The most alien landscapes on Earth

By Hal Amen On July 5, 2009 · 167 Comments

***Copyright: Please visit the photographer links for licensing conditions for each photo. Some are available through a Creative Commons license, but many are copyrighted against unauthorized use. We were granted special permission to feature them in this Matador photo essay. ***

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Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

The largest salt flat in the world reflects the sky during the wet season... Photo: Luca Galuzzi

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

...and in the dry winter months, it becomes a mosaic of salt tiles. Photo: Sergio Pessolano

Antarctica

Icebergs drift in dark Antarctic waters. Photo: winkyintheuk

The Richat Structure, near Ouadane, Mauritania

A circular feature, 50km across, in the middle of the otherwise featureless Mauritanian Sahara. Picture courtesy of NASA. Photographer: trodel_wiki

Alvord Playa, southeastern Oregon, USA

You might not expect to find a desert in the Pacific Northwest, but this dry lake bed averages only 180mm of rain a year. Photo: rasone

Cappadocia, Turkey

Fairy chimneys dominate the landscape between Cavusin and Zelve. Photo: Timothy Neesam

Socotra Island, Yemen

Socotra's isolation in the Indian Ocean has given rise to plant life you won't see anywhere else. This is the dragon's blood tree. Photo: Sotti

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Best known as the staging grounds for Burning Man, the Black Rock Desert is also home to alien features such as the Fly Geyser. Photo: Stephen Oachs

Black Desert, Egypt

Egypt's deserts come in many colors, including Black... Photo: Gekko82

White Desert, Egypt

...and White. Photo: tronics

Kauai, Hawaii

Seaside lava ledges make for otherworldly experiences on this often-overlooked Hawaiian island. Photo: PatrickSmithPhotography

Namib Desert, Namibia

Sand rarely gets as red as it does in the deserts of Namibia. Photo: Brian Preen

Torres del Paine, Chile

The most alien of the 8 Natural Wonders of Chile, Torres del Paine's mountain spires cut into the blue sky. Photo: winkyintheuk

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

Lowest point on Earth, deepest salt lake in the world, saltier than the ocean...the list of the Dead Sea's bizarreness is a long one. Photo: Pennina Neumann

Strokkur Geyser, southwestern Iceland

Visitors to the Strokkur Geyser are rewarded with this display every five minutes or so. Photo: exfordy

Lake Turkana, Kenya

Lake Turkana lies in Africa's Great Rift Valley. Its salty waters comprise the world's largest desert lake. Photo: Yannick Garcin

Four Corners region, USA

The Colorado Plateau gets funky at the Arizona-Utah border. That's where you'll find Vermilion Cliffs National Monument... Photo: gregmote

Four Corners region, USA

...and Monument Valley. Photo: Wolfgang Staudt

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

Over 1,700 naturally formed mounds (covered with chocolate brown grass in the dry season) dot the center of the island of Bohol. Photo: Lemuel Montejo

The Sahara

The world's largest hot desert is as big as the entire U.S. Get stranded out here and you'll wish you really were on an alien world. Photo: Jay Brezinsky

The Sahara

"Tunisian Sahara: Desert Stop!" Photo: andzer

About The Author

Hal Amen

Hal Amen is a managing editor for Matador. His personal travel blog is at WayWorded.

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view all → Hal Amen

http://www.keepingpaceinjapan.com Turner

Stunning
http://www.collazoprojects.com Julie

Hal-

Incredible selection of photos. What really struck me as I looked at these was how many are places that are practically in my back yard and yet they seem just as foreign–if not more so–than the more far-flung landscapes.
anon

I can’t believe you forgot Yellowstone National Park in Idaho/Wyoming.

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

You’re right, anon. There were so many places left off this list. It’s amazing how diverse and beautiful this planet is.

Taylor

And they say there is no God….

http://stinkpump.com Nestor

Bit of a non sequitur there…?
Sr. Lopez

You said it, not “them.” Now go start some conflicts in an oil-rich land while the rest of us appreciate natural beauty without having to attribute it to some imaginary leprechaun in the sky.

Travis

honestly…

Travis

not honestly to the no god thing, but to Yellowstone/Idaho

Kathy

Really, really, amazing photos. Are those Chilean mountains anywhere near you?

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Hopefully I’ll be visiting them in the not-too-distant future

http://www.meganeaves.com Megan Eaves

These are beautiful photos! But, you missed White Sands in New Mexico. http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfee/365580698/

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Wow, Megan! What a gorgeous shot. I’ll definitely be hitting you up for the sequel

http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/vagabonderz Carlo Alcos

Alien indeed! These are amazing.
http://matadortravel.com/travel-community/k-crimini Kate

So incredible. Great work putting these all in one place.

I’m going to keep coming back to this piece. Inspirational!
Bob Ferguson

The photo from Cappadocia, Turkey has been renamed “William J. Clinton valley” . I was informed of this by our tour guide while there.

All the photos are just stunning

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Thanks for this tidbit, Bob. Very interesting!

http://musictravelwrite.wordpress.com Michelle

Stunning. Thanks for sharing these.
http://matadorabroad.com Tim Patterson

WOW. The photo from Nevada is INCREDIBLE!
http://501places.blogspot.com Andy Jarosz

Beautiful images – one of the best photo collections I have seen for a long time. You could make a book from these! Thank you for sharing them.
http://www.tripbase.com Katie

Truly amazing pics!
http://www.paul-sullivan.com Paul Sullivan

Totally inspiring selection. Heartbreakingly beautiful in places. Excellent stuff.
Adam

Amazing. Just amazing.

I think the most alien landscape I’ve ever seen was the area around Leh the capital of Ladakh in northern India. You’d drive on mountainside roads through the Himalayas for like 6 hours through this quasi-lunar landscape, and all of a sudden you’d run into a giant flat field or an 85-mile-long lake or something. It was unreal.
http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Thanks for the comments, everyone. But thanks even more to all the excellent photographers who agreed to share their work with us here!
Vivian

Absolutely blown away by the landscape photos. Thanks for sharing with us.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emwing/ Lemuel Montejo

Hi Hal!

Great collection of photos!
It’s an honor to have one of my photos included.
I would very much want to visit all the other places you included.

- Lemuel Montejo (emwing)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gekko82 Gekko82

Hi Hal,

Stunning serie photos of some great places!
Like the picture of Hawaii the most,
and like Lemuel I’m also honoured to have one of my photos included.

Grtz, Gerco
Pennina

Amazing work! Thank you for gathering and sharing such fantastic pics. My travel destinations wish list is getting longer…
http:/www.thesecrettraveler.com David

Those are some amazing pics. My parents were just in Cappadocia, Turkey and brought back some similar images. I hope to get some pics like this added to my site (http:/thesecrettraveler.com), how do you recommend getting pics like this for my site?
Khyati

Photos are stunningly beautiful
Bonnie

I only hope to travel to theese places one day
Henni Mumbeck

Wonderful pictures. Mother Earth is sooo beautiful, lets take care of her with more love and devotion
Russ Long

Namibia has to be seen to believe – especially that all those animals can live in the red sands on moisture licked off the rocks!
April Pronk

This is beyond awesome!!!!
Nita

Truly outstanding——— What an imagination our Great God Has—a true artist. No a BIG BANG did not make this. !!!!!
http://directAbundance.com Heather Zwicker

I am always left in wonder and awe when I see such beauty around the globe. Thank you for sharing!! They took my breathe away!
Fatguy

Very, very good collection. You captured two of my favorite places: Monument Valley, Utah, and The Wave on the Parea Plateau also in Utah. Been to Manument Valley many times but never made it to The Wave nor The Subway (near the entrance to Zion National Park) both in southern Utah as the nazi/commie Bush/Obama administrations drove me out forever – the 1140 concentration/death camps are ready!
Paula

The Lords gifts are beautiful and our lives are full of wonder and beauty daily, we just need to look.
derek stratton

those pictures took my breath away. Check out a picture [ if you can find one] of “The Frank Slide” where half of Turtle Mountain came down on the small mining town of Frank, Alberta, Canada in the last century. It took the lives of approx. seventy some souls. A highway cuts through it now and all the huge boulders were left as they fell, some as big as houses. Huge white limestone rocks scattered over a huge area. Every time I go through there it just blows me away at the immensity of it all. Derek
Justine

My, those are breathtakingly beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!
http://yahoo shivani

WONDERFUL PHOTOS. STUNNING. FANTASTIC.
Ash

At first i thought the picture of the Black Rock Desert in Nevada was mislabelled. i thought THAT was not at Burning Man. but i forgot how big the desert was and now i really want to go check out the geyser.
Shayne

Or how bout the Chiricahua Mountains in AZ.
http://www.simplysiestakey.com Siesta Key Area Guide

Awsome
Kevin Fairdosi

Wow, these are beautiful shots! Thanks a lot, I really enjoyed this.
http://www.investigandolared.cl Monica

What abou Valle de la Luna in Chile? I can’t believe you forgot that!!!!

http://www.explore-atacama.com/esp/fotos/valle-de-la-luna-1.htm
http://www.explore-atacama.com/esp/fotos/valle-de-la-luna-4.htm

Katelynn

I thought the same thing! Valle de la Luna is something else.

http://twitter.com/BigRyanPark Ryan

These are simply inspiring.
-twitter.com/BigRyanPark
http://www.cowboybootstokiwifruits.blogspot.com HappyCampers

What a beautiful collection of photos!
http://sirjorge.com/blogx sir jorge

once again, another reason to get out of the cubicle
Javier

See: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ladigue_99/966840704/in/set-72157600908752632/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ricardocaba/387086247/
Great place!!
Zellyana

This is wonderful!!
http://theastronote.blogspot.com kinzi

Breathtaking pictures…truly weird landscapes.
ben

god……..haha.How can one believe in such an abstract thing. Amazing pics though. Thanks for sharing.
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=372596312&size=o Nick

Amazing pic but what do you think of this one http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=372596312&size=o and these ones http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2007/01/giant-frozen-wave-photos.html?

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Very cool. (You can have that pun for free.) Seriously though, nice shots.

anonymous

absolutely beautiful photos, but even so, im hard-pressed to say that 7 isnt photoshopped.
Jolene

. . . absolutely awesome photographs! Congrats to Brian Preen for the brilliant picture of the magnificent red sand dunes near Sossusvlei, Namib Desert, Namibia!
rachel

and australia
http://www.mediaraid.com Chris Ronk

Thanks for helping me waste my time in a very beautiful way. Great post.
http://yelugab@googlemail.com Steve Baguley

The photos always beautify places. The dead sea is horrific to experience! (high pressure) Chocolate hills are nice to look at but don’t get lost in the jungle there………….
Your photography is great all the same.
http://www.suimakmak.com Ken Wah

Incredible great piece of art. I would really want to see it myself before end of my life.

http://www.facebook.com/sherman86 sherman

me too.. i wish 2 see this b4 i die 2…
http://www.tourandhotel.com khushi Bhatia

Really beautiful. Their are so many things for us to see and admire nature.

k

How do you know these landscapes are “alien.” Have you been somewhere the rest of us have not? WOW, what an alien thought!
Jonas

A truly beautiful insight into some of our world’s wonders. Spectacular photo’s, well done!

r

An apostrophe is not required when forming a plural.

Santiago

A M A I Z I N G !
..this is our planet ,
we have to respect Earth NOW !

Development of solar/wind/re-power technology must be the top target of every nation, much more of every industrial nation !
Hollis

This is why we should protect our planet.
http://www.eventsetter.com/ Events

Amazing landscapes just from the pictures, but they must surely be inspiring to see in real life.
http://www.vuljespaarpot.nl gratis geld

Whow! Very much alien indeed, not very earth-like!
Lennard

“The most alien pictures from planet earth” sounds a bit, er, wrong in my opinion. This is our planet earth! No aliens, no TV, no Hollywood… Better you had choosen something like: The most beautiful places on our planet earth, or something like that.

Greetz,
Len
Fedor

P R E K R Á S N E
http://www.samburns.com.au Landscape Photography

Wow, really beautiful and inspiring places…. places to visit list just got a whole lot longer!!
Slim

1 word: awesome!
Victoria

Whatever you want to call this collection of photos (please folks….why be so critical?!?!) you have done an amazing job. Truly, places most of us will never see. So thank you very much for putting together this most inspiring group of beautiful photgraphs! And congrats to those who shot them!!!
Cheers from Vancouver…

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Thanks, Victoria. Comments on popular posts will always trend towards the harsh, but one like this makes it all worth it.

Rusty b.

You left out ‘Craters of the Moon’ Park in Idaho. It’s much more alien than some of those you chose.
joy

amazing! an awesome masterpiece!
http://obbop.wordpress.com Obbop

Can’t we pave it over, install sidewalks, and sell lots at a huge profit?
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Hall/2638/1MrMorganNewPhysics.doc lfmorgan

words that properly describe the Universe are more beautiful! But I am thankful I can see most of these as great art!
Emmanuel

Having recently visited Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, I can say that it is by far the most amazing place on the planet although the nearby high-altitude desert full of geysers, molten lava, chinchilas, emus, flamingos and multi-coloured lakes is equally stunning. We had four days to soak it all up, driving through on SUVs with our own cook and guides, I recommend at least that long if not longer.

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

I second that, Emmanuel! For anyone who’s interested in learning more, Matador Trips has info on the tour circuit here: http://matadortrips.com/bolivia%E2%80%99s-southwest-circuit-backwards/

Alisa

What about the Breakaways Reserve in Coober Pedy South Australia. Many outer space movies have been filmed there… the rocks are even called “Moon Rocks”!!!!
http://omaniblog.blogs.ie Paul O’Mahony (Cork, Ireland)

Thank you very much. Fabulous photographs. Tom Raftery sent out a twitter drawing attention to your site. I’m delighted to have found you. All the best from Glanmire, Cork, Ireland
miranda miller age 10

# 6 is so cool. i’ve never seen a tree like it before. it looks like a umbella pushed up.

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Thanks for your comment, Miranda. Stay tuned to the site, because in a week or so we’ll be publishing a special feature on Socotra Island, with more pictures of those crazy trees!

Jackie McLennan

These were be far the most amazing pictures of our Planet Earth that i have ever seen. i hope to one day see these very places and take pictures of my own. you did an amazing job.
Hess

FABULOUS!!!!!!!!
ereco

I’ve been in the Chocolate Hills. I went there together with my friends. Never thought it would look “alien” to you. The other photos are just so amazing. Wish I could go to these places. In my case… that’s one down and sixteen to go. Hahahaha.
Rita Weatherbee

Unbelievable photography! When I think of “Alien Sites” I often think of Devils Tower in WY – Maybe it was the movie, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”…stupidly enough, that movie scared the crap out of me…but I was only 18 when it came out. I had nightmares for days.

This is an amazing photo essay! There aren’t any words to describe the emotions that it brings up in oneself, but how can you not believe in a higher power when you see these photos?
http://none Judy

I must say I have never seen any place so desolate yet so beautiful and breathtaking!!I can’t afford to travel to places like this so I am so grateful for photographers as these to bring the wonders of the world to me. Keep up the good work and I shall wait for the next wonders of this wondrous earth that God has created!!
http://none Judy

AWESOME!!!!
http://blogg.duxopolis.com Lars G. Bøe

Synonyms to alien: conflicting, contrary, estranged, exotic, extraneous, extrinsic, inappropriate, incompatible, incongruous, opposed, remote, separate, unusual (Thesaurus.com)

I is kind of remote, opposed to most of our dailylife, exotic and unusual, I think the word alien describes many of these images very well actually
John

Wow, if I ever saw Black Rock Desert, Nevada as photographed here, I would just lie down right there and die, because there would be nothing left to do. Simply amazing photographs!
MaryBeth

it’s so nice that some of these are actually in the U.S. It’d be a depressing thought if I’d never be able to see ANY of these wonderous sights! Beautiful photography!
Seymour Lieberman

If only we can develop a more inexpensive development of converting sea water to natural clear water think of the probabilities.
http://viaterra.net travel photos

great collection ! thanks for putting it together
Dallas

So often we find that people feel the need to take the time to voice an opinion that is contrary to the thought behind the work. When you look at pictures such as these, and people take the time to comment on them, I am always amazed that someone along the line feels the need to throw a curt remark in the mix.
I for one, sat with my chin balanced on my hand, sitting sideways in my chair, drink in hand, marveling at the fascinating displays of wonder and beauty and wealth of what you offered up for our viewing pleasure.
I marveled at life existing in places that are untouched, still clean; perfect in their symmetry. Could you look at these images and not, at least once, imagine yourselves there – touching, feeling, inhaling, LIVING in that place, knowing that you would be amazingly happy to do so for the rest of your days. What is that? What is that thing that draws us all to the idea that we would be happy doing just that. Thanks for making me wonder on many different levels.

http://wayworded.blogspot.com/ Hal

Word, Dallas. Thanks so much for chiming in, and I’m glad you enjoyed it.

http://www.isabellestravelguide.com IsabellesTravel

Amazing pictures!!! Whaw… Thanks for making this list.
Yajaira Villanueva

I suggest you look up the meaning of “metaphore”
Yajaira Villanueva

Most inspiring pictures, most wonderful places. Thank you for sharing. Yajaira
http://www.womentravellingalone.blogspot.com Nancy O

What a fabulous site! How can I get to travel for money!
check out my website at http://www.womentravellingalone.blogspot.com and leave a comment!
jog

shopped
Brenda

I was enthralled and excited to see the wonders of the world you shared with all the viewers. What a neat way to educate all of us to the beauty in all the world. that comes from Mother Nature I am forwarding to my teenage children.and eagerly waiting for their responses to me, Be assured your talents bless all the viewers, Thank you.

Millie

Brenda,
Great comment! This is worth sharing. Thank you photographers for your wonderful work!

http://www.medicalstudentchronicles.blogspot.com Colin

Awesome pictures makes me want to go to all of these places one day
Millie

These photos are fantastic!! God is Awesome!!
http://robinferianto.com/ robb

these are incredible landscape shots.
just beautiful.
Jay Ajri

“Wow,photographs are truly fantastic! Great work guys,simply awesome! Nature is so just fantastic!”
Millie

These photos are truly amazing!! Luv it!
http://londoniscool.com William Wallace

They sure are amazing looking photos, however I can make my simple concrete back garden look like an amazing piece of alien landscape in about 5 minutes with Photoshop CS3 aint that amazing…………
Lindy

WOW! What profound proof that God is mighty and majestic in his works. How kind of you to share this site with the world. My bucket list just got longer. Seeing God’s most fantastic works is truly inspiring and my heart swells with love and appreciation for what we have on this earth. How lucky you are to have taken these photos…… Thank you for sharing………

Millie-Mississippi

Amen to that, Lindy!

Carrie -Ireland

Beautiful shots, you have to come to the Burren in the west of Ireland and climb one of the hills and look down on the limestone landscape, it also seems like something from another planet and your eye for a picture would really do it justice. I’ll happily show you around if you ever decide to come !
Dave

Puleeeze… we don’t need a grammar or punctuation lesson.
Jme

The guy who commented on the punctuation is a complete loser..
Good pictures, that is all.
Unedited photo

these are all truly great places and the photos are very interesting. But I’m so glad someone else saw that a lot of these have been severely modified with Photoshop!

Planet Earth is beautiful without photoshop! lets see some unedited photos!
viraj karnani

I have never seen such beautiful pictures in my life earlier!!These places r truely ALIEN!!!
Mike

How can they be alien…if they are of this world?
vasanth shenoy

Nature, pure nature. Nothing is man made. All GOD’s creations.
http://omaniblog.blogs.ie omaniblog

To all those who are using comments here to propagandize your personal belief that nature was created by a god, would you please stop.

It’s not fair to me. I think it’s not fair to others too.

Appreciate the photos and their object & process. Please restrain yourself.
Alison Napier

EVERYONE has freedom of speech, and EVERYONE is entitled to voice their own opinions. you shouldnt be telling people to not do something just because YOU dont believe in it. take your own advice, and restrain YOURSELF!
jantie99

http://www.funny-design-funny-photos.info/
Appreciate the photos . I like them!
Millie-Mississippi

“omaniblog” What makes you so special? Everyone has their right to their opinions, just as you do!!
I believe God has made this world and you won’t change what Jesus has given me!!
Thank you, Alison Napier, for saying what I was thinking!! =)
Madjayhawk

Nice photos. I would like to see them unenhanced. Beauty in photos like these is from the natural color, shadows, and composition not from color and light enhancing program in my opinion. Show before and after photos.

Bob S

These photos were way too doctored for me. HDR sucks when not done properly.

Gern Blanston

Those that don’t believe God created all will receive a hot pitchfork to the butt after they die.
Andy Kaye

I would just like to say how amazing these pictures are, and how horrible it is that this had to turn into a religious debate. But, far be it for me to break with tradition, so I’m just going to say how amazing evolution is–look at those bipeds in the pictures! One could hardly believe they evolved from pond scum!
Leandro Lopes

we should all be lucky and proud to be part of this amazing scene!!!
Mike

Have unsubscribed from this topic…because it’s in human nature to ruin an appreciation with political, religious, and/or selfish destructiveness. Have fun arguing over nothing.
http://onedayoneimage.blogspot.com OneDay

Wow! Unbelievable sites. Just gorgeous photography!
David Patterson

Stop. I’m Christian and I believe in God. Feel how you want, say what you want, so what follows is not an order: stop being hypocrites by contradicting yourself in the same post. Ex. “Everyone has a right to freedom of speech. Take your own advice and restrain yourself!”. Plus its bullshit to believe with all the discrimination that goes on that everyone has a right. Or perhaps did you mean all rich religious whitefolk(I am Caucasian myself)? And some things ARE manmade in regard to the first comment.
http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Alrighty, folks. It’s been fun, but I’m gonna have to ask that we move away from comments dealing solely with religion. This is a destination-centered travel site–we’re not in the business of affirming or contradicting anyone’s spiritual beliefs.

Nature rocks–let’s leave it at that.
Lee

Whether created by God, the devil, evolution or Winston Churchill, I love the feeling I get just looking at these and I think that’s something we can all really appreciate. I can’t imagine seeing them with my own eyes. Fantastic finds, Hal, thank you!
http://arizonadesertlandscaping.com Ken Arizona Desert Landscaping

Wow Awesome, the desolate can be so beautiful, what an amazing variety of scenery
very cool I hope to visit some of these some day.
Thanks for showing us

Arizona Desert Landscaping
PRS

Thank you for putting together such an amazing collection of photographs. Much appreciated! (Found via stumbleupon).

On another note, many of your comments epitomize what I see as the sheer folly of providing a space for people to leave comments. The religious comments are inane at best, while the athiestic comments (which I personally appreciate) are equally misplaced and self-serving. The lot of you spit in the face of the author and the photographers by taking advantage of the ability to leave a comment, doubtless that the author intended for commentary to be germane to the photographs. I would suggest to Hal Amen that in the future he disable the ability for the great unwashed to leave commentary so that this kind of internet graffiti can’t be seen to ruin an otherwise splendid experience.
http://www.poorpenmanship.com Erin

I was afraid you were going to forget my Utah! So happy the Four Corners made it in. The slot canyons, hoodoos and goblins are like nothing you’ll ever see!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/1987porsche944/ Becca

I grew up and live in NYC, and while I love my city, and cityscapes in general, there is absolutely nothing like natural settings. These are a wonderful collection of images, it just reaffirms my desire to get out and try to travel to some more exotic locales.

And bring my cameras.
Don Holttinen

You are little boys and girls in the big sandbox of the world bitching about whos daddy is right. And i’m the senior sitting on a bench near the sandbox laughing silently at you.

You were shown beauty, and you turned it into a fight over who knows better. You silly little things.
Sylvester

I think the most interesting is the Chocolate hills in the Philippines. It’s amazing how they could be formed naturally and look so symmetrical,ya know? I also like the big red sand dunes of Namibia. That would be one of my dream vacations, Namibia.

fdavis

Sylvester, if you only do one more trip in your life, make it Namibia; the rolling dunes of the Namib and Sossusvlei, the desert elephants of Damarland and the Himba of Kaokoland will change you.

Simple.

http://www.aaastripepro.com Chuck

Beautiful Photos.I enjoyed them : ) Thanks for inviting me
http://Whatisnaturalbeauty? George Hard

Excuse me please. I with pleasure would like to discover the beautiful locations you recommend. But, stop your stupid claims and advertisements please! First of all, Turkiye is the most beautiful country on the earth surely. Also, Bodrum Peninsula is the most beautiful location on the earth! Nothing can be compared to the natural beauty of the true paradise! Go and see it. Even a few pictures are enough to tell you what I say. You will shame with your so-called knowledge… That’s all!
Sincerely, George Hard

http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=37.029966&ln=27.375183&z=7&k=2&a=1&tab=1
Dobsen

Great pics. Made by day.
http://byproduct.koshiyoka.com Byproduct

Amazing photos. Thanks for sharing them. Truly a shame people don’t appreciate their environment enough, putting things like this into jeopardy.
Jurisprudence

I’m one of those highly political, self opinionated, argumentative types always pent up and discussing or opening up one some flaw in this world. And then I saw these photos and ya know what, I just shut up inside. To think all of this is out there and most (including myself) will never see any of it. I just sat there imagining how incredible it would be to stand in awe of even one of these sites. We are always trying so hard to redefine beauty in our lives and then nature makes it all seem so effortless. Its such a shame on mankind to think we are destroying such things. I hope we learn before its all gone. Thanks for the amazing photos, made my night.
bianchi

É só Fantastico.
Allyson

Just Shutup everyone!
Jeez, appreciate this pictures and get lost!
There pretty okay i get it and also some might be man-made some might be god’s creation!
So just listen and wait all those people saying that they have a freedom of speech and all that bull crap
well they don’t reliease that they are ruining this forum eg. this is a photo essay on ‘The Most ALein Landscapes on Earth’
not ‘Is this Man-made or God’s creation?’

OKAY! so please have appriorate (relevant to the pictures) posts!

Thankyouu
Dalia

This dragontree of Socotra is amazing. You should also check the desert rose endimic to the same island it is a tree out of the world, really alien. All the other pictures are incredibly fantastic. Thank you for puting them together and sharing them. They only strengthen my belief in the one and only God.
http://www.tourandtravelagentindia.com/ India travel packages

Namib Desert, Namibia, Africa Namibia lies North of South Africa on the Western side. It has a very dry climate with most of the land, bordering the coast for the first 100 km inland, being desert. Sossusvlei is right in the middle of the desert that is predominantly red sand dunes, rising to a great height. At times, after a very infrequent rainfall, a pan (vlei) of water forms in the heart of the dunes. It is a magnificent area for any one who loves the majesty of Nature in its pristine state.
Ted

A very nice set of images. I truly inspires me to get out into my own backyard.
We have the Bungle Bungle ranges in the north and rolling sand dunes by the bucket load.
Beautiful pink salt lakes and other places yet to be seen by a westerner.
I live in Western Australia. You may have heard of us.
I guess it’s up to me now.
Elking

Privileged to have been to number 8 on the list, here is my photo evidence http://elking.deviantart.com/art/No-Man-s-Land-146205859
Kelsie

I am a Colorado native, and I have only been to the closest alien landscape to me on this list. I have a love affair with the crazy red rocks of southern Utah and Colorado.
Mike T

This was a beautiful grouping of pictures from around the globe. Many thanks to the photographer for letting me see these landscapes.
Dan

The Four Corners looks like a very big bowl of caramel and nougat swirl from that photo. It’s so gorgeous that it’s making me hungry! Also, I am lucky enough that I have been to number 16: The Chocolate Hills of Bohol. It really was breathtaking for me to see those beautifully arranged, chocolate colored hills. The tarsiers are just a bonus. (Look them up)

Very nice set of photos. I’ve said “Wow!” loads of times viewing these pictures that I’ve lost count how many times I’ve said it. It makes me want to grab my camera and spend all of my life savings traveling the world and finding more places like these. Good job photographers. Thanks for putting this together Hal.
f royan

Truly Surrealistic Landscape
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsp100677/ Gurpreet

I’m surprised Atacama, Chili didn’t make it into this list…but I guess you have the Bolivian salt flats instead. Gorgeous set of images! Thanks for sharing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsp100677/ Gurpreet

Actually I also forgot about Mono Lake California – some good photos here: http://scottreither.com/blog/?tag=lake and generally all over flickr & google images.
http://marysojourner.com Mary

Thank you for these astonishing photos of astonishing light and astonishing distinctly terrestrial places. Here is a fragment from my novel, Going Through Ghosts, on earth as alien:
She heard a crunch on gravel. A beige van pulled up, two sea kayaks on top. A couple climbed out. ”God,” the woman said, “God, this is a moonscape.”
“No,” Maggie whispered. Not a moonscape. It was home. Harsh, scarred and utterly unto itself. A dirty yellow cloud floated over the power plant to the west, Creosote metastasizing below it, where it was midnight in broad daylight, where a bunch of people she might never see again were dealing hands, frying bacon, making change and, earning in two days what this couple might spend on dinner.
She understood why tourists had to re-define the desert. You could visit a moonscape, be amused, uneasy, bored, afraid. You might think you owed the place nothing.
Beer bottle shards lay at Maggie’s feet. Amber. Green. “Name this,” she thought and pressed her finger on one. The pain cleared her anger.

http://matadortrips.com/ Hal Amen

Thanks for this perspective, Mary. Would be great as a followup if I could go to each place and talk with the people for whom it’s home.

http://marysojourner.com Mary

Thanks for your open response – and, as I’m sure you know (the knowledge and intuition are in your photos) not just the humans, but what a blessing if we could have the conversations with the non-human life in these places.

http://noneyet... ARNOLD KLOIAN

Having a well traveled eye, I appreciate perhaps more than others either the work involved or the chance encounter that lets a person capture such images….Yes they are good and great…..And yet, I too would wish to share other worldly photos of our planet, been far and wide….But over our own continent and that of Greenland , one might think that they were on another planet….I have not posted any of these photos to date,,,you are all welcome to see the many of them….if you would like to take the time to view the work of other unsung travelers….Let me know , if there is a way for me to send you a myriad of photos…..I have time to share……Arnold Kloian
Anonymous

Very informative. Please write more so that we can get more details:) thanks for all this.www.LonestarLanddesign.com
Matt Krems

Awesome photos and information. One glaring omission though is Zhangjiajie National Park in Hunan province, China. By far, the most bizarre, alien world I have ever seen (and I have been to several of the places on the list).
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sharada-Prasad-Mohanty/100002189755656 Sharada Prasad Mohanty

What a great photo collection. But who really cares for this planet.

http://tiny.cc/oq6vcw

The most alien landscapes on Earth

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

Antarctica

The Richat Structure, near Ouadane, Mauritania

Alvord Playa, southeastern Oregon, USA

Cappadocia, Turkey

Socotra Island, Yemen

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA

Black Desert, Egypt

White Desert, Egypt

Kauai, Hawaii

Namib Desert, Namibia

Torres del Paine, Chile

Dead Sea, Israel/Jordan

Strokkur Geyser, southwestern Iceland

Lake Turkana, Kenya

Four Corners region, USA

Four Corners region, USA

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

The Sahara

The Sahara

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