With a circumference of 24,901 miles, our planet is filled with wonders, natural and manmade alike. Every so often, we come across something that makes us stop and make sure we’re not watching Avatar. Some sights are so surreal we may not believe they exist without actually seeing them in person.
Here are 15 lesser-known but super enchanting places around the world that might just make you forget you’re on Planet Earth.
1
Boseong County's green tea fields (South Jeolla Province, South Korea)
Boseong County is well known for its green tea products, as its tea plantations account for 40% of Korea's green tea production. Rows upon rows of neatly laid out tea plants make the fields equally visually impressive.
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2
Thor's Well (Cape Perpetua, Oregon)
A saltwater fountain propelled by the tide at Cape Perpetua, Thor's Well sucks the ocean water in and launches it to heights of up to 20 feet. It's best seen roughly one hour before to one hour after high tide.
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3
Mendenhall Ice Caves (Mendenhall Valley, Alaska)
Under Mendenhall Glacier lie the ice caves. Hikers must kayak to and climb about the glacier in order to reach them. The caves are continuously melting, so they must be visited before they disappear.
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A salt lake fed by the Southern Ewaso Ng'iro River, Lake Natron's waters often reach high levels of alkalinity (with a pH of 9 to 10.5). Very few species can survive the combination of high temperature, alkalinity, and varying salt content.
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5
Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve (Melaky Region, Madagascar)
Known as the Stone Forest by some, Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve is covered in limestone karsts. Lemurs can often be spotted hopping to and from the trees and karsts.
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6
Mount Roraima (Venezuela/Brazil/Guyana)
Mount Roraima borders Venezuela, Brazil, and Guyana, and the cliff sides of this massive plateau are 1,300 feet high. The natural structure was one of the inspirations for Pixar's Up.
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7
Dead Vlei (Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia)
Meaning "dead marsh" in English, Dead Vlei is a claypan surrounded by some of the highest sand dunes in the world. The skeletons of the camel thorn trees, which were created when the area dried up, are said to be roughly 900 years old.
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8
The Crooked Forest (West Pomerania, Poland)
Little is known about the origin of the nearly 400 oddly-shaped pines which grow in West Pomerania. The trees are said to have been contorted by humans, but little knowledge exists regarding the methods and motives.
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9
Door to Hell (Durweze, Turkmenistan)
Burning continuously since lit by Soviet scientists in 1971, the Door to Hell continues to blaze due to the natural gas deposits in the area. The crater, open to the public, has a diameter of 230 feet.
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Casa del Arbol is a seismic monitoring station which observes an active stratovolcano, Tungurahua. A swing hangs from a branch of the tree on which Casa del Arbol sits, allowing visitors to tempt fate as they swing over the canyon below.
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11
Gardens of Marqueyssac (Vézac, Dordogne, France)
Part of the Chateau de Marqueyssac, the Gardens of Marqueyssac were opened to the public in 1996. They're currently home to over 150,000 boxwood trees, many of which are pruned into round shapes.
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Originally built in 1692, the monastery popularly known as the Tiger's Nest is a Himalayan Buddhist temple and sacred site. It rests on a cliff at 10,240 feet in elevation.
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13
Vaadhoo Island (Raa Atoll, Maldives)
The lights in the waves on Vaadhoo Island are due to the bioluminescene of phytoplankton which wash ashore. The glow of the dinoflagellates has earned the area the nickname the Sea of Stars.
14
Plitvice Lakes National Park (Karlovac County, Croatia)
The largest national park in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes is home to 16 lakes and numerous waterfalls. These cascading lakes were created due to the sedimentation of chalk over time. As sediment continues to build up, new waterfalls continue to be formed.
Sightseeing at Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve is physically difficult due to the elevation, as the peaks of the reserve are constantly covered in clouds and fog. The highest peak is 4,140 feet above sea level.
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