Places stenaavel Wants to Go

Far from the shore, this sandy victim of the Skeleton Coast looks like it was plopped in the middle of the desert.

The remains of diamond fever taken over by the desert.

A narrow, serpentine spit of sand is constantly eroded and rebuilt by competing currents.

The world's seventh-largest coral reef contains an incredible amount of biodiversity.

Fine dining 20 feet below the surface in the Indian Ocean.

An underwater restaurant, surrounded by a coral reef.

Bioluminescence in the reefs of the Maldives causes the sea to glow like a starry night sky.

The “Thumb” of Mauritius provides a 360 degree view of the entire country.

This small group of sand dunes manages to pack in a strange rainbow of colors.

On one of the world's most active volcanoes, a pebble-filled crater changes color with the wind.

Réunion Island's highest point is a two-million-year-old volcano and a paraglider's paradise.

At the center of an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a deep chasm ringed by tall waterfalls.

A schooner, nicknamed "The Unsinkable," with a long history of survival in the Indian Ocean.

Over two-thirds of the world's population of giant tortoises live among this coral formation.

In the middle of a busy residential neighborhood, a small roofless church being reclaimed by nature.

This moss-covered, rocky outcropping looks like a mythical beast resting in the water.

Giant disc-shaped gate took 20 men to close off this city in Madagascar.

The runoff from these fiery cliffs sends red water flowing into the sea.

Fabulous formations, weird and wonderful wildlife.

The centuries-old trees lining both sides of this dirt road may become Madagascar's first natural monument.

Once living up to its name as the grandest hotel in all of Africa, the Grande Hotel is now home to a community of squatters.

From neon green watering holes to bleached elephant foetuses, this Mozambique museum makes natural history weird.

This rusted shipwreck directly in front of a century-old abandoned lighthouse looks almost surreal.

This amateur-built East African church with mismatched towers is an architectural abnormality.