6 Moss Swamp, Romania 

The Moss Swamp in Romania is often called the “Green Island” as it is covered with plants and soil. The area is spread with green moss, and there is a particular spot that has a swamp. The entire area of the moss is convex and it is quite impressive.

This large and mysterious moss swamp is located a little ways from the Romanian Bran castle. The local swamps here may have water wells up to 10 meters deep, so, one must be cautious while visiting this place.

The moss swamp is a very popular tourist destination in Romania, and the entire area looks like a fairytale. This is just the little brother of the Great Moss Swamp in New Zealand. (1, 2)

7 Dagon Blood Trees, Yemen

The Dragon Blood Trees in Socotra Island, Yemen have a weird look like an inverted umbrella or mushroom. The forest on this island has trees that ooze red-colored sap and are hence known as Dragon Blood trees. 

Socotra Island in Yemen has a strange-looking forest that has unusual-looking trees with weird features. These are the most unique and abstract-looking vegetative species on the entire planet. These Dragon Blood trees look like an inverted umbrella consisting of thick, plentiful branches growing upwards. They resemble gigantic dried-out broccoli-like trees. These trees sprout from the desert landscape of the island.

Socotra Island is part of Yemen located in the Arabian Sea. Scientists have concluded that the long isolation of the island, combined with high temperature and drought, has resulted in these weird-looking, endemic flora. The trees on the forest island ooze out red sap and so have been named “Dragon Blood Trees.”

The unique umbrella-like orientation of the trees enables them to collect moisture from the highland mist and also creates shade to protect the upward sprouting seedlings. The flora and fauna of this forest in Socotra are ranked amongst the ten most endangered island flora in the world.

This forest with Dragon Blood Trees has made Socotra island a much-visited island destination. (1, 2)

8 Deadvlei Forest, Namibia 

Also known as the “Dead Tree Forest,” the Deadvlei Forest in Namibia has a weird tree sight. On parched white clay soil stand dead trees more than 900 years old. The blackened skeletons of the trees seem frozen in time. The dead forest looks quite eerie and unusual.

The Namib-Naukluft Natural Park in Namibia is a very famous tourist spot owing to its “Deadvlei Forest.” Here, one can find dead and blackened tree skeletons standing upright on dry parched land. These are estimated to be more than 900 years old. 

The tree skeletons have turned black because of years of standing under the scorching sun. These did not decompose because of the extremely dry conditions here. It is believed that these trees germinated after the area received intense rainfall some 900 years ago, but then the water all evaporated. The trees died after some time, but could not decompose in the absence of moisture.

This forest is a dream destination for photography and nature lovers because of its unusual biodiversity. It is a lovely sight to capture, with bright-orange dunes as the backdrop and burnt-black trees in the center. This place looks every bit as if out of a painting. (1, 2)

9 Shilin (Stone Forest), Yunnan Province, China 

The Shilin Forest in Yunnan Province of China has stunning limestone formations. The tree-like towering peaks of limestone rise from the ground giving it a stone-forest kind of look.

Located in Yunnan Province, a certain part of the South China Karst was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. This is the now-famous “Shilin” or “Stone Forest.” One can find some stunning formations of limestone rising from the ground as towering peaks. These formations are said to be 270 million years old. The peaks resemble petrified trees giving the illusion of a forest made from stone. Some of the rock formations stand 130 ft tall. The entire forest covers an area of 500 sq km. The distinct carvings on the formations can be attributed to constant erosion and weathering.

The stone forest has magnificent, strange, and unique natural scenery. There are a few species of lemurs, monkeys, and birds here. This is a famous spot for Kunming tourists. (1, 2)

10 Lake Kaindy Sunken Forest, Kazakhstan

The Lake Kaindy Sunken Forest in Kazakhstan is popular amongst tourists as a forest submerged inside a lake. Today, it is popular as a lake, but once upon a time, it was a ghostly forest!

Inside the famous Tian Shan Mountains in Kazakhstan, lies a 1,300-foot-long lake created in 1911 due to an earthquake. A group of ghostly, topless trees, partially submerged in the turquoise-blue waters of the lake, give it a stunning appearance. Years of algae formation on the trunks give these trees a greenish hue. These are bare at the top with their pine needles intact beneath the water, giving an appearance of a thriving forest underwater. The plantations beneath the waters have resisted decomposition owing to the frigid temperatures of the water, which rarely gets above six degrees Celsius. The water is absolutely clear even in the summers, giving a stark, clear view of the sunken forest beneath.

The earthquake triggered a landslide creating a natural dam. This caused a large grove of spruce trees to be flooded with rainwater which resulted in a sunken forest. The lake is now 1,300 feet long. The spruce trees are long dead, but their bare tops sprouting from above the water resemble giants’ spears and give the forest a very unusual and bizarre look. This looks even more ghastly when a light fog is cast over the water or when the lake is frozen in winter. 

The Kaindy Lake is a spectacular tourist destination in Kazakhstan, frequented by nature-lovers. (1, 2)