The world is a magnificent place and it never fails to marvel us.
From the tallest mountain to the deepest trenches, we have often stared in awe and wonderment
at how Mother Nature is able to create such beautiful landscapes that seem to come right
off the pages of a high fantasy novel.
However, despite all the awe and wonderment, mankind – as our species progressed throughout
the millennia – have indiscriminately trampled on plenty of nature’s works of art.
We have re-sculpted mountains and uprooted trees in order to pave freeways and erect
apartment complexes and gigantic malls all in the name of industry.
It’s quite tragic that Mother Nature has to take big hits and blows from what we have
done but she does have a way of keeping the best things away from man’s indiscriminate
and destructive behaviour.
There simply are places that – thanks to their geography and climate conditions – have
kept mankind at bay and are well preserved in their marvellous states.
Which is why, in today’s video, we are counting down to 10 of the world’s most beautiful
places that are untouched by human hands!
We hope that you enjoy what you see and be reminded that we don’t always have to uproot
trees and pour concrete on natural landscapes to make a place attractive.
10.
ATACAMA DESERT Known as, perhaps, the world’s driest location,
the Atacama Desert does not get any rain at all rendering its soil unable to support plant
life; not to mention the fact that much of its expanse is made out of sand, lava, and
salt basins.
To say that the land is parched is an extreme understatement.
However, despite its arid landscape and the land’s lack of ability to create or support
life, the Atacama Desert has become one of NASA’s best locations to conduct their research
such as ground tests for Mars missions.
Also, the desert is also one of the best places to conduct astronomical study due to its extremely
high altitude, dry air, lack of light pollution and radio interference, and its virtually
cloudless skies.
Though there may be two major observatories in the desert which makes calling the place
completely untouched by human hands a little ironic, the fact that cities surrounding it
are spaced wide apart and that there are no other industrial or residential structures
within its bounds earns it a place on this list.
Also, its 40,000 square miles of dry land is already saying something.
9.
NAMIBIA Getting its name from the Namib Desert, Namibia
is one of the few sparsely populated areas in the southern part of Africa.
Because human presence is at an extreme minimum, Namibia is home to largest population of wild
cheetahs that make about a quarter of the entire world’s cheetah population – about
2,500 of these speedsters.
Even more impressive about Namibia – aside from its magnificent sand dunes, waterfalls,
and petroglyphs – is the fact that because it is an untouched African landscape, it is
one of the few countries in the world to have perfectly preserved its ecosystem in its entire
constitution.
8.
THE SEYCHELLES Pristine beaches and a healthy population
of wildlife that includes the Seychelles Black Parrot, The Seychelles has at least 50% of
its island nation under conservation which makes it one of the most beautiful places
on earth.
Perhaps it is the only country in the world with half of its land mass under conservation!
And we believe that this is for good reason because the island nation boasts one of the
most magnificent shorelines and beaches that we have ever seen.
Its clear waters and powder soft sands make it the envy of any island country across the
globe.
And with very little tourists and visitors exploring its shores, The Seychelles remain
clean and pristine all-year round.
7.
THE FOREST LAKE Russia’s Lake Baikal is the world’s oldest
and deepest lake.
It is also recorded as the largest freshwater lake in terms of volume.
To give you an idea, Baikal Lake makes for 20% of the entire world’s fresh water surface
which is larger than the combined waters of the Great Lakes of North America.
Also, the lake is home to 2000 different species of plant and animal life, two-thirds of which
are only endemic to the lake’s region.
How is it untouched and unexplored?
Lake Baikal’s location makes it one of the most difficult – if not impossible – places
to visit.
Found in south-central Siberia, the lake is surrounded by mountains, an extremely dense
forest, and a number of wild rivers.
Perhaps the only way to see the lake itself is to travel by air and because of the thick
forests below, landing a helicopter or a small plane is out of the question.
I guess its inaccessibility is Mother Nature’s way of telling us that it’s okay to “look
but not touch”.
6.
TEPUI, VENEZUELA These large, towering sandstone plateaus are
called the “Home of the Gods” in the language of the indigenous people of Gran Sabana in
Venezuela.
Rather than connected ranges like mountains, Tepuis are commonly isolated land-masses that
tower high above ground.
Tepuis are, in actuality, the remains of large plateaus of sandstone from the Precambrian
period.
Over thousands of years, the land structures eroded leaving only the Tepuis that we now
know of today.
Despite its altitude, wildlife and plant-life prosper high atop the Tepuis – the tallest
of them have been recorded as 3000 meters tall.
Dense forest lands blanket the flat top surface that has a slightly cooler temperature than
the ground below and receives regular rainfall.
It is because of its location, many plants have adapted to its unique climate and have
become rare species that can only be found in the Tepuis.
5.
HONOKOHAU FALLS If you are thinking of visiting these majestic
falls by foot or by car, you’re far better off booking a helicopter tour.
Surrounded by lush and thick forests and sloping landscapes, Honokohau Falls can only be seen
from the sky.
It is the tallest two-tiered waterfall in the island of Maui, Hawaii and is one of the
most majestic places in the world that has never been touched by human hands.
Atop the falls is a labyrinthine network of streams that travel down Mount Waialeale and
down the famed falls themselves.
Also, the waters cominf down from Honokohau Falls fill the lower bodies of water that
form the Hawaiian rivers of Waimea, Makaveli, Wailua, and Hanapepe.
As a point of interest, in the movie Jurassic Park, Honokohau Falls makes an appearance
in frame as one of the scenes that establishes the movie’s fictional theme park island.
4.
TSINGY DE BEMARAHA Also known as the Stone Forest of Madagascar,
Tsingy de Bemaraha has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990 and has
since been under strict conservation to protect its landscape and diverse wildlife endemic
to the island.
Translated as “Where One Cannot Walk Barefoot”, Tsingy de Bemahara’s unique natural structures
of jagged rock protrusions were formed over millions of years as they began as underground
caves.
As monsoon rains wash over the formations’ layers of sediment and limestone, the stone
forest began to take shape and have risen up to 70 meters from the ground.
What’s even more unique about these formations is the vegetation and lush forests at the
base of the canyon that is home to teeming wildlife.
A stark contrast to the bare, razor looking edges of the top part of the Tsingy.
Though formations of eroded limestones may exist elsewhere on the island, none of them
compare to the extraordinary topography and size of the Tsingy.
3.
BHUTAN When the image of Bhutan comes to mind, many
of us would immediately picture vast mountain ranges blanketed by the clouds, sweeping valleys
below, and lone monasteries atop snow-capped summits.
While this image is not entirely false, a tiny detail that we miss is that Bhutan is
covered in forests.
In fact, about 60% of the land is covered in lush greenery which makes a quarter of
its natural territory protected by law and designated as national parks.
Another interesting fact to note about Bhutan is that, compared to its Himalayan cousin,
Tibet, it is comparatively much cleaner and is practically an unpolluted paradise that
has allowed a biologically diverse ecosystem to take over and preserve the land.
2.
ANTARCTICA While it may be a frozen continent, Antarctica
is also classified as a desert because of its obvious lack of rainfall.
Uninhabited and untouched by human civilization, about 96% of the continent is covered in ice
that is at least 1 mile thick.
Its beauty is in the desolate wastes that prevent human life from surviving overtime
which is why the continent is abundant in wildlife endemic to extremely cold climates
such as seals, penguins, various seabirds, and populations of whales.
Undoubtedly the coldest place on earth, it is very much an essential part of our entire
ecosystem that scientists and researchers risk their lives to visit in order to break
the ice on the mystery that surrounds this frozen realm.
1.
GALAPAGOS ISLAND Despite the fact that hundreds of travellers
have reached its shores after Charles Darwin’s legendary voyage, the Galapagos Islands remains
pristine and untouched by human hands.
The archipelago, over countless years since Darwin’s visit, still has a diverse and
populous wildlife that has become part of the island’s identity; and for over 5 decades,
the Galapagos has become a protected biological marine preserve and its 23,000 local inhabitants
make sure that it remains that way.
Because aside from penguins, sea lions, and whales; there are also species of giant tortoises
and iguanas that are endemic only to the island – some of the tortoises have been recorded
to be at least 100 years old.