Be prepared to break a sweat to get to Green Lotus Peak (GCE866) in the off-the-beaten-path town of Yangshuo, China. This difficulty 3, terrain 4 1/2 traditional cache requires a hike and a climb to the top of a jagged peak.

The regular size cache container was hidden in 2003 by ooga booga / 10th_coq_scouts / meryl. Since then, more than 120 geocachers have dared to make the climb and log a “Found It.” This cache has earned a number of Favorite Points over the  last nine years and it’s easy to see why.

The cache brings visitors to a striking scene, composed of numerous peaks, rosy clouds, villages and the Li River.

As one cacher logged, “WOW man! That’s one of the best caches! That’s how I like caching ;-)! The way up is some kind of a jungle trail with some ropes and bamboo in which are very helpful! And then you arrive on the top, totally wet from your sweat and you feel like you’re reborn! The view is just amazing! If you ever come to Yangshuo, you just have to do this cache!”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com

If you’d like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

If you dare, this Geocache of the Week takes you underwater and into the midst of thousands of jellyfish. Jellyfish Lake (GC11A56) or “Ongeim’l Tketau”  as it is called in the local language of Palauan, is one of approximately 70 marine lakes scattered throughout the southern portion of the main island of Palau.

This difficulty five, terrain five EarthCache was created by SurrenderTheBooty in March of 2007. Since then, this unique and rare lake has been visited and appreciated by geocachers all over the world.

In order the log a smiley on this EarthCache, adventurers must travel to the site and complete two requirements. There’s no container to discover. Instead, geocachers discover the geological forces that created this unique location. They must email SurrenderTheBooty with a picture taken at either the arrival dock or the floating dock on the lake, as well as the GPS elevation readings at sea level, on top of the ridge, and at lake level.

The lake is only accessible by boat and visitors have to climb a ridge to get to the golden jellyfish. The cache page provides a comprehensive overview of Palau’s Jellyfish Lake formation over the course of thousands of years. It also details what visitors can expect when they arrive at Ongeim’l Tketau.

One log reads, “Swimming in the Jellyfish Lake is a fantastic experience! The jellyfish are so fragile, so beautiful, … my English is not good enough to describe my feelings. Large jellyfish have a slow frequency when moving, smaller ones have a higher frequency.  Thanks to SurrenderTheBooty for this amazing experience.”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you’ d like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

Lair (GC5D2D) delivers geocachers a hard-fought smiley. The difficulty three, terrain four traditional geocache challenges geocachers physically. Adventurers experience a strenuous hike and steep climb in order to sign the log. kat0atu hid the geocache back in 2002. It’s earned more than 45 Favorite Points, with a well crafted cache page that leads to a thrilling find.

kat0atu explains on the cache page, the “Cave entrance [is a] tough hike for this 50 year old.” The cache page also warns geocachers to be prepared for potential encounters with wildlife. The cache page suggests bringing ample supplies, including water and camera.

Geocachers took the advice to take pictures. There are more than 250 images uploaded to the cache page. They include pictures of the view from the cave, images of rusted tractors, and the heroics of geocachers climbing the Minnesota, USA cliffs.

Cachers who found Lair write, “This is the type of cache that makes caching worthwhile. I took up this game with the hope that it would take me places that I never would find/know about otherwise, and this is one of them. Plus I always appreciate when I have to exert some physical effort in the search…SLTNLN* TFTC**.”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you’ d like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.

*SLTNLN – Signed Log Took Nothing Left Nothing

*TFTC – Thanks For The Cache

Geocaching as a tourist doubles the joy of sightseeing. Not only do you see what all other tourists see, but you unlock a hidden a treasure along the way.

Fontana di Trevi (GC1QC5D) offers Italian tourists the chance to see the fabled fountain just north of the city center and log a smiley nearby.

The cache was hidden by nemrodek in 2009. The difficulty two, terrain one has been found by geocachers visiting Rome from around the world. Fontana di Trevi has been logged more than 2000 times – making it one of the most popular geocaches in all of Italy.

The cache page understates the obvious, warning that the “cache is in an extremely muggled area.” Some other advice on the cache page offer geocachers a chance to potentially return to Rome. The cache page reads, “Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.”

One log reads, “Yes – we are in Rome – and we are not only looking at all the fantastic sites and monuments of ancient history… we’re also searching some geocaches… surprisingly easy to get and hide again – though there are quadrillions of people around – but they’re all just staring at the fountain. Good for us. 🙂 ”

Continue to explore some of the most engaging geocaches around the globe. Check out all the Geocaches of the Week on the Latitude 47 blog or view the Bookmark List on Geocaching.com.

If you’ d like to nominate a Geocache of the Week, send an email with your name, comments, the name of the geocache, and the GC code to pr@groundspeak.com.