LAKE TOYONI, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN
Lake Toyoni is located in Erimo town, Hokkaido, known as the most romantic lake in Japan because it has a heart shape when viewed from above. This lake is surrounded by primeval forest, so the autumn scenery here is very poetic with yellow and red leaves covering the mountains. Tourists began to know about Lake Toyoni when it was chosen as a filming location for a famous souvenir company in Japan. To get here, visitors can choose between walking through the forest or taking a helicopter to see the whole view of the lake.
EASTERN EGG ROCK ISLAND, MAINE, USA
Eastern Egg Rock is an island located off the south Atlantic coast of St. George, Maine, United States. In 1973, the Director of the Maine Coastal Seabird Association, Stephen W. Kress, initiated Project Puffin, an effort to re-introduce lost seabirds to Eastern Egg Rock, especially puffins, which had not been seen on the island since 1885. The project was a great success, and the island is now the primary puffin habitat in North America. To protect the birds, visitors are restricted during the breeding season from April to August. Pictured is a puffin perched on a heart-shaped rock.
JÖKULSÁRLÓN ICELAND LAKE
Jökulsárlón is a large glacial lake in southeastern Iceland, at the head of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, on the edge of Vatnajökull National Park. The lake was formed when glaciers retreated towards the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake is now four times its size since 1970, with an area of 18 km2and a depth of 248 m. This place is considered one of the famous natural wonders of Iceland. In particular, some tourists coming here have taken pictures of a heart-shaped hole in the ice cave in this ice lake.
GUASSA COMMUNITY CONSERVATION AREA, ETHIOPIA
The Guassa Community Conservation Area (GCCA) is one of the oldest nature reserves in sub-Saharan Africa. It is home to many endemic bird and wildlife species such as the Ethiopian wolf and the endangered Gelada monkey.
The Gelada, also known as the bleeding heart monkey, is a species of Old World monkey found only in the highlands of Ethiopia. It resembles a baboon, but has a bright red patch on its chest that looks like its heart is bleeding. This red patch is present in both males and females, with males usually having a darker and more eye-catching color, while females' red patches only turn red when ready to mate. Currently, this species of monkey is facing a serious risk of extinction due to habitat loss and over-hunting by humans.
ANTELOPE CANYON, ARIZONA
Antelope Canyon, located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona, is the most visited and photographed canyon in the southwestern United States. The canyon is divided into two sections: Upper Antelope (also known as The Crack) and Lower Antelope (also known as The Corkscrew). In particular, in Upper Antelope Canyon there is a unique heart-shaped red cliff wall.
HEART REEF, GREAT BARRIER REEF, AUSTRALIA
Heart Reef, located in Hardy Reef in the Whitsundays, about 60 km from the mainland, is a naturally heart-shaped coral reef with a diameter of 17 m. This coral reef was discovered in 1975 by an Air Whitsunday pilot. To admire the beauty of this place, visitors must sit on a plane or helicopter because the government has restricted visitors to swim or dive here to protect the integrity of the island.
ELFERSPITZE MOUNTAIN, AUSTRIA
For 10 days in June every year, people living on the Elferspitze mountain in Neustift, in the Stubai valley, Austria, gather on the mountaintop, arrange candles in the shape of hearts and crosses stretching over 70 meters to celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This tradition of lighting bonfires on the mountain has been around for more than 200 years, originally used to mark the summer solstice (the longest day of the year) or to help villages communicate with each other before the invention of telephones.
BOROUGH MARKET, LONDON, ENGLAND
Borough Market is a food market in Southwark, London, recognized as one of the largest and oldest food markets in the capital of England. In particular, this market has a very prominent pink heart-shaped mural, painted by street artist James “Jimmy C” Cochran. This work was painted after the terrorist attack on London Bridge that killed 8 people on June 3, 2017, to express condolences to the deceased and to show the spirit and resilience of Londoners.
ŠPIČNIK, SLOVENIA
Špičnik is a small settlement located right on Slovenia's northern border with Austria. It is famous for its vineyards, where people grow and produce some of Slovenia's best wines. In addition, the winding heart-shaped road, dubbed the most romantic road in the world, is also a popular place in Špičnik. To fully see this heart-shaped road, visitors must stand on the top of the hill at the Dreisiebner tourist farm. The farm owner said that this road was created randomly because people wanted the road to their homes to be less steep.
DUBAI MIRACLE GARDEN, DUBAI
Dubai Miracle Garden is a flower garden located in the Dubailand area of Dubai, inaugurated on Valentine's Day 2013. With an area of 72,000 m2With over 150 million flowers, the garden is recognized as the world's largest natural flower garden and was awarded the Moselle Prize by the Garden Tourism Award in 2015.
Dubai Miracle Garden is open to visitors from mid-November to mid-April - the time when the flowers in the garden bloom brilliantly and are trimmed and arranged into many different shapes such as: hearts, stars, huts, pyramids, etc. From May to August, due to the high average temperature, up to 40 degrees Celsius, not suitable for flower viewing, the garden will be closed.
