The Highest Places on Earth

By Erika Owen
April 20, 2017
Bloomberg/Getty Images

There are a lot of high places around the world. And we’re not talking about hazy hangouts where marijuana has already been legalized. We're talking about the actual highest places: the tallest buildings, the sky-high observation decks, the open-air bars that will give you vertigo — places you’ll verbally revisit with pride in moments of group conversations.

The following array of call-outs is done in no specific order, or for any reason. Simply put, these are just a few of the natural and manmade wonders the world around us has to offer.

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The Highest Family Home

ARMLS/Russ Lyon Sotheby's International Realty

To put it bluntly, we'd love to live in Falcon Nest, Arizona.

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The Highest Building

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More than 2,700 feet from the ground, you’ll find yourself as high as you can go without the help of an airplane (or other substances) at the top of the Burj Khalifa.

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The Highest Hotel

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Want to spend a night in the highest hotel bed on Earth? You'll find it at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, which comes in at 1,165 feet (or 76 stories). It even holds a Guinness Book World Record.

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The Highest Outdoor Elevator

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In May 2002, the world’s highest elevator was constructed. The Bailong Elevator was built into the side of a cliff in Zhangjiaje National Forest Park. According to Guinness World Records, the elevator car can carry up to 46 people at a clip of three meters per second. The trip up 1,070 feet will take you one minute and 58 seconds.

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The Highest Sandcastle

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There aren’t many more beach activities more relaxing than building a sandcastle. On Feb. 10, 2017, Sudarsan Pattnaik built a castle that was nearly 49 feet tall on a beach in Odisha, India. All in all, it took nine days of hard work and help from members Sudarsan Sand Institute to help break a Guinness World Record.

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The Highest Open-air Bar

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It’s lit. Sky Bar is so lit, in fact, you’ll recognize it from “The Hangover Part II.” There’s even a drink called the Hangovertini that was made for the cast while they were filming in the building.

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The Highest Bridge

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In 2016, China’s Beipanjiang Bridge became the highest in the world. It is 1,854 feet from the ground and measures 2,362 feet across.

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The Highest Slide on a Cruise Ship

Courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Sometimes the best thing to do on a family vacation is… take a ride down the highest slide on the Seven Seas, of course. Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas takes the title for highest slide, which will send you down 10 boat decks.

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The Highest Apartment Building

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In 2014, New York City surpassed Dubai's record for the highest residential building in the world: 432 Park Avenue is the highest of them all. With 1,398 feet between the roof and the ground, according to the building’s website, we’d go as far as saying this building is super-high.

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The Highest Restaurant

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On the 63rd floor of the State Tower in Bangkok, you’ll find the highest al fresco dining experience you can have, at Sirocco. This might be the best place to satisfy your munchies. As for the dress code, we suggest wearing your best mary janes.

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The Highest Floating Slide

Courtesy of Guinness World Records

This floating slide at Baysports Boat Training and Water Sports Centre, in Athlone, Ireland, is 21 feet off the ground, giving it the Guinness World Record for tallest floating slide.

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The Highest Waterfall in America

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Head to Yosemite National Park, and you’ll find America’s highest waterfall. The National Park Service says Yosemite Falls reaches 2,425 feet, providing some stunning hiking scenery. Bring your own brownies for an end-of-hike treat.

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The Highest Flagpole

Courtesy of Acuity Insurance

File this under trivia night knowledge. The next time you’re in Wisconsin on I-43 between Milwaukee and Green Bay, check out ACUITY Insurance's 400-foot flag pole. That’s about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty.

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The Highest Swing

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If you’ve ever wanted to swing from the rooftop of a soccer stadium, head to Durban, South Africa. There you’ll find a 288-foot swing attached to the roof of Moses Mabhida Stadium. Don’t worry, the seat itself is only 30 feet above the ground.

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The Highest Roller Coaster

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If you're the adventurous type, head to Six Flags in Jackson, New Jersey, to experience the highest adrenaline rush you can get on a roller coaster. The Kingda Ka is 456 feet high, according to the Roller Coaster Database.

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The Highest Pool

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Take a trip to the fifth-tallest building in the world to find a pool on the 85th floor. Yes, Lotte World Tower, in Seoul, is also home to the highest glass-bottomed observation deck in the world, as well.

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The Highest Point in the United States

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Alaska's Denali the highest peak in the United States — you're going to deserve quite a treat after that climb!

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The Highest Rideable Motorcycle

Courtesy of Fabio Reggiani

Imagine rolling up to your next family reunion in this massive motorcycle. Measuring 16 feet high from the ground to the handlebars, this hog was once taken for a 328-foot ride (breaking a World Record) on a course in Montecchio Emilia, Italy on March 24, 2012. Thank you, Fabio Reggiani for making a vehicle for us to love with every ounce of our leather jacket-wearing souls.

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The Highest Mountain

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You’re sure to find some sort of athlete’s high after trekking to the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak.

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The Highest Commercial Bungee Jump

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Expect to free-fall 233 feet when you bungee jump from the top of Macau Tower. This is no half-baked creation: According to the building’s website, an entire bungee cord system had to be specially created for this activity.

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The Highest Cable Car

Courtesy of Guinness World Records

The Queen Cable Car will show off some pretty incredible views of Vietnam’s Ha Long City, considering it’s more than 619 feet above the ground.

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The Highest Pot

Courtesy of Guinness World Records

Light up the kiln — this ceramic structure was 12 feet tall and was put on display at the GWR Live! Roadshow in Turkey on April 3, 2010. We can thank Forum Kapadokya and Galip Korukcu for this truly massive, world record-breaking pot.

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The Highest Glass-bottomed Observation Deck

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You’re going to need some courage (or a serious chill-out session) before climbing to check out the views from Lotte World Tower's 118th floor observation deck in Seoul.

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The Highest Place You Can Travel on Earth

Courtesy of World View

Bring a buddy: This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’re going to feel like you're tripping when you can actually see the curvature of the Earth from World View’s high-altitude balloon.

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The Highest Ferris Wheel

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The highest ferris wheel is the High Roller, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Views this dope are only legal in some U.S. states.

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The Highest Railway Station

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You’ll find the highest railway station of them all in Tibet. The Tanggula Railway Station is 16,627 feet above sea level. You won’t be seeing any grass from this height.

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