Strangest Places People Actually Live From Around The World

1. Coober Pedy underground village, Australia

Image source: Reddit

Coober Pedy is an underground village that is located in the outback of Australia. There is an underground network which has tunnels, connections and homes. Most people would never imagine that it is actually a place where people live their lives. The environment of the outback is extreme, there are freezing cold winters and boiling hot summers, and being below the earth insults and protects people from this.

2. The Rock Homes of Gibraltar

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The rock of Gibraltar is situated right at the very tip of the Iberian peninsula. It's an amazing geological structure...and there are houses built right into the face of the rock. These homes are by no means modern, they date back centuries and have been traced right back by historians to the Neanderthal times. But the craziest thing of all is, that some people actually still inhabit these ancient homes!

3. The Korowai Tree Houses

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The Korowai people are an indigenous tribe, and they live in the forests of Paua, Indonesia. They have become known for living in amazing treehouse structures. The tribe builds their dwellings very high up to protect them from the dangers of the forest. They are made out of wood and natural materials and weaved together to make them strong enough to live.

4. Slab City

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Slab City is often called the 'Last Free Place of America' because it is a place where people live a very unconventional and 'off the grid' lifestyle to stay outside the constraints of society. The name is derived from World War II, the place was a military base camp that was abandoned and then taken over by people all seeking to lead a non-traditional kind of lifestyle.

5. Longyearbyen, Svalbard

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Longyearbyen is a settlement in Svalbard which is one of the most northern places in the world, that is actually inhabited. It's a very extreme place to live with never-ending summer days of 24-hour sunlight and darkness throughout the winter months. The settlement first started during coal mining, however, people have continued to remain here to this day.

6. Aogashima, Japan

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Aogashima is a Japanese island, part of the Izu islands. The island is formed from volcanic rock which surrounds the volcano in the center. It's extremely beautiful and has hot springs and amazing natural beauty. The island is only accessible by a boat or a helicopter and only a total of 200 people actually live here on the island as it is extremely remote.

7. Vorosha, Cyprus

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Vorosha is an abandoned ghost town located in Cyprus. It has largely been deserted since a conflict in 1974, as it remains under the control of the Turkish military. There have been many efforts to return it to the bustling town it once was. Some people do actually still live here, however, the town has a haunted silence about it as most people left permanently.

8. Monawi, Nebraska

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Monawi is a very small village in Boyd County, Nebraska. It is the most tiny town in the entirety of America, as a recent census confirmed a population of 1 person, an eighty-four-year-old woman named Elsie Eiler. She is the town mayor, librarian, bartender, and clerk. Aside from Eiler, the town remains deserted. After World War II the town suffered and people started to move away.

9. The train graveyard of Uyuni

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The train graveyard of Uyuni is a collection of rusting, abandoned trains in Bolivia. They were once used for transporting goods to the mines however they now lie completely abandoned. It has become a popular attraction amongst tourists who want to witness the sight. Strangest of all, some people actually live here amongst the vast collection of ghost trains!

10. Thor's Well Homes, Oregon

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Thor's Well is a place of extreme natural beauty, it is essentially a huge hole in the rocks which creates a well or waterfall feature. It's an incredible site and tourists flock to see it. But, people actually live at the sides of Thor's well. They are within throwing distance from the vast water drop. The views are spectacular but only those daring enough could ever live here!

11. The Salina Turda, Romania

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Salina Turda is an underground salt mine which has now been developed underground to feature all kinds of facilities including a theme park and a museum. There is an underground lake, and craziest of all, some people actually live here. It has become a kind of underground world. The salt mine stopped its use in 1932 and was abandoned until 1992 when the potential attraction was spotted and developed.

12. The rock houses of Cappadocia, Turkey

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The Cappadocia rock houses can be found in central Turkey. They are such a unique archaeological formation and they have been inhabited as homes since 4000 BCE. And so these homes are steeped in history. The rock houses are not the only part of the town and formation, there are underground networks and even cities! Now, along with real residents people go to stay here at rock hotels or apartments.

13. Mastmata, Tunisia

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Matmata is located in Tunisia, it is a very small, Berber-speaking (one of the last remaining in the world), town that is underground. The houses are traditional troglodyte structures and today the residents remain here in the traditional formations. The population currently stands at 2,116. People first came to live here to escape from invasion, and now the town remains to this day.

14. La Rinconada, Peru

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There is a very small town near the Peruvian Andes called La Rinconada which is THE highest town in the entire world. The town is 5,000 meters high and it is mainly inhabited by those who work in the gold mines. It is extremely hard to get in and out of the town and getting supplied here is challenging. The lifestyle conditions that the residents face here daily are hard!

15. North Sentinel Island, India

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North Sentinel Island is a very remote island in Bengal Bay. It is one of the last tribes in the world that still reject external influence and contact from the outside world. They are renowned for rejecting visitors and they display hostility towards people from outside and have even been known to forcefully remove people. The island remains much of a mystery for this reason and it is now illegal to attempt to reach the island.

16. Supai Village, Arizona

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Supai Village is a very small community of people in Arizona. It is located near the grand canyon, in the Havasu Canyon, deep down so that it can only be reached by mule, helicopter, or 8 miles of walking. And so the Havasupai tribe who live here are very cut off from the outside world and live a very traditional life according to their own cultural beliefs and values.

17. The Uros floating islands

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The Uros floating islands are man-made. The Uru people live here and have been constructing these islands for centuries. They are an indigenous people and they use the materials from their land, such as the reeds, to create the floating structures. They use fishing and hunting and rely on self-sufficiency. Visitors are often welcome to come and see the unique homes and villages.

18. Caracas's Skyscraper slum

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In the center of Caracaras, a huge skyscraper called the Tower of David was built during a time of economic success. It was 45 stories high and it was predicted to house over 700 families, but before it was completed it was left abandoned when the money ran out. Now, the skyscraper has been turned into a kind of neighborhood where people live unofficially in the abandoned area.

19. Pitcairn Island

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Pitcairn Island is extremely remote and it is considered one of the most isolated islands in the world that remains inhabited. In 1767 a British Sailor discovered the land. Then in 1790, a group of mutineers came to settle on the island and the island remains inhabited now by the descendants of those who arrives all those centuries ago. The people are completely self-sufficient and fail to cut off from outside influence.

20. The root bridges of Meghalaya

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These root brigs have been crafted from tree roots and weaved together to form these impressive structures. The communities here have been using these techniques for centuries, and they have crafted homes from the roots which weave into the bridges. Some of these are created new, and some are centuries old. It's an example of a completely sustainable home system.

21. Snake Island, Brazil

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Snake Island is one of the most dangerous islands ever due to the high number of dangerous and highly poisonous snakes. Despite the island being largely uninhabited there are a couple of residents who unofficially live here. It is also home to the golden lancehead viper which is THE most venomous snake in the entire world. It's definitely not the kind of place tourists should visit...

22. The Houtong Cat Village

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Houtong Cat Village is a cat lover's paradise. It's a small village in Taiwan but it has become famous for its massive population of cats living here. The majority of the cats are stray, but they are looked after collectively by residents who live here. Cat lovers from all over the world come here to experience this cat haven. There are even statues and cat theme decorations throughout the village.

23. The World's smallest house, Warsaw

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The world's smallest house ever is located in Warsaw, Poland. It was built in 2021 by architect Jakub Szczesny and it is a building nestled in between two others. The widest point only reaches to 1.2 meters. Somehow, the home manages to function with the use of a very creative living space that has been used to optimize every bit of space possible. In fact, it was built for this very reason, however, it is not inhabited!

24. The Dune House, England

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Another special piece of architecture is The Dune House in England. It was specifically designed to blend in with the coastal landscape and from a distance it really does resemble sand dunes. It was built in 2012 and the glass part of the house offers a full panoramic view of the coastline, making this house well sought after. The house is now lived in by a family who bought it for a hefty price tag.

25. The container city, England

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The Container City was a development born out of a project trying to create sustainable living space in urban areas. Old shipping containers were used and put together to form a housing project where families currently reside. Due to a lack of housing, and a lack of affordable housing, the Container City was intended to show an innovative solution to a current problem!

26. The village on stilts, Japan

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Shrakwa-go is often referred to across the globe as the village on stilts. The village is situated in the mountains of Japan and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The houses have been built from trees, and the purpose of the stilts is to keep the houses well above the water and the thatched roofs are intended to prevent snow from gathering on the roofs and they are also intended to appear as hands praying.

27. The Frank Lloyd Wright waterfall home

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The Frank Lloyd Wright waterfall home is one of the most astounding houses and pieces of architecture. The house has been built upon a waterfall and integrated so that the house actually becomes a part of the waterfall. The house was commissioned by the Kaufmann family as a house to spend the weekends, situated among nature, and it was completed in 1939.

28. The Bubble houses of France

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The Bubble Houses in France have so been named due to their bubble-like appearance. They were designed to blend in with the surrounding area and nature and have become known for their unconventional use of architecture. They have also been designed as energy-efficient homes and they are inhabited by permanent residents and some tourists who stay in the bubble hotels.

29. Earthship homes

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Earthship homes have one goal, to be as sustainable and self-sufficient as possible so that they are kinder to the Earth. They are made from recycled materials and they use renewable energy. They are designed and positioned to take heat and energy from the sun. Earthships are not only found in one region, they are growing in popularity all over the world due to the climate crisis.

30. The Airplane home, Costa Rica

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Boeing 727 is located in Costa Rica. It is a home made from an old, decomposition airplane. It is very cost-efficient to tun and energy efficient. It was once a home to a permanent family but it has not been turned into a kind of hotel where guests can pay to experience a unique place to stay. It has been rated as the best novelty hotel of the year due to its unique quality and modern inside renovations.

31. More of the strangest places around the world you can actually visit: Spotted Lake, Canada

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Of all the amazing lakes in the world, this is one of the most unique, due to the spotted pattern that appears on its surface. The small circles appear in the summer months, when the water of the lake evaporates and leaves behind these small mineral pools you can see, each one a different color. The lake is so unique that it's respected by the native Okanagan people.

32. Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland

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Ireland is home to some pretty stunning natural spots, but none are stranger than the Giant's Causeway, the site of a huge volcanic eruption that happened millions of years ago, leaving behind cracks in the basalt rock. Now you can find a great number of these strange stone columns, with the added legend that they came into being because of a giant.

33. Thor's Well, USA

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You might not think the God of Thunder and water mix, but that hasn't stopped Thor's Well gaining its reputation! This strange spot in Oregan, USA, is also known as the Spouting Horn, which is a huge sinkhole that can be seen surrounded by the violent water around it. As the water rushes into the sinkhole, it's then shot straight back out of it with the force of a god!

34. Pamukkale, Turkey

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This site is so strangely unique that it's protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so definitely one for the travel list, too. Found in southwest Turkey, these ancient ruins are also known as Cotton Palace, where you can find natural water springs and thermal pools at the site of a now-lost ancient city. You can even take a swim in the thermal pools, too!

35. Lake Hillier, Western Australia

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The strangest thing about this lake is that vibrant pink color to the water, unlike any you might have seen before! This lake is one of the largest in the Recherche Archipelago in Western Australia. Even more strange is the fact that the pink color stays all year round, no matter the season, and it's believed this is due to the combination of salinity and an algae species that likes salt!

36. Badab-e Surt, Iran

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These natural limestone formations can be found in northern Iran, offering a beautiful orange color worthy of an Instagram snap or two. It's taken thousands of years for these limestone terraces to develop, due to the calcium deposit in the water here, where two hot springs can be found. The iron content in one of the springs causes that bright reddish color.

37. The Tianzi Mountains, China

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Another shoutout for incredible limestone formations, these ones are found in the Hunan Province of China, offering a strange and spectacular place with these huge towering columns covered in greenery - not to mention an eerie mist that can often surround them. You can even take a cable car to get an up-close-and-personal look at these formations!

38. The Nazca Lines, Peru

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Located in Pampa de San Jose in Peru are these very unusual and unexplained shapes. You can only spot them full from the air, so you'd have to take a plane or helicopter up there to see, where they reveal lines that are even 200 metres in length. The mystery remains of how they came to be, with the lines depicting gigantic animals and the shapes of human figures.

39. The Bermuda Triangle, North Atlantic Ocean

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We all know the mysteries surrounding the Bermuda Triangle right now, but if you're into the weird and wonderful, why not take a trip there? Or at least as close as you can get without being directly in it... Found in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Bermuda Triangle is shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories, while some even claim it doesn't exist.

40. Socotra Island, Yemen

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This island in Yemen is very mysterious indeed - and very remote. Because the island has such a strangely unique biodiversity, it results in types of trees and plants that you can't find anywhere else in the world. The most unusual of these is the twisted dragon's blood tree with its weaving branches, as well as the bottle tree. It certainly feels like you've stepped onto a different planet!

41. The Hand in the Desert, Chile

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While this huge hand in the Chilean desert isn't a natural formation - which would be extremely weird - it's still one of the strangest things you can see poking out of the desert sand! Created by Chilean sculptor Mario Irarrazabal, the work out art can be found around 46 miles south of Antofagasta. The piece gives off a distinct eerie and lonely feel to it, that you'll need to see in person to get the full effect of!

42. Chocolate Hills of Bohol Island, The Philippines

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No, you can't eat them, unfortunately, but you can visit them and bask in their weird wonder! Found in the Philippines, these formations are strange cone-shaped hills dotted about the middle of the island. They each have different heights, but their shape stays the same. It's said that they came about as a result of coral deposits and rainwater erosion.

43. Red Beach, China

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You might think it would feel a little ominous to be on a beach that looks to have completely red sand rather than golden white, but this unique beach in China is truly remarkable! The red hue comes from a form of seaweed called Sueda, and this seaweed turns a bright red during the autumn season. You won't be able to walk anywhere trough the red seaweed if you visit, but you can walk along the wooden walkways there!

44. Plain of Jars, Laos

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There are some very strange megalithic stones across the world, but perhaps none so weird as these stone jars found in Laos, that just seem to have been dropped and scattered about. Some believe the jars were once used in funeral ceremonies from ancient times, but there's another legend that giants used the jars to brew their rice wine! What do you think?

45. Goblin Valley State Park, USA

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This valley found close to Salt Lake City in Utah is completely uninhabited, revealing some very strange sandstone structures that some believe look like goblins. The sandstone in this location has been subject to wind and water, which is how these unique formations have ended up coming into being, and there are marked trails if you want to visit these weird 'goblin' formations!

46. Whale Bone Alley, Siberia

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Off the coast of Alaska, is found this remote stretch of land close to the shore, which has been labelled Whale Bone Alley. The name comes from the ominous whale bones left behind scattered on the land, including huge jawbones, ribs and backbones. The bones are erected in such a way that it forms a sort of alleyway to walk between. Understandably, it's become a unique tourist destination.

47. Glass Beach, USA

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Although the idea of shimmering sea glass lying by the water might sound somewhat strange and magical, it's actually as a result of tons of garbage being dumped onto the beach. Everything that was deposited on the beach, including cans and bottles, was eventually broken down by the sea water over time, leaving behind this unique beach of glass.

48. The Catacombs, France

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Many people have heard creepy tales of the catacombs beneath the city of Paris. While some of the pathways are open for tourists to take tours, some of them remain strictly closed off, making it even more creepy. The network of tunnels showcases eerie displays of skulls and bones, a lot of which were taken from graveyards in the 18th and 19th centuries when they ran out of space!

49. Fly Geyser, USA

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The stunning color display of this unique geyser in Nevada, USA, is enough to make you want to see it in person! Found on this private area of land, the formation of this ethereal geyser actually came from manmade efforts, when an energy company did some drilling into the ground. This caused the geothermal water to create a fountain that results in this stunning color pattern.

50. Cat Island, Japan

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Another strange place in the world is an island of cats, found in Japan. If you're a feline lover, you'd surely want to live here, right? Cat Island can be found by a short ferry ride, where cat numbers go beyond the number of humans. Originally more cats were bred in Japan because they were needed to fend off mice who might sabotage silk production.