amarionknh's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Loading map...
Batu Caves, Malaysia

Batu Caves

Holy Hindu shrine in an enormous, monkey-filled limestone cavern.
Tha Bak, Laos

Tha Bak Bomb Boats

Villagers have recycled bomber fuel tanks from the Vietnam War and turned them into very, very strong boats.
Laos

Kong Lor Cave

A boat ride through utter darkness, lit only by headlamps, reveals an emerald green pool locals believe is sacred.
Pak Ou, Laos

Pak Ou's Caves

Thousands of effigies of Buddha watch from caves set high above a legendary river, plus whiskey.
Vientiane, Laos

Wat Dane Soung Jungle Temple

An ancient jungle temple carved into a rocky overhang of the Dane Soung Plateau.
Luang Prabang, Laos

Tham Sakkarin Savannakuha

Abandoned limestone cave was once a sacred place of worship.
Ban Long, Laos

Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Centre

Buried in the Laos jungle is a sanctuary for bears that would have otherwise been milked to death by poachers.
Vientiane, Laos

Xieng Khuan (Buddha Park)

More than 200 statues filled with cryptic symbols give this park spot an aura of horror vacui fantasy.
Phonsavan, Laos

Plain of Jars

Believed to have once stored either human remains or rice wine, thousands of mysterious stone jars lie in ruin.
Ban Long, Laos

Kuang Si Waterfalls

This tiered waterfall is so pretty it may cause visitors to cry tears of their own.
Kyrgyzstan

Burana Tower

Lonely minaret stump of a destroyed city.
Ak-Su, Kyrgyzstan

Merzbacher Lake

Glacial lake that mysteriously empties itself every year.
Barskoon, Kyrgyzstan

Monument to Yuri Gagarin

A boulder carved into the shape of the cosmonaut's head.
At-Bashi District, Kyrgyzstan

Tash Rabat

Extremely isolated Silk Road caravanserai in the middle of nowhere.
Malinovka, Kazakhstan

ALZHIR

A Stalinist prison camp for the wives and children of men accused of betraying the Soviet state is now a memorial museum.
Astana, Kazakhstan

Khan Shatyr

An entertainment center in a huge transparent tent.
Astana, Kazakhstan

Bayterek Tower

A modern tower, symbolizing the legend of a golden egg on top of the tree of life.
Raiymbek District, Kazakhstan

Charyn Canyon

Nicknamed Kazakhstan's Grand Canyon, this natural wonder lies east of Almaty near the Chinese border.
Baikonur, Kazakhstan

Cosmonaut Grove

Avenue of trees planted by cosmonauts before their space departures.
Semey, Kazakhstan

Semipalatinsk Polygon

One of the most horrible legacies of the Cold War is a site where the Soviet Union tested nuclear bombs on civilians.
Shetpe, Kazakhstan

Valley of Balls

Mysterious spherical rocks in the semi-desert of western Kazakhstan.
Enbekshikazakh District, Kazakhstan

Issyk Lake

The lovely lake that was naturally dammed, then naturally destroyed, then unnaturally saved.
Almaly, Kazakhstan

Bayzhansay Ghost Town

An abandoned Soviet-era mining town in the mountains of South Kazakhstan.
Astana, Kazakhstan

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation

Iconic pyramid from famed British architect Norman Foster designed to represent all of the world's religious faiths.