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00:00 Tired of the usual?
00:01 Then it's time for a truly one-of-a-kind trip.
00:04 Welcome to Mojo Travels and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 20
00:08 weirdest places to visit.
00:19 For this list, we'll be looking at some of the most unique, bizarre and eye-catching
00:23 attractions, destinations and sights from around the world.
00:28 We agree, pancakes do rock, but sadly, flapjacks aren't on the menu at this unique site in
00:37 New Zealand.
00:38 Located south of Punakaiki Village on the outskirts of Paparoa National Park, the pancake
00:43 rocks are made of limestone and have been slowly carved by the ocean tides over the
00:48 course of countless years.
00:50 As water bursts through natural blowholes, it slowly eats away the layers of sandstone.
00:55 The end result is an area of shoreline populated by rock formations that don't look unlike
00:59 uneven stacks of pancakes.
01:02 Thanks to a number of walkways in the area, you can really get a close look at the structures
01:06 without risk of damaging them.
01:12 This isn't the only colourful geological site of its kind, but compared to say, the
01:16 Vinicunca Rainbow Mountains in Peru, Oregon's Painted Hills do bear the distinction of being
01:21 substantially easier to visit.
01:24 They are arguably the biggest highlight of the John's Day Fossil Beds National Monument
01:28 in Wheeler County, and are so named because of their distinctive colouring.
01:32 Each distinct layer is the result of a different geological era, dating back 35 million years
01:38 to when the area was a floodplain.
01:41 Just make sure to plan for the right weather.
01:43 The intensity of the colours are affected by humidity and lighting conditions.
01:47 If you decide to visit China after the coronavirus disaster passes, the Dankshir Landform Geological
01:52 Park is home to similarly colourful ridges that, like the Painted Hills, are relatively
01:56 accessible.
02:02 We know what you're thinking, that's a pretty piece of abstract art.
02:06 But allow your eyes to adjust a bit and you'll see that what you're actually looking at
02:09 is a series of rolling sand dunes, with water pooling between them.
02:14 Located in Mareรฑo State, Lenรงois-Marenhenses National Park extends from the coastline to
02:18 cover a total of 380,000 acres of land.
02:22 The inland part is made up of low-lying sand dunes that, following rainstorms, become interspersed
02:27 with freshwater lagoons.
02:29 The end result is truly breathtaking and surreal to the point that, whether photographed from
02:34 above or seen in person, the sight is hard to believe.
02:37 Don't let the photos fool you though, those lagoons are actually quite large.
02:41 Visitors often identify swimming in the pools as one of the highlights of the trip.
02:47 We know, we know, first pancakes and now chocolate.
02:53 If you're watching this on an empty stomach, this video is probably starting to feel rather
02:56 cruel and unusual.
02:58 The famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island are not made of solid chocolate, but they
03:02 certainly are a treat for the eyes.
03:03 A National Geological Monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this area gets its name
03:08 from the chocolate brown colouring that the otherwise green grass takes on during the
03:12 dry season.
03:13 Strangely smooth and conical, their shape coupled with the way they seem to break through
03:17 the treetops has often led people to believe that they're human made.
03:21 But scientists have done their homework and can confirm that they result from erosion
03:25 and are primarily made up of marine limestones, which are rich in coral.
03:34 As an apology for all the food-related teasing, this entry comes just as advertised.
03:39 And to really make amends, we're giving you not one, but two adorable odd travel experiences
03:44 for the price of one.
03:46 Located off of Japan's eastern coast, the island of Tashirojima is home to only about
03:51 100 people, but many times that number of cats.
03:54 They previously worked to keep mice away from local silk-producing worms, but now they're
03:59 an attraction in their own right.
04:01 As if that's not enough cuteness, over on the island of Akinoshima, you can get another
04:05 overdose of cute and cuddly.
04:08 The place is totally overrun with feral, but friendly rabbits.
04:11 Adding to the weirdness factor, the island is also home to an abandoned poison gas factory,
04:16 a relic from the island's dark World War II history.
04:24 Not as cute, but nonetheless an interesting place to visit, Goblin Valley State Park is
04:28 thankfully not named after dominant local species.
04:32 Located in Utah, a few hundred miles from Salt Lake City, it actually takes its name
04:36 from the strange rock formations that populate this otherwise uninhabited valley.
04:41 Slowly but surely, the powerful elements have chiselled away at the sandstone, resulting
04:45 in mushroom-shaped pinnacles and hoodoos.
04:48 These unique natural structures tend to be top-heavy, with thinner, lower sections, due
04:52 to the upper layers of sandstone being more durable.
04:55 Many of the pinnacles and hoodoos are millions of years old, and their odd shapes certainly
04:59 feel prehistoric.
05:00 Some suggest they even look like monstrous creatures like those from fairy tales, hence
05:05 the name.
05:10 Most of the weird places on our list today are naturally occurring, but not all of them.
05:14 The world-famous Paris Catacombs might be a popular attraction, but there's no denying
05:18 that this underground shrine to death is just about one of the strangest things the city
05:22 has to offer.
05:23 Occupying a small section of the tunnels that runs underneath this city of love, the catacombs
05:28 contain the bones of roughly six million Parisians.
05:32 Once a simple dumping ground for human remains due to overloaded cemeteries, the ossuary
05:37 was better organised in the early 19th century when the bones were set up in various patterns.
05:42 You're sure to enjoy the fine wine, world-class food and stunning architecture of Paris, but
05:47 we can't all but guarantee that the catacombs are what will really stay with you.
05:55 Returning to Oregon, the home state of the Painted Hills, we leave the John Day Fossil
05:59 Beds National Monument for the coast.
06:02 Cape Perpetua is forested headland in Lincoln County, managed by the United States Forest
06:07 Service.
06:08 Though the entire area is beautiful, the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is, as the name suggests,
06:12 a highlight.
06:13 Here, visitors can camp, hike and go whale watching, among other activities.
06:18 But those seeking out natural oddities will want to make a beeline for Thor's Well.
06:22 A powerful saltwater fountain, the aptly named Coastal Feature is known for both its seemingly
06:27 insatiable thirst and the watery explosions it emits at high tide.
06:31 For more coastal oddities, check out neighbouring sites in the scenic area, including the Devil's
06:36 Cairn and the Spouting Horn.
06:43 They're not always the most exciting thing on the planet, but as soon as they take on
06:46 a weird shape, texture, colour or wind up in an odd location, we can't help but be
06:51 fascinated by them.
06:53 And the Moeraki boulders check more than one box.
06:56 Noteworthy for their size, location and strangely smooth shape, they almost look like the fossilised
07:01 eggs of some colossal primordial beast, as if they were left to hatch by a sea turtle
07:06 the size of a football stadium.
07:08 Scattered across the beaches of New Zealand's Otago coast, they vary in size from 1.6 feet
07:14 to a whopping 7.2 feet in diameter.
07:17 Though they've inspired local myths and extraterrestrial conspiracy theories, scientists,
07:22 for their part, deem them to be naturally occurring, albeit having taken shape under
07:26 specific circumstances across millions of years.
07:30 We need to warn you, as we approach the top 10 entries, things are going to get even weirder.
07:38 Well, weirder than they already are.
07:41 The Fly Geyser looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie or fantasy
07:45 world.
07:46 Located on a private island but open to visitors willing to pay the price of admission, it's
07:50 the result of drilling that occurred in 1964.
07:54 When the company struck geothermal waters, the geyser was born, and it's been growing
07:58 larger and stranger ever since.
08:01 Extremely hot water perpetually erupting from the ground is weird enough as is, but the
08:05 presence of thermophilic algae results in vivid red, yellow and green hues.
08:10 Coupled with the weird curves and surface texture on the cone geyser's cone, it all
08:15 looks very alien.
08:17 Can't take the heat?
08:22 Need to cool off?
08:23 Then why not take a trip to Alaska, where you can surround yourself with ice?
08:27 And we're not just talking about a snowy landscape, we mean full immersion.
08:31 The Mendenhall Glacier is named after the superintendent of a late 19th century US coast
08:37 and geodetic survey.
08:39 The glacier is impressive from any angle, but venturing inside is to step into another
08:43 world.
08:44 The glacier is partially hollow in certain areas, meaning that you can venture into its
08:49 underbelly.
08:50 Once inside, apart from the rocky floor, you're surrounded by brilliant blue walls and a ceiling
08:54 of ice.
08:56 As a result of the glacier's melting, the Mendenhall ice caves are forever changing,
09:00 but they sadly won't be around forever.
09:06 Imagine yourself swimming in a lake completely surrounded by jellyfish.
09:10 For some, this particular mental image might be the stuff of nightmares, but hey, weird
09:14 places aren't for everyone.
09:15 And for travellers looking for a thoroughly unique experience, it doesn't get much better
09:20 or surreal than this.
09:22 Located in Palawa on the island of Elimalk, this marine lake is packed to the gills with
09:27 jellyfish.
09:28 The lake is only about 1,500 feet long and 520 feet deep at its widest point.
09:34 But in this modest-sized lake, swim millions of jellyfish that, largely isolated from the
09:39 ocean, have diverted from the evolutionary path of the rest of their various species.
09:45 For the record, these jellyfish can sting, but they're not considered powerful enough
09:48 to harm humans.
09:49 It's worth noting, however, that while snorkelling is allowed, scuba diving is not.
09:59 With its sun-bleached, cracked desert floor, Death Valley is a pretty surreal environment
10:03 in its own right.
10:04 But the reason that it's ranked so high on our list are the mysterious sailing stones.
10:10 As previously noted, rocks can be fascinating in a wide variety of ways, but rocks that
10:15 appear to move on their own volition, that is very strange.
10:18 For decades, researchers were completely baffled as to how stones in California's Racetrack
10:23 Playa were moving across the desert floor, leaving clear tracks behind them and even
10:27 changing directions.
10:29 We now know that this is the result of high winds and thin layers of ice forming and melting
10:33 when the temperature drops during winter.
10:35 Though hard to imagine, in ideal conditions, the rocks have been known to move over 16
10:40 feet in a minute.
10:45 Thermal springs can be found all across the globe, but rarely have they developed into
10:49 such a breathtaking sight as they do in Denizli, Turkey.
10:53 Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish, and upon this mineral bed, the ancient city
10:58 of Hierapolis was built.
11:00 The ruins can still be visited to this day, but they play second fiddle to the thermal
11:04 springs and white limestone pools that have slowly formed over millennia of mineral deposits.
11:10 The brilliant white terraces look like something out of a futuristic design magazine, but they
11:15 are completely naturally occurring.
11:17 People are no longer allowed to bathe in the springs due to the damage caused by tourists,
11:20 but their otherworldly beauty can still be appreciated from a respectful distance.
11:30 Lakes come in many shapes and sizes, but colours?
11:33 That's not usually a variable you expect.
11:36 In Australia, however, there are actually multiple lakes that Defy Convention, with
11:40 the bright pink colour of their water.
11:42 Lake Hillier, located on Middle Island, was first documented by European explorer Matthew
11:47 Flinders in 1802.
11:49 Today, we know that the unique, vibrant pink colour is a result of two factors; the incredibly
11:54 high concentration of salt in the lake, and the presence of Dunanelia salina.
11:59 Despite the eye-catching pink hue, Lake Hillier is safe to swim in, though notably hard to
12:03 reach.
12:04 For a pink lake that's more accessible, consider a trip to Haut Lagoon on Australia's
12:09 west coast; like Oregon's Painted Hills, weather conditions and time of year can affect
12:13 the intensity of the colour.
12:18 If you're looking for a desert oasis, you're too late.
12:21 By about 600-700 years, actually.
12:23 If, however, you're in the market for a totally unique photo-op, Dead Vlei is just
12:28 about as compelling of a place as you can ask for.
12:30 This salt pan in Namibia is surrounded on all sides by some of the highest sand dunes
12:35 on Earth.
12:36 At one point, long ago, this was a collection point for water after rainfall, giving rise
12:41 to an oasis of camel-thorn trees.
12:44 It eventually dried up, however, and now only the skeletal remains are left as a reminder
12:48 of what once was.
12:50 The heat and lack of humidity is so intense that the trees, while not petrified, have
12:54 become blackened as a result of the intense elements.
12:58 And it's hauntingly beautiful.
13:03 Looking at photographs or video footage of this utterly unique destination, you'd be
13:07 forgiven for thinking that you've been transported to an alien planet.
13:10 And an inhospitable one at that.
13:13 A desolate landscape of rock, odd mineral build-up and toxic-looking, shallow green
13:17 pools of liquid, the Danakil Depression is as fascinating as it is foreboding.
13:21 As if those visuals aren't enough, adding to the weirdness factor is the consideration
13:25 that these pools are actually full of various concentrations of acid.
13:30 As far as extreme environments go, this is pretty as extreme as it gets, at least on
13:34 Earth.
13:35 It's all sulphur, chlorine vapours, intense heat and iron-rich salt formations.
13:40 The landscape and conditions are so alien, in fact, that the scientific community thinks
13:44 that the Danakil Depression can help us theorise about life on other planets.
13:52 It doesn't matter how compelling and ironclad of an argument you can present, tell locals
13:56 that these basalt giant causeway columns are naturally occurring and they'll struggle
14:00 to believe you.
14:02 So named because local legend tells that it was all built by a mythical giant, Finn McCool,
14:07 this natural formation is categorised by hexagonal columns, some of them rising to heights of
14:12 about 120ft.
14:14 Given the sharpness of these angles and edges of these columns, coupled with the way they
14:18 fit together and the varying heights, it's understandably hard to see them as anything
14:22 but human made.
14:23 They look like ruins of some grand, ancient structure from a long-lost civilisation.
14:29 In reality, however, the architect behind the giant causeway was intense volcanic activity,
14:35 some 50-60 million years ago.
14:41 Photographers and Instagram influencers, this one's for you.
14:44 That being said, Salar de Uyuni is so awe-inspiringly beautiful and unique that it's nigh impossible
14:49 to not appreciate it, regardless of your specific travel interests.
14:53 The world's largest salt pan, this 4,086 square miles stretch of land is covered in
14:59 a salt crust and is one of the flattest expanses on Earth.
15:03 It makes for a remarkable sight on any given day, rain or shine.
15:07 But when a thin layer of water collects on the surface, it becomes one giant mirror that
15:11 reflects the sky.
15:13 And when that happens, your brain will genuinely struggle to process the sight before your
15:17 eyes.
15:18 Sky and land merge into one as far as the eye can see.
15:21 Add some grazing flamingos who use the salt flats as an annual breeding ground and it's
15:25 like something out of a dream.
15:31 This is like something out of ancient Greek mythology.
15:34 While Lake Hylia and Hut Lagoon are notably pink, Lake Natron often appears deep red and
15:39 fades to orange closer to the shores, giving the entire thing a rather hellish appearance.
15:45 Oh, and it gets weirder.
15:47 This unique Tanzanian lake, located in the Arusha region, is fed by hot springs, which,
15:52 coupled with its solidified lava bedrock, results in extremely high levels of sodium
15:57 bicarbonate.
15:59 Because of this, the water is better described as a caustic alkaline brine.
16:03 And when animals make the mistake of entering it, most are killed, and subsequently calcified,
16:09 leaving mummified stone-like corpses along the shoreline.
16:13 Traditional cultures and religions have their own depictions of the underworld, but if you're
16:17 looking for a representation of hell on earth, Lake Natron certainly fits the fossilised
16:22 bill.
16:33 [music]