7 amazing, under-the-radar spots you must see before you die

The term "bucket list destination" can be misunderstood, because it implies that there are certain select places in the world that everyone needs to see before they die.

But what if you don't want to see the hordes of tourists at Grand Canyon, Machu Picchu, or the Roman Colosseum?

You can make your own list by researching the countless captivating places around the world that aren't as popular, although they might still be important or even sacred to the locals.

Here are seven such incredible places that you may not have heard about but might inspire you take the road less traveled.

Cave of Crystals, Mexico

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Paul Williams

This one is not for tourists, unless you're well-connected to scientists who work here. That's because the Naica Cave, 980 feet below the surface of Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, is as dangerous as it is gorgeous.

The selenite crystals, which were only discovered in 2000, are among the largest in the world and reach 39 feet in length while weighing up to 55 tons. They've been heated by a giant pool of magma right underneath, which is what also makes the place so unbearably hot: temperature are reported at 136 degrees here with up to 99 percent humidity. Anybody who enters for more than a few minutes has to wear a special cooling suit and mask.

To get a sense of the danger, you can read one BBC reporter's account of entering the cave.

Ciudad Perdida, Colombia

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Alexander Schimmeck

If Machu Picchu has become too touristy for you, you can visit the mountain home of a lost civilization that's 650 years older and has only recently been on the travel radar.

Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) is a network of villages believed to have been founded in 800 A.D. by the local Tairona tribe. It was lost to history and reclaimed by the jungle for about 1,000 years until treasure looters rediscovered the place in 1972.

Only a fraction of the city has been excavated, but the haunting remains include stone terraces and plazas that you'll have to climb 1,263 steep steps over several days to reach, past beautiful waterfalls and streams. The round-trip journey lasts about 27 miles.

Travel companies briefly stopped giving hikes of the area in 2003, when eight tourists were kidnapped by the National Liberation Army, but since 2005 the hikes have resumed without incident. All four tour companies servicing Ciudad Perdida offer hikes lasting about six days for $310.

Thor's Well

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Bill Young

Is this the end of the world? The ocean consuming itself? Hardly. Thor's Well, off the coast of Cape Perpetua, is something of an optical illusion. The apparent hole in the ocean is really just a hole in rock, and not a very deep one at about 20 feet.

Still, the effect created during high tide is magnificent and worthy of a trip to the Oregon coast. But bring a zoom lens, because you don't want to get too close – getting swepped into the hole would be deadly.

Red Seabeach, China

The world's largest wetland area seems like it belongs to another world entirely. The grass here may look like it's been dyed, but this is totally natural and a result of alkaline soil.

Located in Dawa County, the delicate reed marsh is a protected reserve, but tourists can see it up close via a wooden walkway. You can also admire the estimated 236 species of birds that are found here. Go during September, when the grass is mature and at its brightest.

Fall Canyon, Death Valley, California

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Volker Neumann

People are more likely to equate Death Valley with sand dunes or the record-low elevation of Badwater Basin, but Fall Canyon is an underrated geological marvel that impresses in different ways. Walking through the wash in this ravine, prone to epic floods, with its towering and kaleidoscopic layered rocks, will make you feel wonderfully small.

Three miles into the canyon's entrance, you'll reach a dry waterfall that you'll want to climb up and see before walking through beautifully polished narrows in the mid-Canyon. It's a little scary getting back down to the lower canyon, but follow our advice from my trip, and you'll be fine.

Pangong Tso Lake: India, China

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Anirban Roy

This Himalayan lake looks serene, though it's also a source of tension because of its proximity to two countries: roughly one third of Pangong Tso is in India, with two-thirds in Tibet. Still, this is considered a safe place for tourists to ascend the 14,270 feet and take their travel-brag Facebook photos.

The lake is 3.1 miles wide and 83 miles long, and it's a five-hour drive from Leh, India. Depending on what kind of view you're rather see, the lake freezes in winter.

Baalbek, Lebanon

Photo: Courtesy of Flickr/Paul Saad

You might not expect to find one of the greatest examples of Roman architecture in a Lebanese Valley, but Baalbek certainly qualifies – and its importance as a sacred site dates well before that empire. The site is like a layer cake of civilizations who worshipped here, including the Phoenicians before the Romans, when the city was known as Heliopolis – all told, the site's history may go back 5,000 years.

I walked through these stone ruins in 2008, and I was left in awe – the remaining 20-meter Corinthian columns tower over the surrounding area and the Roman temples are majestic, but even the small carvings littered all over the place impressed me. You'll enjoy playing archaeologist on these grounds. It's no wonder the place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city of Baalbek is 53 miles northeast of Beirut and can be easily accessed by car.

This article originally appeared on Yahoo Travel.

Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

7 amazing, under-the-radar spots you must see before you die

Dengan url

http://solusiagarsehat.blogspot.com/2015/01/7-amazing-under-radar-spots-you-must.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

7 amazing, under-the-radar spots you must see before you die

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

7 amazing, under-the-radar spots you must see before you die

sebagai sumbernya