Geographic names are funny and strange. The most unusual islands in the world The most unusual island on earth
Every year, TripAdvisor ranks the best islands in the world. This year was no exception. Moreover, it is worth noting that this rating is not based on the traditional “expert” assessments of the editorial staff, but on the recommendations and reviews of visitors to this interesting portal.
This year, the ranking was topped by the island of Providenciales in the Caribbean, and only two representatives of past laureates remained in the top ten - the Thai Tau and the famous Bora Bora. And this fact should not surprise anyone, since the tourism market is difficult to predict and it is simply impossible to predict which destination will become popular this year.
Coral Paradise - Providenciales Island
This largest island of the Caribbean archipelago is part of such a little-known state as Turks and Caicos. The state is an extension of the Bahamas, so it is not surprising that its islands are characterized by the same features for a luxury holiday - white sandy beaches, a mild climate that allows you to relax all year round, turquoise waters and magnificent nature that create beautiful scenery for walks.
However, the main reason for the island’s frequent inclusion in various ratings is not the usual snow-white beaches familiar to everyone, but the variety of recreation. Vacationers will have great fun with yachting, windsurfing and snorkeling. And the main and most popular entertainment here is diving. This is facilitated by both warm sea waters and picturesque coral reefs, which can be easily reached from the shore. 
Maui Island in Hawaii
The Hawaiian Islands have long been the canons of a good holiday. And if previously the most popular among the islands were Hawaii and Oahu, now the island of Maui, which is more accessible to tourists, is taking the leading position.
First of all, when people talk about holidays in Hawaii, they immediately think of surfing and windsurfing. After all, the Hawaiian Islands are a mecca for those who like to swim on a board. In addition, Maui, with its sparse population, is where you can fully enjoy nature. Haleakao National Park's raging waterfalls and stunning bamboo forest, not to mention its traditional warm sandy beaches, attract many tourists. Therefore, the island rightfully occupies second place in the ranking.
Roatan - Paradise in the Caribbean
How often do we hear the words “The wrong country was called Honduras” in a negative sense, expressed in relation to one’s own country. However, if you look closely at the latter, Honduras is a good comparison. Especially if you look at holidays on the island of Roatan, which belongs to Honduras.
The island is surrounded by coral reefs and covered with magnificent beaches, making it an ideal holiday destination for both casual beachgoers and scuba diving enthusiasts. An ideal place has been created here for lovers of ecotourism (the Carambola botanical garden is famous for its tropical park of exotic birds) and for various types of entertainment - from sea fishing to all water sports.
Calm and romance in Santorini
The Cyclades islands amaze everyone with their amazing natural beauty. The most mysterious and beautiful in this Archipelago is Santorini, which owes its birth to volcanic lava.
This island is often called romantic, but unlike most "paradise" ocean islands, which received their title due to their wild nature and snow-white beaches, Santorini received this title thanks to the houses carved into the rocks, which with their snow-white facades and bright blue roofs attract tourists from all over the world .
Unlike most of the islands on the list, people come to Santorini not for diving or extreme entertainment, but to kindle a real fire in loving hearts. And most of the tourists are newlyweds, whom the island pleases with its unforgettable romance and positivity.
Vibrant diving on Koh Tao Island in Thailand
The waters of the Gulf of Thailand shelter the cozy island of Tao or “Turtle Island” shaded by palm trees. The island got its name thanks to the numerous colonies of sea turtles that have chosen its snow-white sandy beaches. Once upon a time the island was uninhabited and only turtles were its only inhabitants. The white sand and azure clear water around the island cannot but delight tourists, who, like the majestic reptiles many centuries ago, have now chosen these beaches.
However, this resort island is famous not only for its snow-white sandy hills and 300 sunny days a year, allowing you to lazily sunbathe on the beach. However, the island attracts most tourists with its underwater beauty.
Diving on Koh Tao is the most popular activity. Coral reefs rich in marine life, more than 30 dive sites of varying difficulty levels, including wrecks and a short distance to dive sites - all this makes Koh Tao the “Diving Mecca” of Southeast Asia.
A safe haven for travelers – Madeira Island
For many centuries, the Portuguese island of Madeira has served as a haven for all travelers who rushed to conquer the Atlantic. Thanks to its mild and temperate climate, this paradise in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean has been a holiday destination not only for sailors, but also for the wealthy European elite for six centuries.
At the same time, most tourists come here not to bask on the beaches, since there are simply none here, but for an active pastime. The island is a real haven for lovers of hunting and fishing, diving and windsurfing, and green tourism. The main attractions of the island are the Madeira National Reserve and its Botanical Gardens. It is here that you can see all the worldwide diversity of flora that the Portuguese collected during the three centuries of their rule at sea.
“Island of the Gods” – Bali
In Indonesia, between the two largest islands of Lombok and Java, there is a cozy picturesque corner that attracts tourists with its majestic volcanoes Gunung Angung and Kintamini, pristine tropical forests and blue lagoons.
The shores of the island hide delightful temple complexes and a sacred monkey forest, where mischievous primates will give tourists a little boost of energy in exchange for small sweets for them. In addition, Bali is a kind of Indian enclave in the middle of Muslim Indonesia, and this is where you can calmly relax on the coast, strengthening your spirit with yoga classes.
Although the main attraction of the island is its white sandy beaches along with the surrounding coral landscapes that attract divers from all over the world, there are several other must-see spots on the island of Bali. One of them is the Barat National Park, spread over 20,000 hectares. It is there that you can see, without bars or enclosures, all sorts of combinations of flora and fauna in the pristine wild world.
The sandy paradise of mesmerizing Mauritius
Mauritius has long been one of the most beautiful holiday destinations. This tropical paradise, which is sometimes called the “key to the Indian Ocean”, despite its modest size, has more than a hundred kilometers of snow-white beaches.
It was the bright combination of the turquoise waters of the lagoon, coral reefs and bizarre mountains that became the reason that holidays on the island were ranked as top-notch. Moreover, on local beaches you can often see famous artists and billionaires, who are attracted here by the high level of comfort and individual recreation of the highest level. Local authorities are trying to make the resort not just an ordinary place of mass pilgrimage. Therefore, you will not often meet an ordinary budget tourist on the island, and once you get here you will be completely confident that you will have a top-class luxury vacation.
Mauritius is almost completely surrounded by reefs, making it an ideal place for diving and fishing. It is here that you can see and catch the very fish that every fisherman dreams of getting in his trophies - various types of marlin, sailfish and bright representatives of the shark family.
Bora Bora - the island of romantic lovers
Bora Bora is the largest island among the 118 islands of French Polynesia. It has the status of the unofficial capital of romantics and newlyweds and is considered a romantic and exotic place on the planet. The island, like most of its neighbors, was formed by a chain of volcanic eruptions and is now a mountain range with three peaks piercing the sky above a dazzling blue lagoon. 
Despite its miniature size (you can travel around it in an hour by car), nature has so generously endowed the island with its beauty that it rightfully proudly bears the title of “an emerald in a turquoise frame with a necklace of pearls - that’s how you can describe it by looking at it above.
Bora Bora offers a variety of activities, from coral garden expeditions and majestic mountain visits to extreme snorkeling and diving. Moreover, one of the most interesting entertainments is hand-feeding local stingrays and sharks.
Paradise holiday on the beaches of Fernando de Noronha
Fernando de Noronha is the name of an archipelago located near Brazil, consisting of more than twenty islands. However, the largest island is inhabited and, accordingly, the most popular of this cohort, which attracts all beach lovers. In addition, this archipelago has been included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List for fifteen years, since it is in its waters that large populations of dolphins, sea turtles and cetaceans live.
It is here that the Baia do Sancho beach is located, which has become a real mecca for all lovers of sea holidays and is firmly included in the list of the best beaches in the world. This famous crescent-shaped beach is surrounded on all sides by cliffs and in order to get to it you need to go down seventy-meter stairs. However, it's worth it - the cove around the beach is a real natural treasure. The bay is a natural pool surrounded by hardened lava, in which the water is always crystal clear.
short facts about
UNUSUAL
GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES
Funny and weird
Name A They simultaneously have rivers in the Netherlands, Germany, places on the Lofot Islands of Norway, as well as in France, Denmark and Sweden.
There are also two small towns with the name AND- one is located in the north of France, and the other on the west coast of Finland.
There is also a village in France ABOUT, however, this is how it is read, although it is written not with one, but with four letters: Nauh.
Towns YU located in France and Sweden.
E- this is the name of a town in Belgium and one of the ports of Burma.
In the Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean you can visit a town called U. A similar name is given to the left tributary of the great river of Southeast Asia, the Mekong, in the Lao Republic and a city in South Korea.
Dad- a city in Hungary.
Tyatya(old Russian "father") is a volcano on the Kuril Island Iturup.
Mother- city and river, left tributary of the Vitim River in the Irkutsk region of Russia. By the way, the sources of this river are called Right Mama and Left Mama.
Daughter- a river in the Bryansk region, a tributary of the Desna, and a river in the Moscow region.
Woman- a cape in the west of the Asia Minor peninsula (Türkiye). The mountain range in the Hindu Kush system in Afghanistan also bears the same name. By the way, “Baba” means “Father” in Arabic.
Grandmothers- a village in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.
Great Grandmother- also in Ukraine - a tributary of the Seversky Donets and a village of the same name in the Kharkov region. Babka is a river in the Perm region of Russia and a city in the west of the island of New Guinea.
Dedovsk- a village in the Moscow region.
Sister- rivers in the Moscow and Leningrad regions.
Brothers- islands off the southern coast of the Republic of Vietnam.
Vnukovo- a village near Moscow.
Husbands- a village on the Ob River in Siberia and a left tributary of the Tagus River in Portugal.
Godfather- a river in Turkey. Kuma is a river in the North Caucasus and a city in the Australian state of Victoria.
Cousin- an island in the Seychelles group in the Indian Ocean.
Matchmaker- a river in Eastern Slovakia and Pakistan.
Twins- a village in the Kharkov region of Ukraine.
Stepmother- a village in the Volgograd region.
Relatives- a village in the Kaliningrad region of Russia.
Village Neighbor located in the Penza region.
River Boy flows through the Magadan and Kamchatka regions of the Far East.
Village Maid located in the Voronezh region of Russia.
City Virgo- in Western Romania.
A tributary of the Abakan River in the Krasnoyarsk Territory is called She, and the village on the Rioni River in Georgia is called They.
In the state of Massachusetts (USA) there is a small lake, the name of which is not easy to pronounce without stopping, because it consists of 42 letters, and in English transcription it is even longer (44 letters). Judge for yourself: Chargoggagogg. Translated from the local Indian language, this abracadabra means: “I will fish on this side, you will fish on that side, and in the middle no one catches anything.” Thus, the name of the lake records an agreement between two Indian tribes that once lived on its shores.
The long name is associated with one of the villages of the North Island of New Zealand: Taumatavkakapikiahu(83 letters!). Translated from the local Maori language, it means: "The place where Tamatea, the man with long shins, the famous mountain eater who moved mountains, climbed them and swallowed them, played the flute for his beloved."
The longest among the Gulliver names is the name of the capital located in Southeast Asia of the Republic of Thailand - Bangkok. Translated, it sounds like this: “Place of the wild plum,” but the full local name has as many as 147 (!) letters and means: “The great city of angels, the highest repository of divine treasures, a great land that cannot be conquered, a great and prosperous kingdom, a magnificent and "The wonderful capital of the nine jewels, the place where the greatest rulers live and a great palace is located, the home of the gods who can transform into spirits." It is this geographical name that is registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest in the world.
River Volga, in addition to the well-known one, flows in the state of Iowa (USA). The right tributary of the Mississippi has the same name. The city of the same name is located on the banks of the American Volga.
River Don flows in Scotland, in the north of the island of Great Britain, and the famous tributary of the Volga Oka has a “namesake” - a large tributary of the Angara in Eastern Siberia.
City Moscow located in the Vyatka region of Russia.
You can get to Russia from Berlin V Paris without leaving the territory of the Chelyabinsk region. Is here also Leipzig, Varna and other cities. All these, usually small, cities received their names in honor of the outstanding victories of the Russian army in the Patriotic War of 1812.
There are railway stations in the Odessa region of Ukraine Borodino, Leipzig, Paris and others. Village Paris is also located in the Krasnokutsky district of the Kharkov region.
In the Fergana region of Uzbekistan there is a village with a great name Baghdad, in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan - railway station Cairo, in Moldova - railway station - Sofia, in Latvia and the Yekaterinburg region of Russia - towns Nice, in the Novosibirsk region - a village Shanghai, in the Oryol region - a village Panama, in Irkutsk - railway station Malta.
Nile- a settlement in the Amur region of Russia, Chad- railway station in the Perm region, Sahara- river in Yakutia, Africa- cape on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Victoria- a village in the Aktobe region of Kazakhstan.
Bay America- in the Far East, Danube Islands- at the mouth of the great Siberian river Lena, Eldorado village- on the middle Yenisei, lake china- in the Odessa region of Ukraine.
On the Perm - Nizhny Tagil railway there is Eurasia station(on the border of Europe and Asia).
An interesting road sign is located in the vicinity of the American city of Linchula (Maine). He indicates that from here to Peru- 90, up to Poland - 50, Denmark - 35, Norway- 25 km. All of these localities are in this state and are not countries.
There are villages in the states of Indiana, Minnesota and North Dakota Russia, Belarus And Kyiv. They were founded over 100 years ago by natives of these areas who moved to America in search of a happy life.
In the California desert there is stop Siberia. It must be admitted that the authors of this title were humorists. After all, the hottest place in the entire Western Hemisphere is located nearby.
Located in the south of Brazil city America.
In the USA there are cities such as London, Boston, Newcastle, Cambridge, Oxford, Baltimore, Bristol, Greenwich and many others whose “parents” are in Europe.
Geographical names came from France to the American continent Orleans, Nancy, Toulon, Lyon, A Paris occurs over ten times.
Found seven times on the US map Moscow and repeatedly numerous towns called Petersburg, Rome, Cairo, Athens, Odessa and others.
From Spain to Latin America such geographical names as Barcelona, Valencia, Venice, Granada, Cordoba, Seville and others.
In Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region there is Mamalyga village, and in Poltava - Pie.
Cockroach- the name of a small island and city of the same name off the eastern coast of the Indonesian island of Kalimantan.
Gang- one of the seas washing the shores of the islands of Sulawes, New Guinea and Timor.
An island with an attractive name Paradise can be seen off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam.
In the Gulf of Thailand in the west of the island, New Guinea rises mountain house.
Sombrero- this is the name of the strait in the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean.
Rivers Dream And Barack flow in India.
Pech City located in Hungary, Cabinet- in Sweden, and cities with no less strange, in our opinion, names Salo located in Finland and Northern Italy.
There are towns in Italy Bank, Fortune And Mirage.
Madonna- a city in Latvia.
Duma city located in Syria.
Village Game- in Udmurtia.
Give- in Romania.
Moi River flows in Ireland, and islet Mak is located in the Hebrides group of islands off the coast of Great Britain.
Kucha city is located in Western China, Tank- in Pakistan, Tea And Chan- in Turkey, city of Limon- in Guatemala.
Subject- a seaport in the African republic of Ghana.
Marine name Squid assigned to a French land city in Alsace.
On the geographical map of the Russian Federation you will see nearby Summer And Winter shores, as well as the city Winter in Eastern Siberia.
Stump- a village in the Novosibirsk region, Miracle- in Smolenskaya, Baklushi And Turks- in Saratovskaya, Kalach- in Volgogradskaya, boot- in Ryazan, Wand- in Tomsk, Bottom- in Pskovskaya, Mud- in Lipetskaya, A cap- in Leningradskaya, Wasp- in the Perm regions, Barysh- a river in the Ulyanovsk region.
In Ukraine - Paradise in Ternopil region, Bar- in Vinnytsia, Platypus, Partying, Benefit- in Odessa, Wise heads- in Khmelnytskyi, Good afternoon- in Chernigovskaya, Brawler, Bucha And Kozhanka- in Kievskaya, Money- in Cherkasy, Happiness- in Lugansk regions.
Stomach can be found in the Grodno region of Belarus.
Note flows in Murmansk, Dark in Tverskaya, Pair in Ryazan, Leather in Arkhangelsk and even Shish- the right tributary of the Irtysh - in the Omsk regions.
Villages are located in the Gomel region of Belarus Mars, Venus and even Capricorns. Villages with names Mars we find in the Sharansky district of the Nizhnenovgorod region of Russia and the Novoaidarsky district of the Lugansk region of Ukraine.
Cape The end of the world located on the easternmost island of the Kuril ridge, Shikotan.
Half- this is the name of a village in the Irkutsk region of Russia, halfway between Moscow and Vladivostok.
In the Far East, on the Moscow - Vladivostok railway, one of the cities is called by name and patronymic - Erofey Pavlovich.
Some geographical names reflect the shape of objects. So, for example, in Siberia, in the Eastern Sayan there is Mount Pyramid, in the Arctic Ocean - Yugorsky and Matochkin Shary straits, in the Sea of Okhotsk - Cone Island, and in the east, on the Lysyansky Peninsula, there is Cape Duga Zapadnaya. River Krivaya flows in the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia.
There are also names on the geographical map that consist of only vowels. This Wye- river in England, cities Aue(Germany), Aya("Saint" in Greece), island Eui in the Tonga archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, village Ii- in Australia, island Eiao in the group of Marquesas Islands.
But there are also names consisting of only consonants, for example Croatian island Krk in the Adriatic Sea and mountain Smrk(1204 m) in the Czech Republic.
There are geographical names starting with the letter “Y”, for example, rivers Ykhne in Estonia, Yrgaity in Kyrgyzstan, Yngata in Yakutia (Right tributary of the Vilyuya), as well as villages Eundin in the Komi Republic, Uizhou in Northern and Eunsung in South Korea.
Purely Russian geographical names can be found on the world map. Villages God, Vershok, Morning- in France, Dream- in Spain, Moan- in England, Favorite- in Germany, Rich- in Hungary, Plan- an island off the coast of the Republic of Tunisia in Africa.
based on materials from the book "Entertaining Geography"
And last summer I discovered this in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
and couldn't pass by.
An island, by definition, is a piece of land surrounded on all sides by water (lake, river, sea or ocean), and always rising above the water, regardless of the tides. In such places, living organisms develop somewhat differently, because on the islands they are almost completely isolated from the rest of the world, forming their own small ecosystems. No one knows exactly how many islands there are on our planet, but there are most likely more than a million of them, including the tiniest pieces of land and such large lands as Greenland. Some of the islands are very different from others, and here is a selection of just such amazing places.
10. Bouvet Island
At first glance, there is nothing special about Bouvet. However, this island is considered the most isolated place on our entire planet. Now Bouvet is completely uninhabited, and, most likely, it will remain so for a very long time. Bouvet is located about 2,200 kilometers from Africa's southernmost cape and almost the same distance from Antarctica. In addition, the island is considered the southernmost landmass of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and since 1927 it has officially belonged to the Norwegians, who periodically send scientific expeditions to the area to observe whale migration.
Anyone who has ever seen this place with their own eyes (most often these are professional sailors) will definitely tell you that Bouvet is one of the creepiest and harshest islands in the ocean. Approximately 90% of the surface of this landmass is covered with a thick layer of ice, and its shores are surrounded by almost vertical volcanic slopes, high glacial scarps and underwater reefs. All this makes Bouvet incredibly difficult to disembark from a ship, and the safest way to get to the island is considered to be from a helicopter. If you're still not scared, listen further... The ice-bound land is in the path of the strongest winds. The most severe storms on the planet occur here, and the waves in the Bouvet area rise to the height of a 6-story building. Add to all this the constant threat of hitting an iceberg, and you get one of the most dangerous places on the planet. An elderly sailor once said that “beyond 40 degrees south latitude there are no laws, and beyond 50 degrees there is no God himself.” So you can imagine how sad it is there.
This island was first discovered in 1739 by the French navigator Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier, but he incorrectly indicated the location of this land on the map, and it took another 70 years to search for it again. The second time people appeared here was already in 1808, and in 1964, an expedition that set out on Bouvet made a shocking discovery. In a small lagoon, on the shores of which a large number of seals usually gather, the researchers discovered an abandoned and half-submerged boat that was still in good enough condition to float. At first glance, this ship looked like a lifeboat, and perhaps it was carrying shipwrecked people. But there were no identifying marks on the boat to indicate where it came from or who it belonged to, and the nearest trade route is at least 1,600 kilometers away. No signs of life were found on the coast, although some equipment lay near the water not far from the abandoned boat. There is a version according to which this ship belonged to the Soviet expedition to Antarctica in 1959, and part of the crew wanted to explore the harsh shores of Bouvet, but there is no confirmation of this version yet. It seems that scientists will not be able to solve this mystery any time soon.
9. Lasqueti Island
Here's another island that doesn't look all that great, but you should know that Lasqueti, about an hour's ferry ride from Vancouver, is the most highly educated community in all of British Columbia. The island is the size of Manhattan and is home to approximately 420 residents, 70 of whom are children, and the remaining 350 people, according to the islanders' official blog, are "poets, artists, physicists, fishermen, loggers, farmers, designers, professional musicians, sought-after writers , small producers, farmers and professional consultants in the fields of education, engineering, forestry and alternative energy sources.”
What is especially surprising and worthy of respect is that local residents are almost completely independent, self-sufficient and get along well without the rest of the world. They produce electricity mostly using solar panels, windmills, hydroelectric power stations and, to a lesser extent, conventional fuel generators. Some islanders went further and decided to live without electricity at all, preferring the good old fire, so pleasant to the eyes and soul. There are no paved roads or sewerage system on the island, and fresh water sometimes flows in a very thin trickle depending on the time of year and weather. The only way to get here, or leave Lasqueti, is by ferry, which makes 1-2 trips a day and 5 days a week if weather conditions are not dangerous. Most of the population provides their own food, refusing to depend on anything that can be obtained on the mainland. There is enough space on the island for both vegetable gardens and livestock. Money is not so valued in Lasqueti, because residents happily share everything they need with each other. On the island there is one pub, one cafe and a free store where members of the commune exchange necessary things. One local breeder has more than 40 St. Bernards, and almost a thousand wild sheep graze on the island.
It happens that strangers sometimes arrive here who want to either move to this friendly community or stay for some time on an unusual island. The locals don’t interfere with this at all, but they tell everyone the same thing: “Whenever you want to come, no matter what you expect to find here, please remember that Lasqueti is not some kind of utopian paradise, it’s not “ organized community,” and not at all what you might think. It is simply a relatively remote island inhabited by a small, close-knit community of eccentric and independent people with their own unique culture and identity. Come with an open mind, a determination to experience something a little different from what you are used to, and without clear expectations. Resist the urge to push your vision of what this place should be onto us. It is what it is and we like it that way.”
8. On one island there is a lake, in which there is an island, on which there is another lake, in which there is another island
The largest island in the Philippines has a lake that has its own island, which also has a lake that again contains another island. Sounds very confusing, doesn't it? Let's find out! Firstly, the largest island in the Philippines is Luzon (). About 50 kilometers south of Manila (the capital) there is a lake called Taal. The most interesting thing about this lake is that until recently it was part of the ocean. However, after a series of volcanic eruptions in the 18th century, this bay became a lake, as volcanic debris completely blocked communication with the ocean. Now, instead of a wide canal, there is only a narrow river connecting Taal with the South China Sea. Over the course of several centuries, the salty water of Taal became fresh thanks to numerous rains, and local animals, trapped in this reservoir, adapted to the new living conditions. One of only two species of freshwater snakes on the planet lives in this lake. In addition, gray bull sharks lived in Taal until the 1930s, until they were driven to extinction by local residents.
Next... In Taal Lake there is Volcano Island, which is a volcanic crater rising above the water. The caldera (volcanic valley) inside the island is also filled with water, and the Filipinos call this body of water Yellow Lake. And all because the water in this lake is really green-yellow when compared with Lake Taal. And finally, the last island in this chapter is a tiny piece of land called Vulcan Point. For many years, this place was considered the largest island of the third order, but thanks to the Google Maps service in northern Canada, an even larger island of the same type was discovered on Victoria Island. But the Canadian islands don’t really have any names, and given their remoteness, most likely no one ever goes there. But the Philippine Taal Lake with its islands is one of the most popular attractions in the country.
7. Floating Islands
It may sound incredible, but the world is full of floating islands, and they look completely different. Most often, such islands float in the middle of lakes and swamps, where vegetation and other floating organic matter breaks away from the shores and migrates through the water until they either join another coast or are torn into even smaller pieces during inclement weather. These "floats" can be of different sizes and thicknesses, and the largest of them sometimes reach an area of several hectares.
Floating islands are found not only in small bodies of water, but also in the oceans, and there they grow to incredible sizes. Surely now someone remembered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, although this is not an island of algae, mud or peat. The infamous garbage patch is made up of tiny pieces of plastic that travel on sea currents, and is often barely visible above the water, so it shouldn't be considered a full-fledged island.
Have you ever heard of drifting pumice islands? Such dry patches form when underwater volcanoes eject lava into the sea, which turns into porous volcanic rock in water, just like pumice. This mass can float on the ocean for months and even years, covering distances of thousands of kilometers, until the pores of the island absorb so much water that the drifting volcanic rock eventually sinks to the bottom. If such a pumice island is large enough and floats long enough, grass and palm trees may even grow on it. Some scientists believe that it is thanks to such floating pieces of land that some species of animals and plants migrate across the ocean from one coast to another. According to an even bolder theory, it was these pumice islands that played a key role in the origin and spread of life on Earth.
In 2012, the underwater volcano Havre Seamount erupted, leading to the creation of another floating island almost the size of the whole of Israel - its area was about 19,400 square kilometers! The migrating land was spotted in the South Pacific Ocean around Raoul Island between New Zealand and Fiji. Lieutenant Tim Oscar of the Royal Australian Navy described the object as “the strangest thing he has ever seen in 18 years at sea. It seemed as if the rock was floating on the waves 60 centimeters above the surface of the water and shimmering with bright white light. It looked like an ice shelf."
In 2006, yachtsmen traveling from the island of Neiafu to the shores of Fiji became happy witnesses to the direct formation of such a pumice island. The sailors even walked above it for several hundred meters until they changed course. If the travelers had stayed there any longer, their engine would have become clogged with volcanic debris, and they would likely have been stuck at sea indefinitely.
6. Ottoman Atlantis
The most picturesque part of the Danube is where the river passes through a series of narrow and almost vertical gorges, making its way through the northern Carpathians and the southern part of the Balkan Hills. It is here that the mighty Danube literally squeezes through a channel 150 meters wide, and the depth in the center of its channel reaches over 50 meters. Such gorges are called “cauldrons” or “cauldrons”. In this area, making its way along a narrow path and hitting ledges, the river in some places looks just like water boiling in a cauldron. Several decades ago, in one such Danube “cauldron” there was an inhabited island... It had many different names, but most often it was Ada Kaleh. This Danube piece of land was approximately 1.75 kilometers long and about 400-500 meters wide. The first official mention of Ada-Kale dates back to 1430, when the knights of the Teutonic Order named the island Saan. They say that Herodotus himself mentioned this land in one of his books back in the 5th century BC, but this version has not yet been confirmed.
The most famous name still remains Ada-Kale, which is translated from Turkish as “fortress island.” From the 16th to the 18th century, the strategically advantageous location of this Danube island repeatedly involved it in many conflicts, mainly between the two empires of those times fighting for power in this region - between the Austrian and Ottoman empires. It was not for nothing that the island received its name, because in 1689 a real fortress was actually built here, which was broken and rebuilt several times throughout the history of the confrontation between the great powers. After the signing of the Treaty of Sistova in 1791, which marked the end of the Fourth Austro-Turkish War, Ada Kale was handed over to the Ottoman Empire for the last time. In the 19th century, the island lost its military value for the Turks, and they began to gradually weaken their influence in the Balkans. By the second half of the 19th century, the Turks recognized the independence of Romania, Serbia and Montenegro and agreed to the autonomous status of Bulgaria. The Ottoman Empire began to retreat from European lands, but left its exclave in the middle of the Danube (the territory of one country surrounded by the lands of another) - the island of Ada-Kale with almost a thousand inhabitants, exempt from all taxes, fees and military obligations.
In 1923, when the Ottoman Empire fell and the Republic of Turkey appeared on the map, the island's inhabitants voted to join Romania. Still tax-free and surrounded by incredibly picturesque views, the island of Ada Kale has become a favorite tourist destination, a kind of little oriental world lost right in the middle of Christian Europe. Here you could admire the narrow and crowded streets in Turkish style, enjoy traditional black tea, drink Turkish coffee, treat yourself to Turkish sweets and appreciate local tobacco.
Unfortunately, in the mid-1960s, the ruling parties of communist Romania and Yugoslavia agreed to build a large hydroelectric power station downstream from Ada Kale (Iron Gate I), which meant that the island's days were numbered. By 1971, the dam was ready, the population of the island was evacuated, and soon it was completely hidden under water. For the safety of navigation, the tallest buildings on the island, including the famous mosque, were blown up.
5. Hashima Island
This is a fairly small piece of land (about 65 thousand square meters), and it is located 15 kilometers from the notorious city of Nagasaki. Hashima Island is also called Gunkanjima, translated from Japanese as “warship island”. The second name of this place speaks very eloquently about its appearance. Hashima is one of 505 uninhabited islands belonging to Nagasaki Prefecture in southern Japan. Even though no one lives on Gunkanjima, the island is still surrounded by concrete walls, and since the late 1950s it has even been called “Midori nashi Shima,” which means “island without greenery.” The thing is that almost every square centimeter of this land is filled with cement, and its territory is occupied by an industrial labyrinth of apartment buildings, courtyards, streets and winding staircases. In its heyday, almost 5,500 people lived on Hasima, which at one time earned the island the title of the most densely populated place in human history.
In 1810, coal deposits were discovered here, and the mine was opened already in 1887. In 1890, the Mitsubishi company, then just a transport company, bought the island and launched industrial coal mining here in underwater mines at a depth of 600 meters below sea level, which continued until 1974. Over its entire existence, the mine produced about 15.7 million tons of coal. A city hall, a school, a kindergarten, a hospital, a cultural center, a cinema, swimming pools, a club and several other entertainment centers were built on the island. But from the 1930s until the end of World War II, the majority of local residents and workers were Korean conscripts and Chinese prisoners of war, forced into heavy industrial work. During these years, about 1,300 people died on Gunkanjima. Miners died from exhaustion, hunger, disease and accidents. In the 1960s, Japan switched from coal to oil as its main source of energy, and coal mines became less valuable. Hashima was no exception. After the mine closed in 1974, the island was abandoned and remained abandoned and empty until 2009. Since 2009, one of the safe and specially equipped parts of the island has been open to tourist excursions. In addition, the Japanese authorities wanted Hashima to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, but South Korea opposed this initiative. In 2015, the governments of the two countries came to a general compromise. Japan reluctantly agreed that the description of the object should mention the horrors that occurred on the island in the 1930s and 40s. In 2012, Hashima appeared in several shots of the action movie 007: Skyfall as the lair of Raoul Silva, the main villain and enemy of the famous spy James Bond.
4. Snake Island
Somewhere 150 kilometers from the coast of the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, an island literally infested with snakes was lost in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There are so many of these creatures there, and they are so poisonous, that Brazilian authorities have completely banned excursions to Snake Island. The only people allowed to land on the shores of Queimada Grande (official name) are the military, who inspect the automatic lighthouse once a year, and some scientists who come here on rare expeditions. Although even such qualified specialists can only claim to visit the island if accompanied by a doctor in case of a snake bite.
Brazilians are so afraid of the snake island that they even came up with a whole series of ominous myths and rumors about it. One story says that a fisherman who landed on the shores of Queimada Grande in search of bananas was found only a few days later in his boat, all bitten by snakes. Another story tells of a lighthouse keeper and his family. They all died in one night when deadly snakes began to sneak into their house through all the cracks and windows. To be fair, it should be admitted that until 1920, the lighthouse actually had to be maintained manually, and therefore people here more than once died from snake venom. And there is also a legend about pirates who brought all these terrible snakes here so that they would protect the treasures of the robbers.
But the true story of the origin of island reptiles is not so romantic, although it is no less interesting. About 11 thousand years ago, during the end of the last ice age, the island was still part of the mainland. But when the waters of the World Ocean began to rise, the snakes that lived on earth found themselves isolated from the rest of the world. They were lucky that there were practically no dangerous predators left on the island, and these hissing scaly creatures began to multiply uncontrollably. Local snakes feed on migratory birds that arrive on the island for a short rest. Venomous snakes usually bite their prey, wait for the toxins to weaken the victim, watch it and eventually eat the unfortunate creature. But the snakes from Queimada Grande do not have the ability to pursue bitten birds, so they had to learn to produce a special poison, much stronger than that of their relatives from the mainland. That is why birds die almost immediately from the bite of local snakes.
The main inhabitants of the island are the island bothrops, and they can only be found on Queimada Grande. Marcelo Duarte, a scientist at Brazil's Butantan Institute, is researching the venom of these snakes, and believes it is a potentially valuable ingredient for future medicines. He admitted that the venom of the island botrops has already shown promising results in the treatment of heart disease and circulatory system problems, and may also be useful in the fight against cancer. Unfortunately, the interest of researchers and animal collectors has caused a real rampant poaching. The price for one such snake on the black market is about 10 - 30 thousand dollars, and because of this, the number of island bothrops has decreased by almost 50% over the past 15 years! Today this species is listed in the Red Book and is on the verge of survival.
3. North Sentinel Island
North Sentinel Island is located in the Bay of Bengal and belongs to the Andaman archipelago. Here live the last tribes of people who refuse to make contact with the rest of the world. There are approximately 50 - 400 natives living on the island, and such an inaccurate figure is easily explained by the fact that the local tribes do not want to communicate with anyone. They tried to make friends with the Sentinelese several times already, but each time it ended in conflict, and the researchers were constantly shot at with arrows. The local people defend their territory very aggressively and do not let anyone near them. Perhaps it was this manner that preserved the almost primitive way of life of these tribes. In addition, the island is surrounded by shallow reefs, making its coastal waters quite dangerous for navigation. The natives have lived in isolation from the rest of the world for almost 60,000 years, that is, since the first settlers from Africa reached this land, which means that the Sentinelese population must have the most ancient genetic composition. In 1880, a British expedition landed on the shores of an unfriendly island, and after several days of searching, its members encountered 6 islanders - a couple of old men and 4 children. The natives were brought to Port Blair, a city on the island of South Andaman, but the old people soon fell ill and died. They eventually decided to return the children back to their island.
Subsequently, several more attempts were made to establish contact with the islanders, but none of them were successful. In 1981, a ship got stuck on local reefs, and the Sentinelese tried to seize the ship. Due to severe bad weather, the rescue team reached the scene of the accident only after a week, during which the ship's crew held back the aggressors with rocket launchers, metal pipes and axes. The wreckage of the ship can still be seen in satellite images. In 2006, 2 lost fishermen came to North Sentinel Island, and the natives killed these strangers without a second thought. When a helicopter sent to collect the bodies of the poor souls arrived at the scene, it was met by a volley of bows, and the rescue team was unable to retrieve the corpses.
With the exception of the use of metal fragments torn from a sunken ship, the Sentinelese by all indications lead the lifestyle of Stone Age people. They are hunters and gatherers, do not engage in agriculture, and the boats that the natives carve from trees can only navigate the small rivers of the island. The authorities of India, to which the entire archipelago is assigned, gave North Sentinel Island a special status in order to protect the ancient tribe from outside influence. Unfortunately, local tour operators still organize so-called “safari” trips and bring tour groups to the island in armored boats.
2. Ball's Pyramid
Bols Pyramid is a 560-meter volcanic rock left from a long-collapsed volcano that exploded approximately 7 million years ago. Resembling a sail, Bol Pyramid is recognized as the tallest volcanic cliff on Earth. In addition, the waters around this island are some of the best scuba diving areas in all of Australia. The rock is located 643 kilometers northeast of Sydney and relatively close to Lord Howe Island. Lord Howe was once home to a rare species of stick insect, Dryococelus australis. The 12-centimeter insect was the heaviest stick insect in the world. Unfortunately, in 1918, a cargo ship ran aground near the island, and it took 9 days to repair it before the ship could continue its journey. During repair work, ship rats entered the land, and there they began to multiply at an incredible speed, simultaneously snacking on the stick insects they found tasty. In just 2 years, this insect became completely extinct.
In 2001, a pair of scientists who learned that someone had seen dead stick insects here in the 1960s decided to examine the rocky sail of Bol's Pyramids. After a diligent search, they were unable to find absolutely nothing, and when the researchers were already descending from the cliff, they saw a lone tea tree bush making its way right through the stones. Under this bush, enthusiastic scientists found not one or two, but 24 stick insects. These insects were the last representatives of their species on the whole Earth! One of the researchers later said: "Seeing them was like traveling back to the Jurassic period, when insects ruled the world." No one knows how these stick insects managed to get to the harsh rock surrounded by a choppy sea. Probably one of their ancestors flew here on a bird or something like that. 2 years after the discovery, scientists returned to the island again and took a couple of individuals with them, calling them Adam and Eve, to try to breed the rarest insects in captivity. Another 5 years later, in 2008, there were already 700 adult stick insects, and another 11 thousand eggs were in the incubation stage. Today, that same tea tree bush on Balls Pyramid Island is still the only place in the world where these insects live in the wild.
1. Garden of Eden. Literally…
Believe it or not, the Bible gives a fairly accurate description of the real place where Eden was located. In the book of Genesis, chapter 2, there is a mention of a river that flowed through the Garden of Eden, and according to Scripture, this river had 4 main tributaries, 2 of which are known as the Tigris and Euphrates, located in the territory of modern Iraq. Two other rivers, Pishon and Gihon, remain undiscovered. In addition, these mysterious rivers must have flowed through the lands of Havilah and Cush, about which nothing is known either. It was their absence on the modern map that led many experts to believe that the descriptions from the Bible were more metaphorical than anything else.
Don't rush to leave! Senior geologist Ward Sanford discovered two dry river beds in the southern Arabian Peninsula. Theoretically, the water from them once flowed into the Persian Gulf. The scientist also said that during the last ice age, sea levels were lower than today, and the weight of continental glaciers pushed up areas with narrow straits. This means that the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea may not have existed at that time, and instead of them there used to be land. In this case, the 4 rivers mentioned could well flow somewhere in the area that is now under water.
Places similar to Eden have been mentioned by other cultures. For example, ancient Sumerian manuscripts, now approximately 4,000 years old, tell of the semi-mythical lands of the island of Dilmun. There are similar stories in old poems and even in the ancient Eastern book “The Epic of Gilgamesh”. The descriptions of these places are very similar to the biblical Eden, and the legendary Garden of Eden may well have inspired ancient authors from different cultures to tell tales about the beautiful lands in which human civilization arose. Some records mention Dilmun as a great empire and an important trading center at the crossroads between ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley. Traces of this civilization were later discovered on the island of Bahrain. In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel hints that Eden was also a kind of trading center, just like Dilmun. It turns out that Bahrain may well be the very place where the Garden of Eden from the Bible was once located. By the way, in the “Epic of Gilgamesh” there is also a story about a snake, and in Bahrain, 2000 years after the events described in the ancient Eastern book, there was a cult of snake worship.
World Travel
2510
08.05.16 12:22
Hawaii, the Maldives, the Caribbean - they are full of resorts, beaches, exotic fruits. But how banal it is! Golden sand, sun all year round, turquoise waves - who would be surprised by this? We will remember other - the most unusual islands in the world. Some of them are uniquely beautiful, others are mysterious, and others are dangerous.
Giant ghost
Hashima (or Hashima) is an island in Japan, near Nagasaki. Before and during World War II, coal was mined here by thousands of Japanese and forced miners from China and Korea. When the country switched to oil as the main source of fuel, the island became deserted. Several massive concrete buildings remain, giving Hashima the appearance of an abandoned battleship. It is also called ghost island.
Like in a horror movie
One of the most unusual and terrifying islands belongs to Mexico. It's overflowing with dolls hanging from trees. That’s why this place is called the Island of Dolls. Legend has it that Don Julian, who had lost his family, heard screams - a woman was drowning in one of the many local canals. He did not have time to save the stranger, but in his nightmares he continued to hear her voice. To ward off the annoying spirit, Julian began stringing dolls onto branches, and others followed his example. So the island became a legend, and then a creepy tourist attraction.
Tom Hanks spent his “exile” here
There are many beautiful uninhabited islands in the world, what made the small island of Monuriki, which belongs to Fiji, famous? It’s just that the filming of Zemeckis’s blockbuster adventure “Cast Away” took place here. It was on this tiny spot that Tom Hanks' character talked to his ball. The island is very popular among tourists.
Made from special reed
The floating islands of Lake Titicaca in Peru are something special! They are artificial, woven from dry totora reeds by the local Uros tribe. First, many mats are made, then the mats are attached to each other with ropes. If earlier members of the tribe lived from fishing, now tourists help them out. When you step onto such a reed island, it seems that you are simply bobbing on a wave and are about to sink to the bottom, but in fact the “carpet” is very durable.
Inhospitable land
Northwatch Island is one of the most isolated and most unusual on Earth. It is located in the Bay of Bengal, 32 km from Smith Island. Sentinel is 72 square kilometers, almost entirely covered with forests (except for thin coastal strips). Local residents do not want to contact anyone; they are very xenophobic and resist any outside interference. If you approach the island by boat or helicopter, you will be attacked by a hail of arrows. Very little is known about the culture and language of this people. By the way, one of the heroes of Conan Doyle’s story “The Sign of Four,” a savage who was an excellent shot with a pipe, was from here.
The unearthly landscape of Socotra
The most beautiful and exotic island in our rating is rightfully the Socotra archipelago, which belongs to Yemen. The flora and fauna here are mostly endemic, you won't find amazing dragon trees anywhere else, and the pot-bellied bottle trees are so funny! Add to this a strange species of birds and an absolutely fantastic landscape. It’s not for nothing that Socotra is compared to something alien; it seems that some eccentric artist dreamed it up.
Uninhabited rocky reserves
Haiti and the United States, which annexed it to their territories in 1857, are fighting for the island of Navassa. The entire coastline of Navassa is pure steep cliffs, so it is impossible to land a boat on the island. In addition, this is a nature reserve, and you can only get there with a special permit. The uninhabited island is only 48 km from Haiti, and 145 km from the Guantanamo Bay Strait.
Howland Island is located in the Pacific Ocean north of the equator. It belongs to the United States, and guano (sea bird droppings) was once mined here in large quantities. Now it is uninhabited and is a natural reserve. During World War II, Howland was attacked by Japanese bombers the day after the Pearl Harbor tragedy. The island holds the mystery of the disappearance of pilot Amelia Earhart. She was supposed to land here during a continental flight, but did not reach the island - her plane could have fallen into the ocean or crashed on the coastal rocks.
In the kingdom of the Snow Queen
The northernmost airport and the northernmost church in the world, as well as one of the northernmost settlements on Earth, Longyearbyen, are located in the Spitsbergen archipelago, part of Norway. Here you should be wary of polar bear attacks, so travelers usually carry a rifle with them. It is on this island that a huge seed repository has been organized to preserve biodiversity in the event of a large-scale natural disaster.
The volcanic island of Bouvet is located 2,500 km southwest of South Africa. It is small (49 sq. km) and almost completely covered with a thick crust of ice, and the shores are continuous sharp cliffs. Bouvet was British territory, and then the country's authorities transferred it to Norway. A nature reserve, Bouvet has never been inhabited. Why is it included in our ranking of the most unusual islands in the world? Because it is considered the most remote on the planet. The distance to the nearest land (Donning Maud Land in Antarctica) is 1,750 km.
Last edition of the material: July 2017
Many people believe that a holiday on the islands is a paradise holiday. And they are not wrong. Probably, heaven was in some such place, and not in heaven at all. Our list of the wonderful islands of the world, of course, is not exhaustive, since a lifetime would not be enough to describe all, all, all the beautiful and interesting places. We have made a selection of the most popular islands among tourists, which are definitely worth your attention.
Madeira
Country: Portugal
This is an entire archipelago with extremely beautiful nature: endemic birds chirping in dense forests, rocks on which sea waves crash... And all this borders on stunningly cozy European buildings and European tourist services.
Majorca
Country: Spain
This is one of the most environmentally friendly resorts in the Mediterranean Sea. In addition, it is always very affordable. The mild maritime climate allows you to relax here all year round. In Mallorca, history and beautiful architecture are intertwined with tourist-friendly forests, and the coastline offers breathtaking views and excellent beaches.
Canaries
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Country: Spain
The Canary archipelago is a place where the maximum number of attractions is concentrated in relatively small spaces. And what kind! The symbol of the archipelago is the Teide volcano with its eternally snow-capped peak, which looks almost the same in both winter and summer. And what about the Maspalomas dunes, which border the ocean! And tourists also love the Canaries because they are islands of eternal spring: it is never too cold or hot here.
Cape Verde
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Country: Cape Verde
Experienced tourists believe that the good thing about the Cape Verde Islands is that the tourism industry here has not yet been put into operation, and therefore the attitude towards tourists is very reverent. In addition, these islands are somewhat reminiscent of the Canary Islands. Here you can visit uninhabited islands, and see black dunes and volcanic craters, on the slopes of which grapes are grown.
Zanzibar
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Tanzania
Zanzibar is a real African island exotic, complete peace and unity with nature in the middle of snow-white sandy beaches, as if created from powdered sugar, snorkeling to coral reefs, a trip to giant tame turtles, flying dogs and baobab trees.
Madagascar
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Republic of Madagascar
When talking about traveling to Madagascar, it is worth mentioning the exceptionally exotic nature. This piece of land once broke away from a huge continent - and as a result, evolution took its own path here. Local animals are completely different from others; they are mostly endemic. Also the tourist hallmark of the island are the giant baobab trees, shrouded in the fog typical of these places. A truly spectacle for true travel connoisseurs.
Maldives
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Maldives
The Maldives is luxurious bliss, complete relaxation, music playing everywhere and no alcohol. All this condition is complemented by houses for tourists, unusually standing in the crystal clear turquoise waters of the ocean.
Sri Lanka
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (old name - Ceylon)
It is here that you can go on a river safari among huge mangroves with snakes hanging from them, and also climb Adam's Peak, a huge sacred mountain. And be sure to try for yourself what real Ayurvedic practices are.
Samui
Location: Gulf of Thailand
Country: Thailand
This is an island for those who love the bliss and exoticism of Southeast Asia. Here you can ride elephants, see Buddhist temples, swim in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Thailand, bask on the hot sand, watch snake shows and taste delicious exotic food.
Phuket
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Thailand
Phuket is a resort for the wealthy. There are numerous bungalows lined up along the coastline here. And the symbol of this island are huge rocks growing directly from the ocean waters. All the same exotics that Koh Samui offers are also available here.
Ko Chang
Location: Gulf of Thailand
Country: Thailand
Koh Chang (Elephant Island) is located off the coast of Thailand and is one of its most accessible islands for travelers - both in price and in terms of transport. On Ko Chang you will see stunningly beautiful sunsets, and you will also be able to climb mountains covered with dense jungle. In addition, there is an absolutely stunning elephant nursery, where you can ride elephants among banana thickets, and also order a swim with baby elephants in the sea.
Samet
Location: Gulf of Thailand
Country: Thailand
In terms of accessibility, it is even simpler than Koh Chang; the island offers a completely budget holiday. It is very small, but there are secluded places here, which is why Samet was chosen by Europeans. Hotels offer accommodation mainly in bungalows located right on the beach.
Bali
Location: Indian Ocean, Bali Sea, Pacific Ocean
Country: Indonesia
Bali is a very exotic place, saturated with humid fogs, stormy sea waters, Buddhist symbolism with elements of animism. Bali also has very tasty cuisine and interesting traditions. A true traveler should visit Bali at least once in his life.
Borneo
Location: South China Sea and other seas
Country: Malaysia, Indonesia
The highlight of Borneo is its virginity and endemic plants and animals. So, for example, here you will meet proboscis monkeys or see a corpse lily in the jungle, which emits a terrible smell, but is very beautiful, and you can also get acquainted with predatory flowers that can slam their “mouths” shut.
Komodo Islands
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Indonesia
The symbol of the Komodo Islands is the monitor lizard, which is one of the most ancient animals on Earth. They look very touching, but don’t put your finger in their mouth - the monitor lizard is very predatory, and is not averse to feasting on even a person.
Djerba
Location: Mediterranean Sea
Country: Tunisia
The island of Djerba is one of the most expensive resorts in Tunisia, but Tunisia itself is inexpensive, so you won’t spend too much money on Djerba. There is a lagoon here where pink flamingos live: when there are a lot of them, the spectacle is simply amazing.
Fiji
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: Republic of Fiji
Fiji is famous for the fact that here you will explore tropical rainforests, swim in the clearest waters of the ocean, watch the life of geckos and iguanas, and plunge into the unique ethnic flavor of this island forgotten by our people.
Bora Bora
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: French Polynesia
If we talk about the most beautiful sea and beach holidays, it is simply impossible not to remember Bora Bora. Here is one of the most interesting underwater worlds on the Planet that can be accessed by snorkelers. Walking in the thickets of orchids and ferns, swimming in grottoes and lagoons, exploring stingrays - all this will give you the island of Bora Bora.
Dominican Republic
Country: Dominican Republic
Palm trees bent over secluded beaches, the clearest Caribbean Sea, the colonial capital of Santo Domingo, luxurious Punta Cana and Puerto Plata. Over the past years, the Dominican Republic, thanks to its mild, warm climate, rich cultural and historical heritage and excellent hotel infrastructure, has gradually won the title of a world-famous tourist center.
Vanuatu
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: Republic of Vanuatu
The islands of Vanuatu are pristine places in the volcanic mountains, home to local tribes who know no civilization. If you want something truly unusual, then this is the place for you. It is after such a trip that you can brag about your trip even among experienced travelers!
Hawaii
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: USA
If you really want to give yourself the greatest joy in life - a vacation in a real paradise, where the beach, tropics and sea allow you to forget from the daily hustle and bustle, then you should definitely go to Hawaii. The entire chain of islands is made up of volcanoes. This is Diamond Head on the island of Oahu, fire-breathing Kilauea in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Big Island of Hawaii), where you may see hot lava for the first time in your life. The island of Maui is famous for the beauty of the inactive crater of the Haleakala volcano.
Bahamas
Location: Atlantic Ocean
Country: Bahamas
George Washington called them the Islands of Eternal June. And if you tell someone that you are going to the Bahamas, you will definitely see an envious reaction, because this vacation is not for everyone, but only for the elite. For those who truly appreciate natural attractions and believe in mysticism. What is the Bimini Road worth? American soothsayer Edgar Cayce called it the lost Atlantis. And after that, 700 meters of neatly laid out limestone blocks, which are called the Bimini Road, were discovered in the sea, off the coast of Paradise Point in North Bimini. Obviously, this is not a natural, but a man-made monument. But who built it?
Marieta Island
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: Mexico
The highlight of Marieta Island is its unusual beach, which is called hidden. It is located inside a huge rock cavity into which sea water is poured.
Seychelles
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Republic of Seychelles
Seychelles is a resort for the very rich. In addition to first-class recreation, the islands also offer an opportunity to meet Seychelles turtles, explore the famous sloping rocks falling into the ocean, and be sure to buy the world-famous huge coconuts.
Mauritius
Location: Indian Ocean
Country: Republic of Mauritius
Mauritius is a civilized exotic and the best hotels in the Indian Ocean. These are magnificent beaches framed by palm trees. This is a glamorous holiday for the elite. If you are in Mauritius, you don't need to prove anything to anyone. The very fact of your being there speaks for itself.
Cuba
Location: Caribbean
Country: Republic of Cuba
This is an island nation with incredibly beautiful landscapes, beaches and attractions! However, of course, tourists are interested in the special culture of this country, which seems to be stuck in the last century, as well as the world-famous Cuban cigars, Cuban dances and Cuban rum.
Jamaica
Location: Caribbean
Country: Jamaica
Few tourists know, but Jamaica is famous for its nudist and swing hotels. Jamaica also gave the world such a direction of music and art, as well as a philosophy of life, like reggae. Jamaica is literally imbued with the spirit of regularity and freedom. It is also famous for its brilliant carnivals and other fun holidays.
Malta
Location: Mediterranean Sea
Country: Republic of Malta
Malta is one of the very beautiful archipelagos and at the same time financially accessible to the majority of tourists. This is an island offering European service, an island with a rich history. Beach holidays here are good, and among excursions, walking is preferable, as the places are very beautiful.
Cyprus
Location: Mediterranean Sea
Country: Republic of Cyprus
Cyprus is a wonderful island of sea and sun. Cyprus is the birthplace of Aphrodite. Cyprus is a tasty morsel that has changed hands throughout its history, remaining on the periphery of various empires. Cyprus is a place where you can fall in love at first sight...
Sardinia
Location: Mediterranean Sea
Country: Italy
E that Italian island offers tourists a mild climate, interesting history and amazingly delicious Mediterranean cuisine. Here you will plunge into the blue sea waters, dive to sunken ships, visit Neptune's cave and taste excellent Muscat wine.
Crete
Location: Mediterranean Sea
Country: Greece
Crete is rightfully considered one of the paradise islands of the world. Beautiful landscapes, ancient history, and rich cultural traditions intertwine here. In addition, Crete is located at a relatively short distance from us, which means that in terms of money it is much more affordable than other paradise places.
Easter Island
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: Chile
The symbol of Easter Island are the statues that settled here hundreds of years ago and were created by people from a vanished civilization. We don’t know why this civilization died out. But Easter Island is still imbued with its spirit. And the tourist will find here, in addition to the historical part of the trip, also many purely physical pleasures, such as taking a natural bath among the stones with warm water from a natural spring - with a view of the ocean in front of your eyes and a glass of champagne in your hand.
Galapagos Islands
Location: Pacific Ocean
Country: Ecuador
The Galapagos Islands are the pinnacle of a traveler's dreams. They are located very far away, so once you are here, you can say with confidence that you have seen the end of the world. And at the end of the world, at the same time, people live a rather measured life, sharing islands with fur seals, which are the goal of absolutely all tourists arriving here.