Water, fire and ice have combined to make some of the most spectacular scenery in the world -- from giant crystal caves to mud volcanoes and rock formations that look like works of art.
If your office and daily commute aren't a fitting reminder of the extraordinary natural diversity of planet earth, get some inspiration from these incredible scenes.
Jiuzhaigou National Park, Sichuan Province, China: You can enjoy all the vibrant colors of nature at China's Jiuzhaigou National Park. Look out for the ancient tree trunks under the clear waters of Five Flower Lake.
Gran Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia: The largest salt flat in the world, the Gran Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia feels more like a desert than a lake.
Pangong Tso Lake, India-China: This saltwater lake sits high in the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,350 meters. It's a natural -- and disputed -- border between India and China-governed Tibet.
Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland: Deep in the Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen Valley is a deep, and scenic, cleft cut in the topography running between steep limestone precipices.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina: This 30-kilometer glacier in Patagonia's Los Glaciares National Park grows and contracts, with the force of the trapped water causing a spectacular rupture every four to five years.
Halong Bay, Vietnam: Riding on a traditional Chinese junk ship is the most popular way to explore Halong Bay and its thousands of small islands and standing karsts.
Uluru/Ayers Rock, Australia: Australia's favorite giant sandstone mass is 350 meters high and more than nine kilometers in circumference.
Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, Iceland: Seljalandsfoss Waterfall may not be biggest or highest waterfall in Iceland, but not many falls have a path where you can walk directly behind the cascade.
Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images
Paria Canyon, Arizona: A smaller version of the Grand Canyon, the Paria River's rock formations are just as impressive as its neighbor.
Jeff Topping/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord, Norway: Boasting high cliffs, deep waters and stunning waterfalls, Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord are among the world's longest and deepest fjords.
Courtesy Kamil Porembiński/Creative Commons/Flickr
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Australia: The world's largest structure made of living organisms, the Great Barrier Reef is even visible from space.
Tourism & Events Queensland
Fox Glacier, South Island, New Zealand: The 13-kilometer Fox Glacier in New Zealand is one of the most easily accessible ice masses in the world.
Courtesy Bernard Spragg. NZ/Creative Commons/Flickr
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia: Plitvice Lakes is a series of clear lakes in between rocky canyons and dramatic waterfalls.
Courtesy Damir Fabijanić
Lake Nakuru, Kenya: Lake Nakuru National Park is home to hippos, white and black rhino, giraffe and buffalo. But the star residents are its thousands of pink flamingos.
Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group Editorial/UIG via Getty Images
Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls, Zambia, Zimbabwe: The local name for Victoria Falls accurately captures the most stunning feature of the waterfall: Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning smoke that thunders.
courtesy nap
Mount Bromo, Indonesia: Mount Bromo is a small active volcano inside the much larger caldera of an ancient extinct volcano.
Courtesy sara marlowe/Creative Commons/Flickr
Lake Baikal, Russia: Frozen for at least four months a year, the shockingly vivid blue ice of Lake Baikal is one of winter's most incredible sights. Couresty BaikalNature
Fernando De Noronha, Brazil: Praia do Sancho is one of the best beaches in Fernando De Noronha, an archipelago of 21 tropical islands.
courtesy photo pantai, wiki commons
Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii: The drama and scale of the Na Pali coast of Kauai, along the 17-kilometer Kalalau trail, may just top Hawaii's many other breathtaking landscapes.
Courtesy Matt Wunderle/Creative Commons/Flickr
South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon, Arizona: The South Kaibab Trail takes you to the wonderfully named "Ooh Ah Point" and, for the adventurous, further into the canyon's depths.
Courtesy Mac H (media601)/Creative Commons/Flickr
Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada: Moraine Lake is known as the jewel of the Rockies for its deep crystalline waters that reflect the pine forests, soaring mountains and endless sky.
Courtesy Mark Doliner/Creative Commons/Flickr
Angel Falls, Venezuela: The highest waterfall in the world, the water at Angel Falls travels 979 meters, which includes a free fall drop of 807 meters. Most of the water evaporates as mist before reaching the bottom.
FEDERICO PARRA/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
The Shilin Stone Forest, China: Spread over 350 square kilometers in Yunnan province, the Shillin Stone Forest is covered by karst rocks dating back 270 million years.
Courtesy shizhao/creative commons/flickr
Cliffs of Moher, Ireland: The cliffs of Moher, rising 213 meters above the Atlantic Ocean and stretching for eight kilometers, are one of Ireland's biggest natural tourist attractions.
Courtesy Jeremy Polanski/Creative Commons/Flickr
Skaftafell National Park, Iceland: Formed over millions of years by volcanic eruptions, rivers and glaciers, the Skaftafell National Park in southern Iceland has a variety of striking landscapes.
Courtesy The Conservation Volunteers/Creative commons/Flickr
