Have you ever tried to bathe in sound, sleep in a cave or venture into a radioactive zone? In fact, you don't need to have a very strange taste to go for some of these weird tourist attractions - just a little curiosity and a small portion of courage would be enough to wander through the dark mysterious catacombs of Paris or the Hindu temple filled with sacred rats.
Here are the world's most bizarre or unique tourist attractions:
Gundam
Gundam. Odaiba.
Among Tokyo's most unusual tourist attractions is Full-Scale Gundam, an absolutely cool statue of a giant robot standing in Tokyo's Odaiba Shiokaze park. The 60-foot-tall RX-78 Gundam replica has a moveable head and emits light from 50 different spots of his carcass.
It was set up in July 2009, marking the 30th anniversary of the Mobile Suit Gundam, a super popular Japanese anime television series.
It was set up in July 2009, marking the 30th anniversary of the Mobile Suit Gundam, a super popular Japanese anime television series.
The largest hockey stick
Apparently, this is the world's largest free standing hockey stick. If you really want to see it, you have to head for the small town of Eveleth in Minnesota, the USA. It is 107 feet long, weighs 3 tons and is accompanied by a 700-pound hockey puck. Some argue, though, that the largest hockey stick and puck on the globe can be found in Duncan on Vancouver Island in British Columbia.
Carnevale di Ivrea
If you are, by any chance, passing through Ivrea in late February, you might stop for quite a unique carnival of "Battle of the Oranges". Every year this little Italian town, not far from Turin, transforms for three days into a strange battlefield with oranges as the main weapon in use. The fruit is a symbol of 12th century Italian duke's head which was lobbed off by one of the beautiful peasants called Violetta.
The Integratron
For those keen on weird, kind of psychedelic experiences, the Integratron is a must-visit destination. Located in the Mojave Desert, California, the sonic dome building constructed on a "magnetic vortex" offers sound baths- a 30-minute sonic healing session- to its visitors. Originally, the building was designed by George Van Tassel as a rejuvenation and time machine and apparently it has some kind of special magnetic relationship to the Great Pyramid in Egypt and Giant Rock.
The Catacombs of Paris
Bad dreams guaranteed after a visit to the Catacombs of Paris. The network of tunnels of this former stone mine, are filled with millions of bones and skulls stacked along the walls. The catacombs date back to the end of the 18th century, when the prices of real estate in Paris began to raise and there was simply no space for cemeteries within the city limits.
The Crazy Horse Memorial
South Dakota is home to quite a wacky monument- the Crazy Horse Memorial. Carved in rock of the Black Hills, the sculpture depicts Crazy Horse, an Oglala Lakota warrior on a horse. The carving, begun by Korczak Ziolkowski in 1948, was never completed due to the sculptor's death in 1982. Today, the complex is owned by a foundation run by Ziolkowski's wife and their ten children. When finished, it is to be the largest carving in the world, 641 feet wide and 563 feet high.
Chernobyl
One of the world's creepiest places to visit is Chernobyl nuclear power plant and nearby Pripyat in Ukraine, now bordered with guards and police. For some reasons, in recent years the place has been attracting many tourists from all over the world, wiling to venture into the radioactive zone. Today, the ghost city Pripyat is nothing but destroyed empty buildings that have been abandoned after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
The BubbleGum Alley
Why do people come to see someone else's used chewing gum? We don't know. Still, despite its unsanitary and disgusting side, the Bubblegum Alley in downtown San Luis Obispo, California, has been attracting tourists for years. The 20-meter-long stretch of thousands of chewing gum has been considered the "most-talked-about landmark" in the city.
Karni Mata Temple
Karni Mata Temple.
The legend has it that the rodents inhabiting the Karni Mata Temple are the members of Karni goddess's family that have been incarnating in the form of rats since the 14th century.
Today, the complex, located in a small town of Deshnok, in India, has around 20,000 rats which are given protection in the temple and are being considered sacred animals.
Today, the complex, located in a small town of Deshnok, in India, has around 20,000 rats which are given protection in the temple and are being considered sacred animals.
Cappadocia Cave Hotels
Cappadocia.
Cappadocia, the magically beautiful region in Turkey, is famed for its unique cave hotels. They have been carved out in the soft volcanic rocks that formed amazing pillars and spectacular minaret-like forms. Staying in the cave is one of a kind lodging experience that should not be missed while in Cappadocia.
Kelebek Cave Hotel and Pansion. (Göreme, Turkey)If you've ever had a chance to visit some bizarre or unique places, tell us about it...
