Must visit places for Alice in Wonderland fans

Ready to go down the rabbit hole?
2021-01-20
/
/ New Delhi
Must visit places for Alice in Wonderland fans

Alice in Wonderland homages are dispersed around in the form of statues throughout Llandudno

Discover the Victorian seaside town of Llandudno, taking in the sites inspired by the Lewis Carroll classic ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with the Alice Town Trails.
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A young girl sits by a riverbank on a warm summer day, drowsily reading over her sister’s shoulder when she catches sight of a white rabbit in a waistcoat. This jumpstarts a fun, whimsical adventure in which Alice, Lewis Carroll’s famously curious ingénue, meets a cast of extraordinary characters, from the fierce Queen of Hearts and the bubbly Mad Hatter, to the funny Cheshire Cat and the mysterious Caterpillar.

Though Alice in Wonderland (1865) and its sequel Through the Looking Glass (1871) are works of fiction, it has not stopped fans from looking for places that appear similar to the ones described in the books and can help them use vacations to escape reality.

If you are an Alice fan and luxuriating on a sandy beach feels too grounded, consider a trip to somewhere so surreal that one might swear they just downed a potion labelled ‘Drink Me’. Here is a list of few such spots that look like a landscape straight out of the ‘Wonderland’ Alice was in and tourists might even wonder ‘if it was all really a dream’, post-visit!

The Plain of Jars, Laos

Plain of Jars consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys

The Plain of Jars is a megalithic archaeological landscape in Laos. It consists of thousands of stone jars scattered around the upland valleys and the lower foothills of the central plain of the Xiangkhoang Plateau. The jars are arranged in clusters ranging in number from one to several hundred.

A landscape filled with thousands of giant stone jars or, above-ground rabbit holes, this site is among the most historic in Asia, dating back around 2,000 years. Research shows that the jars, some of which are up to 10 feet high, were associated with either burial rituals or as a form of storage for food. They are quite a sight to behold and something that would not feel out of place in the countryside in Wonderland.

Aoshima Island, Japan

Stray cats make for a much larger part of the island’s dwellers in Aoshima Island

The odd, somewhat menacing Cheshire Cat, is one of the standouts of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland, and so, it is only natural that ‘Cat Island’ be added to this list. This one fishing village in the Ehime Prefecture is home to just 15 humans.

Stray cats, however, make for a much larger part of the island’s dwellers, mostly because fishing boats utilised them to keep mice at bay; there is also a belief here that they bring wealth to a family’s household. While it may not be as ostensibly trippy as some of the other places on this list, just picturing an island with cat residents going about their cat business can be a lasting image for many. While Aoshima is the most popular, it is not the only cat island in Japan.

The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

The Giant Causeway was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986

The Giant’s Causeway is one of those geographical wonders that prompt tourists to ask, “How is this on Earth?” It is the outcome of a volcanic eruption millions of years ago (though, legend has it the causeway was constructed by a giant), the result of which looks like an otherworldly set of puzzle pieces or some sort of demented Jenga game that the Red Queen cannot enough of.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides.  The tallest are about 12 metres high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and a national nature reserve in 1987 by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland. In a 2015 poll of Radio Times readers, conducted in the United Kingdom, the Giant’s Causeway was named the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.

Queen Califia’s Magical Circle, California

Queen Califia’s garden is named after the fictional warrior queen of the mythical Island of California

A literal work of art, this sculpture garden resembles what one would imagine the Red Queen’s backyard looks like. The attraction is one of the last works by French-American new-realism artist Niki de Saint Phalle before her death in 2002. In the garden, which is only open on selected days of the week, tourists can spot numerous sculptures that pay homage to the Golden State’s mythic roots, built using mosaic tiles and marble, a maze entryway, and a snake wall.

The garden is named after Califia, the fictional warrior queen of the mythical Island of California, and is inspired by California’s rich history and culture. It includes a circular enclosure, maze entryway paved with mosaic tiles, ten large sculptures, and native trees and shrubs planted both inside the plaza and around the outer wall. Three long benches faced with travertine marble and river rocks, designed by Pierre Marie LeJeune, are provided for visitor comfort. The garden is part of habitat in Kit Carson Park’s Iris Sankey Arboretum and was opened to the public on October 26, 2003. The sculpture garden is only open a few days each week and is closed during rainy weather and for 24–48 hours afterwards.

Alice in Wonderland Town, Wales

A guided through a small town may not sound particularly psychedelic on paper, but toss in numerous Alice in Wonderland homages dispersed around the area in the form of statues (and the fact that author Lewis Carroll reportedly found inspiration in Llandudno and family-friend Alice Liddell’s adventures in it) and tourists get to explore the town, straight out of the titular tale.

From the Hearts Quarter of the town, tourists will pass the town hall and enter into Madoc Street. Here, the famous White rabbit marble commemorative statue was created to commemorate Lewis Carroll’s centenary in Warrington, United Kingdom.

Towards the promenade, tourists will pass the magnificent Mostyn Gallery, which is well worth of a visit. Just past the gallery, one can encounter a White Rabbit Wooden Sculpture complete with waistcoat and a pocket watch. Along the same trail, one can also encounter the longest pier in Wales, where they can admire the majestic line of hotels that have not changed since Victorian times.

Happy Valley, nearby, is ideal to stop and daydream. It is a surreal park with wonderful views and lots of Alice in Wonderland sculptures. Tourists can even play a game of croquet! For a bird’s eye view, one can take the longest cable car in Britain.

Waitomo Glow-worm Caves, New Zealand

An experience straight out of a storybook, while on a boat trip through these otherwise-pitch-black caves, tourists have more than one opportunity to be in the company of thousands of glow-worms, which call the caves’ ceilings home. The cave system, first officially explored by local Chief Tane Tinorau in 1887, is also said to have amazing acoustics, and visitors are encouraged to sing during their explorations.

Known as one of New Zealand’s best natural attractions, one can experience the serene ambience as they enter this galaxy of tiny living lights. The glow-worm (Arachnocampa Luminosa) is unique to New Zealand, making the Waitomo Glow-worm Caves an absolute must-see. Tourists have also often complained that looking at thousands of these tiny creatures as they radiate their unmistakable luminescent light in a subterranean world, makes them dizzy or trippy, and they are often sleepy as they come out of the cave!

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