Our world is full of surprises. From Hell on Earth to forests made of stone, we promise that these bizarre landscapes aren’t photoshopped!

Grand Prismatic Spring, Wyoming, USA

Tianzi Mountain, China

Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

Fly Geyser, Nevada

Eye of the Sahara, Mauritania

Chocolate Hills, Bohol, Philippines

‘Door to Hell,’ Turkmenistan

The Door to Hell is a natural gas fire which has been burning continuously since it was lit by Soviet petroleum engineers in 1971. The fire is fed by the rich natural gas deposits in the area and resembles hell on Earth.

Lake Hillier, Australia

The pink color of this lake is thought to be the result of a dye created by algae and bacteria in the water. Despite the odd hue, the lake doesn’t seem to have any adverse effects on humans or local wildlife.

Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

During the rainy season, the world’s largest salt flat becomes the world’s largest mirror. The Salar was born when several prehistoric lakes joined into one. The salt flat is so reflective, it’s used to calibrate satellites.

The Twelve Apostles, Victoria, Australia

The apostles are columns of hard rock that have survived thousands of years of coastal erosion. Now, according to local legend, they look over the beach and each have individual names.

Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, China

More than 24 million years of erosion have exposed this spectacular mishmash of red sandstone and mineral deposits.

Socotra, Yemen

Socotra looks like nowhere on Earth because one third of its bizarre plant life is found exclusively on the island. By far the strangest form of life on this secluded spot of land is the dragon blood tree, which resembles an umbrella.

The Wave, Arizona, United States

The Wave is a Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone rock formation. Erosion by wind and rain in it’s 190 million year history has created the spectacular landscape which appears now.

The Marble Cathedral, Patagonia, Argentina and Chile

This incredible rock in the middle of General Carrera Lake has been bombarded by waves for the past 6,000 years. Erosion has created an effect that looks like a skilled artist has taken a paintbrush to the rocks, but, it’s all natural.

Koekohe Beach, New Zealand

The spherical Moreaki boulders dominate this beach. According to Maori legend, these almost perfectly spherical boulders are eel baskets washed up from enormous canoes. Scientists say that they are calcite concretions formed under immense pressure over 65 million years and exposed by coastal erosion.

Pamukkale, Turkey

Used by the Romans, the terraces and pools of Pamukkale were created by the mineral water flowing from hot springs that fill them. Over time, the minerals clung to the landscape, creating a magnificent spot for an evening soak.

Nishino-shima, Japan

This tiny island is one of the youngest places on Earth. At only a year old, this piece of land in the Pacific Ocean was created when an underwater volcano erupted and the magma was cooled by the ocean. And it’s still going, continuing to expand the island day by day.

Red Beach, Panjin, China

In the fall, vast areas of this wetland transform into a vibrant red. The alkali-tolerant seaweed is unique to this area, creating an incredible landscape.

Champagne Pool, Rotorua, New Zealand

This hot spring is relatively young at 900-years-old. The result of a hydrothermal eruption, it contains a mixture of carbon dioxide and arsenic, making it bubble like a glass of sparkling wine.

Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, USA

Devil’s Tower marks the spot at which magma once exploded through the surface of the Earth. Over millions of years, magma was expelled onto the surface and cooled, forming this grand and almost artificial-looking structure.

Kelimutu Crater Lakes, Flores Island, Indonesia

These massive lakes have formed over millions of years. The westernmost lake is called the Lake of Old People and is usually a vibrant blue because of a concoction of minerals found in the volcanic rock. The other two are called the Lake of Young Men and Maidens and The Bewitched Lake, which are typically green and red, respectively.

Avenue of the Baobabs, Madagascar

Near the city of Morondava in western Madagascar lies a surreal forest of majestic baobab trees, jewels of the island country’s landscape. Tourists flock to this famed road, a protected zone, where the baobab, often called the ‘upside down tree,’ reaches a height of up to 80 feet tall and many are more than 800 years old.

White Desert, Egypt

This desert in the Farafra Depression seems more like another planet than another country. It’s filled with alien-like, wind-eroded rock, which is so white it appears to have been bleached by the sun. As a result, the formations have been called Inselbergs.

Shilin Stone Forest, China

These limestone formations dominate the landscape as if they were a petrified trees, creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Many are believed to be more than 270 million years old.

Tunnel of Love, Ukraine

This tunnel was shaped over decades, as trains traveled the line, molding surrounding trees into a picturesque tunnel that has become a romantic spot for an afternoon stroll.(via:distractify)