There is a certain enjoyment in being completely confused. It's a reason some of us travel: to be baffled, to be surprised, to be shocked. To look around at our foreign surroundings and have absolutely no idea what's going on.
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I've always loved that. It's not a judgment, or a criticism. It's a good thing. I want to be surprised when I travel, to find out that things in this new place I'm visiting are different. I want to discover the peculiarities that make a country or a culture tick.
This weirdness that you notice while on the road comes in different guises. It can be quirks of culture, or it can be unique attractions; it can be natural, or it can be man-made; in some cases it can be a complete mystery to even those who claim it as their own. Museums can be weird. Buildings can be weird. Entire cities or countries can be weird. And that's a very, very good thing to discover.
In this search for the world's weird and wonderful, I've cast my eye around for places that fit several criteria. Some locations are naturally different, and will always be that way. Others are normal for most of the year, but then let all of their weirdness out at once. And others still have consciously embraced a way of life that to everyone else might seem strange, but to them is just right.
These places are really weird – and they're definitely worth seeing for yourself.
THE PLACE
Thames Town, China
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
Because this is England – only you don't have to go all the way to England.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
It might be just an hour from central Shanghai, but Thames Town couldn't be further from traditional China. This enclave has been designed to look like an English village, with a church, a pub and a fish and chip shop that are exact replicas of their British counterparts.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Thames Town is great for the pure discombobulation of walking the cobbled streets of an English village while surrounded by Chinese couples having their wedding photos taken.
DON'T MISS
Taking tea in a mock-Tudor mansion.
ESSENTIALS
Thames Town is in Songjiang University Town – take a train from Shanghai to Songjiang then a taxi. See cnto.org
THE PLACE
Christiania, Denmark
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To experience a hippie "paradise".
THE WEIRD FACTOR
Say you picked up Nimbin, Australia's infamous hippie enclave, in its entirety and plonked it down on the north shore of Sydney. That's essentially what Christiania is: an autonomous, alternative, self-proclaimed utopia that exists, bizarrely, in the centre of Copenhagen.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
It might be ramshackle and oddly intimidating, but Christiania's version of hippie heaven is as unique and fascinating as it out of place in the orderly Danish capital.
DON'T MISS
The best way to experience Christiania is to simply stroll around.
ESSENTIALS
While visitors are free to enter Christiania, bear in mind photos are prohibited. See www.visitcopenhagen.com
See also: The European neighbourhood that declared independence
THE PLACE
Oaxaca, Mexico
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
Because there is no better way to pay respects to the dead than with tequila.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
There is nothing strange about Oaxaca City, in central Mexico, for much of the year. However, for three days in October and November the city is overrun with zombies, ghosts and cadavers as locals dress up for the Day of the Dead festival – a celebration of the lives of those who have passed.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Though it sounds morbid, the Day of the Dead is actually a colourful, joyful and respectful celebration, one that visitors will be encouraged to join.
DON'T MISS
Visiting Xoxocotlan cemetery for a midnight celebration.
ESSENTIALS
Day of the Dead is October 31 to November 2. See www.visitmexico.com
THE PLACE
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
There is no other place on Earth like it.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
You want strange? How about an iguana that swims in the ocean and snorts salt out of its nose? Or a cormorant that has shed its wings through evolution? Or a giant tortoise? Or a whole swag of animals that have no fear of humans? They're all in the Galapagos.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
All of these strange animals and the volcanic archipelago that they inhabit make for one of the most amazing tourism experiences around.
DON'T MISS
Seeing a giant tortoise lumbering around in the wild.
ESSENTIALS
The Galapagos can be accessed by air from Guayaquil in Ecuador. See www.ecuador.travel
See also: Spectacular killer whale attack caught on camera
THE PLACE
Hearst Castle, US
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
Why tour the world seeking history and culture when it's all been crammed together here?
THE WEIRD FACTOR
When you're a passionate collector of art works, curios and entire antique ceilings, and you also have far too much money, you end up doing what publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst did, and build a mountaintop mansion to house it all.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
While Hearst Castle is an odd pastiche of architectural styles with a wide range of artefacts and a wild disregard for budget, it's an amazing place to tour and pretend you're one of Hearst's movie star dinner guests.
DON'T MISS
The Neptune Pool, a reimagining of a Roman grotto.
ESSENTIALS
Hearst Castle is a four-hour drive north of LA. Tours cost $32; www.hearstcastle.org.
THE PLACE
Nazca, Peru
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To witness one of the mysteries of human civilisation.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
No one is quite sure what motivated the Nazca people of central Peru to scratch out, over about a thousand years, a series of huge and perfectly rendered pictures in the rocky desert floor. Whatever the reason, their drawings of monkeys, birds, fish, and even a ghostly human shape, can still be seen from the air.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Taking a light plane ride over the Nazca Lines gives visitors the chance to fully appreciate the complexity and otherworldliness of these 2000-year-old marks.
DON'T MISS
Pack your camera, because there are several hundred designs to photograph.
ESSENTIALS
Joy flights over the Nazca Lines depart from Nazca. See www.peru.travel
THE PLACE
Lake Khovsgol, Mongolia
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To see Mongolians at their coldest and strangest.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
In summer this is just any old lake, albeit a beautiful one. In winter, however, it's an enormous block of ice upon which games including tug of war, wrestling, and horse-drawn sleigh races are staged. This is also home to the Dukha people, an ancient tribe of reindeer herders.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
The natural beauty of the Khovsgol area is reason enough to visit, but this is also home to a unique culture that is all but cut off from the rest of the world.
DON'T MISS
Time your visit to coincide with the Khovsgol Ice Festival in March.
ESSENTIALS
Lake Khovsgol can only be accessed by four-wheel-drive – it's a four-day drive from Ulan Baator. See www.mongoliatourism.info
THE PLACE
Door to Hell, Turkmenistan
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
This is a photo opportunity like no other.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
Almost 50 years ago, the collapse of a natural gas field formed a 30-metre-deep crater that began leaking flammable methane. Geologists set it on fire as a way of controlling it, and it has been burning ever since.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Picture yourself in the middle of a desert, staring into a flaming abyss about the size of a football field. That's the Door to Hell, and it attracts plenty of thrill-seeking travellers.
DON'T MISS
Be there at dusk to see the flames at their best.
ESSENTIALS
The Door to Hell is in Darvaza, a four-hour drive from Ashgabat. See www.turkmenistan.gov.tm
THE PLACE
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To embrace your inner hippie – or hunt for a god.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
If you have ever wanted to study kinesiology, meditation, holistic healing, or lucid dreaming in one of the most naturally beautiful locations in the world, then San Marcos La Laguna on Lake Atitlan is the place for you.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
There is more to Lake Atitlan than Westerners on yoga retreats. This is also the home of Maximon, a deity worshipped for his love of rum and cigars, whose wooden effigy can be found in a local home.
DON'T MISS
A stay at Casa del Mundo, a guesthouse on the lakeshore.
ESSENTIALS
Lake Atitlan can be reached from the tourist town of Antigua. See www.visitguatemala.com
THE PLACE
Rhyolite, US
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To see a true Wild West ghost town.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
It doesn't get much eerier than walking through the ruins of Rhyolite, a mining town in Nye County, Nevada, that has been deserted since 1920. The crumbling facades are all that remain.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
It's a real Wild West ghost town. This isn't a movie set or a recreation – it's an actual ghost town. If that's not cool enough, there is also a series of sculptures by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski nearby.
DON'T MISS
The old bank is the largest of Rhyolite's ruins.
ESSENTIALS
Rhyolite is a two-hour drive from Las Vegas. See www.travelnevada.com
THE PLACE
Skeleton Coast, Namibia
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To see one of the world's most unforgiving coastlines.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
There is a creepy feeling as you drive down Namibia's Skeleton Coast, as the waves crash and the fog rolls in on one side, and the featureless desert stretches out to eternity on the other. You can see why so many ships met a tragic end here.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
There is a surprising amount of life in this harsh environment. Colonies of seals occupy Cape Fria and Cape Cross, while desert elephants roam the interior.
DON'T MISS
One of the eeriest shipwrecks is the Eduard Bohlen, which lies half buried in sand at Conception Bay.
ESSENTIALS
To explore the Skeleton Coast, hire a car in either Windhoek or Swakopmund. See www.namibiatourism.com.na
See also: Namibia by train: The weirdest place to travel on earth
THE PLACE
Bermuda Triangle, Caribbean
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To sunbathe in one of the most allegedly dangerous places in the world.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
It's hard to know what is more bizarre: the fact so many ships and planes have disappeared here without explanation; or the fact that they actually haven't. While much of the folklore around this part of the Caribbean fails any rigorous examination, it's fun to indulge in the pretence.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Being inexplicably lost at sea would be a bad thing, so it's nice to know that the Bermuda Triangle isn't really dangerous. It is, however, stunningly beautiful.
DON'T MISS
A stay in Bermuda itself – if you're brave enough to fly there.
ESSENTIALS
For more on Bermuda and the Bahamas, see www.gotobermuda.com or www.bahamas.com.
THE PLACE
Hill of Crosses, Lithuania
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
This is one of the world's strangest sites of pilgrimage.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
First there was one crucifix, placed on a hill in northern Lithuania after the 1831 rebellion against the Russians. Then more were added, and more, to the point where now, about 185 years later, there are more than 100,000 crucifixes, effigies and carvings on the Hill of Crosses.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
Aside from the "wow" experience of seeing so many crosses on a lonely hill, this is a site of pilgrimage for many in the Baltic States, particularly Lithuanians, who see it as a symbol of independence and endurance.
DON'T MISS
Set aside enough time to properly explore the crosses.
ESSENTIALS
The Hill of Crosses is three hours north-west of Vilnius. See www.lithuania.travel
THE PLACE
Slab City, US
WHY YOU SHOULD GO
To see what happens when Americans ditch the trappings of modern life.
THE WEIRD FACTOR
For those who seek true freedom – freedom from rental payments, freedom from restrictions, freedom from society – Slab City is the answer. This caravan-dwelling settlement of retirees, hippies, drifters and oddballs in the Californian desert is off the grid, and off the planet.
THE WONDERFUL FACTOR
While there are tourist attractions at this former army base – from the brightly painted Salvation Mountain to the East Jesus art installation – the main lure is simply to witness life away from the world.
DON'T MISS
Check out a talent show at The Range, Slab City's version of a nightclub, to appreciate the true uniqueness.
ESSENTIALS
It's free to visit Slab City, three hours drive east of San Diego. See www.visitcalifornia.com
FIVE WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL CITIES
PORTLAND, US
The city's slogan is "keep Portland weird", and its residents take that seriously. Portland is the bastion of hipsterism, as well as alternative culture – there's an annual naked bike ride, plus a vegan strip club. See www.travelportland.com
TOKYO, JAPAN
There are cafes in Tokyo where you will be served by people dressed as manga characters. In others, you can pet rabbits or hedgehogs. There are fetish dens in Roppongi, and a Robot Restaurant of Shinjuku. It's gloriously bizarre. See www.jnto.org.au
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
There are about 120,000 people in Reykjavik, and none of them have surnames. Well, not that are passed down through generations. Also, building developments have been altered so as not to disturb the homes of make-believe fairy people. See www.iceland.is
DUBAI, UAE
About 50 years ago, this megalopolis of the biggest, most expensive and most luxurious of everything was little more than a fishing village. That Dubai now has a 154-storey skyscraper and a ski resort is phenomenal. See www.visitdubai.com
BARCELONA, SPAIN
The works of architect Antoni Gaudi are as strange as they are beautiful, from the dripping-wax facade of his masterpiece, La Sagrada Familia, to the animal mosaics of Park Guell and the ghoulish jaws of Casa Battlo. See www.barcelonaturisme.com
See also: Seven of the world's best cities we love the most
FIVE MORE WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL MAN-MADE PLACES
CAPPADOCIA, TURKEY
This series of pillar-like rock formations would be weird enough on its own, but people actually live here. In Goreme, the soft volcanic rock has been carved out to form houses, churches and monasteries. See www.tourismturkey.org
BONE CHURCH, CZECH REPUBLIC
There are more than 40,000 human skeletons in Sedlec Ossuary, or the "Bone Church", in Kutna Hora. Those skeletons have been used as art works, with bone chandeliers, candelabras, and pyramids on display. See www.sedlecossuary.com
BUNKER 42, RUSSIA
Anyone who has ever harboured fantasies of hiding out in a Russian war bunker and firing nuclear weapons at the US would be: a) a bit of a problem; and, b) perfectly catered to at Bunker 42, a Stalinist headquarters turned Moscow tourist attraction. Bunker42.com/eng
RENNES-LE-CHATEAU, FRANCE
There are some deep mysteries surrounding Rennes-le-Chateau. One is whether, as legend has it, this village is the hiding place of the Holy Grail. The other is how Dan Brown managed to pinch the town's conspiracy theories and turn them into a bestseller. See www.rennes-le-chateau.fr
TEMPELHOF AIRPORT, GERMANY
Wander around the Berlin suburb of Neukolln and you'll find hipster bars, live music venues, cafes, and a whopping great Nazi-era airport. While Tempelhof's runway area is now a public park, much of the huge terminal building, which has war bunkers and prison chambers in the basement, is deserted. See www.visitberlin.de
FIVE WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL AUSTRALIAN PLACES
COOBER PEDY, SA
Thanks to the scorching heat and solid rock, many of Coober Pedy's 1600 residents live in "dugout" houses below ground. These cave-homes cost the same as a normal house, and don't require aircon. See www.cooberpedy.sa.gov.au
WYCLIFFE WELL, NT
The truth is out there – or at least the residents of this Northern Territory village think so. Wycliffe Well is the self-proclaimed "UFO Capital of Australia", though it's hard to say how many sightings there have been. See www.wycliffe.com.au
NIMBIN, NSW
This former hippie utopia (founded in the '70s by partygoers keen to live the dream on a permanent basis) has lost a little of its shine, but it's still an odd place, where marijuana laws seem not to apply. See www.visitnimbin.com.au
PORT ARTHUR, TAS
What was once a convict prison is now the most haunted place in Australia, with claims of paranormal activity. Whether you believe them or not, Port Arthur at night is seriously spooky. See www.portarthur.org.au
MENA CREEK, QLD
Deep in the northern Queensland rainforest lies … a Spanish castle. Seriously. In the 1920s, Spanish holidaymaker Jose Paronella began work on his dream home, a mansion that is now a tourist attraction. See www.paronellapark.com.au
See also: The most beautiful places in Australia
ABOUT THE WRITER
Fairfax columnist Ben Groundwater has always enjoyed uncovering the weird and wonderful across the globe. "My absolute favourite place for finding bizarre things is Tokyo," he says. "This is the city of 'maid cafes', of robot restaurants, hedgehog cafes, bars made to look like dungeons, girls in cosplay outfits… There's never a dull moment."
See also: The world's most liveable cities