When booking a vacation, you have two choices.
Do you go for a well-known and well-traveled destination like Florida, Paris, or the Caribbean?
Or do you go for something completely out of the ordinary, and dare we say it, bizarre?
An Underground Theme Park
Romania
Nestled inside one of the world’s oldest salt mines lies a truly bizarre site.
This 17th century Romanian salt mine has been used for everything from storing cheese to acting as a bomb shelter during WWII. But it’s now the home to an underground theme park.
This incredible park offers attractions such as a Ferris wheel, mini golf, an amphitheater, a bowling alley, even paddle boats, all inside the breathtaking cavern.
Even better, tickets cost an average of only $4.
Lake Natron
Tanzania
Located in Tanzania, Africa, Lake Natron is a serene, but eerie sight.
Due to the lake’s pH level of 10.5, it is filled with sodium and minerals. In fact, these minerals were once used in the ancient Egyptians mummification process.
The minerals in the lake crystalizes anything that sits in its waters for too long, which has included some of its flamingo population.
Visitors often come across bizarre and eerie findings, such as this calcified flamingo corpse pictured above.
Underwater Park
Austria
Yet another amazing yet bizarre destination is this underwater park in Austria.
Located along the Green Lake, this location is a popular destination for scuba divers.
During the summer months, snow caps from the surrounding mountains melt and flood the lake, causing the surrounding landscape to be submerged underwater.
Divers can swim through its underwater park, complete with trees, benches, and even a bridge.
The Island of the Dolls
Mexico
Perhaps the most unsettling site on this list, the Isla de las Munecas has been explored by ghost hunters and tourists alike.
Isla de las Munecas was never meant to be a tourist destination, rather a tribute to a young girl who drowned long ago. Her dolls were left as a memorial, but it’s said that the young girl’s spirit possesses the dolls placed here.
There are many stories surrounding the origin of this legend. For instance, some people doubt the existence of the young girl completely.
Some attribute the story to a lonely man who started displaying dolls he collected. Others claim this man was driven mad by the souls possessing the dolls.
Strangely, the man tragically drowned in the same spot the young girl was said to drown, after 50 years of collecting dolls.
Today, visitors come to see the hundreds of unsettling dolls, with some missing limbs and heads.
Village of Dolls
Japan
There really is something unsettling about dolls.
Take the Village of Dolls (also known as Scarecrow Village), located in Nagoro, Japan.
This small village once had 300 residents, but due to the economy and other factors, the population has dropped to only 30.
This prompted Tsukimi Ayano, a resident who recently moved back to the village, to craft life-size dolls to represent the residents who have since moved or passed away.
While this is a nice gesture, wandering around the the village can be incredibly unnerving. For example, the abandoned school has an entire classroom of these life-size dolls. Dolls even “walk” the school’s hallways.
These dolls can also be seen doing daily activities such as construction, chores, or fishing.
The entire village has become a tourist attraction, with visitors and residents even contributing dolls of their own.
While the “normal” vacation can be fun, there are so many bizarre destinations around the world that offer a unique experience that you’re sure to never forget.
Do you have any bizarre places you’d recommend?
Tell us in the comments below.
