Journey Around the Globe [37] Trivia Quiz

Answer: Hong Kong

Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong which, off the Kowloon Peninsula, contains more than two hundred islands of varying sizes. Lantau, however, is found to the southwest, and while it contains a number of naturally-pristine sections (some of which contain beautiful hills adorned with landmarks like the Tian Tan Buddha), it also isn't immune from the city's colossal development. Half of Lantau is national parkland, but a large swath in the northeast contains Hong Kong Disneyland.

The Tian Tan Buddha, meanwhile, was built to be the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world. It sits 34-meters tall near the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery in the Ngong Ping highlands.

Answer: Dotonbori

Although the city of Osaka contains many regions which light up at night, Dotonbori is a distinct region known for its canals, illuminated billboards, shopping, and restaurants. There are numerous famous destinations along this stretch, most of which are classic dining institutions with elaborate street signage (we're talking about massive, moving crabs, for instance), and all of these are a short walk or bridge crossing from a canal-adjacent ferris wheel.

Originally, this part of the city was known for its theatres; these were, for the most part, destroyed in WWII.

Answer: Kyoto

A scenic bamboo grove found next to the Katsura River as it flows into Kyoto, Japan, the nation's former capital, Arashiyama contains numerous walking paths that guide visitors through dark, green corridors of mature bamboo. Though there are other temples and hillsides in this historic locale that also contain bamboo forests (the shrines of Mount Inari come to mind), Arashiyama is considered by Japan to be one of its most valuable soundscapes. Visitors to this grove are also a short walk from the Iwatayama Monkey Park, home to dozens of wild Japanese macaques.

Answer: Bali

Found deep in the heart of Bali, the Kampung of Penglipuran is one of many traditional villages nestled in amongst lush forests, coffee plantations, and picturesque waterfalls well away from the beaches that tourists have come to know and expect on the coast.

While still a destination for many visitors, it manages to retain much of its traditional charm, engaging in customs that aren't seen regularly in the more frequented parts of the island. This includes the creation of Hindu penjor, long bamboo poles adorned with ornamentation that decorate the main thoroughfares.

Answer: United Arab Emirates

A part of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve right outside the famous, futuristic city of Dubai, the Margham Sand Dunes contribute to a massive expanse of red sand desert environment that surrounds this part of the Arabian Peninsula. Nowadays used for all manner of adventure sports (including off-roading and skydiving) and Bedouin encampments, a section of these dunes are also reserved for on-shore oil drilling, contributing the fossil fuel industry known to have build Dubai up from next to nothing in the late 20th century.

Answer: Sofia, Bulgaria

One of the world's largest Christian churches, Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the most recognizable buildings in Bulgaria. Built in the early 20th century, it remained the largest church in the Balkans more than a century later, sharing this central part of Sofia, the nation's capital with Saint Sophia Church (the city's oldest).

The city of Sofia, inhabited for nearly ten thousand years, sits near Vitosha Mountain in the nation's western end. Its elevation is also one of the highest amongst the European capitals.

Answer: Vesuvius

The famous Italian volcano that wiped out the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD, Vesuvio is only a short drive around the Bay of Naples from the city proper and it creates a dramatic and, perhaps, foreboding backdrop for one of Italy's most unique and down-to-earth cities.

One of the highest-populated cities not just in Italy, but the European Union, Naples has a rich history in food, art, and culture. On the topic of food, many credit it with being the home city of Italian pizza. While that's debatable, it's hard to argue against. Even the seemingly simple Margherita pizza was named as such due to a royal visit to Naples.

Answer: Alsace

Bordering both Germany and Switzerland, Alsace makes up the northeastern corner of France and contains the pivotal border city of Strasbourg, considered by many to be a pseudo-capital of the European Union due to it being the home of the Council of Europe and European Parliament. The city sits on the River Ill, which connects to the nearby Rhine River, and has a history dating back to the fourth century AD.

The surrounding region, meanwhile, is the smallest in France. Despite this, it's very well-known for its white wine production, its picturesque villages, and its gorgeous churches.

Answer: Douro River

One of the longest rivers on the Iberian Peninsula, the Douro River starts much further east, in Northern Spain, before flowing into Portugal's Douro Valley and riding out to the Atlantic Ocean in Porto, the second-largest city in the country after Lisbon (much further south).

The region's reliance on the river is quite apparent as it's been long-used as fertile agricultural land, especially for the grapes needed to make the region's world-renowned fortified port wine. Porto, near the river's mouth, was first occupied nearly three thousand years ago due to its convenient location on the coast.

Answer: Miami

The word 'bay' might be a bit of a misnomer since Biscayne Bay is actually a lagoon surrounded by the city of Miami and the nearby Biscayne National Park, established to preserve the unique mangrove forest to the south and a series of offshore reefs that many visitors to the city might not know existed.

It's likely the case because Miami has long-established itself as Florida's most cosmopolitan city. Bolstered by years of high-rise building, a large Latin American population, and significant economical growth, it's a very welcoming destination...provided the weather holds out.

It can be the sunniest spot in the U.S., or it can find itself right in the path of some of the country's fiercest storms.