SUFFERING FROM POST-holiday blues? Eagerly counting down the days until you’re off work and embarking on a week of sunbathing? Whatever your story, here are some unique, otherworldly travel destinations to daydream about.
1. Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, China
Stunning multi-coloured rock formations that were 24 million years in the making? We’re there.
2. Fingal’s Cave, Staffa, Scotland
Situated on this uninhabited island of Staffa, the entrance to Fingal’s Cave features numerous hexagonal columns that are the result of being beat up by waves over thousands of years.
3. Dallol, Ethiopia
An ancient volcanic crater, Dallol is home to spectacular landscapes that look like they’re CGI and also several acid lakes.
4. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
The tree-lined Tunnel of Love looks like it’s from a fairytale, but it’s actually located in Kleven, Ukraine. Primarily used as a route by trains to deliver wood to a local factory, it has also become a popular spot with tourists and couples.
5. Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, Iceland
A large glacial lake, you may have seen the breathtaking Jökulsárlón featured in the likes of Die Another Day, Batman Begins, Tomb Raider and more. (If you look really hard, you can see “Bjork woz ere” scrawled on one of the icebergs.)
6.Crazy House, Vietnam
It has been described as one of the world’s most bizarre buildings and it’s easy see why. Inspired by Walt Disney and Salvador Dali, this Vietnamese guesthouse looks like it’s taken straight from a trippy fairytale and has to be seen to be believed.
7. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Croatia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site owing to its gorgeous lakes and pretty vistas.
8. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
The world’s largest salt flat, Salar de Uyuni also doubles up as the world’s largest mirror – when water covers the salty surface, it becomes entirely reflective. Gasp.
9. Laguna Salada de Torrevieja, Spain
It’s a pink lake! Need we say more?
10. Fly Geyser, Nevada
The accidental result of some drilling in the 1960s, this geyser may not be an entirely natural phenomenon, but it is still a sight to behold. Located on a private ranch in Nevada, visitors are advised to go to a restaurant named Bruno’s to organise day tours of the spring. Doesn’t sound dodgy at all.
11. Takinoue Park, Japan
Every May and June, people flock to Takinoue Park to see the carpet of pink moss (shibazakura) that covers the park.
12. Waitomo Glow Worm Caves, New Zealand
A cave that includes a grotto filled with baby glowworms who emit light, you say? Amazing.
13. Antelope Canyon, Arizona
There are no words. Just look at that.
14. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
The National Park Service describes it as a “forest of stone” and a “cave without a roof,” but those descriptions barely do Bryce Canyon justice. Just incredible.
15. Magic Forest, Shanghai
What was once a traffic lane has since been transformed into this magical little park. Beautiful.
16. Chefchaouen, Morocco
In the Moroccan city of Chefchaouen, everything is blue. Like, everything. And it’s incredible.
17. Cappadocia, Turkey
The best way to experience the surreal scenery and ancient rock formations of Cappadocia? HOT AIR BALLOONS.
18. Longyearbyen, Norway
Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost city, is the most populous area of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that boasts more polar bears than humans. During the summer, the sun never sets. PARTY.
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