10 Travel Destinations Where Nature Went Crazy
Features & Advice Cherese Weekes January 28, 2014

PHOTO: The Darvasa Gas Crater is the perfect place to awe at nature's violent majesty or dispose of The One Ring. (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
Bucket list or not, there are many destinations that remain a mystery to us because Mother Nature has completely gone bonkers just to mess with our heads.
These mind-boggling marvels of our planet not only flirt with the impossible, but also raise every hair on your body with their jaw-dropping peculiarities.
While many vacationers are determined to keep up with the sun's schedule or winter's solstice, you'll be deeply intrigued by dodging fires, playing with the devil's boulders or standing in volcanic ashes in off-the-beaten-path excursions.
For this reason, TravelPulse have concocted 10 travel destinations to see where the forces of nature has worked her magic.
Panjin Red Beach: China
At this beach you won’t see golden sand or hear the roaring waves of the ocean crashing against the shore.
Instead, a rosy, marshy waterscape encompasses the area covered in sueda (a type of seaweed) and produces a unique ecosystem red enough to make a stampede of bulls charge right through its center.
Although the raging cattle do not frequent this area, watch your head as you step into the forbidden territory of Crown Canes and Black Beaked Gulls as they swoop down from sky keeping trespassers in full awareness that this is their home.
Although the Red Beach is closed to the public, spectators can still the world’s largest reed marsh from a small location.
Darvaza Gas Crater (Door to Hell): Turkmenistan
“Door to Hell” may not be hell in actuality, but it will definitely feel and look like it.
For over four decades, this 196-foot-wide and 65-foot-deep fiery hole in the Karakum desert has lured visitors smitten by the eternal glow that sparks a fire in their soul.
The "door" is the result of an experiment gone wrong, when geologists accidently tapped in a cavern filled with naural gases instead of an oil field. The result is an explosion of natural gases that must be kept lit to keep local residents from being poisoned.
If you find yourself at hell's door especially at night, take a good look at its fiery decor just don't get close enough for the devil to push you in.
Cano Cristales: Colombia
For our next step we head to Cano Cristales, or as the locals like to call it, the River of Five Colors.
But you certainly will see more than five colors in this river boasting a colorful armor of rainbow spew.
From September to November this cascading waterfall transforms into a dramatic whirlpool, bursting with colors trinkling down its scintillating streams bathed by rock formations dating back more than 1 million years ago.
Karlu Karlu: Australia
Karlu Karlu of Devils Marble’s Conservation Reserve is a collection of peculiar boulders decorating this historic and cultural area.
Located in Australia’s Northern Territory, these perilously placed boulders make it hard not to imagine the devil placing them there himself.
With some towering as big as 20 feet in size, you'll see how ants feel in this mysterious rock heaven.
Morning Glory Pool: Yellowstone National Park, WY
Thinking about taking your shoes off and jumping in for a nice tie-dyed bath? Think again!
The Morning Glory Pool is not a swimmer's delight. It is more like a destination where Mother Nature decided to drop all of her germs within the jungles of the Yellowstone National Park.
Fortunately for us, we have found them and can gaze at the unfamiliarity of her colorful bacteria glistening in the sun's light, forming a melting pot of bright blues, yellows and reds in honor of the morning glory flower.
Amalia Glacier: Chile
Located in Chile’s Bernardo O’ Higgins National Park, this tidewater glacier comes as a big surprise for cruisers sailing the Alaskan Passage.
Bordered by an icy river, you may think you're entering the private home of a Nordic beast as peculiar birds circle the air like a scene from the movie "The Birds."
As long as you stay in your cruise ship, you should be OK, but if you're bold enough to face its frigid facade, make sure you capture all of its interesting features before it majestically floats by.
Grand Canyon: Arizona
You cannot fathom the thought of earth’s curiosities without the Grand Canyon coming to mind.
As Arizona’s most prized possession, this breathtaking beauty comes as a great surprise for many of its gazers trying to capture 360-degree views that magnificently laps around its rocky terrain.
With monolithic rock walls emerging out of the ground, the Grand Canyon will pique the mind of the most avid disbelievers.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve: Idaho
Emerging from a violent history, Craters of the Moon beckons all to play amid its lava spews, tube caves, cinder cones, and volcanic rifts.
Only the most daring are invited to witness the wrath of a woman scorned. Judging by the acidic remains that decorates this 750,000 acre site, Mother Nature was one angry lady.
Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes: South Korea
Making the list of CNN’s Ultimate list of Splendor, Jeju’s Island and Lava Tube catch every wandering traveler’s eye through its historic and visual appeal.
This UNESCO Heritage beauty comes completely adorned in chocolate-colored walls draped in lava, the majestic Mount Halla and its lovely towering waterfall, a grand collection of magical rock formations, and craters bursting with flowing water.
Zhangjiajie’s Rock Column Forest (Southern Sky Columns): China
If you are unfamiliar with Zhangjiajie’s glorious mountainsides, you may remember them as the mountain scenery depicted in the movie "Avatar" as the Hallelujah Mountains, which were faithfully designed after this remarkable landscape.
If that doesn’t ring a bell, you can fully grasp the amazement of this site by taking ride up the glass elevator, which ascends a height of 326 meters in the air.
You'll be transported to old mountain charm, where clouds lay their heads and the calls of the wild echo boisterously through this dense forest.
If you want to experience a real Avatar adventure, come to the Zhangjiajie for an experience you have to see to believe.
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