For centuries, the port of [Aden][w] has served as Yemen’s gateway to the the world. Its distinctive double harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano. Over the years, a number of wrecked ships have accumulated in Aden’s harbour, many of which are visible in Google Maps imagery.

Novaya Zemlya (“New Land”) is a large Russian landmass located at the northeasternmost extreme of Europe. The rugged Arctic islands have one of the most severe climates on Earth and were also home to over 220 nuclear tests between 1955 and 1990.

Since 1871, the city of Kimberley in the Northern Cape has been at the centre of the diamond-mining industry in South Africa. The city instantly grew around the burgeoning mines, eventually surrounding many of the giant pits dug into the ground, which have become tourist attractions in their own right.

The term “blue hole” is given to sinkholes filled with water where the entrance is below the surface; but they are perhaps more accurately described as “vertical caves”. These caves were formed through normal erosion until…

North Korea Uncovered was a massive collaborative effort between 2007 and 2009 to map out the reclusive country using Google Earth imagery. The project reveals thousands of landmarks across North Korea – everything from military bases to amusement parks, restaurants to statues, agriculture to gulags. It’s impossible to cover everything in this post, but here’s just a sliver of what the project revealed.

With springtime just around the corner (in the Northern hemisphere at least), some readers may be thinking about booking a holiday. You might expect that spending more money on your hotel would guarantee the best stay,…