While many old bucket lists might still have these names on them, sadly, tourists will never tick them. Whether it is because of man’s inability to read nature’s caution or some natural disaster, these travel hotspots are lost forever. 

Here’s our list of places that will never be experienced by us again. 

The Wawona Tree in Yosemite Park, California

This 2100-year-old Sequoia tree was located in the Mariposa Grove of the national park. In 1881, authorities carved a hole in the tree’s base to drive vehicles through it. 

The 227 feet tree even had President Roosevelt pass through its base in 1903. However, the tree, unfortunately, succumbed to a weight of snow on its crown and fell in February 1969. 

The Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Afghanistan boasted of two Buddha statues in its Bamiyan province, carved out of sandstone. The taller of the two was about 55 meters. However, these effigies stand no more since 2001 when the Taliban started destroying Buddhist images. 

Artisans carved the statues in the 6th century. The alcoves now lie empty on the cliffsides of Bamiyan, revealing a haunting emptiness. 

Duckbill rock formation, Oregon

The Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area was famous for this rock formation that looked like the shape of a duckbill. Carved out of sandstone, the statue stood close to 2 meters tall and was probably shaped for a million years. 

However, a group of people vandalized the rock formation in 2016 and kept pushing it until it crumbled into the sea. 

Crystal Palace, London

Considered a Victorian masterpiece, Crystal Palace was built in London’s Hyde Park in 1851. It was later moved to the South London Penge Park, where it continued to amaze tourists for another 82 years. Crystal Palace had a ground that housed festivals, roller coasters, cricket matches, and even dinosaurs in its peak glory. 

However, tragedy struck in 1936, when fire swallowed it up. There are many theories about how the fire started, but still no concrete evidence. 

Pink and White Terraces, New Zealand

In the 19th century, these cascading pools that were formed naturally had tourists visiting from all over the world. The Southern Hemisphere was known for this wonder of nature. 

Unfortunately, due to Mount Tarawera’s eruption in 1886, this beautiful sight was destroyed. Thankfully, there were many painters who captured this scenery in their paintings. For instance, the above painting is by an English artist Charles Blomfield. 

With the bountiful nature, Mediterranean landscapes, white sand beaches surrounded by mountains, and the added beauty of Sahara, Algeria has a lot to offer as a holiday destination. The first destination to explore is the Botanical Garden EL Hamma, which is situated in Algiers. The garden is spread across 54 hectares of land, offering visitors a chance to explore many species of plants, beautifully decorated fountains, art museums, and zoos.

History of the Garden

This former French colony began its marshland’s remediation work to nurture and turn it into a farmland in 1831. In the following year, Governor-General Antoine Avisard mandated the establishment of a test garden in El Hamma. The idea behind building this magnificent garden was to serve as a demonstration farm and to study imported plant species. Its size grew bigger gradually, and in 1914 it became a public garden.

In 1930, the garden became a university for agriculture. In the late 1940s, the garden was restored to its former glory and was listed as a National Natural Heritage Site. Since 2006, guardianship lies with the district of Algiers.

A Treat to the Eyes

The two main designs of the garden are opposite facing and it entails a large piece of land from the sea’s edge to the mountain foot. The Fine Art Museum is situated in this French garden. The English garden consists of shaded alleys with thick and diversified plants and greenery—experience cool breeze and relief from harsh sunlight outside the garden. There are four main categories of plants, namely, medicinal plants, economic and industrial plants, and food plants.

Hollywood’s Favorite Forest

Multiple Hollywood movies have been shot in the botanical garden. The large entangled trees that are found at the beginning of the garden easily replace the West African Rainforest. Tarzan was also shot here too.

The garden is also popular for field study days, exhibitions of flora and fauna adding to the popularity of Algiers’ environmental education. The zoo and Museum host hundreds of classic and modern art pieces. Visitors can take the cable car to visit the Martyrs’ memorial.