It’s only natural for us earthlings to look up from our tiny planet into the unfathomable distance beyond and wonder what other-worldly destinations really exist. Some tech companies have ambitions to transport people to Mars by 2025, but before you book your ticket, why not explore the many out-of-this-world destinations our own planet has to offer first? It will certainly save you a few quid.
Expedia’s interactive guide to Other-Worldly Destinations Around the World gives readers a taste of the unearthly sights that are just a drive or cheap flight away. There are 29 landmarks on the list including those on our doorstep in the UK, some a short hop away in Europe and others dotted around the world.
So how many of the world’s most other-worldly destinations can you tick off the list?
Have you trekked through the Andean mountain villages that line the route to Peru’s kaleidoscopic Rainbow Mountains? Or floated serenely through New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves while gazing up at the galaxy of tiny living lights provided by the cave’s resident glow worms?
No? Not to worry. There are also plenty of mysterious and eerily beautiful destinations much closer to home. In the labyrinthine Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, you’ll encounter an alien landscape made up of warped chambers, stalagmites, stalactites and cathedral-like caverns that have formed over 500,000 years.
If you prefer your adventures under a bright blue sky, you can always head across the pond to Yellowstone National Park’s Grand Prismatic Spring. Its sheer enormity and vibrancy make it one of the most photographed natural features in the US, but while it might look photoshopped, there’s real science behind its stunning prismatic colour.
Perhaps you’ve never been to Africa, in which case, you could make a beeline for Namibia’s Lake Natron, where the mineral-rich waters flow red. Alternatively, take a drive down the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar, where rare and ancient baobab trees line the dirt road to create a setting so beautiful and unique it has to be seen to be believed.
If that’s not enough to spark your wanderlust, we recommend you check out the many other other-worldly destinations featured in Expedia’s interactive guide.
Photo Gallery, cover photo of Antelope Canyon, USA
