music directly onto vinyl.

21. Live Music Venue Mecca

Nashville has over 180 live music venues. If a venue plays music for four or more nights a week, they are issued a guitar pick shaped sign with the words ‘Live Music Venue’ on it.

22. Grammys

Nashville hosted the Grammy Nominations concert in 2012, making it the only other city besides Los Angeles to do so.

23. Prohibition

During Prohibition, many print shops found in Printers Alley ran a series of speakeasies, creating a swinging underground bar scene. After Prohibition was repealed, many of these bars stayed open; some are still in business today!

24. Music Employees

The city has the highest concentration of music industry employees anywhere in the world, at nearly 60,000.

25. Local Food

Nashville is known for hot chicken (mentioned previously), meat and three, and hot fish, but according to Travel & Leisure magazine, it is ranked number 13 on the list of snobbiest American cities.

Are you ready to visit Nashville yet?

The 7 Weirdest Drinks From Around The World

Not all drinks are created equal, and some are definitely stranger than others. Here are 6 weird drinks from around the world that might just slake your thirst. …Or have you doing a spit-take.

1. Kumis (Horse Milk Alcohol)

Horse milk (mare milk to be precise) is the basis of an alcoholic drink called kumis, beloved in countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The milk is not usually consumed in its pure form because it is a strong laxative. It is no wonder then that Central Asian people have been fermenting it and turning it into alcohol for millennia: the earliest recorded mention of kumis dates from the year 5 BC.

Kumis is not highly alcoholic, similar to beer in its strength and form of consumption. However, it is closer to wine in its production, since the fermentation happens from liquid sugars (fructose in wine, lactose in kumis) instead of grains. Of all the drinks on this list, it is by far the most reasonable.

2. Snake Wine

Snake wine is pretty much what it sounds like: rice wine that has a snake in it. This traditional drink has been consumed in China for millennia, and can still be found there, as well as in certain areas of India and Southeast Asia. It was once consumed as medicine, with the snake venom thought to have beneficial effects for the drinker. Don’t worry, though: the venom may not be restorative, but it’s neutralized by the alcohol and poses no threat.

Threat or no threat, many people would still be put off by the idea of drinking wine with a dead snake in it. If you are not one of those people, one of the best places to find snake wine is the legendary Huaxi street night market in Taipei, Taiwan.

3. Seagull Wine

If you think you’ve got the hang of this now, I am sorry to disappoint. Seagull wine is not simply a wine with a dead seagull in it, like its snake-based cousin. Seagull wine, which is made by the Inuit people of the far North, is the result of placing a dead seagull in water and leaving the whole thing to slowly ferment in the sun.

According to one traveler who tried the beverage before being told how it’s made, it “wasn’t bad.” That is probably the best praise that seagull wine will receive from anyone south of the Arctic circle.

4. The Sourtoe Cocktail

The Sourtoe Cocktail has been proudly served by the Sourtoe Cocktail Club in Dawson, Yukon Territory, since 1973, although we are not entirely sure why that is. It’s not so much a cocktail as it is an ingredient that can be added to any drink: a real, preserved human toe.

Multiple people have donated their toes to the bar, and it now has a small collection. There used to be a $500 fine for drinking the toe itself, which was increased to $2,500 when a man deliberately drank the toe in one shot in 2013.

There is only one rule: “You can drink it fast, you can drink it slow – but the lips have gotta touch the toe.” Some people just love a challenge.

5. Pizza Beer

Pizza and beer have long been known to go together, especially at the end of a long week. One Illinois couple has taken this further by developing Pizza Beer, the “World’s First Culinary Beer.” They achieved this by including tomatoes, garlic, and herbs in their brewing process, achieving a taste that many people have confirmed is very similar to that of pizza.

Depending on who you ask, this is either an abomination against the good name of pizza or the greatest invention in the history of mankind. If you fall on the latter end of the spectrum, you can find Pizza Beer at a range of U.S. locations, or online.

6. Gau Jal (Cow Urine Soda)

Gau Jal is a soft drink made from cow urine. It is the brainchild of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a prominent group of Hindu paramilitary nationalists, who want it to replace the American Coca-Cola as India’s go-to soda.

Because of the sacred nature of cows in Hindu culture, cow urine and dung have been used as traditional remedies for centuries. The makers of Gau Jal hope that their product will lead to a resurgence in the use of cow urine as a health drink. While the soda may be popular with the members of the organization, there is little evidence that the wider Indian public has taken to replacing its refreshing Cokes with refreshing cow urine.

7. Placenta 10000

Unlike some other weird entries on this list, which have long histories within their cultures, Placenta 10000 was created in Japan back in 2008. The logic behind it is that placenta supposedly has regenerative properties, which is why some new mothers have taken to eating the placenta after giving birth in recent years. The drink supposedly tastes like fresh peaches, which sounds delightful, but the name of the drink is not likely to let you forget what it is you are drinking.

You’ll be relieved to know that it is pig placenta they use, although that just begs the question: where are they getting all their pig placentas from? There is, believe it or not, no scientific evidence to support health benefits of drinking pig placenta.

Well, bottoms up. Here’s mud in your eye! (Or, more likely, something less appetizing.)

The World’s 5 Most Dangerous Airlines

Airline safety is measured by AirlineRatings.com, which uses a variety of metrics to award airlines as many as seven stars for safety and quality. The below airlines are the only ones in the world with only one star.

An Air Koryo plane from North Korea. — Starz12 / Shutterstock

1. Air Koryo

This may not be particularly surprising, but North Korea’s national airline is rock bottom in the world rankings. Unlike most entries on this list, it is fatality-free and has an IOSA Certification, which is an internationally-recognized standard for the airline’s operation and control systems. So, why the low star rating?

For one, Air Koryo received an EU ban in 2006 due to safety concerns about their equipment. While parts of their fleet has begun complying with international standards and thus been allowed to operate internationally, the majority of their planes remain banned. Also, Air Koryo’s planes were made in Russia, which automatically costs you a star in AirlineRatings’s score.

A Blue Wing plane from Suriname. — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

2. Blue Wing

Blue Wing is an airline based in Suriname, flying domestically as well as internationally to surrounding countries such as Brazil and Venezuela. Their one-star rating is due to the many crashes that have occurred since they launched in 2009. They were banned from operating in the EU in 2010, which only affected their ability to fly to French Guiana, an overseas French territory subject to EU regulation.

Blue Wing planes have been involved in three major crashes in the last ten years, in 2008, 2009, and 2010. Two of those led to the deaths of all passengers on board, while the third mercifully only resulted in injuries. Blue Wing claims that the crashes were due to poor airport infrastructure which did not allow them to land safely.

However, no matter who or what is to blame, you should probably use another airline when flying in South America.

A Nepal Airlines plane. — Suparat_C / Shutterstock

3. Nepal Airlines

Nepal Airlines is the flag carrier of Nepal, and yet another one-star airline. It fares even worse than the other two airlines listed so far, given that it fails to meet every criterion listed by AirlineRatings apart from being FAA endorsed, which the vast majority of airlines are. It was banned from the EU in 2013 due to its abnormally large number of crashes.

Of these, a few were particularly tragic. In 2000, a plane collided with some trees on Jarayakhali hill and caught fire, killing 22 passengers and 3 crew. More recently, Nepal Airlines Flight 183 crashed into a hill in 2014, killing all 18 people on board. The investigation following the crash established that the reason was lack of coordination and awareness by the crew, combined with poor weather conditions.

A Trigana Air plane. — Nardisoero / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

4. Trigana Air

Trigana Air operates out of Indonesia. Like Nepal Airlines, they fail all criteria except for FAA endorsement. An EU ban was applied in 2007 to all Indonesian airlines, but several have now been exempted. No such luck for Trigana Air, which since 2002 has experienced 14 major incidents. Of these, 10 were listed as a “hull loss,” the term used when a plane is damaged beyond repair or entirely lost.

The most disastrous of these incidents occurred in 2015 when Trigana Air Service Flight 267 crashed in a rural area of Papua, an island which Indonesia shares with the country of Papua New Guinea. A total of 49 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident, the official report of which was not released until two years later. The reasons listed were pilot error and failure of the Ground Warning Proximity system.

A Yeti Airlines plane in Nepal. — Nick Fox / Shutterstock

5. Yeti Airlines/Tara Air

Nepal once again elbows its way onto the list, which leads us to the conclusion that flying a plane in and around the Himalayas is a dangerous business. In fact, there have been nine fatal accidents and crashes in Nepal in the last eight years alone. For that reason, the EU ban applies to all airlines certified by the Nepalese regulatory authorities, as they are believed to be unreliable.

Yeti Airlines are the parent company of Tara Air, which is why they are listed here together despite being shown separately in the AirlineRating rankings. Both airlines rank a poor 3/8 in the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) safety audit, and have a history of accidents and mishaps – occasionally fatal ones. Despite this, they combine to form the largest fleet of aircraft in Nepal with the widest domestic network. This means visitors to Nepal who do not have the time to travel overland run a high chance of having to use one of their poorly-ranked airlines.

Unless you need to travel in Nepal, these airlines are quite easy to avoid. However, these are just the ones rated one-star, the unsafest of them all: there are plenty of two and three-star rated airlines from around the world. Before booking a flight on an airline you have never heard of before, it is always a good idea to check its safety rating and history of accidents. While a low score is not a guarantee of danger, it is an indicator of poor practices and low standards, which is never reassuring when you are in the air.