Our planet and its natural beauty is simply jaw-dropping. From hot springs and salt pans to mountains and ice caves, our world is filled with awe-inspiring natural wonders bursting with colour. In a time when we all need a little pick-me-up, here are some of the best sights on Earth – click on the Expand View option to see these photos at their best.

Equal parts eerie and enchanting, these ice caves can be found less than 12 miles (19km) away from the city of Juneau in Alaska. Deep inside the Mendenhall Glacier, the tunnels were carved out by melting ice and the flow of water around the side of the glacier itself. As light penetrates the clear ice, it gives the caves a strikingly dark and deep blue colour. Take a look at more of America's most stunning natural wonders.

Lake Louise is the most famous of Banff National Park’s turquoise lakes that include Moraine Lake and Peyto Lake. The lakes get their distinctive blue colour from reflective glacial silt that makes its way into the water. The ice-cold glacial water also makes them too cold for swimming, even in summer. Discover stunning images of Canada's jaw-dropping natural wonders. 

Australia’s natural wonders come in a kaleidoscope of colours, including bright pink. The pretty-hued Lake Hillier can be found on Middle Island in Western Australia’s Recherche Archipelago, around 70 miles (113km) from Esperance. Framed by green forest and blue water, it’s an extraordinary sight. It’s not certain exactly why the water is pink but it’s thought to be related to its high salt levels. Here are 40 of Australia's most stunning natural wonders.

The lavender fields of France's Provence region explode in a fragrant haze of purple from around mid-June up until August (though they're at their peak in early July). The most concentration of lavender fields is on the high plateau around Sault, at the foot of the Mont Ventoux and around Apt and Gordes. Lavender is an important part of life in Provence as it has countless uses, from beauty products and soaps to aromatherapy, as a natural remedy and even in cooking. These are the most wonderful views on Earth.

You'll have a hard time believing that these colour-splashed mountains are real. With distinct lines of red, yellow, orange and black, these hills show how the climate and the geology has changed over time. Part of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the hills are listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. Discover 99 beautiful things we love about America.

Flowing through southwestern Spain, from Sierra Morena mountains in Andalucía to the Gulf of Cádiz, this strikingly coloured river resembles wine more than water. Its unique red and orange pigmentation is caused by an intricate chemical makeup of very high levels of iron and heavy metals. However, it's not clear how much of the high level of acidity in the river has come from natural processes and how much from ore mining in the area. Take a look at stunning images of the world's most beautiful rivers.

This breathtaking natural wonder is considered one of Thailand's finest waterfalls. Found inside Srinakarin Dam National Park in western Thailand, the tiered fall drops for seven levels and stretches around 1.2 miles (2km). Surrounded by a stunning jungle landscape, this scenic chain of waterfalls is especially picturesque in autumn when the bright green water is surrounded by the vivid leaves changing colour. These are the world's most beautiful waterfalls.

Located in Yellowstone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin, Morning Glory Pool and its unique colour might be striking, but all is not what it seems. The pool was originally a bright blue colour, caused by bacteria that thrives in the hot water. However, after years of visitors throwing various objects into the pool, some of the thermal vents have been blocked, which has reduced the temperature of the water and the number of bacteria in it. Instead, invasive yellow-tinted bacteria continuous to grow, creating a beautiful but sad rainbow appearance. 

Located in remote Kyrgyzstan, the name means Fairy Tale Canyon and, with its bright red rock formations and winding sandy passageways, it’s easy to see why. It's thought to be one of the most striking sights in this remote Central Asian country. Discover more stunning images of the world's most incredible canyons here.

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is described as 'Africa's last Eden' – not too bold a claim given the unspoiled nature and diverse wildlife of this sprawling lush green wetland area. The fluctuating delta is created as the Okavango River floods the Kalahari Desert, and is at its largest from March through to June. Some 160 species of mammal can be found within the delta area from the African bush elephant to big cats like lions and cheetah. These fantastic travel photos will make you feel better about the world.

The Ningaloo Marine Park off the shores of Exmouth hugs more than 160 miles (257km) of Western Australia's coastline, and is home to more than 500 species of fish and 200 types of coral. From this eagle viewpoint, you can see how the cyan waters meet the pale shores of Cape Range National Park, known for its sandy beaches, rugged gorges and orange rockscapes. Here are the world's most colourful destinations.

While these multicoloured trunks may look like something out of a film, you can actually find them in Hawaii. Also known as the rainbow gum tree, the technicolour lines on these trees' trunks are down to different parts of the bark shedding at different times. On top of looking the part, these trees smell lovely too. See more stunning photos of the world's most beautiful trees.

Geyzernoye Lake, also known as Blue Lake, is located in the remote Altai Republic in Siberia. This spectacular thermal spring offers vibrant teal waters and a picture-perfect surrounding landscape. Every now and then, visible concentric circles appear underneath the surface of the water, throwing out clay and sand in geyser-like eruptions. Discover jaw-dropping places you'll only ever see in photos.

This white salt pan, tucked within the Namib-Naukluft Park, is an otherworldly sight. Dotted with petrified trees and surrounded by rust-red dunes, the dry mineral pan of Deadvlei doesn't really look like anywhere else on Earth. The contrasting colours of this landscape are simply breathtaking. Here are more mysterious places on Earth.

Autumn is a colourful season everywhere in Canada, but no more so than in the province of Québec, which is rife with maple trees. The leaves turn bright orange or brilliant red in autumn, covering the rolling hills of rural Québec in a blanket of colour for several weeks in October. The trees also have a sweet season in the early spring, when their sap is tapped and turned into delicious maple syrup. Take a look at beautiful forests of the world.

Covering almost 115 square miles (298sq km), Plitvice Lakes National Park is found near the Bosnia and Herzegovina border, two hours south by car from Zagreb in Croatia. The park, founded in 1949, is famous for its collection of 16 crystal clear, colour-changing lakes – they morph between shades of green and blue due to their high mineral content – plus over 90 waterfalls. It's a truly magical landscape. Here are stunning images of Europe's best national parks.

This lake in northern Tanzania might look gorgeous but it's actually deadly – the pH balance of the water is enough to burn anything that's submerged in it. Funnily enough, it’s the same toxicity level that gives it the lake's signature striking red, cracked appearance. Take a look at more beautiful images of the world taken from the sky.

The colours of Havasu Falls look otherworldly but this eye-popping combination of orange-pink rock and a pool of cerulean blue, fed by a silken cascade, is definitely real. One of five waterfalls on the Havasupai Reservation, within the Grand Canyon, the water owes its vibrant hue to calcium carbonate in the water. Take a look at some of the most unspoiled places on Earth.

One of Turkey’s most beautiful sights, the surreal travertine terraces of Pamukkale (meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish) are a geological phenomenon. The striking pools are a result of the mineral-rich hot springs that bubble away beneath the ground. Now take a look at the world's most beautiful natural wonders.

Yellowstone's most famous hot spring, the Grand Prismatic's vivid blue centre is surrounded by bands of rusty orange, yellow and green, making it look otherworldly. The largest hot spring in the United States and the third largest in the world, Grand Prismatic's water reaches a temperature of around 70°C (160°F). Multi-layered sheets of microorganisms called microbial mats give the bands their distinctive colours, that tend to change slightly with the seasons.