A new year brings expectation and excitement of a return to travel with everyone waiting with anticipation to shake off the blues of the pandemic-ridden 2020. What better way to start off a year than to have your mind blown by the unusual and natural wonders of the world! While the pleasure of travel comes from the unexpected, we hope these 8 timely tales of timeless places will inspire your future itineraries. From an eerie abandoned area to a fresh, lush garden, here are eight of the most unique places to visit in 2021.
If you’re looking for a real ‘ghost town’ to visit, then Chernobyl, in Pripyat, Ukraine might interest you. Chernobyl is an unusual place where nature has brought back to life after a global man-made disaster. Trips to Chernobyl are usually visited for several days (1-7 days), depending on your preferred day tour, from the Ukrainian capital which lies 130 km to the south.
Considering that the place is still radioactive, it is suggested to go for a 1-2 day trip since it’s always the easiest and safest way to join a guided organized tour. While there is enough to see around Chernobyl and the town of Pripyat to fill several days, what may stay with you subsequently is the all-pervading atmosphere of stillness of a place left frozen in time and empathy towards self-settlers in the area.
Dubbed as “God’s Magic Palette”, Red Land in Dongchuan, China is a mysterious place where the exact location and information were kept in secrecy. Visiting the place for the first time will deeply leave you in awe due to the colorful fields covering thousands of mountains–resembling an oil canvas of a Chinese painting or the ones made by Van Gough’s.
If you’re fascinated to witness the place, the best time to have a photography tour is between May and June, or the middle of October and November where the crops become vibrantly-colored. Photographers who have also visited the place suggested to hire a private driver or book a private tour to explore more about the attractions of the untold land.
You may have felt the buzz of excitement every time you see a swarm of fireflies electrifying the night sky. But, did you ever encounter tiny glimmers of light shimmering in the sea? This may sound too good to be true, but Vaadhoo Island will take you into a mystical, mysterious, and romantic place with its glowing blue waves, gently rippling the sandy shore, like something out of fantasy land.
Why does this happen, you ask? Well, it’s a natural chemical reaction called ‘bioluminescence’, which occurs when the water is disturbed by oxygen. Phytoplankton, the marine microorganisms have this unique ability to produce electric blue-neon light as their defense mechanism in the same manner as to some fireflies. Checking out one of nature’s rarest events is a one in a lifetime opportunity. If you crave to see it, Vaadhoo Island is a 15-minute speedboat ride away from the main international airport of Males, the capital of Maldives.
Imagine a hotel made entirely of 20 million snowballs and tons of ice and re-built every winter–that is Icehotel, the world’s best-known sub-zero palaces founded in 1989.
Located in Jukkasjarvi in northern Sweden, the hotel is built from the frozen water of the Torne River. Guests can start their chilly-visits by hitching a ride to the lodge via dogsled. The Icehotel offers four types of icy-cold accommodation: Art Suites, Deluxe Suites, Snow rooms, Ice rooms, and Northern Light Suites. The features may sound shivering to sleep on but they do have warm beds that are surprisingly made of ice blocks covered in reindeer skins and insulating sheets. During the day, visitors can explore the exclusive “ski-in, ski-out” photography, view the light exhibit about the construction of the Icehotel, or go on an adventure into the frozen wilderness on horseback to catch the sight of the Northern Lights. What’s more, this all-year-round hotel has restaurants that serve food on glistening ice-cube plates!
Plunging to an incredible depth of 663 feet (202 meters) in a bay west of Clarence Town on Long Island, Bahamas, Dean’s Blue Hole is known to be the world’s second deepest blue hole and mecca of freediving in the Caribbean. A blue hole is basically an underwater cavern that is often given to sinkholes–a cavity in the ground filled with water, while the entrance is located beneath the surface.
The exceptional Dean’s Blue Hole also holds an annual freediving championship named, “Vertical Blue International Freediving Competition,” operated by none other than William Trubridge, the freediving world record holder as of 2013 who reached a depth of 302 feet (92 meters) without the use of fins. You can discover Long Island Bahamas and explore the sublime archipelago through Bahamas Air Tours. Many suggest that going to the island by boat can take a long time. By air, however, you’ll be able to dive in and swim along with the blue hole’s majestic sea creatures in no time.
Also known as “Cotton Castle” in English, Pamukkale is one of Turkey’s natural wonders. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is made up of natural mineral basins and pure white travertine terraces cascading down the slope, making it appear as an out-of-place snowfield amid the unreal landscape. Although these travertines are not only the highlight of Turkey’s popular attractions, the place is also surrounded by the vast and rambling ruins of the ancient city of Hierapolis–a Roman thermal spa town, lying on the top of this calcite hill and is believed by locals to have healing powers in aiding all sorts of ailments such as circulation and digestive problems.
When going to this ICE-pectacular place, former guests suggest visiting during winter to witness the snow-dusted version of the pool. Light essentials such as sunglasses, water, sunscreen, swimsuit, and flip-flops are a must. For best photographs, though, it’s recommended as well to come at dusk when the travertines shine as the sun descends below the horizon.
Another peculiar place to visit this year is Son Doong Cave in Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. What makes this cave quite bizarre is that because of its enormous space, the cavern has already created its own ecosystem and localized weather system inside the chamber itself! In fact, explorers discovered an intact jungle with diverse flora and fauna like flying foxes and monkeys inhabiting the cave as well as abundant plant species around Son Doong’s waterfalls which scientists have never seen before.
With its phenomenal magnificence, Son Doong Cave has been an aspiration by many adventurers and travelers for a vacation spot in Vietnam. The best time to travel and traverse this natural cave is within the months of February to August accompanied by the Son Doong Cave tour with a price of $3,000. The cost is high because it serves ten passengers including caving experts, porters bringing essential supplies and cooking equipment, as well as safety experts. But after the experience of scouting the pristine nature, ginormous space, and mesmerizing landscapes of this cave, the price will definitely be worth it!
Covering just about 80 acres (32 ha), Keukenhof Flower Fields in Lisse, Netherlands, is one of the world’s largest flower gardens. And with all that land overwhelms about 7 million flower bulbs showing off the best Dutch tulips, narcissus (daffodils), crocuses, and other bulb flowers that are planted each year for a picturesque spring blossom.
Situated a few miles from Keukenhof and a block away from Anne Frank’s House, Amsterdam’s The Toren is a 40-room upscale, romantic boutique that occupies two 17th-century establishments–one of which was utilized as a safe house during WWII–nestling along the Keizersgracht canal. Its room ranges from small homey single units viewing over a courtyard to more spacious options with canal views and jetted tubs. Don’t miss this golden chance to get a glimpse of this beauty! The garden will be open from 20 March to 9 May 2021.
There you have it -- a grand list of some of the most unique places to visit around the world. Of course, there are still many more natural wonders to visit everywhere. Now for our million-dollar question, where will you travel in 2021?
