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There are places that calm us, places that entertain us, places that challenge us, and then there are places that surprise us. The element of surprise is what lends excitement to the mundane, and makes life exciting.
If you too are looking for a sense of exhilaration on your next trip, below is our list of unusual places that will tease you with the promise of thrill and adventure:
Roswell UFO Museum, Mexico
If you are a fan of Sci-Fi movies or are intrigued by alien life, Roswell UFO Museum could be your favourite place on the earth. Behind the conception of this museum, there’s a story laced with mystery, drama and thrill that could very well have been the plot of a Hollywood movie. So, it is believed that the owner of a ranch here found a crashed saucer containing dead aliens in 1947. The town was sworn to secrecy by the CIA, who now hides the remains of the saucer and the aliens. The museum that stands here educates visitors on alien sightings and abductions as well as government cover-ups among other things. Such is the impact of this event on the town, that it holds annual Roswell UFO Festival to mark the anniversary of the incident where UFO researchers share their latest insights. Intriguing, right?
Image Credits: FritsAir, Amrith Raj
Hutt River Principality, Australia
Hutt River Principality located in the desert of Western Australia calls itself an “independent sovereign state”, thanks to the tussle of one Leonard George Casley with the government of Western Australia over taxes on wheat production. There’s a long story of how he used the British Treason Act of 1495 to declare his independence from Australia and why the government couldn’t stop him. But what is important for travellers is that like a country, this principality has its own currency, stamps and a website. The ‘country’ that doesn’t exist on the world map is open for exploration between 9am to 4pm.
Borobudar Buddhist Temple, Indonesia
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Java, Indonesia, Borobudar is one of its own kinds of Buddhist temples in the world. The monument is built on six square platforms atop which rest three circular platforms. 2672 relief panels of enlightenment as well as 504 Buddha statues adorn the temple that represents three levels of Buddhist cosmology. It is said that every relief panel hides a teaching of Buddha, and the one who figures out all 2672 panels attains enlightenment. If enlightenment isn’t your goal, visit the beautiful temple for its architecture that remains quite unique to it. The temple remains open between 6am-5pm every day. Watching the sunrise from here is on the wish list of many tourists visiting Indonesia.
Island of Dolls, Mexico
While you are in Mexico checking out the Roswell UFO Museum, there’s another unusual place waiting to be explored in the vicinity. The Island of Dolls, however, is not for the faint-hearted. Hundreds of dolls or their broken limbs hanging from trees in this deserted island bring to life the most vivid recollections from horror movies. The story goes that a little girl drowned in the canal here and her spirit haunted the island. To ward off the spirit, one Don Julian Santana, who found her body, tied a doll to the tree, and kept adding many more over the years to keep the spirit at bay. The chilling fact is that the man was found dead at same spot he discovered the body of the girl. The island is now a private property, and regular tours are arranged for visitors to explore this creepy yet unusual place.
Ghost Tours in Edinburgh
Believed to be one of the most haunted cities in the world, Edinburgh has enough places to spook visitors. You must, however, visit the dark underground vaults that were constructed as storage spaces for nearby shops, but were abandoned when the water started leaking into them. Now they remain damp, devoid of sunlight and air, and hence fertile grounds for ghost stories. You’ll be hearing stories of people who were haunted here under the flashlight of the guide.