Islands are unique forms of land as they give amazing views and are rich in natural beauty. Some stand just a few meters away from coast while others stand in the midst of oceans far away from the main land. Most of the time the islands are bestowed with magnificent views of nature while at times it gains our attention due to something out of the ordinary; here is a list of islands that have attributes other than natural beauty and picturesque scenery that got our attention.
10: Palm Islands, Dubai
The Palm Jumeirah is an artificial mad-made island off the coast of Jumeirah beach, Dubai. It should not come as a shock since Dubai homes other marvels such as an indoor ski resort and a 160 story skyscraper. But this engineering feat pulled within the city is something that put Dubai on the map. The island is 31 square kilometer in area with sixteen 1 kilometer fronts that are surrounded by a 11 km long circular barrier. It measure 5 km from the tip to the mainland [source: The Daily Mail]. The Palm is the brainchild of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Makhtoum and the construction was carried out by Nakheel. They used around 92 million cubic meters of sand that they dredged from sea floor and boulder excavated from nearby mountain range. Surprisingly the Palm Jumeirah is not the only project in Dubai, artificial islands that is. Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Deira and “The World” are on their way to make a mark. However the 2008 financial crisis dealt a strong blow to these projects putting their future in doubt.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd2o7SVOHko[/youtube]
9: La Isla de las Munecas (The Island of the Dolls),
Mexico
Dolls hang from the trees, dolls that are wrapped with spider webs and at times with insects crawling in and out of the empty eye sockets. It may seem more like a scene from a Hollywood horror movie but that is not the case. You can see such dolls and a relatively horrific outlook once you reach the La Isla de las Munecas, the island of the dolls. Now the legend behind this island is just as disturbing as the scene enunciated above. The island lies just outside of Mexico City, where a broken man who after the tragic death of his family came to live in the canals of Xochimilco. His name was Don Julian. It is said that one day Julian heard a woman screaming as if she was drowning in a nearby canal. Julian rushed to save her life, like a hero he jumped in and pulled her out. But sadly she died soon. After that Julian started to hear the girl’s screams on nightly basis and in an unsuccessful attempt to make the spirit of the girl go away he started to hang dolls from the trees. The number grew as he kept hearing screams night over night. With time his legend grew and people come to give him dolls that he then used to hang by the tress. In 2005 Julian dies at 86 years of age but his dolls still hang by the trees, numbering up to thousands.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdimwGE_C6s?[/youtube]
8: Socotra Island, Yemen
If you have seen the movie”the Mysterious Island” then you can probably relate to this island. The island is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Yemen and Somalia. It is filled with breathtaking views, a mountain range (Haghier Mountains) reaching heights up to 1,525 meters and has arid lands. But the feature that gives it distinction are the flora and fauna that find their home on that island. Among the 300 plants, 24 reptiles and six birds that are unique to Socotra, is the dragon’s blood tree, an odd plant that is named for its bright red sap [source: SCDP]. From this tree’s thick central trunk, sturdy, gnarled branches fan out in a round umbrella shape and are topped with palm-like leaves. Another peculiar part of the island’s flora is the Socotran desert rose, a beige plant with pink flowers that’s best described as a giant rutabaga-like tree. The only drawback is the hostility of that region. The adjoining regions of the island are unstable otherwise the island would have been one of the most desired destinations for eco-tourists.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCbNeU0YwLU[/youtube]
