16. Soaking in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
Iceland is no longer off the beaten track, and their tourist boom has encouraged many travelers to discover it’s natural wonders like the geothermal mineral baths of the Blue Lagoon.
Located a short drive from the airport, lots of tourists are bused here during layovers, so the waters are usually pretty thick with other travel-weary bodies. It’s still pretty impressive if you don’t mind soaking in “people soup.” Ask a local for a recommendation of a less-touristy hot spring or thermal pool if you are seeking a more authentic, less crowded mineral dip. Iceland is full of them.
17. Experiencing the Majesty of Uluru
The biggest draw to the Red Center of Australia is the mighty monolith, Uluru (formerly known as Ayer’s Rock). Witnessing this red rock resonating at sunup or sundown is truly magical, and you can see why it’s considered a sacred site to the local Aboriginal people.
However, even though the Aboriginals strongly discourage people from climbing their sacred site, throngs of tourists continue to make the trek to the top, and a chained pathway helps them clamor up the steep slope.
Cheesy photo ops like this guy hitting a golf ball off the top of Uluru add to the offensive nature of the insensitive climb. There are other ways to take in this breathtaking site without being an oaf about it.
18. Kissing the Blarney Stone
Blarney Castle has done some good PR over the years, as many visitors to Ireland feel the need to visit County Cork just to kiss the famous Blarney Stone.
Whether or not puckering up gives you the gift of gab is undetermined, but it is rather off-putting to line up and go through the upside down ritual, pressing your lips to the same slobbery stone as thousands of tourists have done before you.
