Linggo, Mayo 3, 2015

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10 mysterious world wonders to discover

By: Leo.genn On: 11:31 PM
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  • You know we love checking out the world's most mysterious places but that's because we know you love the world's most mysterious places, too. From ocean floors to crystaline caves, here are 10 more places that will make you want to buy a ticket, pack your bag, and see the world.

    Maunsell Army Forts, Kent, England

    Maunsell World War Two Sea Forts off the coast of Kent, England
    World War 2 Sea Forts© Getty Images/Flickr RM
    These still-standing remnants of WWII are just off the coast of Kent, England. Now abandoned, they can be seen from land on a clear day, but you'll need a boat to get there. In the 1960s and 70s, they were famously taken over as pirate radio stations, and a nearby similar construction became the self-proclaimed island nation known as the Principality of Sealand – although no other country actually acknowledges them as a sovereign nation.

    Fly Ranch Geysers, Nevada, USA

    Fly Ranch Geyser in Black Rock, Nevada, USA, spews water high into the air.
    The colorful man-made Fly Geyser© Getty Images
    While this might look like a natural wonder, technically its not. This sort of man-made water geyser was created when an oil well was left improperly sealed, letting minerals deposit on the ground, and eventually build the geyser seen here. It's small (only about 1.5 meters tall) but is still growing. The wicked colors? Thank the thermophilic algae present in the water.

    Reed Flute Cave, Guangxi, China

    The Crystal Palace of Reed Flute Cave glowing and reflecting in the water.
    Crystal Palace of Reed Flute Cave© Getty Images/Imagemore
    Buried deep underground in southeast China is this natural wonder, the Reed Flute cave. The name doesn't come from the stalactities but from the reeds outside the cave, which can actually be made into flutes. The cave has been tourist attraction for a number of years – inscriptions inside date back over 1,000 years. As for that incredible light? Sadly, it's artificial.

    Crater Lake, Mount Katmai, Alaska

    The green water of the crater lake looking beautiful from above.
    Katmai National Park crater lake© Getty Images/Gallo Images
    Sitting at 2,047m atop Mt Katmai in Alaska isn't a peak, but a hole. Filled with water, its affectionately referred to as 'Crater Lake'. (There's a few other Crater Lakes out there.) What's unique about this one? The rim of the volcanic mountain is just over 2,000m, but the lake sits approximately 800m below, making for one heck of a high-dive. Good thing the lake is thought to be almost 300m deep. (Warning: attempting an actual dive here is not a good idea, unless you're wearing a wingsuit.)

    USS Kittiwake shipwreck, Cayman Islands

    Diving close to the bug of the U.S.S. Kittiwake shipwreck in the Cayman Islands
    U.S.S. Kittiwake© Predrag Vuckovic
    The USS Kittiwake was built in 1945 and served the US Navy for almost 50-years as a submarine rescue vessel. Now, the ship is a submarine itself – sitting on the ocean floor as an articificial reef in the Cayman Islands. It's one of the best shipwrecks in the world for diving, attracting SCUBA enthusiasts from all over the world. You'll want to spend a lot of time down there – the ship is over 76m long.

    Vila Franca do Campo, Azores Archipelago

    Orlando Duque competes at Red Bull Cliff Diving at Villa Franco do Campo, Azores
    Orlando Duque takes flight in the Azores, Portugal© Paulo Calisto/Red Bull Content Pool
    The Portuguese Azores islands are formed from volcanic rock in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Once connected to the legend of Atlantis, the islands are now a stop in the Red Bull Cliff Diving comeptitions. The divers leap from 28m above the water, performing a series of manoeuvres before splashing down into the Atlantic. The islet pictured here operated as both a winery and a military base before being declared a nature reserve.

    Ditznup Cenote, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

    Inside Dzitnup Cenote, near Chichen Itza on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula
    Dzitnup Cenote near Chichen Itza© Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images
    A 'cenote' is a sinkhole, often with a fresh water pool at the bottom. The Yucatán Peninsula is famous for them, and the Dzitnup is one of the most famous of all. There's an estimated 3,000 of them on the Yucatan peninsula, mostly undocumented, and a 160km underground river. You can check out the cavern and its dripping stalactites for yourself – the locals treat it like the community pool (and yes, you have to buy a ticket.)

    Petra Treasury, Jordan

    The famous Petra Treasury, in Jordan, lit up at night by candles
    Petra Treasury© Getty Images/Moment RM
    You've probably seen pictures of the famous Petra Treasury in Jordan, but this one is worth a second look – candles light up the foreground at night in front of the milleniums-old building in the rock. Wanna visit? You might have to make a journey like this to get there.

    Shilin Stone Forest, China

    The Shilin Stone Forest in China's Yunnan Province
    Stone Forest with observation tower© Getty Images
    Legends about the Stone Forest abound, but one that's wrong is that they are petrified trees – they're actually limestone. It's a world heritage site, and open for visitation. Prefer caves? Check out one of the world's largest cave systems.

    Rio Tulija, Mexico

    The waterfalls of the Rio Tulijá© Lane Jacobs/Red Bull
    The Rio Tulija, and the 'Agua Azul' area in Southern Mexico is known for its light blue water. It's a whitewater paradise for pro kayakers like Rafa  Ortiz, who took a crew of his buddies for a ride that they won't soon forget.

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