A Hang Son Doong explorer navigates a plant-covered cavescape. Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Vietnam. (Carsten Peter/National Geographic/Getty Images) Almost six miles long,650ft-wide and 550ft-tall, in Quang Binh province in Vietnam is so big, it can fit a 40-story skyscraper. But the cave, which was created 2-5 million years ago by river water eroding limestone underneath a mountain, actually remained undiscovered until 1991 and unexplored until 2009. Now, tourists can explore the mythical cave, considered the world's largest, thanks...

A thunderstorm in Cape May, N.J. (Chris Bakley) Photographer Chris Bakley, who grew up in Cape May, N.J., wanted to show his Jersey Shore hometown in a new light – literally and figuratively. “I began this project because I wanted to show everyone a different side of Cape May/Jersey Shore – the night’s sky,” he told weather.com. Bakley took a series of photos that show a beautiful sky illuminated by stars. It may not be obvious in the resulting images...

A man looks at deserted hotels in an area used by the Turkish military, in the Turkish occupied area, in the abandoned city of Varosha in Cyprus, Friday, Jan. 17, 2014. Urban planners, business leaders and activists hope to rebuild the town to correct past errors and mold a sustainable, ecological habitat. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias) DERYNEIA, Cyprus — Time virtually stopped in 1974 for the Mediterranean tourist playground of Varosha. When Turkey invaded Cyprus in the wake of a coup...

Zebras at Kalahari Crossing, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana, in 2009. (Zack Seckler) Photographer Zack Seckler flew 500 feet above ground – and even hung by his seatbelt out an open plane door – to provide a unique perspective on the wildlife of the Makgadikgadi Pan and the Okavango Delta in Botswana. The daredevil photo shoot wasn’t planned, however. After the New York-based photographer finished a commissioned photo shoot in Botswana, he didn’t know what to do with the rest of his...

Norway's violinist Nils Oekland tests his instrument built of ice on Jan. 10, 2009 in Geilo, for an ice instrument festival. (JOHN HUGUES/AFP/Getty Images) We build snowmen, igloos, and even hotelsout of snow and ice, but it takes a bit more ingenuity to carve musical instruments. Now in its 9th year, the Norwegian Ice Music Festival hosted in the mountain town of Geilo celebrates the beauty and sounds of the natural world with concerts played entirely on ice. The festival...

Feeling worn down from the winter weather and mountains of snow? Why not escape to the Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey where you can bathe in hot springs that were once used by Romans? Although thepillowy white cliffs might be reminiscent of fluffy snow, the springs of Pamukkale are anything but cold. The magnificent terraces and pools of Pamukkale ("Cotton Castle" in Turkish) were created by mineralized water flowing from hot springs. The travertine basins were formed by the carbonate...

A tourist sunbathes beside debris at Kuta Beach on January 17, 2014 in Kuta, Indonesia. The sight of trash Kuta beach, one of Bali's most popular tourist destinations, has become an annual phenomenon as debris are carried to the beach by strong currents during the winter months. (Agung Parameswara/Getty Images) Known for its long stretches of sand and surfable waves, Kuta Beach is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bali, Indonesia, luring hordes of visitors hoping to enjoy...

The misty forests and craggy bluffs of Ireland and Wales have long been symbolically linked to the Celtic legacy of the region. But evidence suggests that the Celts traveled beyond the northern islands, all the way down to the sunny shores of northwest Spain. The autonomous region of Galicia, Spain, is the seventh Celtic Nation and the least known of the group. The other six include Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Isle of Mann and Brittany, France, reported the BBC. Beyond...

Stark the lion and a zookeeper playing ice hockey at the Oaklawn Farm Canadian zoo on Jan. 21, 2014. A spokesperson for the zoo said the 18-month-old lion apparently loves the ice - especially the sound of it cracking under his weight. (Nichole Coleman/Mercury Press/Caters News Agency) This is Sterk, the star attraction at the , and he has an unusual skill for a lion. The images featured in our video above were taken last week on January 21, when...

A scene in 'Gringo Trails' shows the litter-strewn aftermath of tourists' full moon party on Haad Rin, Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand. (Photo courtesy of Icarus Films) With its white sand beaches, azure waters and idyllic views, the island of Koh Phanganis considered one of the most beautiful places in Thailand. But every month, the day after its world-famous, all-night "Full Moon" party, when the island'sHaad Rin beach is littered with trash, beer bottles and drunk tourists, Koh Phangan seems more...

Bombay Beach, Salton Sea, Calif., Dec. 15, 2013. (Shane Hawk) Shane Hawk’s evolution as a photographer and artist is an interesting one. He went from snapping photos on his iPhone 4 and uploading them to Instagram to dangling his Canon 7D out the window of a car to capture mountains in Hawaii in the perfect light. But even before he created his popular Instagram account he had always been interested in the outdoors. “I have always loved nature,” Hawk told...

Dog-sled taxi ready to take guests to Kirkenes Snowhotel. (Thomas Nilsen/Barents Observer) Why wait in line for a cab or squeeze into an airport shuttle bus when you can ride to your hotel in a dog-sled taxi? A hotel in northern Norway has launched a taxi service — which employs a team of eight Alaskan huskies — to pick up guests from the Kirkenes Airport. The trek to the Kirkenes Snowhotel from the airport, a scenic (and cold) 45-minute ride...

A self-portrait at Lake Minnewanka, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada, Jan. 2013. (Paul Zizka) Canadian photographer Paul Zizka not only captures beautiful landscapes in the Canadian Rockies, he also creates unique silhouetted self-portraits that bring “selfies” to a whole new level. Zizka uses a tripod to capture his silhouettes in various scenic and serene locations. But while there’s a sense of calmness in the photos, Zizka says the process of setting up the shot is actually a lot more frantic...