Considering the controversy over high speed rail in the US, it is significant that China’s most expensive rail line has just become operational.

The line crosses 234 miles from Yichang City, Hubei, to Chongqing’s Wanzhou district. It took 50,000 workers to drill the 159 tunnels and build the 253 bridges necessary for the line to traverse a stretch of mountains, and the overall cost came in at a staggering $3.41 billion.

The benefits of this line include a shorter trip between Yichang and Chongqing—from 22 hours to a mere 5 hours—and the increased opportunities that a shorter trip will provide to residents along the line.

Is it worth the price? Only time will tell. Considering China’s efforts to upgrade from standard to high speed rail, who knows how much higher the final cost of this line will be?

Owners of private aircraft would pay a pretty penny for the privilege of a mobile phone system, and that’s just what Australia’s ASiQ Limited is offering via their new mobile app.

Rather than installing a $500k conventional mobile phone system, users of ASiQ’s SafeCell will use the existing Bluetooth connection on any computers connected to the aircraft’s satellite link and running the SafeCell server software. The result allows phones running the SafeCell app to make calls as if they were receiving traditional telco coverage.

The best part is there’re no roaming charges!

While the most expensive mobile app in the world is priced at $12,500 (and, optionally, an additional $10,000 for a dedicated SafeCell SC-AP server system), I think you’ll agree that it’s nothing compared to the price of a traditional mobile phone system.

The SafeCell app’s initial release will cover Blackberry, Nokia and Symbian-based mobile phones. A release for Android phones will be available soon after. iPhone users will have the longest wait, as the iPhone’s Bluetooth capabilities are still somewhat restricted.

The MV Chetzemoka, the new boat for the Port Townsend-Keystone run in Washington, will not only be the state’s first new ferry boat in a decade, but will also be the most expensive ferry built in the US.

With its 64 car capacity, this boat will replace the Steel Electric ferries used on the run until 2007, when the Secretary of Transportation removed them from service due to safety concerns. The new boat was built by Todd Pacific Shipyards based on designs for the Island Home ferry, which were purchased by the Washington State Ferries system for $1.3 million.

The total cost to build the ferry ended up being just over $80 million—more than the cost to build the three larger boats previously used on the run. The excessive price is likely due to the fact that only in-state shipyards could legally be contracted to construct the boat.

The MV Chetzemoka will make its first run on Sunday, November 13, 2010.

The most important element of a vacation, aside from the destination, is the hotel where you spend your downtime. If you’re going to take a true luxury vacation, of course, it won’t do to have anything less than one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world.

Grand Resort Lagonissi in Athens, Greece – The Royal Villa
$32,000/night

Another three-bedroom suite, the Royal Villa has two pools—an indoor pool and a heated outdoor pool. The nearby marina and beach cement the fact that this suite is a swimmer’s paradise. Visitors will also have access to a private chef to accompany the fully equipped kitchen, a butler and even a pianist.

Hotel Cala di Volpe in Costa Smeralda, Italy – Presidential Suite
$34,000/night

Costa Smeralda—the “Emerald Coast”—in northern Sardinia, is home to many draws for the obscenely wealthy, not the least of which is this fabulous suite. The duplex suite has three bedrooms and as many bathrooms, an outdoor saltwater pool and a private gazebo and solarium.

Four Seasons Hotel in New York, USA – Ty Warner Penthouse suite
$35,000/night

With a carpet that’s so expensive that anyone who walks across it must wear special booties provided by the hotel, ample views of the nation’s largest city, a 700 square foot library and even a waterfall in its Zen room, this suite—which covers the hotel’s entire 52nd floor—is truly a luxury location. It’s named after the founder of Ty Inc., manufacturer of the popular Beanie Babies stuffed toys.

The Hotel Martinez in Cannes, France – Penthouse Suite
$35,000/night

This luxurious suite is located on the seventh floor of the Hotel Martinez, already a ritzy location with its Michelin-starred restaurant and prime location on the Croisette in Cannes. The suite itself consists of four bedrooms and an impressive terrace—complete with Jacuzzi—which commands an equally impressive view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada – Hugh Hefner Sky Villa
$40,000/night

The City of Sin’s most expensive suite is appropriately named after the Playboy Mansion’s famed resident, and it shows in the 250-person capacity and the extravagant amenities. This suite houses a poker table, wet bar, full size gym with sauna and spa, and a balcony with a spectacular view of the Vegas strip as well as an equally spectacular infinity edge jacuzzi. All of this is centered around an 8-foot rotating round bed.

Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland – Royal Penthouse suite
$65,000/night

If you’d prefer a secure suite to an extravagant one, look no further than Switzerland. The Royal Penthouse suite, renamed and repriced from the $35,000 Imperial Suite, boasts a private elevator, bulletproof windows, armored doors, surveillance cameras and even bedside panic buttons. Of course, it’s not all about security; the suite also features a number of period pieces and stunning views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva.

Taj Boston $6 million Hotel Suite in Boston, USA
$6 million/two nights

Less than 5 miles from Logan Airport and overlooking Boston’s majestic Public Gardens, Taj Boston will be king of the crop for a very limited time. On the weekend of October 15-17, 2010, the hotel’s presidential suite became the most expensive hotel suite in the world to comemmorate the new theatre complex at the Boston Conservatory.

Along with two nights in the 1,540 square foot presidential suite, the $6 million price tag included transportation to Boston on a private jet, limo service, a Jaguar XJ, an engraved Chistofle sterling silver platter, etched Tiffany Champagne flutes and a magnum of Cristal Rose Champagne. The guest also received two lifetime services–valet parking at the hotel and tickets to performances at the Boston Conservatory.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of this expensive package is that the guest’s name will be engraved on the Conservatory’s new theatre.

If you’re traveling overseas, whether for business or pleasure, you’re probably going to end up taking a cab at some point. Fortunately, you can plan accordingly by checking out the list of the most expensive cab rides in the world.

The fares below reflect a metered, 3 kilometer (just under 2 miles) ride, not including any prices tacked on for airport-to-city rides. Of course, the taxi industry isn’t exactly forthcoming, and unscrupulous drivers may claim their meters broken in order to get a higher fare. Add to that the fact that some cities will charge higher fares at night and on weekends and, well, you get the drift.

The full list of 100 cities was compiled by Price of Travel. Here are the top ten cities with the most expensive cab fare in the world.

Incidentally, the cheapest cab fare is in India, where a ride may cost less than $1.

Zurich, Switzerland – $18.18 to $24.24
Oslo, Norway – $17.12 to $22.26
Monaco – $15.28 to $19.44
Amsterdam, Netherlands – $13.89 to $16.67
Helsinki, Finland – $13.89 to $19.44
Tokyo, Japan – $13.03 to $16.13
Nice, France – $12.50 to $16.67
Stockholm, Sweden – $12.05 to $15.06
London, England – $11.29 to $14.52
Rome, Italy – $11.11 to $13.89

The Gulfstream G650 is currently the most expensive business jet in the world but, if Canadian aviation company Bombardier has its way, that jet will soon hold only third place.

Gulfstream G650 – $58.5 million

The G650 carries a crew of four and up to eight passengers up to 7,000 nautical miles at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85 (around 645 miles per hour). For shorter trips of 5,000 nautical miles or less, this business jet can achieve a high-speed cruise speed of Mach 0.90 (around 685 mph). The jet has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 (around 704 mph).

Bombardier 7000 and 8000 – $65 million

Bombardier’s two newest jets are due to enter service in 2016 and 2017.

The 7000 will feature a four-zone living space and can accommodate up to 10 passengers. It will travel 7,300 nautical miles at Mach 0.85 and has a Mach 0.90 high-speed cruise capability.

The 8000 will carry up to eight passengers and will also have a Mach 0.90 high-speed cruise capability. At its long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.85, however, this jet will travel an astonishing 7,900 nautical miles.

Beef noodle soup is a Chinese dish consisting of beef, beef broth, vegetables and noodles. While it’s generally served as a side dish in the West, it can constitute a whole meal in its country of origin.

The most expensive beef noodle soup in the world is available from a restaurant called Beef’s Father Noodle in Taipei. The restaurant’s owner, Mr. Congyuan Wang, traveled for five years in order to find the best beef. The resulting soup contains several different kinds of premium beef from the US, Australia and Japan.

Only ten bowls of the expensive soup are served daily, and each one costs a hefty $320.

You might think gardens would escape the gold and diamond trend endemic to “most expensive” objects. You’d be wrong. While supremely expensive and completely organic gardens do exist, so too do gardens bejeweled for millions of dollars (or, in this case, euros).

Leonardslee Garden – $7.62 million

Leonardslee Garden in West Sussex is a lush, 225-acre property filled with beautiful flower gardens, wallabies, lakes, waterfalls and one-of-a-kind trees. The gardens are filled with rhododendrons, camellias, magnolias and azaleas and the forty-strong mob of wallabies, many of them albinos, keeps the gardens from being overgrown with weeds.

The garden has been owned by the Loder family since Sir Edmund Loder bought the estate in 1889 and it has been open to the public for 101 years. That all changed in 2010, however, when Robin Loder, representing the fifth generation of Loders to tend Leonardslee, sold the gardens for a grand sum of £5 million—US $7.62 million—to an anonymous buyer who wished to discontinue public access to the gardens.

This isn’t the first part of the original estate to be sold, as the Loders sold the Italianate manor in the 1980s. It’s currently for sale at £2.75 million—US $4.2 million—and it’s been speculated that the same billionaire has set his sights on that property as well.

Ace of Diamonds – over $31 million

The Chelsea Flower Show, held annually by Britain’s Royal Horticultural Society, is the world’s premiere horticultural event. Over the course of five days in May, some of the most fantastic floral and vegetable gardens, as well as tree exhibits, are on display on the Royal Hospital Chelsea grounds. The 2010 show was no exception and included the most expensive garden in the world.

Designed by renowned landscape gardener David Domoney, the Ace of Diamonds plot is the ultimate fusion of plant life and precious gems. The garden boasts both plants named after jewelry and jewelry inspired by plants, including such plants as ‘Juniperus Emerald Spreader’ and ‘Pulmonaria Opal’ alongside jewelry such as a daisy shaped ring set with a rare $5 million blue diamond.

When you’re traveling, only one thing can say as much or more about you and your lifestyle than the clothes on your back, and that’s the luggage you carry. Luckily for the elite jet set, they have the option of showing off their status with the most expensive suitcase in the world.

The Henk Travelfriend doesn’t just show off your wealth, though. Its customizability allows you to show off your own brand of aesthetic. Purchasers may create their own Henk suitcase by choosing from fifteen different color and material combinations, including options such as carbon glossy and calfskin in a variety of colors with optional ostrich or crocodile motifs. Each of these different combinations may be chosen for the exterior, inside lockers and doors, bottom lockers and inside frame. Two options are available for the button, which may also be customized with a logo or monogram.

The Henk Travelfriend opens from both sides and features an extendable handle and retractable wheels.

This luxury suitcase may be purchased from the Dutch company for $20,000.

Here in the US, the guy on TV wants to get as much of your gold as possible. In the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, though, the patrons are the ones who get the gold—thanks to a very special gold ATM.

The Gold To Go ATM, created by German entrepreneur Thomas Giessler, is updated every 10 minutes with the most current conversion rates and dispenses gold in the form of coins or bars up to 10 grams in weight. The bars are engraved with the Emirates Palace logo, while the coins are stamped with symbols representing major gold producers South Africa, Canada and Australia.

The ATM includes a variety of security measures, most notably anti-money laundering software. The machine will also shut down if it develops a fault.

The gold coins and bars are intended to be used either as souvenirs or, in light of gold’s record high, as a safe investment.

Considering the ATM’s gold exterior, I think we can safely say this is the most expensive ATM in the world.

Looking for an expensive place to moor your super yacht? Well, look no further than the Italian Peninsula, home of the most expensive marinas in the world.

Three Italian marinas—Capri, Porto Cervo and Portofino—topped Wealth Bulletin’s list of the world’s most expensive marinas. While the prices tend to fluctuate, especially during these times of economic upheaval when a third of the world’s super yachts are for sale, these three marinas have maintained the highest average prices to moor boats over 24 meters (or 78 feet).

Capri, Italy – €2,900 (US $3,910) per night

This expensive marina peaks during the Rolex Capri Sailing week in May and can berth up to ten super yachts. Capri has been a luxury destination since the time of the Roman Republic.

Porto Cervo, Italy – €2,500 (US $3,371) per night

This northern Sardinian marina can berth up to sixty super yachts, peaking in June and September for the Deluxe Fair and Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup regatta, respectively. It was founded by the Aga Khan in the 1960s and the village was designed by renowned architect Luigi Vietti

Portofino, Liguria, Italy – €2,350 (US $3,169) per night

This small fishing village is home to yet another Rolex event—the Portofino Rolex Trophy in May. It can berth only six super yachts at a time and space must be booked well in advance.

Luxury gadgets, clothing and food are all well and good, but let’s face it—history is written by the land barons. Real estate put the feud in feudalism, made legends of early explorers and put Donald Trump on primetime television. So where is the most valuable land in the world?

The world’s most expensive real estate market, according to a recent survey by the Global Property Guide, is Monte Carlo. Named “Mount Charles” after Prince Charles III of Monaco, Monte Carlo is a northern district in the city-state of Monaco and is home to the Opéra de Monte-Carlo, the renowned Hôtel de Paris and the greater portion of the Curcuit de Monaco, where Formula One drivers race in the Monaco Grand Prix.

Real estate in this land of luxury cost an average of $47,578 per square meter, according to the Global Property Guide’s 2009 report.

Monte Carlo was followed by Moscow, Russia at less than half that price—$20,853 per square meter—and London, England at $20,756 per square meter. New York City placed 6th on the list at $14,898 per square meter.

Global Property Guide’s full top ten list is as follows:

1. Monte Carlo, Monaco – $47,578
2. Moscow, Russia – $20,853
3. London, England – $20,756
4. Tokyo, Japan – $17,998
5. Hong Kong – $16,125
6. New York, USA – $14,898
7. Paris, France – $12,122
8. Singapore – $9,701
9. Rome, Italy – $9,166
10. Mumbai, India – $9,163

Krug, a French winemaker known for their oaky champagne and sister company to Louis Vuitton, began offering the world’s most expensive balloon ride in 2007 when they unveiled Krug Is in the Air, a “bespoke experience.”

The balloon, designed by Camerons of Bristol, has room for up to eight guests, a flight commander and a waiter. The basket has been been customized by Bruno Domeau and Philippe Pérès, who have upholstered it in their luxuriously soft “Togo” leather.

The meals, designed by master chefs, are created to complement both the lavish experience and the accompanying Krug Grande Cuvée, Krug’s grand crus.

The Krug Is in the Air balloon was first launched in Paris. It then embarked on a world tour, offering the ultimate ballooning experience in the US, England, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. The world’s most expensive balloon ride cost €50,000—around US $70,000.

The Trans-Siberian Railway, stretching across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok, was originally approved by Czar Alexander II in the late 19th Century. Nowadays, it’s used for 30% of all Russian exports and a trip across the country can be made in as little as seven days. It’s also the route for the most expensive train ride in the world.

The Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian Express was unveiled by Britain’s Prince Michael of Kent in April 2007. The train’s Gold Class cabins are equipped with LCD screens, power showers, underfloor heating and individual air conditioning while chefs in the restaurant cars prepare the finest local cuisine. The Golden Eagle takes wealthy tourists and other travelers almost 6,000 miles in 15 days, with frequent stops for day trips.

The world’s most expensive train ride costs $22,195 for a single room or $15,795 per person for a twin cabin.

Russian billionaire Telman Ismailov opened a hotel this month that is being widely proclaimed as the most expensive hotel in Europe. As it’s situated along the Mediterranean Sea in transcontinental state of Turkey, there seems to be some confusion surrounding the hotel’s continental status.

That didn’t stop a gaggle of A-list celebrities—including Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey and Richard Gere—from attending Mardan Palace in Antalya’s grand opening. The £1billion-plus (over US $1.6 billion) hotel was inaugurated with a bang as Tom Jones opened for Carey, Paris Hilton made an obligatory appearance and one prominent actress stumbled over the name of neighboring country Azerbaijan.

Housed in this veritable temple of decadence, you’ll find a spa with real snow in one of its rooms, gold-plated mirrors on the floors of the bathrooms, 23,000 square meters of Italian marble, remote controlled toilets and the centerpiece—a pool and sunken aquarium that must be crossed by gondola.

As to the question of geography, the coastal province of Antalya is actually located on the Asian side of the Turkish Straits, the conventional border between Europe and Asia.

Suites at this most luxurious hotel can cost over $18,000 per night—certainly enough to keep the riff-raff out.

Twenty-one million dollars for a piece of art or $2.72 million for a camel may seem like a lot of money, but the wealth of individuals pales in comparison to that commanded by nations. When nations decide to build, the cost can become astronomical. What follows are the most expensive objects ever built.

The Channel Tunnel. (By Mortadelo2005. Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license.)

The Channel Tunnel, an undersea tunnel reaching from the United Kingdom to France, is the second longest undersea tunnel in the world. Construction on the project, organized by Eurotunnel, began in 1988 and it was first put into service in 1994. The tunnel has seen a few setbacks in the years since its completion, including a fire in 1996 and a crisis involving illegal immigrants seeking refuge on British soil, but it continues to serve to this day and has even been identified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It cost around £4.65 billion to build—80% more than its projected cost.

The Three Gorges Dam. (Photo by Christoph Filnkößl. Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike 3.0 Unported license.)

In China, the Three Gorges Dam is expected to be completed in 2011. This hydroelectric river dam spans the Yangtze River in Yiching, Hubei. It is the largest project the nation has undertaken since the construction of the Great Wall during the time of the Ming Dynasty. The dam will be able to generate 22,500 megawatts, more than any other hydroelectric dam in the world. The dam has had its own problems, including over 1.5 million people being displaced by rising waters, adverse effects on the environment and the loss of various historical sites. Upon its completion, the project will have cost fewer than 180 billion yuan (over $25 billion USD).

The International Space Station.

The most expensive object ever built puts these architectural and technological marvels to shame, though. The International Space Station, being assembled in space, is a joint effort between the United States, Japan, Russia, Canada and the European Space Agency. The project was first announced in 1993 and is expected to be completed in 2010. It has had a crew in residence since late 2000. While it currently only holds a crew of three, it will be able to house a crew of at least six members when it is completed. Its size and the fact that it’s in a low Earth orbit allow it to be seen with the naked eye if one is in the right place while it’s visible. The project is expected to have cost around $157 billion by its completion.

Luxury resort Atlantis, The Palm was the first resort to open on one of Dubai’s infamous artificial islands, The Palm Jumeirah. Of course, no grand opening would be complete without a party and, since it’s in Dubai, it just had to be the most expensive party in the world.

The luxurious beach party was set to have over 2,000 guests and featured an extravagant $6.58 million fireworks display. The highlight of the evening, though, was the 60 minute performance by Kylie Minogue. For her first ever performance in the Middle East, the pop queen banked over $4 million.

While the 1,539 room hotel opened on September 24th 2008, the world’s most expensive party was scheduled nearly two months later on November 20th. Reportedly, the extravagant beach party cost its hosts over $35 million.

The Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi may or may not be a profitable enterprise, but it’s certainly an impressive one. Costing over three billion dollars to build, the Emirates Palace is the most expensive hotel ever built. The hotel is, reportedly, intended to raise Abu Dhabi’s profile among international travelers.

And what a profile it has! This enormous hotel is lined with more gold than the cache at Fort Knox. The remainder of this expensive hotel’s façade is made of imported marble. In fact, the only part of the hotel we can safely assume isn’t made of one precious material or another is its mile-long private beach.

The hotel also boasts a nearly 200 foot high atrium, a highly advanced conference center and its own waterfall. The least expensive rooms in the world’s most expensive hotel are the Palace suites, which are each equipped with three bedrooms, a dining room and living room and go for over $700 a night.

In point of fact, the government of Abu Dhabi doesn’t refer to Emirates Palace as a hotel at all. To them, it’s a national landmark. Its name says all you need to know. In every sense of the word, it’s a palace.

How much does public transit in your town cost? According to a recent survey by Citizens Taking Action, a transit watchdog group, most Americans pay a basic fare around $1.53. According to the group, Chicago’s public transportation system is the most expensive in the US at $1.50 for bus fare and $2 to ride the El.

That may not sound like much, but the difference shows when you consider weekly and monthly passes–$17.80 and $58.43 nationally, $24 and $75 in Chicago. The watchdog group’s concern is that fare hikes proposed for 2009 will further widen the gap between the national average and Chicago fares.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that Chicago Transit Authority and Citizens Taking Action share initials and the study to find the national average and America’s most expensive public transit was conducted informally.

Do you know of any public transit prices more expensive than Chicago’s?

Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi

The competition is fierce as two giants in the hotel industry vie for the right to call their package the most expensive vacation in the world. The two competitors, Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and The Leading Hotels of the World, both offer $1 million vacation packages.

Lead Hotels’ package, “Around the World in 80 Ways,” celebrates both their 80th anniversary and the 80th Academy Awards ceremony. Leading Hotels invites two vacationers to take a 28-night journey via private jet. The voyage begins in London and includes twelve destinations, staying in some of the world’s most celebrated hotels along the way. The trip includes a stay at the Lake Palace in Udaipur, India, a hot air balloon ride in Dubai, a traditional tea ceremony in Tokyo and a final stop in New York City.

Emirates Palace’s package is somewhat more localized. Apparently part of a concerted effort to take over the Guinness Book, their package was made with a world record in mind. The vacation starts with a first class trip to Abu Dhabi from anywhere that’s serviced by Etihad Airlines. That’s just the start of the seven-day, all-inclusive stay in one of Emirates Palace’s 7,000+ sq ft Palace Suites. Among the services provided is a daily spa treatment in the Anantara Spa. The package also includes three day trips by private jet—to Iran, where you’ll have a Persian rug hand-made to your specifications; to the Dead Sea Jordan, where you can have your spa treatment in the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar and to Bahrain for a deep-sea diving experience.

Considering their equal pricing, both may take the record. However, when you look at cost per day, Emirates Palace’s package is a clear winner at over $142,000/day as opposed to Leading Hotels’ $35,000/day. Both contenders plan to donate a portion of the profits to charity.

via the WSJ Wealth Blog

An expensive diamond necklace is more than a simple accessory. It’s a statement of opulence that will set members of your family apart for generations. Check out some of the world’s most expensive diamond necklaces.

H. Stern’s Venus Necklace – $3.17 million

This 110-carat diamond necklace features a number of cushion, square and pear-cut diamonds set in 18k noble gold. Even the clasp is exquisite, featuring a 14-point diamond star. This is truly a piece that looks just as good from behind as it does from the front.

The De Beers’ Marie-Antionette Necklace – $3.7 million

From the De Beers High-Jewellery collection, this luxurious necklace features over 181 carats of mixed cut diamonds. Beneath the deep pink diamond (1.84 carats) on the first string are two yellow diamonds (5.24 and 7.06) along the second and third strings. The 8.05 carat pear-shaped white diamond hanging from the fourth string, though, is the showstopper on this beautiful piece of jewelry.

Neil Lane’s Diamond Necklace – $4 million

The 140 carats of diamonds featured on this valuable necklace feature three different cuts—pear, cushion and teardrop. The diamonds are set in platinum along the six strings that make up this necklace.

Garrard’s Heart of the Kingdom Ruby – $14 million

The most expensive necklace in the world features a 40.63-carat, heart-shaped Burmese ruby surrounded by 155 carats of diamonds. Burmese ruby is one of the most sought after varieties of ruby due to its blood-red hue. This gem is particularly valuable due to its extraordinary size—Burmese rubies rarely exceed a few carats!

The most expensive necklace can also be worn as a tiara.

In 2006, Royal Caribbean International embarked on an ambitious project called Project Genesis. Their mission was to build the world’s largest cruise ship. Scheduled to sail in fall of 2009, Project Genesis isn’t just the largest ship. It’s also the most expensive cruise ship in the world.

(via True Cruise)

Project Genesis isn’t Royal Caribbean International’s first enormous cruise ship. Their last endeavor, Freedom of the Seas, also broke records with its ability to carry over 4,000 passengers and its weight in excess of 150,000 tons.

Project Genesis will, of course, break both records. The 1,180 foot long ship will weigh 220,000 tons and carry a maximum of 6,400 passengers and 2,100 crew members. The ship is so big, in fact, that it will have a common area, as large as a football field, called Central Park. Central Park’s piazza will even host street performers and live concerts. Additionally, the park will be surrounded by a variety of restaurants, including fine dining at 150 Central Park, Italian cuisine at Giovanni’s Table and steakhouse fare at Royal Caribbean’s own Chops Grille.

The ship will also include a number of bars ranging from wine bars to the impressive Rising Tide bar—an engineering marvel that actually moves through three decks from Central Park to the public spaces below.

Norway’s Aker Yards is handling the construction of the ship. Their price for building the most expensive cruise ship in the world: $1.24 billion!

Looking at the above image, you might think that this is another one of Dubai’s expensive projects. That couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s the world’s most expensive swimming pool and it’s located at the San Alfonso Del Mar resort in Chile.

The twenty acre pool is as long as three football fields and holds 66 million gallons of saltwater. Its deep end is 115 feet deep. Naturally, it holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest swimming pool.

The water in the pool is in constant circulation, kept clean and clear by a computer-controlled suction and filtration system that draws water in from the ocean at one end and pumps it out at the other. Even at the pool’s deepest point, you can still see the bottom. Not only that, but the water is kept above 78 F in the summer. The nearby ocean water, by contrast, is only around 62 F.

The most expensive swimming pool in the world cost nearly $2 billion to build and requires almost $4 million in annual maintenance.

If you’re like me, you’ve often wondered how to catch the world’s greediest fish.
Okay, so I’ve never actually wondered that. Even so, MacDaddy’s—a company claiming to “put the bling on your string”—has answered that question by creating the world’s most expensive fishing lure.

The imaginatively named Million-Dollar Lure has been capturing the hearts and minds of Americans since 2006, when it was first unveiled. While the publicity certainly helped MacDaddy’s, it also helped some charitable organizations; they received five percent of proceeds from the Million-Dollar Lure.

The Million-Dollar Lure is made of both gold and platinum. It’s also adorned with over four thousand diamonds and rubies, weighing in at 100 carats total.

Furthermore, lest you think the Million-Dollar Lure will never see any action, it was recently used at the 26th Annual Brisbee’s Black and Blue tournament in Baja California, the largest marlin-fishing tournament in the world.

The Million-Dollar Lure isn’t MacDaddy’s only charitable effort, either. Their Pink Ribbon Collection will be showcased in June at the JKC Jewelry Show in Las Vegas. Ten percent of sales from this latest line of luxury lures will be donated to breast cancer research and recovery.

Calling them airports is an understatement. With over fifteen miles of aviation-related commercial properties surrounding some of the largest airfields, these massive urban sprawls are more properly known as aerotropolises. For simplicity’s sake, though, we’ll just call them the world’s most expensive airports.

Currently, the most expensive airport is Hong Kong International Airport, located on Chek Lap Kok island in (surprisingly enough) Hong Kong. With over 47 million passengers in 2007, HKIA is also one of the world’s busiest airports. Passengers may fly in or out via a number of airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Express, Air Hong Kong and many others with “Hong Kong” in their names. For its $20 billion construction, the airport was awarded a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Unfortunately for HKIA, it will soon lose that place.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the new record-breaking aerotropolis is being constructed in Dubai. Dubai World Central International, being constructed south of Dubai near Jebel Ali, will cost $33 billion for its infrastructure alone. The plans call for an airfield that can accommodate the latest superjumbo jets, hotels, shopping malls, two 18-hole golf courses and a residential city that can house 750,000 people. Of course, this sort of project takes a lot of time to complete and DWC is no exception. It isn’t expected to be operational until 2017. By that time, yet another record-breaking airport project may be started.

Other aerotropolises include Brisbane Airport in Australia, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Incheon International Airport in South Korea, Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and at least five within the continental United States.

Freezing wind, icebergs, penguins and a dearth of hotel rooms—these are the things you’ll find in the most expensive cruise destination in the world. Antarctica may not be the most hospitable region in the world, but it’s popular enough to guarantee that cruises destined for the southernmost continent will have passengers aplenty.

The tourist season in the Antarctic region is relatively short. The four months from November to February are the only time the temperatures are high enough to make the trip. The tourist season is also the time when the region gets the most sunlight. In December and January, days can last up to 20 hours.

The wildlife you’ll see also depends on when you go. Hatching penguins can be seen in December and November while slightly more mature young can be seen in February. February also brings more whale sightings than any other time of year.

(Photo by Mila Zinkova. Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license version 3.0.)

The operational cost of an Antarctic voyage, as well as a lack of tourist infrastructure on the mainland, ensures that ticket prices won’t be going down anytime soon.

Antarctic cruises most often start in South America. The largest ships only offer sail-by tours of the continent—no disembarkation from the ship. A cruise to the world’s most expensive destination may cost as little as $5,000 and could climb as high as $26,000 or higher!

In 1991, ground was first broken for the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project. The project was meant to reroute the chronically congested Central Artery (I-93) in Boston, Massachusetts, through a 3.5 mile tunnel under the city for a projected cost of $2.8 billion. Over the course of the project’s duration, the project became colloquially known as the “Big Dig” and its cost escalated to over $14 billion, making the Big Dig the most expensive public works project in the nation.

The I-93 tunnel. (Photo by Rene Schwietzke. Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 license.)

Originally conceived in the 1970s by the Boston Transportation Planning Review, official planning for the project didn’t begin until the early 80s. In 1987, US Congress passed a bill, later overriding a veto by President Reagan, appropriating funds for the Big Dig.

The project suffered from numerous setbacks. The tunnel itself was dug in an area of pipes, utility lines, subway lines and landfills. Additionally, leaks, findings of substandard materials followed by criminal arrests and even a fatal accident have all shut down parts of the project at various points in time.

The most expensive public works project in the US was supposedly finished at the end of 2007. However, as of January 2008, 237 serious leaks are being reported as going unchecked.

Outside of Japan, we often think of sushi as a dish consisting of some sort of raw sea creature. This is, in fact, sashimi, which is wholly distinct from sushi. The term “sushi” actually refers to any dish made with a vinegared rice, called shari, and a number of other ingredients which made include fish, either cooked or raw. Of course, if you’re reading this you probably know all of that. What you want to know is where you can find the most expensive sushi.

Chef Masa Takayama of Masa

Residents of New York City are in luck. A Manhattan restaurant called Masa, after the establishment’s Japanese master chef, Masa Takayama, is the most expensive sushi restaurant in the world. The menu, as it were, is omakase. That means you won’t be entirely in charge of what lands on your plate but, rather, you’ll be trusting the chef to deliver a unique and rarified dining experience. This Japanese-style tasting menu allows chef Takayama to choose, on a daily basis, the freshest fish on the Japanese and American markets.

Of course, if you’re not happy with an authentic sushi experience unless you’re actually in Japan, you can try the restaurant where chef Takayama learned the ropes, Tokyo’s Sushi-ko. Another omakase restaurant, Sushi-ko has seen four generations of sushi specialists and specializes in crab legs and sea urchin. Sushi-ko also just happens to serve the second most expensive sushi.

Reservations at the most expensive sushi bar cost $300 and need to be made at least three weeks in advance. Sushi-ko, on the other hand, will cost you around $175 per meal… and a trip to Japan.

Læsø, a large island off the coast of the Danish mainland, is part of the Danish “desert belt.” The island’s dryness during the summer months has resulted in ground water that can be up to fifteen percent salt. In the Middle Ages, the island was well known for its salt industry which, eventually, led to the deforestation of the country due to the large amount of wood used in the salt kilns. Today, the island is the home of the world’s most expensive salt.

Læsø Saltsyderi, the island’s saltworks, operates in 2008 just as it did in 1008. It’s as much a tourist attraction as it is a producer of salt. In fact, they give lectures to over 60,000 guests annually. That doesn’t mean the salt alone isn’t worth the price of admission, though. Salt master Poul Christensen will assure you that Læsø Saltsyderi produces the world’s best salt.

Læsø Salt can be purchased for 150 Danish kroner per kilo ($29 USD). In addition, the company plans to produce Læsø-salted cheese, sausages and hams in the island’s former dairy and to re-open the church as a health spa where skin diseases may be treated by bathing in byproducts from the production of the most expensive salt in the world.

Can you imagine paying $50,000 for a tree house? If you’re like Victoria Beckham, the answer is “Yes!” The former Spice Girl recently purchased the world’s most expensive tree house from Neiman Marcus for her three children, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz.

The Treetent, resembling an overgrown pear, was created by Dutch sculptor and designer Dré Wapenaar. The thirteen-foot tent features a nine-foot-diameter hardwood floor, a round mattress that can comfortably fit two adults and adjustable planetary landing steps.

The most expensive treehouse in the world is an excellent investment for filthy rich persons who want to go camping without dealing with all that inconvenient nature stuff. Unfortunately, it’s a limited edition, so you’ll have to wait in line behind the dozens of celebrities who’ve already staked their claim.