There are a lot of strange alien-looking places in this world – landscapes that seem to come from another planet and another lifetime. I find these places absolutely fascinating, and would love to visit them all at some point in my life. Although I won’t be able to hit many of them on my trip later this year, they’re definitely on the list for my future travels.
Enjoy!
This is one of the most insane places I’ve ever heard of in my life. Socotra island is found in the middle of the Indian Ocean and due to it being so isolated there are over 200 species of flora and fauna that are found nowhere else in the World!
The Bolivian salt flats are the world’s largest with an area of 4000 square miles, found over 3000 miles above sea-level. It was created due to transformations of a few prehistoric lakes. It is covered by a few meters of salt crust, which is so flat that it has an average altitude fluctuation of just one metre over the entire flat!
Coyote Buttes is found at the border between Arizona and Utah. The most popular area is known as The Wave and is an amazing multi-coloured chute that has been cut into a sandstone mountain.
4. Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are found in Bohol in the Philippines. There are said to be 1776 hills spread over a 50 kilometre area. The hills are usually green, but during the dry season they will turn to brown, giving them the name Chocolate Hills. The hills themselves are actually grass covered hills of limestone, and vary in size from 30 – 50m. There are lots of different theories and legends hypothsising how the hills appeared, but there is not one definitive answer. The most likely explanation would be due to coral reefs rising from the sea and being shaped by rain and erosion. The legends are much more exciting, however, claiming they were formed due to giants throwing boulders at each other!
The Rio Tinto is a river found in Southwestern Spain. Due to the large amount of iron and sulfur ionising bacteria the river has a bizarre colour of a very deep shade of red. The extreme conditions in the river are thought to be similar to that on Mars, with NASA scientists claiming the chemistry of the water is similar to the chemistry of rocks from the red planet.
There are lots more alien-looking destinations that can be found around the globe. What are some of your favourites?
[Image: gerr-bon/Flickr]
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In July 2011 I left England for what was supposed to be a one year trip around the world. Within a few months of leaving I knew that a year would never be enough. I now work online and travel permanently, seeking misadventures in unique, beautiful and fascinating places. Read more.
I'm here to show you how not to travel. Since I've been on the road I've been "poked" during a massage in Bangkok, punched a scammer in Shanghai, been attacked by monkeys in Bali, sat next to a dead woman on a boat in Laos and so much more. I call these The Incidents and you can see a full list of them here.
I’d never heard of Socotra Island before. Looks really interesting
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I only heard about it recently. It looks crazy!! :D
I did hear of Socotra Island a while ago, definitely a very interesting place to visit. Never heard of the Chocolate Hills though, love the story of giants throwing rocks at each other :)
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I know, it’s awesome! There’s some crazy legends about it, one of them is even about a fat giant wanting to lose weight to impress a woman and so the chocolate hills are all made of sh!t! LOL
They look so surreal! I’d love to see them all too…
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I know! They do look like they’re from another planet! :D
Beautiful landscapes. Socotra Island sounds fascinating!
I know! I HAVE to go there one day! :D
I will break my (basically) no-flying rule to join you in Socotra island, when and if you get that organized. Name the date and I am there! Read about that place not too long ago and am fascinated also. Too bad you can’t get a boat there, with the piracy issues going on.
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It’s a deal!!
Can I go with you…
The Bolivian salt flats are a great choice! Craziest, most surreal place ever (plus there’s a hotel entirely made of salt, who could pass that up?).
The salt flats are amazing! Went a couple of years ago not knowing what to expect and – wow! 3 lakes, all different colours (green, blue, red), early morning geyser, nearby volcano, stone tree, cacti island, staying in a salt hotel – and the flats themselves!
Seriously, if you haven’t been – go now!
:)
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LOVE this! I’ve written about Socotra before in my Middle East travel blog. It is FASCINATING, you an even camp there. Would be good to see you finally hit the region Lauren!
I had seen the other sites on SU posts before — good stuff
-Maria Alexandra
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Suggestion: include Monte Roraima, Venezuela. Absolutely surreal!
Check out the Caño Cristales River in Colombia, where the algae changes from green to rainbow-colored during a brief two-week window in autumn ~ http://bit.ly/XiGnTl
There is also the seven-colored sands of Chamarel, Mauritius, which still baffles scientists and geologists to this very day ~ http://su.pr/1DjAKL
And finally also check out the Cave of the Giant Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales), otherwise known as the Naica Mine in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Wild stuff!!
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