Image credits: Stefan Hefele
40 Breathtaking Places to See Before You Die
Our world is filled with indescribable beauty, both man-made and natural, and it’s hard to say whether a single lifetime would truly be enough to truly experience all of it. Most of us will probably never see everything that the world has to offer us, but it’s worth a shot! Here are 40 incredible places around the world that are definitely worth adding to your bucket list.
Some consider travel to be a luxury or even an unnecessary burden, while others consider it to be vitally important to living a fulfilled life. Still others don’t even have the opportunity to make that decision. But if you are afflicted with a case of wanderlust, you know that seeing the world’s sights can be a deeply moving and valuable experience.
My personal favorite is ecological tourism – climbing mountains, exploring deserts or simply in drinking in the sights of the countryside. However, you can’t deny the appeal of some of the man-made structures as well – from the epic, ancient grandeur of the Pyramids of Giza to the sunny charm of sea-side villages in Greece.
It’s a wonderful and beautiful world we live in, so make sure to see as much of it as you can before you kick the bucket! Here’s an excellent quote from St. Augustine that will hopefully inspire you to get your foot out the door: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
1. Bagan, Myanmar
Image credits: Martin Sojka
2. Zhangye Danxia Landform in Gansu, China
Image credits: unbelievableinfo.blogspot.it
Images credits: Melinda Chan
3. Li River, China
Image credits: Weerapong Chaipuck
Image credits: Peter Stewart
Image credits: Ed McGowan
4. Meteora, Greece
Image credits: Darby Sawchuk
5. Salar de Uyuni: One of the World’s Largest Mirrors, Bolivia
Image credits: dadi360
Image credits: dadi360
6. Tianzi Mountains, China
Image credits: Richard Janecki
7. Santorini Island, Greece
Image credits: paowmagazine.com
8. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Image credits: Randall Collis
Image credits: lecercle
9. Yosemite Valley, USA
Image credits: subcmdr
Image credits: Conrad Casper
10. Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan
Image credits: nipomen2
11. Bamboo Forest, Japan
Image credits: Yuya Horikawa
12. Petra, Jordan
Image credits: Gloria Castro Salvador
13. Machu Picchu, Peru
Image credits: Lubomir Koulev
14. Cave in Algarve, Portugal
Image credits: Bruno Carlos
15. Halong Bay, Vietnam
Image credits: Nic
16. Pamukkale, Turkey
Image credits: Ahmet Sahin
Image credits: riccio
17. Rice Terrace Fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam
Image credits: Thang Soi
Image credits: Sarawut Intarob
18. M0nument Valley, USA
Image credits: Jouni Välkki
19. Naica Mine, Mexico
Image credits: nicole_denise
Image credits: nicole_denise
20. Hang Son Doong, Vietnam
Image credits: National Geographic
21. Venice, Italy
Image credits: Constantin Gololobov
Image credits: Peter Young
Image credits: holland fotograaf
22. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Image credits: Manu
Image credits: Jack Brauer
23. Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil
Image credits: brasilvip.net
Image credits: brasilvip.net
24. Navagio Bay, Greece
Image credits: Johan Björling
25. Provence, France
Image credits: Benh Lieu Song
Image credits: Giovanni Allievi
26. Victoria Falls, Zambia/Zimbabwe
Image credits: Vittorio Chiampan
Image credits: Mark Smith
27. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Image credits: Pierre Lesage
Image credits: David Kosmos Smith
28. Moraine Lake, Canada
Image credits: Thomas Spinner
29. Tulip Fields in Netherlands
Image credits: Allard Schager
Image credits: Normann Szkop
30. Geiranger Fjord, Norway
Image credits: norwegianfjordtravel.com
31. Mount Roraima, Venezuela/Brazil/Guyana
Image credits: imgur.com
Image credits: greggoesglobal.com
32. Vatnajokull Glacier Cave, Iceland
Image credits: orvaratli
33. Batu Caves, Malaysia
Image credits: Danny Xeero
34. Gásadalur, Faroe Islands
Image credits: Gareth Codd
35. Antelope Canyon, USA
Image credits: CSMphotography
36. Iguazu Falls, Argentina/Brazil
Image credits: vacationadvice101.com
Image credits: leonlagben
37. Giza Pyramids, Egypt
Image credits: Edward Ewet
Image credits: Dale Johnson
38. McWay Falls, USA
Image credits: Helena W
39. Cappadocia, Turkey
Image credits: Beng Lieu Song
Image credits: Kani Polat
Hey, wait, there are only 39 places here! Can you suggest a 40th?
15 Of The Most Majestic Caves In The World
These stunning caves aren’t part of some fairy-tale world or horror movie – they can be found in some of the world’s most remote places in Asia, North America and Europe.
Some of these caves form when water seeps down through cracks in limestone rock. The limestone rock dissolves into the water bit by bit, forming cracks and openings. Over millions of years, these openings, and the limestone left behind by dripping water, can form the majestic caves you see here.
Other caves were formed over millions of years by being gradually worn away by lake or sea water.
If you’re thinking of rushing off to visit one of these caves, hold your horses. Although some of the caves are open for public, like Phraya Nakhon Cave in Thailand, the majority of them are only open to extreme adventurers who have to get their passes in advance. As you can see from the pictures below, the people who get the chance to explore these natural beauties are equipped with some special equipment.
Fortunately for us, almost all expeditions to the caves are joined by professional photographers. Their precious photo shoots allow us to learn about those mysterious places on Earth that are still untouched by humankind.
1. Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
Image credits: National Geographic
Image credits: National Geographic
Image credits: National Geographic
The Son Doong cave in Vietnam is the largest currently known cave in the world. It is filled with countless wonders including isolated ecosystems, weather systems and geological formations. For more information, check out our post about Son Doong.
2. Ice Cave Near The Mutnovsky Volcano, Russia
Image credits: Denis Budko
Image credits: Florian Wizorek
Image credits: Florian Wizorek
Ice caves like these form in the glaciers surrounding the Mutnovsky Volcano in Russia. Some of them are formed by vents that release volcanic heat and gases called fumaroles.
3. Naica Mine, Mexico
Image credits: nicole_denise
Image credits: nicole_denise
The Naica Mine caves in Mexico are home to some of the largest crystals ever seen. The Crystal Cave, where these crystals are located, is closed to the public because of its depth, heat and other issues. However, plenty of pictures have been taken to document this monumental crystal cavern.
4. Vatnajokull Glacier Cave, Iceland
Image credits: orvaratli
Image credits: Einar Runar Sigurdson
Image credits: skarpi
This cave is located in Iceland’s Vatnajokull Glacier, the largest glacier in Europe. Caves like these form due to melting glacial icewater, but they can be dangerous because glaciers are constantly breaking and changing.
5. Batu Caves, Malaysia
Image credits: Danny Xeero
The Batu Caves in Malaysia have been used by English and Chinese settlers as well as the indigenous Temuan people. The bat guano in the cave was mined for agricultural purposes, but now the cave is filled with statues and is open to visitors.
6. Mendenhall Glacier Cave, USA
Image credits: Kent Mearig
This ice cave is part of the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. The spectacular cave was carved out of the glacier by melting icewater. Due to the ever-changing conditions at glaciers, it is unclear whether this cave will still be around for long.
7. Cave in Algarve, Portugal
Image credits: Bruno Carlos
The Algarve region in Portugal, where this cave is located, is prone to various seaside formations because of the rock face’s relative solubility in water. This specific cave near Lagos is accessible only by water.
8. Glowworms Cave, New Zealand
Image credits: waitomo.com
Image credits: waitomo.com
Image credits: waitomo.com
The Waitomo glowworm caves in New Zealand are home to a unique insect – the glowworm. This insect hangs glistening silken strands from the ceiling of the cave and glows to attract unsuspecting prey. To read more about this fascinating and unique ecosystem, check out our post about the Waitomo caves.
9. Tham Lod Cave, Thailand
Image credits: John Spies
Image credits: John Spies
The Nam Lang river runs through the Tham Lod cave in northern Thailand. The cave is filled with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites and is home to hundreds of thousands of Pacific swifts that have adapted to spend parts of their lives in caves.
10. Kyaut Sae Cave, Myanmar
Image credits: Leopard
Very little is known about this cave in Kyaut Se, Myanmar, other than that the inside has been fitted as a Buddhist temple.
11. Marble Caves, Patagonia
Image credits: Edison Zanatto
Image credits: kellywhite
The Marble Caves in Patagona are known for the spectacular reflections that the turquoise water casts on the white marble ceiling of the cave. They are also called the Marble Cathedral because of their beautiful and arching forms.
12. Antelope Canyon, USA
Image credits: wikipedia.org
Image credits: Greg Boratyn
Antelope Canyon in Arizona was carved out by thousands of years of persistent wind and flash floods, which is why its smooth walls look so smooth and fluid. During the desert’s monsoon season, dangerous flash floods can occur without warning from rains that have fallen miles away. These flash floods have taken the lives of quite a few unwary tourists.
13. Phraya Nakhon Cave, Thailand
Image credits: Georgi Iashvili
Image credits: Wasitpol Unchanakorrakit
The Phraya Nakhon Cave in Thailand was historically a popular visiting place for local kings because of the illumination provided by the collapsed roofs. The pavilion in the center was built for the visit of King Chulalongkorn in 1890.
14. Ellison’s Cave, USA
Image credits: secondglobe.com
This is the Fantastic Cave pit, part of Ellison’s Cave in Georgia, U.S.A. It is a popular attraction for pit cavers – those who enjoy rappelling down vertical subterranean drops.
15. Reed Flute Cave, China
Image credits: Peter Stewart
Image credits: Pasquale di Pilato
The Reed Flute Cave in Guangxi, China has been visited by tourists for at least 1200 years. The cave is home to a spectacular array of stalagmites and stalactites. It is named for the reeds that grow at its mouth, which can be made into flutes.
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