7 ‘7 Giants’, Russia

In a far-flung area of Russia’s Komi Republic, in the northern Ural mountains, lies seven mysterious Manpupuner rock formations that tower 200 feet above the Siberian landscape. These gargantuan stone pillars have been sculpted by the weathering effects of ice and wind. The first person to climb these pillars was Red Bull athlete Stefan Glowacz in 2013. (source)

8 Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania

The Eye of the Sahara (The Richat Structure) is a prominent geological circular feature in the Sahara desert in Mauritania. It has a diameter of 30 miles and is actually used as a landmark for space shuttle crews. It was originally thought to be the result of a meteorite impact, but it is now argued that is an incredibly symmetrical and deeply eroded geological dome that collapsed. (source)

9 Red Beach, China

The Far East is known for providing a number of visual wonders in the spring and fall. One place in particular is Red Beach in Panjin (approximately 300 miles northeast of Beijing), China. It is a wetland with a unique variety of alkali-tolerant seaweed that turns from green to a vibrant crimson red in the autumn. (source)

10 Moeraki Boulders, New Zealand

Scattered along Koekohe Beach in New Zealand are the Moeraki Boulders. They are calcite concretions that formed about 65 million years ago. According to Maori legend, these boulders are eel baskets that washed up from an enormous, sunken canoe. (source)

11 Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

The Baobab tree is a hypnagogic species of Adansonia, commonly referred to as the “upside down tree”. Close to the city of Morondova in western Madagascar, lies a mystical forest of Baobab trees – some that are up to 80 feet tall and around 800 years old. (source)

12 Fingal’s Cave, Scotland

Immortalized by Mendelssohn in his “Hebrides Overture”, after he visited the island of Staffa, Scotland in 1829, lies Fingal’s Cave. The island is uninhabited, save for the unique, cathedral-like structure with hexagonal columns. (source)