Phi Phi Island
Phi Phi Island
Thailand
ASIA
Yes
19
"The Phi Phi Islands are a series of islands in Thailand that lie between the Straits of Malacca and the big island of Krabi. Krabi Province is the administrative home of the islands. The largest and most populous island in the group is Ko Phi Phi Don, while many tourists also visit the beaches of Ko Phi Phi Le, the second-largest island. Large limestone rocks protruding from the water characterize the remaining islands in the group, such as Bida Nok, Bida Nai, and Ko Mai Phai. Ferries, speedboats, and long-tail boats can get to the islands; they usually depart from Krabi town or from ports in Phuket Province. Between the large island of Krabi and the Straits of Malacca, Thailand, lies a group of islands known as the Phi Phi Islands. The islands' administrative center is Krabi Province. Ko Phi Phi Don is the group's largest and most populated island, while Ko Phi Phi Le, the second-largest island, also has a lot of tourists visiting its beaches. The other islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Nai, and Ko Mai Phai, are characterized by large limestone boulders that rise out of the ocean. The islands are accessible by ferry, speedboat, and long-tail boat; these vessels often leave from ports ain Phuket Province or Krabi town. When Ko Phi Phi Le served as the setting for the British-American movie The Beach in 2000, the islands gained international recognition. This sparked controversy, with some claiming that the film studio had harmed the island's natural ecosystem by planting palm trees and razing beach sections to make the island more like the book's descriptions. The filmmakers deny these claims. The publication of the movie was said to have increased tourism, which in turn led to more environmental damage. The ""Viking Cave"" on Phi Phi Le is the site of a flourishing industry that harvests edible bird nests. Tropical monsoon winds impact Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. There are two distinct seasons: the hot season, which lasts from January to April, and the rainy season, which lasts from May to December. The typical temperature is between 17 and 37 °C (63 and 99 °F). There is an average of 2,231 millimeters (87.8 inches) of rainfall annually, with February being the driest month and July being the wettest. Krabi, which is in the same province as the Phi Phi Islands, has the closest airport. The airports at Phuket and Trang are also close by. Road and boat connections to Phuket are direct. From Trang to Phi Phi, there is a road and boat connection via Koh Lanta; however, services are only available from November to March. Phuket, Ko Lanta, and Krabi all have regular ferry boats to Ko Phi Phi.
Cape Town
Cape Town
South Africa
AFRICAN
Yes
35
South Africa's legislative capital is Cape Town. It is the oldest city in the nation and the location of the South African Parliament. Cape Town is the largest city in the Western Cape and the second most populous city in the nation, after Johannesburg.The city is a part of the metropolitan municipality known as the City of Cape Town.Table Mountain, Cape Point, the city's harbor, and its natural environment in the Cape Floristic Region are some of its most well-known features. Numerous publications have ranked Cape Town as the world's greatest city and the finest place to go, including Time Out in 2025, The New York Times in 2014, and The Telegraph for the last eight years (2017–2025). With the greatest concentration of Cape Dutch-style buildings worldwide, Cape Town is renowned for its architectural legacy. Constantia, the historic government buildings in the Central Business District, and Long Street are the best examples of the Cape Dutch architectural style, which blends the architectural traditions of the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Indonesia. Mostert's Mill in Mowbray is the only fully operational windmill in South Africa. Constructed in 1796, it underwent restorations in 1935 and 1995. In 2014, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design declared Cape Town the World Design Capital. Additionally, Cape Town is designated a "Design City" by the Creative Cities Network of UNESCO. Cape Town's biggest performing arts facility is the Artscape Theatre Centre. The 17th-century savory, sweet, spiced beef dish known as bobotie is one of the foods that originated in Cape Town or is associated with it. A sandwich stuffed with slap chips and other toppings, the Gatsby was initially offered in the Athlone area in 1976 and has since come to represent the city.A classic Cape Malay dessert, the koe'sister is characterized as a cake-like dumpling flavored with cinnamon and topped with a dusting of desiccated coconut. Table Mountain's mass and the chilly Benguela Current of the South Atlantic Ocean both locally alter Cape Town's Mediterranean climate. While the average high temperature is 70°F (21°C) in January and February and the average low temperature is 55°F (13°C) in July, the coast and mountain slopes experience colder weather. Freezing rarely happens. Rainfall occurs on 69 days of the year on average; the southern winter months of June through August account for roughly half of the 26 inches (660 millimeters) of yearly rainfall. Every year, almost five million tons of goods pass through the port of Cape Town. Although ships with a draft of more than 40 feet are not permitted to enter the port during low tide, interoceanic commerce benefits greatly from its dry dock and maintenance facilities. Container traffic is accommodated at the Ben Schoeman Dock.