The World’s Most Surreal Landscapes

Our beautiful mother nature has created few landscapes that seem to blur the line between dreams and reality. These surreal landscapes are the wildest imagination of any photographer. The breathtaking view of these landscapes will give you high sensory adrenaline rush in your body more than alcohol, marijuana or any other drug! You’ll be completely mesmerized to see the world’s most surreal landscapes from the eyes of these 16 amazing travelers from around the globe.

Sit, relax and enjoy these breathtaking places before you plan your next trip to witness these surreal landscapes with your own eyes!

1) Kawah Ratu, Indonesia

By Rachel Jones from Hippie in Heels

Located on the volcanic mountain of Tangkuban Perahu, in Bandung, Indonesia is a crater called Kawah Ratu which is a breathtaking site (especially being at such high altitude). I recommend buying some local strawberries here (they are the best I’ve ever had) and just taking in the sites as it’s lovely to watch the clouds move and scenery change.

2) Mulafossur Waterfall, Faroe Islands

By Aileen from I am Aileen

As one of the least visited destinations in Europe, the Faroe Islands have been high up on my travel bucket list. That’s why when I finally had the chance to visit it this year, I was floored with its majestic views. Sure enough, the Mulafossur Waterfall in Gásadalur is one example of its out of this world’ beauty — just look at the striking cliff coupled with a waterfall that’s backdropped with a dramatic mountain and quaint village!

3) Koh Lipe, Thailand

By Hannah Lukaszewicz from Getting Stamped

I still remember the first moment I laid eyes on Koh Lipe, a Thai island I had never heard of before. Here I was at one of the prettiest white sand beaches I had ever seen, crazy turquoise waters that go on forever, amazing sunsets, and for some reason not many tourists. I didn’t think places like Koh Lipe really existed. Koh Lipe has since become my favorite island in the world, and a place I hope to keep a secret!

4) Cappadocia, Anatolia, Turkey

By Veronica Pototska from Siniciliya

Over thousands of years, water and the wind-shaped Cappadocia’s rocky landscape and created natural canyons, chimneys, columns, pyramids, and towers. The landscape was used to build monasteries, dovecotes, and houses. During the period of early Christianity, people built underground cities that went down to eight floors. Days in Cappadocia begin early. Everyone wakes up at 4-5 am to be able to see the miracle when the balloons fly up in the sky and the first sun rays come out from behind the mountains. Grey shades of the ground and the mountains become colorful, as if someone painted them in beige, pink and yellow. The new day full of emotions and adventures begins.

5) Tsagaan Suvarga, Mongolia

By John and Laurel Rodgers from A Road to Travel

Mongolia is no other place I have ever visited.  The place is huge, vacant and at the time a little errie, especially at night. One doesn’t really know what alone means until you spend time on the Steppes at night. One of the places that we liked the best is called the Tsagaan Suvraga or “White Stupas”.  Stupas are the world for Pagoda structures and from a distance, the walls look like an ancient city.  This was once an ocean seabed and through the years different colors have layered on one another.  This is what leaves the unique bands of colors.

6) Mont Saint-Michel, France

By Rashmi & Chalukya from Go Beyond Bounds

Mont Saint Michel is a beautiful abbey perched on a small rocky island in Normandy region of France. The castle standing amidst the vast sea and mudflats looks surreal with its soaring gothic spires with a backdrop of blue skies. The island is connected to the mainland by a causeway and can be reached by free shuttle from the mainland or one can take horse carriages to the fantasy castle.

7) Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA

By Asia Adams from Navigable World

After years of seeing images of Antelope Canyon all over the Internet, daydreaming about its other-worldly landscape, and yes, even having it as the desktop image on my Macbook, my boyfriend surprised me with a trip there for our anniversary this year! Located on a Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona, the beautiful slot canyon was formed from water rushing through rock and wearing it down over time. Walking beneath all of the vivid reds and oranges was a total feast for the eyes; a landscape photographer’s wildest dream, really. I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to go back and re-visit it someday!

8) Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

By Laura Restrepo Ortega from Restrepo Ortega | Documentalist

One of the most surreal places I’ve visited is the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northern Brazil. In the distance, diffused by the heavy rain, the dunes of white sand look like snow-capped mountains lost in the immensity of this flooded desert, dotted with dark green bushes that struggle to survive the shifting landscape and strong winds, patiently waiting for the seasonal lagoons to form.

9) Antarctica

By Matilda Geroulis from The Travel Sisters

I dreamt about traveling to Antarctica for years. When it finally happened, it was even better than what I had built up in my head.  The remote snow-covered landscape, glaciers, and icebergs were simply stunning.  I hardly slept the entire trip because I spent every possible moment, not on a landing glued to the deck, bridge or porthole watching it all go by!

10) Meteora, Greece

By Jessica Kleiner from A Passion and A Passport

Spiritual, inspiring, magical, breathtaking, mystical, immense, and impressive!  There are really no words to truly capture the effect Meteora has on it’s visitors.  This majestic spot in Central Greece is surely unlike any area I’ve ever seen.  The landscapes were truly remarkable, and I had an exceptionally difficult time putting my camera down!

11) Nathula, Sikkim, India

By Sandy & Vyjay from Voyager

We were on a road trip to the Nathula Pass which connects Sikkim, a North Eastern state of India to China’s Tibet Autonomous region. Nathula at a height of 14,140 feet is a mountain pass in the Himalayas and the road to this place is a visual treat to the senses in the varied and surreal landscapes that one can behold. Just as you are feasting your eyes on snow clad mountains, the terrain changes to stretches and stretches of barren land. Clouds bend down in benediction to turquoise lakes and all the elements of nature including water, earth, clouds, air, mountains and snow seem to dance to a sublime and divine symphony. The sight is enough for one to feel blessed and uplifted!

12) The Bungle Bungles, North Western Australia

By Michela Fantinel from Rocky Travel

The Bungle Bungles a.k.a. as Purnululu in North Western Australia is the most striking landscape I have seen by air and land. The beehive-shaped towers with the dark grey-orange stripe feature is the peculiarity that makes these hundreds of millions old ranges famous in the world. What amazed me is how fragile these ancient domes are. After we landed from our scenic flight, we drove to the Bungle Bungles National Park entrance where we were warned not to tread over the rocks as they are so fragile. We could test this out by scratching the surface to find white sands underneath the stripes. Moreover, the dark stripes are made of bacteria: single-celled organisms that are known as some of the oldest life-forms on earth. It truly is such an ancient, unique landscape, really worth the long journey!

13) Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines

By Lavina Dsouza from A Capricious Compass

The underground river in Palawan is completely out of this world! The waters are bright green and it makes you feel like you’ve landed in an Amazonian rainforest centuries ago. The complete length of the river is yet to be explored but the formations inside are complex and leave you spell-bound. Only a few visitors are permitted each month. Definitely one of the best places I’ve ever visited that still leaves me speechless!

14) Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park, USA

By Kacey Mya from The Drifter Collective

Sensory overload – that’s how I would describe Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park! This wild and natural landscape is a complete assault on the senses. The feeling of awe seeing the famous Old Faithful Geyser shout out to the heavens, and the up close and personal proximity with all forms of wildlife – including wolves and bears – left me breathless. It’s the kind of ecstatic feeling that leaves your heart pumping with a rush of adrenaline, making you feel truly alive. It’s a site that is not to be missed in your lifetime on this planet.

15) Centuries-old olive trees in Puglia, South Italy

By Sabrina Barbante from  In My Suitcase

16) Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

The most surreal landscape I’ve ever seen!

The Grand Canyon isn’t called Grand for nothing! It is simply a display of how beautiful mother nature can be! The Grand Canyon is one of America’s most recognizable natural wonders. A trek through this 227-mile long canyon is like entering into another world. I went there during last Christmas when the temperature was dropping below 25 degrees and chilled wind added an extra perk to the breathtaking view of the rugged landscape. You have to see to actually believe how beautiful the Grand Canyon is! If you get a chance to go see the Grand Canyon, do it! It’s an amazing experience and definitely worth once in a lifetime!