More surreal places you have to visit to believe

SINGAPORE - From China to Chile, our planet is dotted with so amazing wonders that even the locals in that country are not aware of.

The Vale da Lua in the State of Goias in Brazil is a shockingly beautiful landscape made up of smooth rocks.

Know as the Moon Valley to the western-speaking world, these rocks were said to be formed by lava or developed over time by river deposits, according to UnusualPlaces.org.

Despite not being well-known even to its locals, the unique rock site is part of the Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks which was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001.

From the little-known ones, the Great Big Hole in Belize is a stunning 300-metre wide that was was made popular by French explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, when he declared it one of the best diving sites in the 1970s.

In 2012, Discovery Channel also named it one of the "10 Most Amazing Places on Earth".

Most surreal places in the gallery below are said to be formed by lava, limestone or even just years of harsh weather; but for some, they occur due to accidents.

The ominous-sounding "Door to Hell" Gas Deposit in Darvaza, Turkmenistan is one such example.

The crater has been burning for over 40 years, reported Daily Mail, when the ground beneath collapsed during a rig drilling activity in 1971.

Fearing the gas might be poisonous, the team wanted to "burn it off", said the British press, but the gas is still not used up and burns bright even today. The flames can be seen from hundred of miles away.

Take a look at more surreal places around the world below.

wjeanne@sph.com.sg