andrewjpl's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Tomb of Daniel at Samarkand

18m long sarcophagus of a constantly growing dead prophet.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Ulugh Beg Observatory

Light still pours into the ruins of this ancient Islamic observatory.
Muynak District, Uzbekistan

Moynaq

Once a bustling fishing port, this semi-ghost town is now more than 90 miles away from the shore.
Côn Đảo, Vietnam

Côn Đảo Prison

The wartime prison now features haunting sculpted reenactments of the atrocities that took place there.
Phan Thiet, Vietnam

The Fairy Stream

This whimsically named Vietnamese stream is closer to a walkway than a waterway.
Vĩnh Thạch, Vietnam

Vịnh Mốc Tunnel Complex

This network of tunnels housed an entire village for years, and even had a hall for screening movies.
Đồng Văn, Vietnam

Dong Van Karst Plateau

This striking landscape in northern Vietnam contains both geological and archaeological wonders.
Hòa Thắng, Vietnam

The White Sand Dunes of Vietnam

A desert in southeast Asia, complete with a beautiful lake covered in lotus flowers.
Hương Thủy, Vietnam

Hồ Thuỷ Tiên

Vietnam's feral abandoned water park offers access to a post-apocalyptic funscape, now with fewer crocodiles.
Xuân Trạch, Vietnam

Hang Son Doong

World's largest cave was only discovered in 1991, and now offers tours to the public.
Kabul, Afghanistan

Darul Aman Palace

What was once supposed to be the symbol of a shining Afghan future is now a bombed-out ruin.
Herat, Afghanistan

Herat National Museum

Despite a history of destruction, this former citadel survives to document Afghanistan's oft overlooked history.
Bagram, Afghanistan

Site of Alexandria on the Caucasus

The West's first incursion into the Afghan world lies buried beneath a military base.
Kandahar, Afghanistan

Chilzina and the Forty Steps of Kandahar

Rock-cut chamber at top of an outcroup, reached by a mountain stairway of forty steps.
Shahrak, Afghanistan

Minaret of Jam

200-foot-high minaret and only remnant of Afghanistan's lost city of the Turquoise Mountain.
Bamyan, Afghanistan

Site of the Bamiyan Buddhas

Once an impressive link to Afghanistan’s Buddhist past, now a sad reminder of intolerance towards other cultures.
Yakawlang, Afghanistan

Band-e Amir Lakes

Splashes of blue in an otherwise monotonous lunar landscape.
Aybak, Afghanistan

Stupa of Takht-e Rostam

Highly unusual subterranean stupa and adjacent cave monastery.
Keraniganj, Bangladesh

Dhaka Shipyard

The shipyards along the outskirts of the Bangladesh capital are a flurry dangerous boat breaking and rebuilding.
Lala Khal, Bangladesh

Lala Khal

A beautiful stretch of Bangladeshi river known for its high quality sand is possibly more remarkable for its color changing water.
Bhatiari, Bangladesh

Chittagong Ship-breaking Yards

Where giant ships go to die.
Thimphu, Bhutan

Motithang Takin Preserve

Strange, gentle beasts resembling goat-cow hybrids roam within this patch of forest.
Dochula, Bhutan

Dochula Pass Meditation Caves

The small sanctuaries lie just off the beaten path near one of Bhutan's most famous attractions.
Paro, Bhutan

Paro Taktsang

The small cliffside monastery known as the Tiger's Nest is said to be the meditation site of an eighth-century Buddhist master.