Lençois Maranhenses National Park, Brazil

These swathes of sweeping white dunes create an otherworldly landscape, and from May to September, rainwater fills the crystal-clear pools. These dunes span over 43 miles or 70 kilometers. In Portuguese, the name translates to rolling white dunes. Wandering across this heavenly landscape is an experience unlike any other. Why travel to another planet when you have these sprawling dunes in South America, right at your doorstep? (CNN).

Vatnajokull Glacier, Iceland

As the second-largest glacier in all of Europe, it comes as no surprise that this landscape looks like it was pulled right from the moon. You might even expect an alien to jump out from the corner and scare anyone who walks by. The glacier is over 3,000 feet, or 900 meters deep. Several active volcanoes sit right beneath its surface. The most famous volcanoes are called Grímsvötn, Öræfajökull and Bárðarbunga. Unfortunately, thanks to global warming, the glacier shrinks about 3 feet or 0.9 meters per year. The glacier itself has over 30 outlet glaciers, which remain restrained in the valley (Guide to Iceland).

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam

Right in the heart of this Vietnamese national park is Han Son Doong, also known as the largest cave in the world. This is the place to visit if you love spelunking and alien landscapes that can house a block of New York City skyscrapers. It’s also home to the world’s largest stalagmites, measuring up to 260 feet, or 80 meters into the air. There’s a high level of biodiversity and endemic species, vital for the limestone landscapes (WHC).

Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie, China

If you’re an avid Avatar fan, then you might have seen this landscape before. But you don’t need to jump through the television screen to experience something as remarkable as this. In China, this 100-mile attraction contains thousands of pillars of sandstone. This is nature’s version of skyscrapers, some of which stretch higher than the Empire State Building. People refer to it as the “contractible fairyland,” with hidden valleys and limestone caves (Travel China Guide).