A reveler takes part in the battle of 'Enfarinats,' a flour fight in celebration of the Els Enfarinats festival on December 28, 2013 in Ibi, Spain. Citizens of Ibi annually celebrate the festival with a battle using flour, eggs and firecrackers. (David Ramos/Getty Images) The area outside the town hall in Ibi, Spain, may look like a snow-covered winter wonderland, but the white powder is actually from a fierce flour fight held to celebrate the 'Els Enfarinats' Festival. Citizens of...

Perched high above the teeming metropolis of Hong Kong, some of the city's poorest residents live in shanties that offer million-dollar views. Known as "sky slums," the shanty towns have spread across the city, built on the roofs of previously existing apartments and tenements. Although they may have light and fresh air, the shacks have plenty of disadvantages. Residents must climb many stories of stairs to reach their homes and they contend with everything from bugs to flooding, said a...

This Dec. 30, 2013 picture shows a general view of the ice lanterns and carvings at the 2014 Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in Harbin, in northeast China. This year's 'Ice and Snow World' will officially open on January 5, 2014. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Lit up in spectacular colors, the shimmering palaces and sculptures of the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival are primed for their 30th appearance in Harbin, China. The festival is one of the largest in the world,...

View of the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India. The luxury hotel sits on an island in Lake Pichola, which gives it a 'floating' appearance. (Taj Lake Palace/Leading Hotels of the World) With its numerous lakes, the city ofUdaipur in India is often called the "City of Lakes" or the "Venice of the East." On one of these scenic lakes, Lake Pichola, sits the shimmering jewel known as ,considered one of the most romantic hotels on Earth. It's easy to...

Kilian Schonberger is a professional photographer and geographer from Germany. His shots of the Czech Bohemian Forest capture the misty landscape's magical aura. (Kilian Schonberger) German photographer Kilian Schonberger is color blind. Yet his landscape photos of the Czech Bohemian Forest on the German-Czech border are spectacular. He believes that his color blindness allows him to focus his attention to structures and overall image composition. “My color blindness concerns several tones: I can’t distinguish green from red, magenta from grey,...

Passengers arrive at Union Station after their Amtrak train from Los Angeles became stuck in snow drifts on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, in Chicago. ((AP Photo/Andrew A. Nelles)) CHICAGO -- The Amtrak train slowed to a crawl as it hammered through snowdrifts in an empty stretch of Illinois countryside, delivering thuds and jolts to passengers, until it lurched into a mound big enough to grind its 8,000-horsepower engine to a halt. About 90 miles short of their Chicago destination, passengers...

Greig Trout goes whitewater rafting in the Rio Pacuare in Costa Rica. Trout, a two-time cancer survivor, is traveling the world with an 'anti-bucket list' and aims to inspire others by completing '101 things to do when you survive.' (Greig Trout/ 101 Things to Do When You Survive Facebook) A two-time cancer survivor has dumped the "bucket list" and is instead hoping to inspire others to beat the disease by traveling the world with a dream list of "things to...

Participants dressed as Vikings march past during the annual Up Helly Aa festival in Lerwick, Shetland Islands on Jan. 29, 2013. Up Helly Aa celebrates the influence of the Scandinavian Vikings in the Shetland Islands. (Andy Buchanan/AFP/Getty Images) Armed with battle axes and shields and clad in armor and a helm, the guizers of Lerwick will soon be taking to the streets by the hundreds to celebrate Up Helly Aa, Europe's largest fire festival. The annual festival has been held...

Morten Nordstrom calls his photos 'puddlegrams.' His photos depict cityscapes in Copenhagen and throughout Europe in the reflections of puddles on the ground. The tall building in the background is one of Denmark's most famous buildings, The Round Tower, built in the late 1630s. (Morten Nordstrom) Morten Nordstrom doesn’t dread rainy days like a lot of people. Rather, he looks forward to them. The Copenhagen native uses the weather in a unique way to create beautiful cityscapes of his hometown...

This frame grab provided by KSPR-TV shows a Southwest Airlines flight that was scheduled to arrive Sunday Jan. 12, 2014, at Branson Airport in southwest Missouri instead landed at an airport 7 miles north — with a runway about half the size of the intended destination. (AP Photo/KSPR-TV) DALLAS -- The pilots of a Southwest Airlines flight that mistakenly landed at the wrong Missouri airport were grounded Monday, less than a day after they touched down at a small airfield...

Participants compete in a Makepung or bull race with water buffaloes at Kaliakah village in Jembrana in Bali, Indonesia on January 12, 2014. The event attracted tourists to the popular holiday destination island. (SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP/Getty Images) Tourists flock to Bali, perhaps Indonesia's most famous island, for its incredible mountain scenery, beautiful beaches and enchanting . But one festive tradition draws hundreds of tourists to the Jembrana region of the island, even as it promises to get both participants and spectators...

If the options for your next vacation came down to the standard beachside getaway or a spa trip inside of a Romanian salt mine, which would you choose? Should an ancient mine sound more appealing than sipping margaritas in the Caribbean, you’re not alone. Travel experts say more of today’s travelers are looking for vacations that are unique, exciting and even a little bizarre. Since 2009, has accelerated by 65 percent year over year, according to a study by ,...