This is part 7 of a 10 part series that focuses on 100 unusual and fascinating tourist attractions from around the globe.
Some we have been lucky enough to visit, yet some we yearn to set foot. From the weird and wacky, freaky to wondrous… Take a stroll through the series.
Chamarel, Mauritius
Check out the multicolored rolling dunes known as colored earths in Chamarel on the western side of Mauritius, an island nation off the southeastern coast of Africa. The blue, brown, green, orange, purple, red and yellow patterns were formed when volcanic rocks cooled at different temperatures. Rain eventually carved the patterns into an undulating landscape. This strange bit of nature is best seen in the early morning or evening for the best contrasts in the hills and the vegetation in the background. Nearby, the Chamarel Falls can be seen plunging hundreds of feet.
Seattle Gum Wall
What do you do with your gum when it has lost its flavor? Do you stick it under the table (does anybody older than 7 really do that?) or spit it on the ground for an unsuspecting pedestrian to get stuck in the creases of his or her Nikes? For those who have no interest in throwing their Bubble Yum in the trash when it’s run its course, here’s another option: Add it to the ever-growing Gum Wall, a tourist attraction in Seattle.
Jigokudani Monkey Park, Japan
When I lived in New Zealand, a hot shower always made me feel better about winter, even if I wasn’t sure why I lived in a place where the July frosts made my nose feel as if it was no longer part of my face.
So I understand the joy Japanese macaques must feel when they get a chance to step out of the cold and hop into the hot springs at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano, about 150 miles northwest of Tokyo.
Red Sandy Beach, Malta
The beach is known to locals as Red Sandy Beach and can be found on the northeastern side of the island. Besides the extraterrestrial-like orange-reddish sand, Ramla Bay is known for the Roman ruins buried beneath its surface. Calypso Cave, overlooking the bay, has also been associated with the mythical lair of Calypso in Homer’s “Odyssey.”
Avebury, England
Never mind Stonehenge. Avebury, about 20 miles north, is one of the best — and eeriest — Neolithic monuments in Europe, made of multiple concentric stone circles set in and around a medieval village that grew up later. The surrounding Wiltshire downs are fine too, especially from up top on the old Ridgeway Path.
Floating market, Vietnam
One of Can Tho’s most popular attractions is its floating markets, where vendors sell fruit and vegetables on boats. The produce is mostly for wholesale, but a few sellers have retail selections. Cai Rang market, pictured, is the Mekong Delta’s largest market. It’s on the Can Tho River about an hour southwest of Can Tho by boat. Business begins at dawn and trails off around 9 a.m., so come early if you want to see the market in full swing. This boat is piled high with dragon fruit.
Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur
Pfeiffer Beach in Los Padres National Forest along California’s Central Coast features impressive scenery, but the beach’s purple sand is its main draw.
Chiricahua National Monument, Ariz.
Volcanic rock pillars line up like rows of terra-cotta warriors in this under-visited parkland in the southeastern corner of the Grand Canyon state. Take a seven-mile hike along forested canyons to the Heart of Rocks Trail and come face to face with odd-shaped boulders named Punch and Judy, Kissing Rocks and the massively impressive Balanced Rock.
Peabody hotel, Memphis
This hotel is known for the promenade of ducks between the lobby fountain and the elevator (at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily), but even when the ducks are in their upstairs penthouse, the Peabody lobby feels like the center of Southern civilization. The Italian Renaissance building went up in 1925, and rates for the 464 rooms start about $260 a night. It’s a short walk to the live music of Beale Street, a short drive to Graceland and the widely admired National Civil Rights Museum.
Hôtel de Glace, Canada
Skip trying to build an igloo yourself. Canada’s Hôtel de Glace, built exclusively of ice and snow, does it for you.
At the beginning of December each year, workers build the entire hotel’s rooms and columns, furniture and sculptures out of ice and snow. For the opening this January, when the hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary, workers used 15,000 tons of snow and 500 tons of ice.
Hôtel de Glace opened Jan. 4 and will remain open until April 4 for overnight stays, public tours, corporate events, weddings, art exhibitions and film and TV productions.
The hotel is in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier, 23 miles from Quebec City and 149 miles from Montreal. Quebec’s winter temperatures can range from minus-13 degrees Fahrenheit in February to 41 degrees in March.
