There are so many awesome places to see across the globe. Whether you love beaches, mountains or the big city life, there will always be new places to discover. While many well known places are of course great to visit there are also a lot of lesser known and very unique places that most people don’t have on their bucket list (yet). Some are easier to visit, others have restrictions or are currently not accessible for different reasons. Others you can travel to without any specific measures to be taken.
1. Pamukkale, Turkey
The “cotton castle” is located in southwest Turkey. On top of the travertine formation and the thermal springs, the ancient Greeks built the city of Hierapolis. After an earthqake, a big part of Roman columns have been submerged in the water. Visitors have come to the clear thermal springs since the Classical era and the sight of the bright limestone combined with the water dripping down the mountain into the pools makes it clear why.
2. Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland
Considered by many Irish as the 8th Wonder of the World, this coastline consists of roughly 40.000 basalt rocks, most of which are hexagonally shaped. It offers scenic beauty along the cliffs. The columns were created around 6 millions years ago by volcanic eruptions and have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site back in 1986.
3. Pink Lake, Australia
The salt lake in Western Australia is unique because of its striking pink color. The color is due to to algae living in the lake that produce beta-carotene, the red pigment you can find in carrots as well. Due to the extreme heat in Australia, most of the lake dries out in summer so it is best to visit in the colder months.
4. Salar De Uyuni, Bolivia
Close to the Andes you can find the world’s largest salt flat. What used to be a lake in pre-historic times has dried out and left a roughly 4,085 square miles large desert-like field filled with bright-white salt and rock formations. If you are lucky you will also get to see many pink flamingos, one of the very few animals that can be found in these special environmental circumstances.
5. The Gates of Hell, Turkmenistan
The correct name of this unique nature occurrence is Darvaza gas crater. It’s a natural burning gas field that collapsed into a cavern and has been burning since 1971. In 2022, the government of Turkmenistan has started the research into closing the gate and extinguish the fire.
6. Socotra, Yemen
Most people have not heard of Socotra, a small island in the Indian Ocean claimed by Yemen, approximately 240 miles south of the Arabian Peninsula. Yet, this island is also referred to the “Galapagos Islands of the Indian Ocean” due to the stunning nature and the high number of endemic flora and fauna. The entire island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Photo: All from Unsplash
