EMEA Pulse: Stories You Should Read for Thursday, Nov. 19

PHOTO: Virunga National Park, the most dangerous place to be a  park ranger. (Photo courtesy of Thinkstock)

Here are some stories worth reading as you travel around the web today...

Virunga, the most dangerous place to be a park ranger Virunga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is Africa’s oldest national park.The rangers here have to protect the animal inhabitants, including a large population of endangered mountain gorillas, from poachers and from various rebel groups who are active inside the park. Over the past two decades, 140 rangers have been killed in the line of duty. Source: CNN Inside Africa

Finding the real Maldives away from the resort scene Guraidhoo is one of the 200 inhabited islands in the Maldives. It offers a rare chance for tourists, who are usually stuck on private island resorts, to witness day to day life and mingle with the local population. Source: Traveller

A look at Japan’s obsession with mascots Mascots are everywhere in Japan. Retail brands and restaurants have mascots, but so too do towns, neighborhoods and even fire departments. Some tourists spend part of their travel time mascot sightseeing. Source: Huffington Post

A visit to Pavarotti's "Graceland"  Luciano Pavarotti was known for his size and his sizable voice. The famous tenor had a retreat outside of Bologna which is now open to the public. Not as gaudy as Graceland, the modest country estate gives people some insight into the man behind the voice. Source: New Zealand Herald

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The International Council for Clean Transport has released a list of the greenest airlines. Norwegian Air Shuttle was the cleanest carrier when it came to emissions and fuel efficiency. British Airways and Lufthansa were among the worst, burning as much as 50 percent more fuel than Norwegian on transatlantic flights. 

Want to try a really exotic cocktail? In Southeast Asia, rice wine infused with reptiles such as snakes is used for medicinal purposes. The bottles, with the “special ingredients” still in them, are surprisingly widely available.   

Globetrotting Conan O’Brien has taken his TBS show on the road in the past. The lanky comedian hosted the first American show broadcast from Cuba in five decades earlier this year. And now he is in Armenia, the homeland of one of his assistants. 

Japan has gone through an economic slump recently. However, the country is doing quite well when it comes to tourism. Japan has already surpassed its goal for international arrivals for 2020. The reason: a huge number of Chinese travelers have come to the Land of the Rising Sun this year. 

Members of a martial arts class is Russia are learning how to protect themselves when they travel. The weapon of choice: a selfie stick. 

Scotland has a long history. Travelers can get in touch with the past in numerous castles and ancient town. Or, they can just stay home and play Minecraft. Experts have used the popular game to create historically accurate maps of Scotland that any player can explore.  

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