We all love to shopping but...if shopping is not your main intention at Mall of America, visit the many attractions inside the largest shopping and entertainment complex in the United States. The newly opened Nickelodeon Universe theme park brings Nick characters to life with 24 rides geared for the young and young at heart.

Admission to the park is free. Rides and attractions require varying numbers of points. Points are available for purchase individually or in multi-point packages. Pay-one-price unlimited ride wristbands are also available.

Because it's indoors, the park is open year-round whenever the mall is open, which is pretty much all the time.

Mall of America(Mall of America,60 East Broadway,Bloomington, MN 55425 ) is a super-regional shopping mall located in the Twin Cities suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. The mall is located southeast of the junction of Interstate 494 and Minnesota State Highway 77, north of the Minnesota River and is across the interstate from the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. In the United States, it is the second largest enclosed mall in terms of retail space but is largest in terms of total enclosed floor area.

Design :

Mall of America has a gross area of 4.2 million sq ft. (390,000 m²), with 2.5 million sq ft. (230,000 m²) available as retail space.The mall is a nearly symmetrical building, with a roughly rectangular floor plan. Over 520 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on one side. An addition planned north of the mall will allow for up to 900 stores. Four "anchor" department stores are located at the corners. The Mall is organized into four different zones, each with its own decorative style.

Notable attractions:

• Nickelodeon Universe
• Underwater Adventures Aquarium
• Bodies... The Exhibition

Nickelodeon Universe :

Nickelodeon Universe is an indoor theme park in the center of the mall, formerly known as Knotts Camp Snoopy, Camp Snoopy, and The Park at MOA. The park features roller coasters, among numerous other rides and attractions, and is the largest indoor theme park in the United States. Unlike many indoor amusement parks, Nickelodeon Universe has a great deal of natural foliage in and about the park, and its floor has a wide variance in height - the highest ground level in the park is 15 feet above the lowest. This allows for a far more naturalistic experience than would normally occur in an indoor amusement park.

The park features two new roller coasters; SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar AirbenderIt also has a golfing section called Moose Mountain. With 18 holes, designed to create a challenge for players hoping to seek a hole in one.

Underwater Adventures Aquarium :

Guests travel through a 300 foot long curved tunnel through 14 feet of water to view over 4,500 sea creatures including sharks, turtles, stingrays, and many more. Underwater Adventures offers special events such as sleepovers, scuba diving, snorkeling, and birthday parties.Children ages 2 and younger receive free admission, while admission for ages 3-12 are $11.95, and Adult admission for ages 13 & older are $18.95.

FUN FACTS :

• Minnesota's Mall of America is the largest, fully enclosed retail and family entertainment complex in the U.S.
• Seven Yankee Stadiums would fit inside Mall of America.
• Mall of America’s 13,300 short tons of steel is nearly twice the amount in the Eiffel Tower.
• Walking distance around one level of Mall of America is .57 of a mile.
• Spending 10 minutes in every store would take a shopper more than 86 hours to complete there visit to Mall of America.
• More than 5,000 couples have been married at Mall of America since opening in August of 1992.
• The Mall of America is located on the former Metropolitan Sports Stadium which was home to the Minnesota Vikings and Twins. Home plate can be found in Nickelodeon Universe®.
• There are 30,000 live plants and 400 live trees planted in Nickelodeon Universe.

Phase II Expansion :

Phase II is the planned expansion for MOA, developing a large, empty parcel of land north of the mall which was the former home of the Met Center indoor arena and integrating an IKEA store built on a portion of the property in 2004. Phase II, in current form, includes a dinner theatre, ice rink, three hotels, and a waterpark; similar in design to the West Edmonton Mall. The expansion will not make MOA exceed the size of the WEM (itself going under expansion). The plan has been impeded by a lack of public financing.

MOA currently estimates costs of $1.9 billion for the expansion, doubling the mall's size with a 5.2 million-square-feet extension. The mall's developers have asked for $234 million in state and local subsidies, but the request was vetoed as part of a larger bill by Gov. Tim Pawlenty on its first appearance in the 2006-07 session. Questions have arisen among Bloomington city officials as to the fiscal ability of the Ghermezians to finish Phase II.

So decorates your holidays in Mall Of America and have a great experience of unlimited joy and happiness..

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From amazing to mysterious, view the top 20 natural, cultural, archaeological and architectural wonders around the World.

These heritage places are truly wonders of the World..!

1.Longmen Grottoes, China

Tourists view Buddhist sculptures at Longmen Grottoes in the outskirts of Luoyang of Henan
Province, China. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
lists the site as a world heritage center featuring Buddhist images, shrines and relics.

2.Al-Hijr, Saudi Arabia

A section of the archaeological site of Al-Hijr -- also known as Madain Saleh -- in northern Saudi Arabia was added on to UNESCO's World Heritage List on July 6, 2008. Al-Hijr, the largest conserved site of the civilization of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan, is the first World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia.

3.Bayon Temple, Cambodia

The Bayon Temple, near siem Reap, Cambodia is famous for its multitude of giant stone faces. There are more than 1,000 temples in the Angkor area, ranging in scale from nondescript piles of brick rubble scattered through rice fields to the magnificent Angkor Wat, said to be the world's
largest single religious monument. Many of the temples at Angkor have been restored, and together they comprise the most significant site of Khmer architecture. Visitor and tourist numbers approach one million annually.

4.Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos National Park

“Solitario George” (Lonely George), the last living giant tortoise of this species, native from the Pinta Island, is cared for at the Galapagos National Park in Ecuador. He is estimated to be 60–90 years of age. The Galapagos Islands were originally added to the World Heritage List in
1978, and were upgraded to The List in Danger in 2007.

5.Kinderdijk's Mill Area, Netherlands

People skate on frozen canals in Kinderdijk's Mill Area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, near Rotterdam, Netherlands. Kinderdijk has the largest collection of historical windmills in the Netherlands, and is a top tourist sight in South Holland.

6.Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina

A view of the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park, an ecotourism destination in
Patagonia, Argentina, declared by UNESCO as Natural World Heritage Site in 1981. The glacier, in the province of Santa Cruz, is one of the most significant natural attractions of Argentina --the 3rd largest ice field in the world after Antarctica and Greenland.

7.Shrine of the Bab, Israel

Terraced gardens surround the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab of the Bahai faith in the northern Israeli city of Haifa. The world spiritual center of the Bahai faith, whose devotees number less than six million worldwide, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on July 8, 2008.

8.St. Peters Square, Vatican City

An aerial view of St. Peter's Square, in Vatican City. According to the World Heritage Web site, a unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces lie within the boundaries of this small state. Vatican City was added to the World Heritage List in 1984.

9.Petra, Jordan

Camels rest in front of the main monument in Jordan's ancient city of Petra, the 'Khazneh' or
Treasury, that was carved out of sandstone to serve as a tomb for a Nabatean king. The city,
situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egyptand Syria-Phoenicia, according to the World Heritage Web site. Petra was added to the WorldHeritage List in 1985.

10.Yellowstone National Park

A herd of elk graze in the meadows of Yellowstone National Park. In the background stand Mt.
Holmes, left, and Mt. Dome. Yellowstone contains half of the world's known geothermal features,
with more than 10,000 examples, the World Heritage Web site says. Yellowstone was added to the World Heritage List in 1978.

11.Drakensbreg Mountains, South Africa

Rock paintings made by the San people are seen in the Drakensbreg Mountains in eastern South
Africa. The San people lived in the Drakensberg area for thousands of years before being exterminated in clashes with the Zulus and white settlers. They left behind an extraordinary collection of rock paintings in the Drakensberg Mountains, earning the UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 2000.

12.Shibam, Yemen

A general view of the historical walled city of Shibam in eastern Yemen's Hadramaut province.
Shibam is a UNESCO World Heritage site (1982) well known for its high-rise mud-brick buildings, nicknamed of 'the Manhattan of the desert'.

13.Easter Island, Chile


A view of some of the 390 abandoned huge statues (moais in Rapa Nui language), in the hillside of the Rano Raraku volcano in Easter Island, 3,700 km off the coast of Chile. The Chilean island,
located in the Polynesian archipielago, has many archeological sites and its Rapa Nui National Park is included on UNESCO's World Heritage Site list since 1995.

14.Great Wall, China

Visitors make their way along the Great Wall of China at Simatai, northeast of Beijing. This Ming-dynasty Wall was built as one of four major strategic strongholds for defensive purposes from tribes invading from the north. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 4,000 miles and is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It was added to the World Heritage List in 1987.

15.Sydney Opera House, Australia

The Australia landmark "is a great architectural work of the 20th century that brings together multiple strands of creativity and innovation in both architectural form and structural design,' according to the World Heritage Web site. The Opera House joined the World Heritage List in 2007.

16.Hampi, India

A temple is seen in Hampi, near the southern Indian city of Hospet, north of Bangalore. Hampi is
located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagar, the former capital of the Vijayangar empire. The village of Hampi and its monuments were inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986.

17.Potala Palace, Tibet

A Tibetan pilgrim spins prayer wheels as she offers prayers while encircling the grounds of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Since UNESCO named the Potala Palace as a World Heritage site in 1994, the Chinese authorities have felt that the Potala Palace now belongs to the people of the world,
and no longer to the Dalai Lama, and even if the exiled Dalai Lama were permitted to return to
Tibet, it is highly unlikely he would be allowed to live in his traditional home, the 1,300-year-old Potala Palace.

18.Machu Picchu, Peru

The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is located in the Peruvian city of Cusco. Machu Picchu was name done of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and was added to the World Heritage List in 1983. Thepopular tourist site was considered for the List in Danger in 2008, but was not added.

19.Mount Koya, Japan

The Buddhist pagoda called Konpon Daito at Mount Koya, in Wakayama province, Japan, representsthe central point of a mandala covering all of Japan according to Shingon Buddhist doctrine.Mount Koya, located east of Osaka, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and wasfirst settled in 819 by the Buddhist monk Kukai, founder of the Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism.

20.Pontcysyllte Canal, United Kingdom

Situated in north-eastern Wales, the 18 kilometre long Pontcysyllte Canal is a feat of civil engineering of the Industrial Revolution, completed in the early years of the 19th century. Covering a difficult geographical setting, the building of the canal required substantial, bold civil engineering solutions, especially as it was built without using locks. The aqueduct is a pioneering masterpiece of engineering and monumental metal architecture, conceived by the celebrated civil engineer Thomas Telford. The use of both cast and wrought iron in the aqueduct enabled the construction of arches that were light and d strong, producing an overall effect that is both monumental and elegant.

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Haven ... Malaysia's Cherating Beach Resort is located between pristine beachfront and unspoilt jungle.



Guests scattered as the raiders grabbed their bounty and disappeared back to the rooftops as quickly as they had arrived.



While the long-tailed macaques sat on the roof enjoying the spoils of their heist, our 18-month-old "monkey'' giggled at the flurry of activity and shovelled more steamed rice into her mouth.

While these cheeky critters sometimes pop by unannounced for breakfast, they're also renowned for opening unlocked doors and windows and rifling through bags looking for food.

Monkeys are not the only entertainment at Club Med's luxurious Cherating Beach resort on Malaysia's east coast.



The resort has 324 rooms set on 80ha of sprawling, manicured lawns and gardens, set between pristine beachfront and unspoilt jungle. Monkeys amble across the rooftops and swing from the trees.



A holiday there can be as adventurous or relaxing as visitors choose.

Club Med was one of the pioneers of the all-inclusive holiday, so guests can eat, drink and try a huge variety of activities without paying extra. Stroll along the beach, swim in the South China Sea or paddle around the resort's huge pool facilities, which include a spa and wading area for children.

The resort has daily water exercise sessions and a well-equipped fitness centre, or guests can try their hands at sailing, kayaking, wall-climbing, roller-blading or bungy-bouncing.

Also available are tennis, table tennis, driving range and putting green, soccer balls, bocce, archery, trapeze lessons and yoga under palm trees as the waves roll in.

Our favourite activity, however, was lying by the pool with cold drinks and trashy novels.



Fun for the kids : The room included a cot, baby bath, change mat, bottle warmers, baby shampoo and food, while the main restaurant had high chairs, booster seats, jars of baby food and plastic plates, bowls and cutlery.


Meal times are no different. Make sure you pack your appetite, as you won't be bored when it comes to food. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are an extravagant, sumptuous and endless buffet.

The volume and variety of dishes on offer was staggering, ranging from Italian, Chinese, Malaysian and Korean to Japanese and Indian. Equally tempting was the idea of leaving our room to enjoy the fresh fruit, desserts and pastries.

Each week, chefs prepare about 320 different dishes (and up to 2300 meals a day), many cooked on the spot.

There are a number of day and half-day tours that are not included in the package.



If you've ever tried to budget for a holiday with children, only to see the bills balloon with extras, you'll love knowing what you'll get – and for how much – with Club Med.

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Socotra Island: you have to see it to believe it

We covered some otherwordly places before (see, for example, Bolivian Salt Lake, or The Richat Structure), but this island simply blows away any notion about what is considered "normal" for a landscape on Earth.

Imagine waking up on the Socotra Island and taking a good look around you (let's say your buddies pulled a prank on you and delivered you there, and lets also assume that you don't have any hangover from abuse of any substances). After a yelp of disbelief, you'd be inclined to think you were transported to another planet - or traveled to another era of Earth's history. 

The second would be closer to the truth for this island, which is part of a group of 4 islands, has been geographically isolated from mainland Africa for the last 6 or 7 million years. Like the Galapagos Islands, this island is teeming with 700 extremely rare species of flora and fauna, a full 1/3 of which are endemic, i.e. found nowhere else on Earth.

The climate is harsh, hot and dry, and yet - the most amazing plant life thrives there. Situated in the Indian Ocean 250 km from Somalia and 340 km from Yemen, the wide sandy beaches rise to limestone plateaus full of caves (some 7 kilometers in length) and mountains up to 1525 meters high.

The name Socotra is derived from a Sanscrit name, meaning "The Island of Bliss"... Is it the beaches? The isolation and quiet? or the strange and crazy botanical allure?

Alien-looking plants: H. P. Lovecraft's secret inspiration?

Was the famous Chtulhu myths creator aware of these forbidding mountains with their hauntingly weird flora (think of plant mutations from his "The Color out of Space") ? We almost tempted to call Socotra the other "Mountains of Madness" - the trees and plants of this island were preserved thru the long geological isolation, some varieties being 20 million years old... 

We begin with the dracena cinnibaris or Dragon's Blood Tree, the source of valuable resin for varnishes, dyes, and "cure-all" medicine; also (predictably) used in medieval ritual magic and alchemy -

The branches spread out into the sky and from below appear to hover over the landscape like so many flying saucers... and from above they have a distinct mushroom look:

There is also the Desert Rose (adenium obesium) which looks like nothing so much as a blooming elephant leg. Dorstenia gigas - apparently does not require any soil and sinks roots straight into the bare rock.

Somewhat similar to the weird Dorstenia gigas, is this "bucha" vegetable, found as far north as Croatia. I hope it's not pregnant with anything malignant inside this sack. John Wyndham (with his "The Day of the Triffids") would've loved it. Also found in Socotra's landscape is the ever-strange and extremely rare Cucumber Tree (dendrosicyos socotranum) - and yes, it's related to what's sitting in a pickle jar in your fridge.

Want to see some fairy-tale (and possibly haunted) shipwrecks? There are diving tours available... Hopefully some IMAX crew would film it in all its glory one day.

Al Hajarah, Yemen - Walled city in the mist.

Computer game designers take note - this mysterious city in the foggy Yemen's Haraz Mountains can surely fire up imagination of anybody who decides to explore it.

Dune? Clark Ashton Smith's Zothique? Pack your bags, for this is on our good old planet Earth, no interstellar visa required.

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