Our world is covered in beauty and lucky for us, photographers have captured many of Earth’s masterpieces. Here are 17 gorgeous places that are hard to believe actually exist.
Zhangye Danxia Landform, China
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/hf8g3-rainbow-mountains-zhangye-danxia-landform.jpg
Photo: unbelievableinfo.blogspot.it
The incredibly colorful “rainbow mountains” look like they’re from an alien planet, but are actually the result of mineral deposits and red sandstone from over 24 million years ago. Layers formed on top of one another, creating the colorful patterns of rock strata.
Tunnel of Love, Ukraine
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/rguut-tunnel-of-love-ukraine.jpg
Photo: Oleg Gordienko
This gorgeous long, leafy tunnel looks like a green dream or a scene from a film – but it can actually be found deep in the forests of Ukraine. Located near the town of Kleven, this luscious green tunnel provides passage for a private train that provides wood to a local factory. It has become a popular spot for lovers’ promises.
Tulip Fields in Netherlands
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/1i2z1-tulip-fields.jpg
Photo: Allard Schager
Canada sheltered Princess Juliana and her daughters when the Netherlands were occupied by the Nazis in WWII. The Netherlands sends Canada tulip bulbs every year as a thank you.
Salar de Uyuni: One of the World’s Largest Mirrors, Bolivia
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/qoaba-salar-de-uyuni-one-of-the-worlds-largest-mirrors-2.jpg
Photo: dadi360
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/9ipvn-salar-de-uyuni-one-of-the-worlds-largest-mirrors-.jpg
Photo: dadi360
The world’s largest salt flats, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, is an other-worldly experience that has to be seen to be believed. The Salar de Uyuni was created when a prehistoric lake dried up and left a salty crust behind. When it rains, the salty crust becomes a giant mirror. It looks like a great place to reflect!
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/sejjn-salar-de-uyuni-one-of-the-worlds-largest-mirrors-3.jpg
Hitachi Seaside Park, Japan
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Hitachi Seaside Park is a flower park that covers an area of 3.5 hectares and the flowers are amazing all year round. Each season you will find a different variety of flower blossoming over the “Miharashi No Oka”, a hill commanding a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean.
Mendenhall Ice Caves, Alaska
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/obd9l-ice-caves.jpg
Photo: Douglas Raihle
The Ice Caves are inside a 12 mile long glacier, accessible only to those willing to kayak to, and then ice climb over the glacier.
Red Beach, Panjin, China
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/ffy96-red-beach.jpg
Photo: MJiA
The Panjin Red Beach in China is actually red, and has no sand at all. Such phenomena is caused by a type of sea weed. It starts growing during April and May, then stays green during the summer, but starts turning vividly red in autumn. The Red Beach is located in the biggest wetland and reed marsh in the world, and actually hosts the most completed ecosystem.
Bamboo Forest, Japan
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/l5m3m-bamboo-forest.jpg
Photo: Yuya Horikawa | Tomoaki Kabe
This beautiful grove is both peaceful and naturally aesthetic. Bamboo, an exotic, giant grass, is a rich and fascinating part of Japanese culture and has huge potential as a green resource.
Naica Mine, Mexico
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/jn78x-naica-mine-mexico.jpg
Photo: nicole_denise
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Photo: nicole_denise
Discovered by two miners looking for lead in 2001, these amazing crystal-lined caves could be mistaken for Superman’s ethereal Arctic lair. These stunning white beams of gypsum have been growing for hundreds of thousands of years in caves below Naica in Mexico.
Tianzi Mountains, China
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/ksbsi-tianzi-mountains-china.jpg
Photo: Richard Janecki
The Tianzi Mountains are made of thousands of art like peaks. The highest peak of the mountains is 1262.5 meters above sea level.
Hang Son Doong, Vietnam
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/bixks-hang-son-doong-vietnam.jpg
Photo: Carsten Peter / National Geographic
Son Doong cave is the world’s largest cave. The name “Son Doong” cave means “mountain river cave”. It was created 2-5 million years ago by river water eroding away the limestone underneath the mountain where the limestone was weak and the ceiling collapsed creating huge skylights.
Shibazakura Flowers, Takinoue Park, Japan
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/kqqrn-shibazakura-flowers-takinoue-park-japan.jpg
Photo: kimi-tourguide.blogspot.com
The flower field covers about 100,000 square meters of the hillside and draws quite the crowd every year. The best time to see the flowers is from mid May through the beginning of June.
Antelope Canyon, USA
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/agdnd-antelope-canyon.jpg
Photo: CSMphotography
Antelope Canyon was formed by erosion of Navajo Sandstone, primarily due to flash flooding. Rainwater, especially during monsoon season, runs into the extensive basin above the slot canyon sections, picking up speed and sand as it rushes into the narrow passageways. Over time the passageways are eroded away, making the corridors deeper and smoothing hard edges in such a way as to form characteristic ‘flowing’ shapes in the rock.
Lake Hillier, Australia
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/azrtq-lake-hillier-australia.jpg
Photo: Ockert Le Roux
The pink color of Lake Hillier has not been decisively proved, although it is speculated that the color could arise from a dye created by the organisms Dunaliella salina and Halobacteria. Another hypothesis is that the pink color is due to red halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts. The color is not a trick of light. If you take water from the lake in a container, the pink color remains.
Lake Retba, Senegal
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/1vhdz-lake-retba-senegal.jpg
Photo: Barcroft Media
Lake Retba’s pink color derives from its high salt concentration — one and a half times higher than the Dead Sea. This makes it a prime habitat for halobacterium, a type of single-celled halophile (salt-loving) microorganism which is red or purple in color.
Canola Flower Fields, China
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/xepy3-canola-flower-fields-china.jpg
Photo:+Lanzi
In early spring, when the yellow rapeseed flowers (also known as canola) are in full bloom, the area takes on the look of a “golden sea” – a spectacle that has made Luoping something of a Mecca for photographers. The sprawling farmlands get covered in golden, yellow rapeseed flowers stretching as far as the eyes can see, all the way to the horizon.
Mount Roraima, South America
image: http://www.sunnyskyz.com/uploads/2014/01/mgour-mount-roraima-south-america.jpg
Photo: Uwe George
Mount Roraima is one of the oldest mountain formations on Earth, a natural border between Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana in South America. This mountain, surrounded by 400 meter (1,300 ft) tall cliffs was a place of mystery, myths and legends for the indigenous people that used to live here centuries ago.
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