- If fearing for your life sounds like a stellar vacation to you, here are some choice destinations.
White sands, balmy weather, palm trees, ocean waves… It can’t get any more boring than this.
Traditional vacations aren’t for everybody. People seeking alternative ways to experience the world have come up with increasingly bizarre forms of tourism.
Among them is something called extreme tourism. Extreme tourists are thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies who purposefully go into the most dangerous places they can find.
If you’re such a daredevil, here are 8 locations worth your while. But we won’t guarantee you’ll come back home in one piece.
8. Death Valley, California
The Danger: Heat exhaustion
How could a place called Death Valley possibly be dangerous? Well, it’s just one of, if not the hottest place on Earth.
The average daytime temperature in Death Valley during the summer months is upward of 120°F. But it can get even higher — the hottest day on record from Death Valley was July 10, 1913, when the mercury hit 134°F.
Many a traveler has gotten sick and even died from heat exhaustion in Death Valley. And if the heat doesn’t get you, the rattlesnakes might.
7. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
The Danger: Falling off a cliff
On a calm day, the 390-foot-tall Cliffs of Moher in western Ireland are an absolutely mind-blowing sight. But it often gets rainy or windy on the Atlantic coast of the Emerald Isle, and that’s when things get dangerous.
Rain can make the grass on the steep cliff edges very slippery and cause a hapless visitor to fall. During high winds, a stiff breeze just might tip you off balance — and down you go.
And sometimes dumb tourists simply decide to get way too close to the edge to get a picture for social media. Between 1993 and 2017, 66 people died on the cliffs.
6. New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The Danger: Sharks
New Smyrna Beach is a popular surfing destination in Florida — and it’s also the deadliest beach in the U.S. It’s not the beach itself that kills you, though, but what’s beneath the surface.
The waters around New Smyrna Beach are a paradise for sharks. And sometimes a beachgoer on a surfboard looks a whole heck of a lot like a yummy sea creature to a shark.
Granted, since 1851, there have been 32 recorded shark attacks on the beach, so they’re still relatively rare. Nonetheless, just this summer sharks have taken a bite out of two surfers on New Smyrna Beach.
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Danger: Crime
Rio de Janeiro draws in a lot of tourists, thanks to the fantastic beaches and colorful local culture including the Mardi Gras. But the city has a seedy underbelly that preys on careless visitors.
Violent crime and robberies are, sadly, prevalent in Rio de Janeiro due to Brazil’s economic woes. Unemployment is rife, and many workers flocking to the city have no other option but to turn to a life of crime.
When visiting Rio de Janeiro, it’s best to stick to the tourist resorts. If you do venture outside, try to travel with others — a lone wanderer may not make it far.
4. Pripyat, Ukraine
The Danger: Radiation
Ukraine is currently a dangerous travel destination, what with the war and all. But the town of Pripyat is dangerous even during peace.
That’s because of its neighbor — a little place called Chornobyl. The worst nuclear disaster in human history showered Pripyat with enough radiation to last for 20,000 years.
Radiation levels have fallen enough that a short visit won’t do you any harm, as long as you don’t lick anything. An extended stay in the ghost town would absolutely earn you an unhealthy dose of radiation, though.
3. La Oroya, Peru
The Danger: Extreme pollution
La Oroya isn’t exactly a tourist trap, since it’s a rather drab mining town in the Peruvian mountains. But if you’re after deadly places, this is one of the deadliest you can find.
It’s all because of the unspeakable levels of pollution resulting from the mining activities. The town is laden with arsenic, cadmium, lead, and a hilarious assortment of various other chemicals.
The blood lead levels among the locals, for example, are so high that it’s a small miracle they’re able to live in the town. Many also suffer from respiratory illnesses brought on by the horrific air pollution.
2. Mount Everest, Nepal
The Danger: Mount Everest
Climbing any mountain can be a risky undertaking. Is it any wonder, then, that the tallest mountain in the world is also incredibly dangerous to scale?
Any number of things on Everest could kill you. You might freeze to death, fall off a sheer cliff, get buried in an avalanche, pass out from the lack of oxygen, or slip on an ice river.
Everest just wants you dead. An estimated 300 climbers have died on the mountain — and the bodies of about 200 of them are still there, acting as macabre landmarks for others.
1. Madidi National Park, Bolivia
The Danger: Everything
Madidi National Park in Bolivia is a paradise on Earth, with potentially the highest biodiversity on the planet. The 4.6-million-acre jungle teems with life, and most of it wants to hurt you.
Touched a plant? Enjoy a horrible rash or an unspeakable allergic reaction.
Got a small cut? Have fun with the parasites and diseases.
Stepped in a puddle of water? Time to pull leeches and who knows what else off of your leg.
A bug bit you? No, it didn’t — it probably just laid its eggs under your skin.
Getting mauled by a jaguar actually feels kind of nice compared to everything else that can happen to you in Madidi.
Hits: 0
