Is a travel photo album truly complete without that shot of squeezing the Taj Mahal between forefinger and thumb, casually propping up the Leaning Tower of Pisa with a shoulder or battling a (plastic) dinosaur on the shimmering surface of Bolivia's salt flats?
The answer to this question will vary from person to person, but for globetrotters whose lust for Instagrammable images knows no bounds, striking a pose atop, beside or underneath a mighty slab of rock is all but obligatory.
In this excerpt from Lonely Planet’s Secret Marvels of the World, we search for the ultimate spot for a wobbly-kneed selfie. Just remember the golden rule, though: follow local safety advice before you take out the camera.
Preikestolen, Norway
Rising sharply 604m above the Lysefjord, ‘Pulpit Rock’ is the reward for an intense four-hour hike in Norway’s Ryfylke fjord region – snap a photo near the edge, but not that near the edge!
Take a bus from Stavanger ferry terminal to Preikestolhytta, the trailhead for Pulpit Rock.
Balancing Rock of Mahabalipuram, India
It’s a 250-tonne rock, 6m tall and on a 45-degree slope, but attempts to roll ‘Krishna’s Butterball’ downhill have failed, and tourists safely pose beneath.
The rock is just off Madha Kovil Street in Mahabalipuram, 55km south of Chennai.
Pedra da Gávea, Brazil
For a death-defying holiday photo, head to this 844m-high Rio lookout. From the right angle, you’ll appear to cling to a rock high above the beach; in reality, you’re two feet from solid ground.
Itʼs a tough, six-hour return hike through Tijuca National Park. Hire a guide (nattrip.com.br).
Kjeragbolten, Norway
The ultimate in daring poses is atop this boulder, gripped between two cliffs above a 984m drop. The block was deposited here by glacial movement and has become a vertigo-inducing spot for a photo.
The 9km hike to Kjeragbolten, some of the route assisted by chains, begins in Øygardstøl.
Nature’s Time Post, Canada
Inspiring countless attempts at perspective trickery photos, the basalt column known as ‘Nature’s Time Post’ appears to balance on its tip on the corner of a larger rock in the Bay of Fundy.
Find the column via a 2.5km hike and 235 stairs; the route begins off Hwy 217, Tiverton.
Trolltunga, Norway
The tongue of rock jutting above the water at Ringedalsvatnet is one of Norway’s most spectacular photo ops. Hikers embark on a tough, 12-hour circuit from Skjeggedal to reach this panorama of sheer cliffs above water. The highlight is balancing on the 700m-high rock, one of several nerve-jangling outcrops you can pose on around the world.
Reach the rock via a 12-hour hiking circuit from the village of Skjeggedal, which is 5km east of Tyssedal in southern Norway.
Devils Marbles, Australia
Granite globes are dotted around a parched valley in Australia’s Northern Territory. To Aboriginal people, these weathered boulders have sacred significance. One pair seemingly defy gravity.
The Devils Marbles reserve is on the Stuart Highway, 100km south of Tennant Creek.
Balanced Rock, USA
Balanced Rock roosts on a slender 39m column, looking ready to fall at any moment. Its twin rock formation did indeed tumble during the 1970s, so don’t stand too close, just in case...
A 20-minute hiking trail to the rock begins off the main road of Arches National Park in Utah.
Chiricahua National Monument, USA
Resembling a spinning top amid the creeks, volcanic formations and grottoes of this Arizona park, the Big Balanced Rock perches improbably at its narrow end.
Various trails from Echo Canyon Trailhead in Chiricahua National Monument reach the rock.
Kummakivi, Finland
It’s impossible to resist posing, arms raised, beneath this boulder in Finland. Performing a balancing act on a low mound, the 7m-wide rock was deposited by glacial movement, though folktales blame trolls.
The forest concealing the rock is a 10km drive north from route 62 in southeastern Finland.
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