10 Bizarre Places In The World To Visit
From intergalactic sanctuaries to creepy doll islands and extraordinary man-made wonders, here are 10 places beyond your wildest imagination.
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The planet we call home may be more bizarre than you might imagine. Think intergalactic sanctuaries, micronations, and creepy doll islands. For those who don’t already know, you can even find the portal to hell here on Earth.
While there are some pretty cool attractions, others are so baffling that people can’t help but question their existence. Whether it’s a mysterious natural wonder or simply an irrational man-made project, here are 10 places that will pique your interest and fuel your desire to travel.
1. Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport (USA)
Previously a public airstrip on a mountain known locally as South Hill in Wyoming, the bare landing field was decreed the shelter for inhabitants of Jupiter fleeing from comet and meteor collisions back in 2004. Also known as Greater Green River Intergalactic Spaceport, this safe house is unattended and is only equipped with a solitary runway marked by a lone windsock. However, it continues to court alien visitors to this day without much success, which begs the question: What’s the point?
2. Darvaza Gas Crater (Turkmenistan)
Aptly named the Door to Hell, the Darvaza Gas Crater is a 230-foot-wide burning crater in the middle of the desert, near the village of Deweze in Turkmenistan. How did this happen? While in search for natural gas reserves, the drilling platform collapsed and fearing the release of poisonous gases, Soviet scientists set the crater aflame hoping it would burn out in a few hours. But that was back in 1971 — over 40 years ago. Incredibly, it’s still burning today.
3. Island of Dolls (Mexico)
Step inside a nightmarish clearing deep in the woods where thousands of mutilated dolls hang from trees and hide amongst dense bushes. Myths abound in the uninhabited Mexican island of Xochimilco and its visuals are unbelievably macabre.
Legend goes that these dolls were hung up by a reclusive Mexican man, Julian Santana Barrera, who believed that doing so would quell the tormented screams of the ghost of a small girl who drowned over 50 years ago and still haunts the woods today. Dangerous? Probably. Awesome photo opportunity? Undoubtedly.
4. Socotra Island (Yemen)
Hailed as the original Garden of Eden due to its isolation and unique biodiversity not found anywhere else in the world, this remote island in Yemen looks like the set of a sci-fi film. It definitely leaves people very curious about its origins. Expect bulbous bottle trees and the ancient dragon’s blood trees (above), among many others. This island is also home to a collection of caves and a number of shipwrecks.
5. Akodessewa Fetish Market (Africa)
With over half of the population practising indigenous beliefs, it’s no surprise to find the world’s largest Voodoo fetish market in the West African country of Togo. Come face to face with shrunken heads, animal skulls, pieces of flesh, and more when you’re here. Before you dismiss them as trivial, know that these are coveted ingredients for traditional healers.
6. The Republic of Molossia
Micronations are no new phenomena but the Republic of Molossia is a little more than special. Founded by His Excellency President Kevin Baugh in 1999, Molossia is located in Western United States and is comprised of two pieces of land in Dayton, Nevada that make up about 6.3 square acres. With only 30 humans and four dogs as its entire population, this nation boasts its own space program, navy, currency, and even its own time zone. It also has unofficial claims on a part of the sea off the coast of Mexico and on Neptune as well. Go figure.
7. Ōkunoshima Rabbit Island (Japan)
An island inhabited by over 1,000 rabbits? Yes, please! Ōkunoshima Rabbit Island located in Eastern Hiroshima is a popular tourist destination for families and animal lovers. What’s interesting is that no one knows how these feral animals ended up on the island, which was also where the Japanese Imperial Army manufactured poison gas during the second World War. Some say they were brought over by a British couple and others believe that they were test rabbits. Bottom line is, why the need for an island full of rabbits?
8. Roopkund, Skeleton Lake (India)
Roopkund, better recognised as the Skeleton Lake, was first discovered in 1942 by a British forest guard during the second World War. Situated at an altitude of 5,029 metres in the Himalayas, Roopkund is a frozen lake littered with unknown human remains. After much research, it’s been found that all these people died due to a blow to their heads but no one knows why or how. Recent studies show that this was due to a hailstorm but there’s no way of knowing for sure.
9. Plain of Jars (Laos)
This is an odd one. Megalithic stone jars with no known history are peppered across the Xieng Khouang Province in Laos, in groups from one to a hundred. Human bones, stone lids, and discs have been found around these huge cylindrical jars, leading to the conclusion that they were once a part of ancient funeral ceremonies. Local legends say otherwise — that they were used to brew potent rice wine for giants. Shrouded in mystery and laced with intrigue, this is the kind of place whose existence you question and whose answers are left to the imagination.
10. Chez Galip Hair Museum (Turkey)
At the basement of a renowned ceramic shop in Avanos, Cappadocia lies an exhibition of human hair samples. Walk into a cave with locks of hair from more than 16,000 women around the world, alongside notes with their names and contact information. What’s more, ten randomly chosen women win an all-expense-paid trip to the owner’s hometown every year in appreciation of their contributions. What started out as a simple farewell gift between the ceramic shop owner and his beloved friend escalated into a pretty bizarre situation.
Over its lifetime, some very peculiar things have developed on Earth, leaving people very puzzled. Whether they’re traces of historical episodes we’re not privy to, or man-made wonders, they’re equally intriguing. How many made it to your bucket list? Share these weird places with your friends today!