how bizarre - strange locations of the world
27 Sep 2011
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reflections
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life
,
wellbeing
How many times have you seen or heard about a place in the world that's just that little bit different and thought to yourself 'i wouldn't mind going there'. No, i'm not simply talking about your average wonder of the world, i'm talking about the really bizarre.
Thankfully we've come up with a selection of ten places that might just have to be seen to be believed.
Ithaa Undersea restaurant,
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives
website
Sat 16 feet below sea level, the Ithaa (mother of pearl) Undersea restaurant located on Conrad Maldives Rangali Island (a luxury Hilton resort) in the Maldives is quite an experience.
Diners experience a menu described as 'Maldivian-Western' but you might want to get your reservation in early as there is only enough space to seat 14 people.
good: if you've read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
bad: if you're claustrophobic.
The Wave,
Arizona, USA
At first glance you might be mistaken for thinking that this picture has been taken from inside Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. You would however be wrong.
The Wave is a 200 million year-old sandstone rock formation that is well known to hikers and photographers for its 'colourful, undulating forms, and the rugged, trackless hike required to reach it.'
While a painstaking trek through the desert might not be everyone's cup of tea, we can at least enjoy the photography of those that have.
good: if you like interesting rock formations
bad: if you don't have time to get there
Floating Market,
Can Tho, Vietnam
Floating Markets. There seem to be a fair few of them in Asia, and the market out at Can Tho in Vietnam is arguably one of the most popular. Vendors sell their wares (mainly fruit and veg) on small boats floating down the river.
Business tends to begin at dawn and finishes around 9am so visitors are required to get there early to catch the market in full swing.
good: if you fancy an alternative to the Coles/Woolies weekly shop
bad: if you lose your paddle
World's largest hotel suite
Grand Hills Hotel and Spa, Lebanon
website
The mountain village of Broumana in Lebanon plays host to the world's largest hotel suite.
The 44,500 square feet suite aptly named The Royal Residence has 6 floors and several private swimming pools and sits within a resort of furnished apartments, restaurants and bars.
good: if you want to live like royalty
bad: on your finances
Great Blue Hole,
Belize, Central America
Although there are many 'blue holes' off the coast of Belize, the Lighthouse Reef Atoll is arguably the most familiar.
A diving mecca for the masses, the Great Blue Hole sizes up at around 1,000 feet in diameter and is 412 feet deep.
good: for channeling your inner Jacques Cousteau
bad: if you don't like getting wet
Hobbit Motel
Woodlyn Park, Waitomo, New Zealand
website
If J.R.R. Tolkien were around today it would be interesting to hear what he would have made of Peter Jackson's epic take on The Lord of the Rings. Thankfully we won't have to wait too much longer to see his version of The Hobbit either, but in the meantime we can make do with the Hobbit Motel at Woodlyn Park New Zealand.
Woodlyn Park started out as a working farm but has since been developed to house a series of unusual dwellings. As well as living in a Hobbit house you can stay on a train, on a boat or even on a 1950's Vietnam war freighter - all on dry land.
good: if you're on a mission to find the one ring
bad: if you just don't like hobbits
Icehotel,
Jukkasjarvi, Sweden
website
Every winter since 1990 sculptors have built a hotel made purely of ice in the village of Jukkasjarvi, around 17km's from Kiruna, Sweden.
The ice blocks, taken from the nearby Torne River form the entire hotel - from the walls to the rooms to the very glasses in the bar.
Visitors have described staying in the hotel as 'unforgettable, though not an entirely comfortable experience' most likely due to the temperature usually at the minus 20/30 degree level.
good: if you need that extra space for your frozen veg
bad: if you're not keen on sleeping in 5 layers of clothing
Komodo National Park, Indonesia
website
The Komodo Dragon is the world's largest lizard - so why not give them their own park to roam in?
The national park in Indonesia, located within the Lesser Sunda Islands covers over 1,733 km2 of land and was originally created to protect the Komodo Dragon from extinction. Since 1991 the park has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is now home to a host of different species.
good: for that Jurassic Park experience
bad: if you thought that dinosaurs were extinct
World's largest swimming pool,
Crystal Lagoons, San Alfonso del Mar, Algarrobo, Chile
website
Completed in December 2006, the man made 'lagoon' located at the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Algarrobo Chile is officially in the Guiness World Records as the world's largest swimming pool.
Measuring 3.324 feet long the pool hugs the coastline and incredibly uses the water from the nearby Pacific Ocean to fill it.
good: if you like that early morning swim
bad: if you're a short distance swimmer
Spotted Lake, Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada
Each summer a strange thing happens on this salty lake in British Columbia.
When the lake water evaporates, natural walkways form on the lake from crystallized mineral deposits. The spots, made up mostly of magnesium sulfate, vary from white to green based on the mineral composition.
The Okanagan Indians considered the lake sacred for its therapeutic qualities and access is restricted due to a fence that surrounds the area however it generally hasn't stopped most people from taking a closer look.
good: if you like splashing around in puddles
bad: if you thought this bizare destination was more intriguing than it looks. It isn't.
have you been to a bizarre location?
Why not send your pictures and tales of some bizarre travel stories and we'll publish them in the reflections blog.
Send them to us at ipacmarketing@ipac.com.au