5 Outstandingly Weird & Incredible Lakes

Most lakes might be ordinary pools of water surrounded by land, but these five marvels are much cooler than that:

Palau, Pacific Ocean

On the Pacific island nation of Palau is our choice for the world’s coolest lake. Long ago it wasn’t a lake at all but rather an ocean inlet. In time a reef built up and the slow but inevitable march of geology conspired to cut the inlet off from the ocean standing a few jellyfish along with large quantities of algae (the jellyfish’s food source) and nitrogen (the algae’s food source). The result was an environment in which the jellyfish thrived, such that today Jellyfish Lake seems as much jelly as water. Technically the jellyfish do sting but so minutely as to be imperceptible to humans. Still, going snorkeling in the lake is not for the squeamish. But if you can take the plunge you’ll be rewarded with one of the most outstandingly weird and incredible travel experiences on the planet.

When To Go: Late May through August (when there are fewer visitors and cheaper prices) but really there is no bad time of year.

Where To Stay:Palau Pacific Resort

Learn more about Palau

Dominica, West Indies

Find a local guide, pack some food and other essentials, and head off early in the morning for a hike through The Valley of Desolation to the Boiling Lake. What sounds like a scene from Lord of the Rings is a great travel day on the Caribbean island of Dominica. The 15-mile hike begins in a lush rainforest, meanders through the flower-filled Titou Gorge, then crosses a rocky valley before arriving at the lake, 2,300 feet (700 meters) above sea level. The geothermically heated lake is around 180 Fahrenheit (85 Celsius) around the edges and literally boiling at the center!

When To Go: November through March (cooler weather, and outside of hurricane season)

Where To Stay: Jungle Bay Resort & Spa

Learn more about the hike

Osoyoos, BC Canada

If Dr. Seuss were to design a lake it would look like Spotted Lake just north of the Washington State line in British Columbia, Canada. This ameoba-shaped lake changes colors throughout the year and during the summer time divides itself into white, green or yellow pools. The unusual qualities of the lake are the result of the massively high concentrations of salts, titanium, calcium, sulphates and other minerals that form “walkways” underwater when the lake is fully covered. After evaporation lowers the lake level in hot weather the walkways are revealed. Or, at least, that’s the scientific explanation. When you visit in person it is easier to imagine that you are in the scene of a children’s story.

When To Go: June to mid-September (when the lake’s spots show)

Where To Stay: Walnut Beach Resort

Learn more

SEE MORE REAL PLACES THAT LOOK LIKE DR. SEUSS DRAWINGS

Sossusvlei, Namibia

In the southern African nation of Namibia the world’s highest sand dunes stretch for miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. Though it rarely rains here, every decade or so it rains enough in the mountains beyond the sand dunes so as to send torrents of water pouring down into the dunes; the water collects in a temporary lake, or “vlie.” Long ago the water flowed into an area that has since been cut off by a sand dune. The resulting “dead vlie” is a dramatic scene -- the trees that once grew here have been hardened in place by the sun and the white crusted lake bed is towered over by sand dunes.

When To Go: May and June (after the dry season and outside of the South African school holidays).

Where To Stay: The closest accommodations are at the Sesriem Campground. If you aren't camping equipted the nearest quality option is the Namib Desert Lodge.

Learn more about the Dead Vlei area

Uzbekistan & Kazakhstan, Central Asia

The Aral Sea (now The Aral Seas) is technically a lake (or, now, lakes) and makes our list because it is weirdly and incredibly horrible. From the 1930s through '60s the Aral Sea region was one of the most economically vibrant of the Soviet Union. The Aral provided bountiful fishing and its water enabled a thriving cotton industry. If you look on a world map this is the Aral you are likely to see, the Aral that was the world’s fourth largest, about the size of West Virginia or Ireland. In reality, the Aral is today around one third that size. And it is still shrinking. It has shrunk so much it has split into two. Sometime in 2009 is likely to split into three and by 2025 will probably disapear altogether. The deterioration began in the 1960’s when the Soviets took too much water from both the Aral and the rivers flowing into it. That raised the salinity levels in the water, which along with pollution killed off all life in the lake, leading to further deterioration. Today you can visit the former shores of the Aral and see boats stranded in the middle of nowhere and abandon fishing villages surrounded by sand. It is a surreal scene, like something out of Mad Max, that is so terrible it is worth a visit to see for yourself.

When To Go: September through November (for moderate temperatures and fewer mosquitoes).

Where To Stay: The major town that was once on the Aral shore -- Moynaq, Uzbekistan -- only has one hotel left: The Oybek Hotel (tel. 8361 322 1868).

Learn more and see a map of the changes to the Aral Sea

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