Plastics engineer Jono Williams, from Linton, New Zealand, spent $50,000 (£32,000) on materials and worked on the Skysphere for 3,000 hours after coming up with the idea over a few beers. The solar-powered home has a number of slick features that are controlled by a smartphone app, including a couch with a built-in refrigerated beer dispenser and a fingerprint scan that unlocks a hatch that opens to a metal ladder within the steel column.
America's 'germiest' wall, a Stonehenge replica made completely of foam and England's only gnome reserve: The world's strangest tourist attractions revealed
Depending on where you are in the world, popular tourist spots can range from wonderfully wacky, such as Seattle's chewing gum-covered wall to downright chilling, like the Kutna Hora Bone Church. Another popular stateside attraction is the Big Lobster (main) in Kingston, Australia, the Big Pineapple (top right) in Bathurst, South Africa, and the Upside-Down House in China (bottom right).
Pavarotti couldn't get enough of it, Joan Collins honeymooned there... but you don't need to be a millionaire celebrity to holiday at the private island of Pangkor Laut
The exclusive resort featuring hotel bedrooms on stilts above the sea (main) has long been a favourite holiday haunt of celebrities, including Pavarotti and Joan Collins (left) and Michael Schumacher and Eric Canton (right). It has just got even more accessible thanks to British Airways, which has new daily flights to Malaysia as well as holiday packages to Pangkor Laut from £1,339pp.
Inside the £200k cruise that nearly sold out IN A DAY: Passengers on the Seven Seas Navigator will visit 31 countries in six continents (and there's unlimited champagne for the duration)
The Seven Seas Navigator will visit six continents, 31 countries and more than 60 ports of call featuring 29 Unesco World Heritage Sites. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio, whose subsidiary company Regent Seven Seas runs the ship, revealed that nearly three quarters of the berths were sold on the first day of sales. The cheapest rooms cost £35,000, while couples wanting the very best berths will need to fork out £200,000.
From TOWIE to Downton Abbey: The best of Britain's TV locations (and whether it's a blessing or a curse to be linked to the show)
Essex residents have recently launched a bid to stop TOWIE tours in Brentwood over fears 'disruptive' tourists could deter people from visiting. The show (top left) which regularly draws in nearly a million viewers per episode, is not the only one to have captured the attention of tourists wishing to see where the stars hang out. Shows such as Geordie Shore (filmed in Newcastle, bottom right), Poldark (Cornwall, top right) and Game of Thrones (Northern Ireland, bottom left) have put their respective filming areas on the map, with some enjoying a boost in tourism.
The seals outnumber the guests! Scottish holiday island with spectacular sea views, a restaurant and lighthouse is yours for £2,000 a night
Located a mile from Mull of Kintyre, rugged Sanda Island boasts four cottages (top left), a natural beach populated by seals, and a lighthouse (top right) with 360-degree views. When guests arrive at the 400-acre outcrop they are treated to a traditional welcome from a Scottish piper and then shown to their cottage. For £2,000 a day, the 'island package' includes meals, an excursion to Northern Ireland, a fishing trip and supervised whisky tasting.
Pagan burial grounds, the ghost of Anne Boleyn and the property that inspired The Shining: These are the world's most haunted hotels
For adventurous travellers looking for a night to remember, consider checking into these spooky spots, including a converted prison and a luxurious Italian residence haunted by Mussolini. In Kent, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn is a five-star bed and breakfast where many have spotted her ghostly apparition wandering through the gardens, while the Chateau de Brissac (main) is haunted by The Green Lady. In Los Angeles, the spirit of iconic actress Marilyn Monroe (top right) has been spotted in the mirror of her favourite room: 229.
He ran out of countries! Meet the traveller who visited EVERY country on the planet - before turning 40 (and he's got advice on how you can do the same)
Gunnar Garfors succeeded in travelling to all 198 countries around the world by the time he reached 37. He has released a book on his journey called 198: How I Ran Out Of Countries. The explorer managed to combine his love for travelling with his job, working in broadcasting during his trip. Along the way he has experienced Machu Picchu (top left), India (top centre), Iran (top right), Petra (bottom left), Bhutan (bottom centre), Mount Klubbviktind in Norway (bottom right).
Inside the luxurious £600-a-night treehouse hotel where every suite has a fireplace and infinity pool high above the forest floor
Offering a unique take on a room with a view, the wood and stone treehouses at Tsala Treetop Lodge boast high ceilings, kitchenettes and outdoor showers in a peaceful location between the coastal towns of Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. Every suite and villa has a private deck with an infinity pool (top right) and a balcony offering sweeping views of a lush forest (left). When it's time to eat, guests dine on a deck suspended high above the forest floor (bottom right).
'This photo will haunt my son forever': The internet goes wild over hilarious holiday snap of boy's terrified expression on 75mph roller coaster
Will Poole, from Wilmington, North Carolina, posted the amusing picture on Reddit and Imgur, where it has more than 3.3 million views in just two days. Under the headline 'This roller coaster photo will haunt my son forever', the photo shows Kylan McKittrick's terrified expression as the Skyrush coaster, at Hersheypark in Pennsylvania, hit a massive drop. Will has been accused of 'shaming' his son, but says Kylan is thrilled with all of the attention he has received.
Bird's eye view! Incredible images showcase daredevil parahawker letting Bob the vulture swoop in for a chicken dinner
These amazing pictures of spectacular views may look like they were taken on a paragliding trip but there's a unique twist. This is parahawking a novel new sport for adrenaline junkies that gives them the chance to soar through the skies with birds by their side. Adam Gerber, 25, captured these incredible snapshots in Pokhara, Nepal, which is currently the only place in the world to offer the daredevil activity.
I would drive 500 miles! Scotland's stunning answer to Route 66 is named one of the top coastal road trips in the world - just two months after it was launched
North Coast 500 - to be known as NC500 - was only launched two months ago, but has struck a chord with travellers due to its stunning scenery, beaches, such as Achmelvich Beach (inset right) and fairytale castles like the ruined Ardvreck Castle (inset left) that can be seen along the route. The initiative, backed by Prince Charles, aims to showcase local Scottish food, drink, accommodation and activities.
How China is turning a disused quarry into a stunningly futuristic mountain resort with an indoor ski slope and a 200ft waterfall
With Beijing winning rights to host the 2022 Winter Olympics just last week, it is believed that the complex could attract a new generation of winter sports fans to the country. The Dawang Mountain Resort, to be built near Changsha, Hunan Province, is a proposed five-star luxury resort and leisure complex, housing a water park, indoor ski slope and 200ft waterfall.
Amazing drone footage shows mother and her calf swimming up to boat and allowing tourists to PET them
Wildlife photographer Mark Carwardine captured the magical moment the friendly mother and her calf approached the boat in San Ignacio Lagoon off the Pacific coast of Baja California. The mother, a gentle giant at 40ft in length, allowed the tourists to touch her head, and she was soon followed by her curious calf (inset). This thrilling video shows the whales playing with the tourists, with scenes from high above and under the water's surface.
Breathtaking Britain: Lake District named UK's most spectacular landscape to capture on camera... with southern beauty spots snubbed by photographers
Professional and amateur photographers favour the Lake District (main photo) when it comes to capturing amazing scenery. It was followed by the Yorkshire Dales (inset), Peak District and Snowdonia National Park. At No 6, Stonehenge was the first southern spot to make the list, followed by the White Cliffs of Dover. In a second poll more than 2,000 UK adults were asked to rank the top 'lesser-known' beauty spots in the UK, with Scotland's Isle of Skye ranking first.
Welcome to the weirdest camp site in the world where there's not a tent in sight
Marrying art and camping UrbanCampsite Amsterdam is inviting guests to stay in an art exhibition in one of 14 artistic and unusual mobile objects. The pop up campsite has been launched in the newest part of the city- Centrumeiland of IJburg, a sand scape surrounded by the IJ lake boasting a view of the island of Pampus.
Doctor becomes second American named in African lion-killing investigation: Pittsburgh gynecologist who has posed with dead elephants, hippos, zebras and ostriches 'killed lion in illegal hunt'
Could these futuristic lighthouses prevent another Costa Concordia? Designs include Batman beam and a 'silent compass'
The winners of a competition intended to commemorate the Costa Concordia tragedy and design a new lighthouse concept for the spot where vessel sunk near Italy, have been announced. The winning concepts of futuristic lighthouses penned by young architects comprise a Batman-style light that's thrust into the night sky (pictured left), a delicate construction that creeps into the sea and a 'silent compass' (shown bottom right and left).
Family who saved for ten years to go on dream holiday to Disney World say daughter is still suffering damaging health effects from mouldy room FOUR MONTHS later
Gary and Jamie Foreman spent ten years saving the £7,000 to surprise their three children Isobel, 10, Brady, six, and Phoebe, four (pictured right), with a dream two week break to Disney World, Florida. Before they were due to fly, Jamie, 38, contacted the hotel, which was booked through tour provider Virgin Holidays, to tell them that their hotel room would have to be clean, as her daughter Phoebe (left) had suffered from asthma attacks in the past. However, the family were shocked to discover dirty beds (inset) and mould in their room.
Breathtaking new Somerset cavern with rare 'King Arthur's beard' rock formations is revealed to the public for first time after three tonnes of explosives exposed it
Owners of the Wookey Hole attraction were left stunned by the incredible discovery (main and top right), and the new cave - officially known as 'Cavern 20' - is now accessible to visitors for the very first time. The chamber is the largest at the West Country attraction and also features a subterranean lake which had previously only been seen by a handful of cave divers. It also features rare fluted rock known as 'King Arthur's Beard' (bottom right).
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TOP STORIES IN TRAVEL
- Ewan McGregor is 'pleasant', Kylie Minogue 'charming' but Robbie Williams 'cocky': The website where cabin crew reveal what they REALLY think of celebrities they've served
- Who said men can't multi-task? Commuter stuns passengers with 'workstation' that includes a music stand and laptop... and there's even a baby strapped to his chest
- Inside the £200k cruise that nearly sold out IN A DAY: Passengers on the Seven Seas Navigator will visit 31 countries in six continents (and there's unlimited champagne for the duration)
- From 100ft monster waves in Portugal to the dangerous 'pipeline' in Hawaii: Infographic reveals the world's best places to surf
- You never know who you'll end up sitting beside! Delta Airlines releases hilarious flight safety video featuring Moses, a squirrel and a host of cartoon characters
- A home that towers above the rest! Space-age property has 360-degree views, fingerprint entry and a beer dispenser in the sofa
- From TOWIE to Downton Abbey: The best of Britain's TV locations (and whether it's a blessing or a curse to be linked to the show)
- British tourist suffers horrific leg injury after 'false widow spider bite' while on holiday in Lanzarote
- Would YOU want to fly in this? Passenger captures the terrifying moment his plane takes off in a raging thunderstorm
- Anything to declare? Boy, 12, sparks security scare after a GRENADE was found in his hand luggage at Florida airport
- Passenger accuses Jet2 flight attendant of having a 'vendetta' after low-cost airline banned him and friend for being 'aggressive and abusive'
- Shocking moment airline passenger was punched in the head by 'drunk man who refused to turn off his phone before take-off'
- Is this the future of room service? Robots deployed to cater to hotel guests' needs... and they can even navigate the lifts
- Projectile vomiting, temper tantrums and explosive diarrhoea: Mothers reveal their nightmare plane stories (that will have everyone supporting adults-only flights)
- They won't visit odd numbered homes which have been burgled but British police ARE going to patrol Magaluf and Ibiza streets to help tackle rowdy UK revellers
- There's love in the air: New Tinder-inspired app, CrewMe, connects pilots and cabin crew looking for romance
- Men spend £400 on beauty treatments and new clothes to prep for a holiday in Marbella (but those going to France, Italy or Portugal splash out just £50)
- Hundreds of passengers stranded in Cyprus after Thomas Cook plane bound for Gatwick returned an hour into the flight because the air conditioning wasn't working
- They are endorsed by Twilight star Kellan Lutz and help you sleep on planes: Why Blackout Bands are the latest must-have in-flight accessory
- Cockroaches in the kitchen, stoves caked in grease and food left uncovered: Restaurant popular with tourists on Australia's Sunshine Coast fined £10,000
- Welcome to the 'Condom-inium': Stay in this Ibiza apartment for FREE for a week - if you don't mind sleeping in a bed covered with safe sex messages and STI statistics
- Hotels in Spanish holiday hotspot of Lloret de Mar given power to evict badly behaved tourists amid concern over rowdy image
- Timing is everything: Save up to 45% on your summer holiday... simply by travelling during the week of August 22
- Holidaymaker's fury after currency exchange shop gave her €600 worth of counterfeit notes... and she still hasn't been reimbursed
- 'Highway to the Danger Zone!' Moment Southwest Airlines crew blared Top Gun song through cabin as plane took off
- The seals outnumber the guests! Scottish holiday island with spectacular sea views, a restaurant and lighthouse is yours for £2,000 a night
- Pagan burial grounds, the ghost of Anne Boleyn and the property that inspired The Shining: These are the world's most haunted hotels
- Stay in amazing locations around the world without paying a thing: Travel site lets you exchange your skills for a FREE room
- He ran out of countries! Meet the youngest person to visit EVERY country on the planet - before turning 40 (and he's got advice on how you can do the same)
- Tourists speak of 'pandemonium' after leaping from Russian sightseeing boat that exploded and burst into flames
- 'Only a sick mind would do something like that': Couple burgled on Lanzarote holiday as they tend to daughter with Down's syndrome in the next room
- Concrete jungle to the rainforest in under 11 hours: British Airways to launch direct flights from London Gatwick to Costa Rica
- Grand Theft Ostrich! Cheeky bird attempts to break into CAR at safari park by pecking the door handle with its beak in hilarious video
- Commuters, meet Miffy! Train carriages in China get a colourful makeover to celebrate cartoon rabbit's 60th anniversary
- Is this your bunny? The Facebook campaign to find owner of stuffed toy that's hopping all over the internet
- The jaw-dropping photos from adventurer's 60,000 mile tour that show why a road trip around the US may be the best holiday you'll ever have
- Is this the world's creepiest hotel? Inside the CRYPT where guests sleep in a coffin on a concrete platform that held a priest's remains for 100 years
- Postcards, Punch and Judy shows and buying sticks of rock: The British holiday rituals that could soon be lost to history
- Book two one-way flights, change your location settings and request a vegetarian meal on board: 27 little-known travel tips that will surprise even frequent fliers
- Hilarious moment monkey opens mouth as wide as possible and reacts in complete shock to the site of a chicken SANDWICH
- 'This photo will haunt my son forever': The internet goes wild over hilarious holiday snap of boy's terrified expression on 75mph roller coaster
- Dramatic moment firefighters hosed down passenger plane after it was forced to make emergency landing without nose gear
- Southwest Airlines flight delayed after plane's wing knocks over catering truck at US airport
- Keeping up with the Indiana Joneses: More Brits than ever before embarking on risky pursuits while on holiday (and the over-65s are getting in on the action too)
- EasyJet apologises after in-flight magazine highlights Belfast's often-violent Orange Order marches as TOURIST ATTRACTIONS that are 'great to watch'
- Bird's eye view! Incredible images showcase daredevil parahawker letting Bob the vulture swoop in for a chicken dinner
- Inside the luxurious £600-a-night treehouse hotel where every suite has a fireplace and infinity pool high above the forest floor
- Adorable footage captures baby wallaby Monti settling into his new surroundings following the death of his mother
- Scotland's answer to America's Route 66 named in the top six coastal road trips in the world
- Would you check into a hotel called Scandic Hell? The most unfortunately named accommodation in the world
- Heathrow chaos: Passengers forced to board flights without their luggage after power cut stops conveyor belts
- 'I want to wave at my boss from the bar': The most hilarious attempts at blagging a flight upgrade revealed
- 30 days, 14 states and four time zones: Ultimate road trip itinerary takes travellers to all the tourist hotspots between New York City and Los Angeles
- 'There is excrement in almost every bush': Rude tourists slammed after using trail to picturesque mountain ledge as public toilet
- Travel enthusiast captures rare footage of striated frogfish... a mysterious sea creature covered in spines that resemble HAIR
- How China is turning a disused quarry into a stunningly futuristic mountain resort with an indoor ski slope and a 200ft waterfall
- Dramatic moment drunk man was hauled off a plane after fighting with passengers and forcing pilot to make emergency landing
- Breathtaking drone footage of Japan's stunning Pacific coastline that'll make you think you're looking at the Maldives
- On the frontline of Afghanistan's attempts to boost warzone tourism in 'oasis' of Bamiyan... despite the conflict around it
- Pictured: The incredible 82ft-tall hotel aquarium in Berlin that has an elevator for guests INSIDE it (and is home to 1,500 fish)
- Tourist, 77, trampled to death by COWS while taking shortcut through pasture in Swiss Alps
- Adorable footage captures seal pup being rescued by couple on Blackpool beach after it had become stranded by strong waves
- Food for thought! One-fifth of Brits admit that local cuisine is the most important factor when choosing a holiday destination
- Passenger sneaked cat into the UK from Greece by hiding it in her HANDBAG through airport security... but was rumbled when another traveller spotted it moving
- Now THAT'S a warm whale-come! Amazing drone footage shows mother and her calf swimming up to boat and allowing tourists to pet them
- The future of picnicking has arrived: The space age backpack that contains a table, cup holders and USB hubs
- Rise to the bait! Footage captures angry fish LEAPING from water in a bid to bite fingers of a man teasing him
- Downton Abbey's butler Jim Carter serves up reasons why London is the 'cultural capital of the world'
- Going, going... gone: The terrifying moment an enormous sandstorm hundreds of feet high engulfs airport, causing travel chaos
- Paradise lost its tourist trade: How toxic politics have made visitor numbers to Madagascar plummet (even cute lemurs aren't luring them in)
- Monaco, St Tropez... and now Mayfair: Glitzy London district joins European hot spots as a top holiday destination for the rich
- New chapter in airport delays: Sorority sisters' souvenir booklets cause pre-flight chaos in Texas because they could be mistaken for BOMBS by scanners
- Inside the extraordinary world of the Shanghai marriage market where parents advertise their children in a bid to get them hitched (and do so without their permission)
- The shocking moment airline employee loses her cool during airport chaos in Italy and SHOVES a passenger
- London-bound flight forced to land in Amsterdam after diverting around Chinese military exercises and 'running out of fuel'
- Face to face with a mountain lion: Hiker shouts at stalking cougar in a desperate bid to scare it away
- It's camping but not as we know it: Guests can now sleep inside a quirky ART EXHIBITION at Amsterdam's newest tourism hot spot
- Miracle moment: Dreamlike panoramic images of the world's largest salt flat in Bolivia include a man appearing to walk on water
- Hidden treasure! Breathtaking new Somerset cavern with rare 'King Arthur's beard' rock formations revealed to the public for first time after three tonnes of explosives exposed it
- Family who saved for ten years to go on dream holiday to Disney World say daughter is still suffering damaging health effects from mouldy room FOUR MONTHS later
- Government gives go ahead for £360m fleet of state-of-the-art trains that will reduce journey time between London and Cornwall... but only by 14 minutes
- A night in a pop-up lighthouse, helicopter rides over glaciers, prosecco on the black beaches and smoked puffin for lunch: How to spend an incredible 48 hours in Iceland
- You don't scare me! Plucky cat Felix stands its ground against Tiger named Neiko and even screeches at it in intimidating manner
- Fresh sightings of 'large sharks' keep popular Australian beaches closed following attack on bodyboarder that left him seriously injured
- The pictures that sum up Greece's woes: Hotel that used to be the height of glamour and frequented by Angelina Jolie now lies abandoned... with locals saying it's cursed
- Can YOU tell the difference? The hyperrealistic paintings of top tourist destinations including New York and Paris that make even locals do a double-take
- Frozen in time: The Arctic's Soviet-era ghost town that is seeing a tourist revival with visitors keen to see the abandoned mine and Lenin bust (and the occasional polar bear)
- From blood-red waters to a geothermal spa (and one that vertigo sufferers will hate): The world's WACKIEST hotel pools
- A long way from the cobbles! Coronation Street star Antony Cotton heads to Santorini to see the sunset everybody raves about
- Portuguese paradise: Inside the incredible Douro Valley wine lodge that has it all... from sensational views to world class food (and the port isn't bad, either)
- A night in port? It's a shore-fire cruising success with stops in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and Havana for its boisterous nightlife
- Terrifying moment Cathay Pacific passengers were told to put on life vests and prepare for emergency WATER LANDING
- Forget the crowded coast! How to avoid the tourist herd in the South of France and still find waters as azure as the Mediterranean
- Marvellous Marbella... with an extra shot of caffeine: Finding perfect cappuccinos and sand dunes after travelling 15,000 miles in an RV
- Caught on camera: Shocking moment half-naked 'British' tourist is filmed sprawled across boot of convertible travelling at 75mph on busy motorway near Marbella
- Barmy for Bali! The England Rugby Captain is rejuvenated by this laid back exotic island
- Thomas Cook tells holidaymakers they WON'T get a refund for their Tunisian holidays... even though it's stopped selling them because it's too dangerous
- Breathtaking Britain: Lake District named UK's most spectacular landscape to capture on camera... with southern beauty spots snubbed by photographers
- From stunning beaches to A-lister approved hotels: The inside track on France's bustling Mediterranean city of Marseille - now served by DIRECT Eurostar from London