From volcanoes and earthquakes to crime and open warfare, there are some destinations that you really have to be careful when you’re visiting. And then there are those that are fabulous now, but where disaster could strike at any moment…
Dangerous Destinations – The Bay of Naples
Where: Italy
For an example of what Mt Vesuvius can do when it starts rumbling, you only have to visit the famous ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Both were destroyed in AD79, and are now the area’s most popular tourist attractions.
However, Vesuvius generally has a 50 year cycle between eruptions and the last one was in 1944. The maths isn’t good, is it?
Dangerous Destinations – Kurdistan
Where: Northern Iraq
While a visit to Baghdad or Basra right now clearly borders on insanity, travellers are beginning to go exploring in the northern Kurdish-controlled regions. By many accounts, this area is now relatively stable, and the mountain scenery spectacular.
That said, Iraq is still the kidnap capital of the world, and you don’t have to watch the news to know it’s not exactly paradise at the moment.
Dangerous Destinations – New Orleans
Where: USA
As Hurricane Katrina tragically demonstrated, New Orleans is a victim of appalling town planning. It’s essentially a bowl below sea level, waiting to be filled up every time a major storm passes through.
The tragedy is that New Orleans is arguably America’s most engrossing city – the jazz clubs, Mardi Gras and French Quarter make it quite unlike anywhere else.
Just don’t visit when the next hurricane is on the way.
Dangerous Destinations – Rio De Janeiro
Where: Brazil
Most of us have images of Rio as being a beautiful city of beaches, carnival atmosphere and Sugarloaf Mountain. But there is another side – the favelas. These slum areas are largely lawless, and accidentally walking into them is definitely not advised. The police won’t even go into some of them – they’re that dangerous.
Dangerous Destinations – Northern Territory
Where: Australia.
The Territory has some of Australia’s most spectacular scenery and experiences, but also some of its most dangerous wildlife. Going for a swim in the sea is highly inadvisable – expect sharks and box jellyfish.
Meanwhile the rivers and creeks are often crawling with saltwater crocodiles. The best way of seeing the crocs is on a cruise such as the one at Yellow Waters in the Kakadu National Park.
Falling in is a spectacularly bad idea, by the way.
Dangerous Destinations – Istanbul
Where: Turkey
It’s on a major faultline, a massive earthquake is due, and most of the buildings have hardly been designed to withstand a quake. Turkey’s biggest city gets hit by a big one roughly every 100 years, the last was in 1894, and when it does come, it can only be hoped that Istanbul’s incredible architecture survives.
In the mean time, the combination of history and eastern exoticism makes Istanbul one of the world’s great city break destinations.
Dangerous Destinations – The Caribbean
When: Late August and September
The Caribbean hurricane season realistically lasts from June to the end of November, but it’s in the middle that most arrive. In recent years, many countries in the region have taken a horrific battering. Grenada is still trying to recover from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 while Hurricane Wilma in 2005 caused death and destruction in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cuba and Mexico. This year, Hurricane Gustav made a costly impact on Cuba.
For the islands in the hurricane belt, it’s a matter of when, not if.
Dangerous Destinations – Chernobyl Nuclear Exclusion Zone
Where: Ukraine
On a guided tour from Kiev, it’s possible to get within 100m of the reactor that melted down and caused the world’s worst nuclear accident. It’s fascinating, but totally unnerving. The guide carries a Geiger counter to monitor radiation, and it occasionally goes haywire whilst on the bus driving through particularly irradiated areas. Don’t stand on the moss, take any souvenirs or eat apples from the trees.
Dangerous Destinations – Yellowstone National Park
Where: Wyoming, USA
Yellowstone lies on top of a massive supervolcano, which if it erupted could cover the entire North American continent in ash and even bring on a new Ice Age. Scientists don’t think there’s any chance of it erupting soon, but there is increasing activity under the surface.
In the meantime, there’s glorious wilderness to enjoy.
Dangerous Destinations – Mogadishu
Where: Somalia
No city fits the ‘Hell on Earth’ tag better than Mogadishu. Civil warfare, mines, armed militias, rampant crime, kidnappings, bombings and murder are some of the delights the average tourist may come across. It does have some surprisingly good beaches, but given that Mogadishu is regarded as the most lawless city on the planet, they’re probably not worth the visit.
This article was originally written for AOL UK.
Copyright David Whitley.
