Unreal Places · Six countries · Series

6 places that look AI-generated but are real

These six places look generated, and every one is real. The colours have plain causes: heat-loving microbes around a hot spring, red-pigmented algae in salt lakes, burning sulphur in a volcano crater, flower farms planted in stripes, calcium terraces built by spring water, and glacial rock dust suspended in a lake. Each one has a short season when it looks like this.

The places in this film

1. 1

   Grand Prismatic Spring, USA

   The largest hot spring in the United States. See it from the overlook on the Fairy Falls trail, on a clear warm day.

2. 2

   Pink Lakes, Western Australia

   Algae turn the water pink. Hutt Lagoon is the easiest to reach, and midday sun gives the strongest colour.

3. 3

   Kawah Ijen, Indonesia

   A turquoise acid lake and blue flames of burning sulphur at night. Go with a guide and a proper gas mask.

4. 4

   Tulip fields, Netherlands

   Working farms in colour stripes, for a few weeks from mid-April. The flowers are cut early, so timing is everything.

5. 5

   Pamukkale, Türkiye

   White terraces built by mineral springs. Shoes off, and go late in the afternoon.

6. 6

   Moraine Lake, Canada

   Glacial rock flour makes the turquoise. Reached by shuttle only, from mid-June to early October.

Plan it

Best time

Timing is narrow for most of these: mid-April to early May for the tulips, mid-June to early October for Moraine Lake, the April to October dry season for Ijen, and clear summer days for Grand Prismatic and the pink lakes.

How long

Each is a half-day to two days on the ground, as part of a longer trip.

Getting around

Most need a car or an organised transfer. Moraine Lake is shuttle-only, and Ijen needs a guide for the night hike.

Good to know

• Colour depends on light. Bright sun brings out the springs and lakes, and overcast flattens them.
• Stay on boardwalks and paths. The ground near hot springs is thin, and the tulip fields are private farms.
• Check closures before travelling. Ijen shuts when gas levels are high.

Frequently asked

Are the colours in these places real? +

Yes. Nothing in the film is generated or recoloured beyond a normal grade. The causes are microbes, algae, minerals, sulphur and glacial sediment. The pages for each place explain the science in plain language.

Why is a lake pink? +

Salt-loving microalgae and bacteria in the water produce a red pigment from the same family that colours carrots. When salt levels and sunlight are high, the pigment builds up and the water turns pink, red or lilac.

Can you swim at Pamukkale or Grand Prismatic? +

You can wade barefoot through the shallow terrace pools at Pamukkale on the marked route. You cannot enter Grand Prismatic or any Yellowstone hot spring. The water is scalding and the ground around it is fragile.