10 BEAUTIFUL DANGEROUS PLACES TO VISIT NOW

From the highest to the lowest, from the coldest to the hottest, from the wettest to the driest, and more… we’ve rounded up some of the most extreme (and most beautiful) places on Earth. Put them on your bucket list, if you dare.

1. EXTREME UNDERGROUND BEAUTY: REED FLUTE CAVE, GUANGXI, CHINA

For a beautiful visual experience, explore the brightly colored Reed Flute Cave, in Guangxi, China. The artificial lights illuminate the oddly-shaped stalactites, stalagmites, and rock formations here.

This natural limestone cave is over 180 million years old. Ink inscriptions inside the cave prove that it has been a tourist attraction since at least 792 AD, during the time of the Tang dynasty. It was only rediscovered in the 1940s, and is now nicknamed the “Palace of Natural Arts.”

2. THE MOST EXTREME RIVER CAVE ON EARTH: XE BANG FAI RIVER CAVE. KHAMMOUANE PROVINCE, LAOS

You can paddle a kayak underground at Xe Bang Fai River Cave, in Khammouane Province, in central Laos. This is one of the largest river caves in the world at 4 miles long, with massive caverns that reach up to 390’ tall and 650’ wide!

Explore and admire the hanging stalactites, fossil passages, subterranean gardens, and beautiful foot-long cave pearls made from minerals. The upriver entrance is a sinkhole covered in lush forest! You won’t believe your eyes.

3. THE BIGGEST PURE VERTICAL DROP ON EARTH: MOUNT THOR, BAFFIN ISLAND, CANADA

If you’re not afraid of heights, Mount Thor, also known as Thor Peak, will blow your mind. It’s the biggest vertical drop on earth at 4,100 feet. The cliff overhangs at an average angle of 15 degrees, and is made of pure granite.

Adrenaline junkies and climbers are drawn to this extreme location in Auyuittuq National Park, Baffin Island, Canada. The mountain is part of the Baffin Mountains, which, in turn, are part of the Arctic Cordillera mountain range.

4. THE MOST REMOTE ISLAND ON EARTH: TRISTAN DA CUNHA ARCHIPELAGO

WIthin Tristan da Cunha, a tiny volcanic island chain, in the southern Atlantic Ocean, lies the most remote inhabited island in the world, also named Tristan da Cunha. Only 272 people live here.The nearest populated landmass is located 1,500 miles away.

Other beautiful islands in this archipelago include Nightingale Island, Inaccessible Island and Gough Island, all uninhabited, with wildlife reserves.

5. THE HIGHEST PLACE ON EARTH: MT. CHIMBORAZO, ECUADOR

Mt. Everest is the highest peak on earth at 29,029’ above sea level. But Mt. Chimborazo, an inactive volcano in the Andes range, in Ecuador, standing at just over 20,000’, is actually the highest point on Earth.

Earth is not a perfect sphere, with bulges raising its surface in varying degrees from its center. Because of its location on the equatorial bulge, Mt. Chimborazo is the furthest point from the earth’s center, and is closer to outer space, making it the tallest place on Earth.

6. THE LOWEST POINT ON EARTH: DEAD SEA, ISRAEL & JORDAN

The Dead Sea, located on the border of Israel and Jordan, is extreme in more ways than one. It’s the lowest point on the planet, at 1,378’ below sea level. It’s also one of the saltiest bodies of water on earth.

7.  THE WORLD’S HOTTEST PLACE: DALLOL, ETHIOPIA

If you’re searching for a respite from the cold this winter, try a trip to the hottest place on Earth. Dallol, Ethiopia has the highest annual average temperature (96℉) of any inhabited place on the planet.

Since Dallol is so close to the Equator and is located in a volcanically active region, the heat never subsides.

8. THE COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH: OYMYAKON, RUSSIA

If you can’t get enough of the cold and think you can face extreme weather, you may want to consider a vacation to Oymyakon, the coldest inhabited place on Earth. Nestled in the heart of Russian Siberia, the lowest temperature ever recorded here was -90℉, though the average winter isn’t far off. 

9. THE MOST DANGEROUS WALKWAY: EL CAMINITO DEL REY, MÁLAGA, SPAIN

For those who live life on the edge, El Caminito del Rey can provide the ultimate thrill. Known as “the world’s most dangerous walkway,” this footbridge is pinned along the steep walls of a gorge in Málaga, Spain. It’s only 3.2’ wide, and it stands precariously at 328’ above a rushing river.

It just reopened after extensive renovations in March 2015.

10. THE DRIEST PLACE ON EARTH: ATACAMA, CHILE

In Atacama, Chile, you’ll find extreme drought any time of year, because it’s the driest occupied place in the world. This 600 mile-long plateau sits on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes Mountains.

Centuries can pass without a big rainfall because of the cold ocean currents and the area’s high mountainous elevation. It is physically impossible for clouds to form over this desert. This has been true since before the age of dinosaurs, making it the world’s oldest desert as well.

Though dry, this desert is incredibly beautiful, with a landscape made up of stony terrain, salt flats, and felsic (made of silica) lava flows.

Read more about Beautiful Danger all this week on BeautifulNow. And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Dennis Jarvis. China. Reed Flute Cave. Guangxi, China.
2. Image: by Mike. Mirror Reflection in the Water in the Reed Flute Cave. Guangxi, China.
3. Image: by Marshall Segal. Reed Flute Cave. Guangxi, China.
4. Image: by David Bunnel. Xe Bang Fai River Cave. Khammouane Province, Laos.  
5. Image: by Ansgar Walk. Mount Asgard. Baffin Island, Canada.
6. Image: by NASA ASTER. Tristan da Cunha Island. Tristan da Cunha Archipelago.
7. Image: by David Torres Costales. Vicuña, one of two wild South American camelids. Mt. Chimborazo, Ecuador.
8. Image: by Eduardo Navas. Chimborazo. Mt. Chimborazo, Ecuador.
9. Image: Courtesy of Aqaba Diving. Dead Sea. Dead Sea. Israel & Jordan.
10. Image: by Itamar Grinberg. Courtesy of the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. Dead Sea Salt. Israel &  Jordan.
11. Image: by Hervé Sthioul. Dallol, Flaque of Acidic et Formation de Sel. Dallol, Ethiopia.
12. Image: by Marió Gonçalves. Oymyakon. Oymyakon, Russia.
13. Image: by MichiNerja. El famoso Caminito del Rey. El Caminito del Rey. Málaga, Spain.
14. Image: by Luca Galuzzi. Miscanti Lagoon San Pedro de Atacama Chile Luca Galuzzi. Atacama, Chile.
15. Image: by Franceso Mocellin. Salar de Atacama, In the Background the Volcano Licancabur. Atacama, Chile.
16. Image: by spiffae. Mt. Thor - Baffin Island, Canada - Largest Vertical Drop on Earth (4,101 ft). Mt. Thor. Baffin Island, Canada.
17. Image: by Achilli Family | Journeys. Ethiopia, Dallol, Danakil Depression. Dallol, Ethiopia.
18. Image: by Bernt Rostad. Reed Flute Cave - Nature's Art Palace. Reed Flute Cave. Guangxi, China.