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The world is getting smaller by the day for the modern traveller, and the shrinking process is accelerating. (Featured image by Black.Dots.)

Air travel makes it possible to be on the other side of the world in less than a day, and the internet has left us knowing exactly what to expect when we get there.

These days it can sometimes feel like we’re visiting places to simply tick them off the list and say “I’ve been there”.

There’s no doubt these sorts of places are worth visiting, but there doesn’t seem to be much mystery left in travelling.

But there are some places that still have the power to amaze, either through their mystery, their disregard for the laws of physics or their unbelievable beauty.

So, if you’re looking for somewhere that will have you rubbing your eyes in disbelief, cartoon-style, take a look at these unbelievable destinations.

Have you read this? Don’t believe your eyes – 4 replica places

 

 

The Mystery Spot, California

As the name suggests, this spot in Santa Cruz, California, is rather mysterious thanks to its blatant disrespect for the laws of physics.

Thanks to its gravity-defying nature, the Mystery Spot has become a tourist attraction as visitors flock to see water flowing upwards and people leaning in ways they should not be able to lean.

Of course, the Mystery Spot is just a very sophisticated and very impressive optical illusion, created by the tilted environment and the tilted floor. It has to be seen to be believed, and even then you’ll struggle to get your head around it.

 

 

Mount Roraima, Venezuela

This stunning mountain straddles the triple border point of Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana, though most visitors approach from the Venezuelan side.

The mountain offers stunning views from its tabletop peak, which is thought to be among the oldest geological formations in the world – dating back more than two billion years.

The views are made all the more breathtaking by the constant cloud cover that sits just below the tabletop peak, making you feel on top of the world.

 

 

Racetrack Playa, California

Back to California we head and, more precisely, to Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park. This scenic dry lake is a unique place in its own right, but is made all the more mysterious by its “sailing stones”.

This geographical phenomenon sees large, heavy stones move across the lake seemingly of their own accord, leaving a track in their wake.

Nobody has ever seen the stones actually move and they only do so once every two or three years.

There are a number of theories behind the phenomenon, but the most plausible one is that the stones are moved by strong winds when it has rained enough to make the ground slippery.

 

 

Crooked Forest, Poland

Located in the west of Poland, this unique forest is made up of oddly-shaped pine trees that have grown in a bow shape.

The Crooked Forest was planted in the 1930s, with the bow-shaped trees thought to have been formed using a specific tool or technique.

But that’s about all we know – the precise method used to create the trees, and more importantly the motivation behind it, are a mystery. The fact that there are more than 400 of these trees makes the forest even more astounding.

 

 

Fly Geyser, Nevada

This unique geyser in Nevada, USA, is not an entirely natural phenomenon. It was accidentally created as the result of well-drilling in the area.

Geothermal water pushed through a weak spot in the well and burst through, creating the geyser. This pushed up dissolved minerals which creates the mount on which the geyser sits, which is still growing to this day.

Water spews constantly from the mount, which has been given its beautiful colour through the different minerals that form it.

About the author

Alex FrancisBlogger and travel writer, I like my holidays either really cold or really hot. If I'm not flying down an icy mountain or relaxing on a scorching-hot beach, I'm not interested!

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