Advertisement
Dublin: 11 °C Friday 15 November, 2024

18 unique travel destinations that will make you want to book a holiday immediately

We’re all going on a summer holiday.

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

shutterstock_168944021 Shutterstock Shutterstock

Stunning multi-coloured rock formations that were 24 million years in the making? We’re there.

2. Fingal’s Cave, Staffa, Scotland

fingal dun_deagh / Flickr dun_deagh / Flickr / Flickr

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

shutterstock_205379197 Shutterstock Shutterstock

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

shutterstock_116566078 Shutterstock Shutterstock

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

Jokulsarlon-Isjakar-Nordurljos1 Glacier Lagoon Glacier Lagoon

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

crazyhouse RStacker / Flickr RStacker / Flickr / Flickr

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

plitvice Clark & Kim Kays / Flickr Clark & Kim Kays / Flickr / Flickr

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

salardeuyuni Leonora Enking / Flickr Leonora Enking / Flickr / Flickr

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

Shutterstock-109572149 Shutterstock Shutterstock

It’s a pink lake! Need we say more?

10. Fly Geyser, Nevada

Shutterstock-106473392 Shutterstock Shutterstock

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

takinouejapan Takinoue Tourism Association Takinoue Tourism Association

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

PastedImage-53769 Donnie Ray Jones / Flickr Donnie Ray Jones / Flickr / Flickr

A cave that includes a grotto filled with baby glowworms who emit light, you say? Amazing.

13. Antelope Canyon, Arizona

arizona Alessandro Giannini / Flickr Alessandro Giannini / Flickr / Flickr

There are no words. Just look at that.

14. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

brycecanyon James Gordon / Flickr James Gordon / Flickr / Flickr

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

magicforest 2il org / Flickr 2il org / Flickr / Flickr

What was once a traffic lane has since been transformed into this magical little park. Beautiful.

16. Chefchaouen, Morocco

shutterstock_155310140 Shutterstock Shutterstock

In the Moroccan city of Chefchaouen, everything is blue. Like, everything. And it’s incredible.

17. Cappadocia, Turkey

Shutterstock-164519459 Shutterstock Shutterstock

The best way to experience the surreal scenery and ancient rock formations of Cappadocia? HOT AIR BALLOONS.

18. Longyearbyen, Norway

svalbard svalbard.net svalbard.net

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.

7 of the most spine-chillingly creepy places in Ireland >

9 photographs that prove our universe is breathtakingly beautiful >

Author
Amy O'Connor
View 28 comments
Close
28 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.