Category: Natural wonders

Andasibe-Mantadia National Park is one of Madagascar’s most popular and important protected areas, a lush expanse of montane rainforest that serves as a vital sanctuary for the island’s unique biodiversity….

Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park is one of the most spectacular and otherworldly landscapes on the planet, located in the remote western region of Madagascar. A UNESCO World Heritage site,…

Bale Mountains National Park is a spectacular and ecologically unique protected area in the highlands of southeastern Ethiopia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park is a world of dramatic…

Harar Jugol is a unique and ancient walled city in eastern Ethiopia, renowned for being a major commercial and Islamic learning center for centuries. Considered the fourth holiest city of…

The Blue Nile Falls, known locally as Tis Abay or Tis Issat (meaning “Great Smoke” or “Smoking Water” in Amharic), is a spectacular waterfall on the Blue Nile river in…

Lake Tana is the largest lake in Ethiopia and the primary source of the legendary Blue Nile river. Located in the northwestern Ethiopian Highlands, this vast, serene body of water…

The Danakil Depression is a vast, otherworldly geological depression located in the Afar Triangle of northeastern Ethiopia. As one of the hottest, driest, and lowest places on Earth, it is…

Simien Mountains National Park is a spectacular, high-altitude UNESCO World Heritage site located in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. Famed for its dramatic, jaw-dropping landscapes, the park is a world…

Mount Heha is the highest mountain in Burundi and the most prominent peak in the Burundi Highlands range. Soaring to an elevation of 2,684 meters (8,806 feet), it is a…

Rusizi National Park (Parc National de la Rusizi) is one of Burundi’s most accessible and popular wildlife reserves, located just outside the country’s economic capital, Bujumbura. The park is defined…

Kibira National Park is a majestic expanse of montane rainforest in northwestern Burundi, representing one of the country’s most important ecological treasures. Covering approximately 400 square kilometers along the high…

Ruvubu National Park is the largest and most important protected area in Burundi, a vast expanse of savanna and riverine landscapes that stands as the last significant remnant of the…

Lake Tanganyika is one of the African Great Lakes and a natural wonder of global significance. It is the world’s longest freshwater lake, the second-oldest, the second-deepest, and the second-largest…

Khor Ambado Beach, often affectionately nicknamed the “French Beach,” is one of Djibouti’s most beautiful and popular coastal retreats. Located in a bay protected by striking black lava cliffs, this…

The Grand Bara (Bara Wein) is a vast, arid plain in the heart of southern Djibouti. It is not a desert of rolling sand dunes, but rather a huge, flat…

Day Forest National Park (Forêt du Day) is a precious ecological treasure and the only national park in the Republic of Djibouti. Located in the Goda Mountains, this park represents…

The Gulf of Tadjoura is a stunning inlet of the Indian Ocean that carves deep into the Horn of Africa, defining much of the coastline of Djibouti. It is the…

Lake Abbe (also spelled Lake Abhe) is one of the most surreal and otherworldly landscapes on the planet. This hypersaline lake, located on the border of Djibouti and Ethiopia, is…

Lac Assal, the “Honey Lake,” is one of Africa’s most extreme and spectacular natural wonders. Located in the heart of Djibouti, this crater lake is a geological marvel situated in…

Kow Ata (Köw-ata), meaning “Father of Caves” in Turkmen, is one of Turkmenistan’s most extraordinary natural wonders. Located in the massive Bakharden Cave at the foothills of the Kopet-Dag mountains,…

The Koytendag Valley, located in the remote southeastern corner of Turkmenistan, is a land of dramatic natural wonders and deep-rooted legends. As part of the wider Koytendag Nature Reserve, this…

Kyrk Gyz (also spelled Kirk Kiz), meaning “Forty Girls” in Turkmen, is one of Turkmenistan’s most revered and legendary natural sanctuaries. Located in a spectacular gorge within the remote Koytendag…

The Yangykala Canyons are one of Turkmenistan’s most spectacular and otherworldly natural wonders. Located in the stark, remote landscape of the Balkan Region in the northwest of the country, this…

The Darvaza Gas Crater (Turkmen: Garagum ýalkymy), more famously and ominously known as the “Door to Hell” or “Gates of Hell,” is a spectacular and surreal man-made phenomenon located in…

Mohéli Marine Park, now officially part of the larger Mohéli National Park, is the first and most important protected area in the Union of the Comoros. Established in 2001, it…

Lake Dzia Landze (sometimes written as Dzialandzé) is a beautiful freshwater crater lake located in the mountainous interior of Anjouan, the second-largest island in the Union of the Comoros. Nestled…

Dos du Dragon, which translates to “Dragon’s Back,” is a striking and picturesque natural rock formation located on the northern coast of Grande Comore, the largest island in the Union…

Mount Ntringui is the highest peak on the island of Anjouan, the second largest and most populous island in the Union of the Comoros. Reaching an elevation of 1,595 meters…

Lac Niamawi, also known as Lac Salé (“Salt Lake”), is a small but stunningly beautiful saltwater crater lake located on the northern coast of Grande Comore, the largest island in…

Mount Karthala is a large, active shield volcano that forms the highest point of the Comoros archipelago, reaching an elevation of 2,361 meters (7,746 feet). Located on the southern end…