It might look like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, but this natural wonder is completely real, and fully awe inspiring. Mount Roraima, bordered by three different countries (Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana) whose border lines intersect on the massive shelf, is surrounded on all four sides by sheer 400-meter high cliffs. While its cliff walls are only scalable by the most experienced of climbers, there is a hiking path up the mountain's natural ramp-like path (usually a two-day hike). However, the mountain is worth a visit for more reasons than its impressive cliffs.
Mount Roraima, part of Venezuela's 30000-square-kilometer Canaima National Park, is the site of the highest peak of the country of Guyana's Highland Range. The mountains of this range, including Roraima, are considered to be some of the oldest geological formations known, some dating back to two-billion years ago. Its near daily rains have also created a unique ecosystem which includes several endemic species, including a unique carnivorous pitcher plant, and some of the highest waterfalls in the world. Culturally, the mountain has long held significance to the indigenous people of the area and features prominently in their myths and folklore. It was also the inspiration for the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Lost World as well as for Paradise Falls in the 2009 Pixar film, Up.
