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.
