Travel If You Dare: The Most Dangerous Tourist Destinations
You would think that tourists are typically looking for the most luxurious and breathtaking vacations that they can visit. But nowadays, thrill-seeking social media aficionados are searching for the craziest photo ops in the wildest destinations. The places on this list are some of the most dangerous in the world and yet they are still readily visited by tourists. Would you risk a visit to one of these amazing locations?
The Demise Of Three Social Media Stars
Shannon Falls is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park is known for its beautiful forests and for having one of the highest waterfalls in the province. Many television shows and movies have been shot in the area. Others have flocked to the area to capture beautiful nature shots for their YouTube channels.
Despite its serene beauty, the spot is known to be quite slick with drop-offs that can cause horrific falls that can lead to injuries or death. Sadly, this was the case for the recent deaths of three popular YouTube stars. While one of the young social media stars, Megan Scraper, stood near the top of the falls she fell in and was swept away by the current. Her boyfriend, and fellow social media aficionado Alexey Lyakh, and Ryker Gamble attempted to save her but sadly all perished in the accident.
The Hottest Place On Earth
Death Valley is aesthetically breathtaking with epic sand dunes and salt pans. It is also a very aptly named locale. Death Valley is located in the Mojave Desert in Eastern California. It lays between two mountain ranges and has a sub-tropical climate and holds the record for having the hottest temperature ever recorded on the planet earth.
Just how hot? That blazing hot temperature came in at an astounding 134 °F! This is certainly not a desert that you would ever want to attempt to cross or getting stranded in as the temperature in and of itself is hot enough to wear down the human body very quickly.
Dangerous Winds Ahead
Mount Washington is known for its stunning mountain views and is often completely blanketed in white snow. However, despite its almost serene look, Mount Washington is extremely dangerous due to its outrageous windspeed. In fact, the highest recorded windspeed (when not in a hurricane) has been recorded at Mount Washington at 203 miles per hour.
Additionally, temperatures often drop far below zero which is a dangerous combination. There is also an observatory on the mountain which is often coated with a layer of ice. Despite its perilous nature, athletes still flock the area for skiing, snowboarding, and hiking.
Volcanic Activity
Mount Sinabung is an active stratovolcano found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The volcano is extremely active and it's certainly not an ideal place to live. On more than one occasion people have been displaced from both work and home because of the volcano.
It seems as though the volcano spews lava covering the nearby areas every few years. Most recently, in February of 2018. The huge clouds of ash were remarkable to look at; however, the ash was said to have spread as far as Australia. As far as islands go, this one might be one of the most dangerous to live on in the entire world.
Tourists' Worst Nightmare
Ilha da Queimada Grande is an island in Brazil. The location is truly the stuff nightmares are made of and is often referred to as “Snake Island”… and with good reason! This island is known for being infested with the Bothrops snake which just so happens to be one of the most venomous snakes in the world.
There are said to be five snakes within every ten feet. Because of this, the island is extremely dangerous to visit or for any human inhabitants to live comfortably. There is a famed lighthouse on the island that used to be manned by a human lightkeeper. However, he was brutally attacked and killed by snakes. Since then, the government has prohibited visitors to the island and the lighthouse has now been automated.
When Plants Attack!
Madidi National Park is located in Bolivia at the mouth of the Amazon. Photos of the National Park look like the location would be a tourist’s dream. However, despite the awesome natural beauty of the location, the park has a reputation to be extremely dangerous. Madidi National Park is located in one of the world’s most biologically diverse regions and is known to have some of the world’s most poisonous plants.
Additionally, the area is teeming with parasites and a small wound could prove deadly in a short period of time. People have also said they have been attacked by giant venomous spiders, so this beautiful national park might not be the ideal vacation spot after all.
Russia’s Death Valley
The Valley of Death in Kamchatka, Russia is another picturesque site that's hiding some dangerous secrets. In fact, tourists are not even able to visit the area because of how hazardous the environment is. Those who ignore the danger will almost surely die a premature death. The site was said to have been originally discovered sometime in the 1930s when they found a piece of land littered with the carcasses of dead animals.
Soon after, they began to feel ill themselves and fled the area. Many people have said to have gone missing around Kamchatka. Then in the 1970s, it was finally discovered why it was so hazardous: scientists conducted more rigorous studies where they found that poisonous gases are emitted from the volcano. The gases then settle in the Valley of Death where it has killed many animals and humans over the years.
Radioactive Islands
Bikini Atoll is located in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful beaches with crystal blue water are a dream for social media posts. However, Bikini Atoll has essentially been ruined by human waste. The United States used the area as a nuclear testing site throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Because of this, the indigenous people of the land had to flee their homes due to the massive amount of radiation released in the area.
Many of the people suffered debilitating health issues because of the radiation and the United States government has paid monetary reparations in small amounts. Today some people still live in the area, however, it's said to still have a high level of radiation in the soil and land.
Craziest Tourist Activity Ever
If you were judging the Elephant Kingdom strictly on its name, you would be quite surprised to find out who's causing danger at this tourist spot. Elephant Kingdom is located in Chonburi, Thailand. However, elephants are not the animals responsible for making the area threatening to tourists.Rather, the place actually houses a crocodile farm.
The owner of the farm advertises the spot as a tourist experience where people can feed the crocodiles from a raft. The raft is partially enclosed but has a rather flimsy net securing it. Then people dangle pieces of meat into the water while ravenous crocodiles are seen snapping in the water below. The spot has reportedly been closed after the images went viral on the internet but not before quite a few tourists experienced it first-hand.
A Star Wars Destination
Skelling Michael is an island off the coast of Ireland that's most famous for being used as a location in Star Wars. For this reason, many have flocked to the destination to take in the natural beauty of the island for themselves. The island is known for having ancient stone steps that around 1000 years old leading up the side of the mountain.
However, these steps have no features to help you out. No railings or even any nearby visitor centers to provide aid, if necessary. The surrounding water is also known to be quite rough. To add insult to injury, the mountain is also prone to falling rock. This is one picturesque tourist destination that might prove a bit too risky.
Beware of Lava Haze
The Hawaiian Islands are known for having a number of volcanos. While one recently erupted in 2018, others remain dormant. There are numerous volcano tour options including bike tours, hiking tours and even helicopter tours. However there have been a number of accidents over the years due to bikes and people slipping. Perhaps the most common reason for deaths is not slipping and injuring oneself, but rather due to the lava haze.
“Lava haze” is created by the various gases that arise from the volcanos. It's a mix of carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrochloric acid. A potent mix that can cause death in humans. Additionally, the ocean water in the surrounding area is often boiling hot which is certainly something you don’t want to accidentally fall into!
The Original Wave Pool
If you have ever ventured to a waterpark you have probably experienced a wave pool first hand. Wave pools are meant to simulate the natural waves you would find in the ocean only in a controlled setting. Sometimes the waves can be quite strong and back in the initial days of waves pools, they were definitely out of control.
Action Park, New Jersey, was a theme park and the site of one of the first wave pools ever in 1978. On the day of the grand opening, over one hundred people had to be rescued from the waves. In one year alone, there were over 110 reported injuries. Luckily, we have come a long way since the 1970s and wave pools are generally considered safe.
Seaworld’s Secrets
Several years ago, Sea World’s animal practices came to the attention of the general public after the documentary Blackfish was released. The documentary sought to expose the park’s animal practices and said the various animals and particularly the killer whales were distressed in captivity.
The documentary notes that the whales have often attacked their human trainers because of their treatment. There have been a number of deaths at the parks. One infamous incident was when the killer whale named Tilikum attacked and drowned trainer Dawn Brancheau. Dawn was not the only trainer to be attacked and many other former Sea World employees have gone on to sue their former employer for personal injuries.
Climb With Caution
The Yosemite Half Dome is located at Yosemite park in California. Yosemite is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States. The half dome itself is a rock formation that many people attempt to reach for the amazing views and postcard-worthy photos. To reach the dome, one much endure quite the long trek. It takes at least a day to hike the trail of over 5,000 feet.
The last 400 feet of the climb is literally straight up and you better be a seasoned mountain climber in order to use the proper gear and cables. Around sixty people have perished attempting the climb in a section of the dome that people refer to as “Death Slabs” which is extremely slippery.
Shark Week, Live!
Praia De Boa Viagem is a beautiful beachy tourist destination located in Brazil. The beautiful shoreline is lined with hotels and is reminiscent of Miami Beach. However, this beach comes with a little something extra. Its waters are known to be infested with sharks!
From the 1990s until 2012. over fifty shark attacks were documented at this beach. Many of the attacks were severe enough that they ended in death. Although shark attacks are generally said to be quite rare, at this beach it seems like it’s a definite possibility. Swim with caution, or not at all!
The Beautiful Cliffs Of Moher
Ireland is a popular location for international travelers. Perhaps one of the most popular spots to visit in Ireland are the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are known for their astounding beauty with gray stone cliffs covered in mossy green and framed by the deep blue of the ocean. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places to visit in Ireland.
However, you should definitely be cautious if you choose to visit. The Cliffs are known to have extremely strong winds as well as frequent rainstorms. The combination of slippery and loose gravel with high wind can lead to horrible accidents. There have been multiple incidents of people being injured by the winds with at least one woman being swept away to her death.
The Sixty Mile Hike
The Black Cat Trails are located in Papua New Guinea. The trail is a major hiking destination and is through some incredibly tough terrain. Experienced hikers endure the sixty-mile-long trail in the hot and wet climate. It's also said to be full of leeches which you will probably attract along the way.
The leeches are not the worst part, however. Because it takes nearly a week to complete the trail and you must not only hike but also be willing to swim and climb. Many people end up sick and injured. In 2013, a more infamous incident occurred when bandits attacked hikers with machetes. Two people were killed and seven were horribly injured.
An Out-Of-This-World Destination
The Danakil Depression, located in the country of Eritrea literally looks like it’s from another planet. In reality, it’s located in Northeast Africa. However, the area is actually the place where three tectonic plates meet and it has created quite the interesting landscape.
Like Death Valley, it’s one of the hottest places on earth at 120 °F. Additionally, some of the land features are off-the-charts dangerous! Some of these crazy landmarks include geysers that spew toxic gas, hot springs, lava lakes, and multiple volcanos. Some people have even ventured to call the land “hell on earth." Many brave tourists still flock to the area for the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The Gateway To Hell
The Erta Ale volcano is located in the Afar Depression in Ethiopia. Erta Ale is known as one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. The volcano is continuously active and consistent small earthquakes are always taking place. There are two lava lakes at the summit crater and the lava fluctuates, causing the earthquakes.
Because of the instability of the area, it is known to be extremely dangerous. Locally, some people refer to the area as “the gateway to hell.” The last major eruption was in 2005, during which over two hundred livestock animals were killed, and thousands of people had to evacuate the area. People are constantly on guard because of its consistently active status.
The Burning Lake
Lake Natron is located in Tanzania and is one of the most interesting locations in the world. The alkalinity of the lake is super high and often charts a pH of over 12. For reference, the ideal pH for humans is around 7.4. The high alkalinity forms a salt crust on the surface of the lake that is extremely dangerous.
If any animals or humans come into contact with the lake it can cause immediate death. However, it’s difficult for humans to even remain in the area for long as there is a strong odor of hydrogen sulfide. Despite its caustic features, the lake is still amazingly beautiful.
