14 Forbidden Places on Earth No One Dares to Visit
There are places on the Earth that for one reason or another remain off limits to the general public. These forbidden destinations range from highly contaminated sites to top secret government areas, to places that are simply too dangerous to visit. Beyond all that, delving into why these places are so inaccessible is a topic of curiosity in itself, but it can also be interesting because it reveals an interaction between nature, politics, and mythology that often turns out to be pretty complicated.
These no-go areas ignite the imagination: are they the repositories of top secret knowledge or just places in the world that are just too dangerous for humans? Either way, they are tantalizingly wonder provoking. Below is a look into some of these forbidden places, places that few will tread and even fewer will return to tell the tale.
Snake Island, Brazil
One of the world’s deadliest species of snake, the Golden Lancehead Viper, lives on the Brazilian island of Ilha da Queimada Grande, or Snake Island, just off the coast of Brazil. In some areas, it is reported the density of these snakes is one snake per square meter. Because the snake population on the island is so dangerous, the Brazilian government tightly restricts access to the island in order to protect the snakes and the people who might go there.
North Sentinel Island, India
North Sentinel Island is home to the Sentinelese tribe, and is fiercely protected by its inhabitants and by law in India. The Indian government has legally enforced the tribe’s isolation, preserving their way of life and protecting them from diseases to which they have no immunity, but the tribe has resisted outside contact by aggressively defending itself against anyone who approaches.
Area 51, Nevada, USA
Area 51 conjures images of secret alien autopsies and top secret aircraft study. It is one of the most famous military bases in the world, located in a Nevada desert, and was only officially acknowledged in 2013. It has access zealously guarded, and the airspace above is just as restricted, leading to continued speculation and conspiracy theories about what happens there.
Poveglia Island, Italy
Poveglia Island was once a plague quarantine station, and later, a mental asylum, and is now rumored to be one of the most haunted places on Earth. Public access to the island, which locals say is a hotbed of paranormal activity, has been forbidden by Italian authorities, making it a favorite haunt of ghost hunters and horror fans worldwide.
Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center —Virginia, USA
The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center is another site hidden in secrecy. This facility was designed to house U.S. government officials in the event of a major disaster and is bunker like. The facility, in Virginia, is conducted shrouded in mystery with no public access and scant information on what lies within its heavily fortified walls.
Surtsey, Iceland
The volcanic island of Surtsey off the coast of Iceland was formed during a volcanic eruption that began in 1963. It is one of the most protected scientific research sites in the world today, where only a handful of scientists can study the developing ecosystems without human interference. Surtsey is a unique laboratory for scientific study, totally closed to tourists to keep contamination from affecting the site.
The Lascaux Caves, France
Famous Paleolithic cave paintings are found in Lascaux Caves, southwestern France, dating between about 16,000 and 20,000 years old. After it was discovered that human presence was causing fungal damage and the caves were closed to the public in 1963, the artwork was preserved. Only a few scientists are now allowed in to make sure these ancient treasures are preserved.
Vatican Secret Archives, Vatican City
Despite the name, the Vatican Secret Archives are really that secret (you can’t just stroll in and grab whatever you want). State papers, papal account books and correspondence over the centuries are to be found in the archives, which hold the Catholic Church’s most important documents. And only a tiny circle of scholars are given access, after an exhaustive vetting, adding a touch of the mystic to the whole historical trove that lies underneath.
Australia’s Woomera Prohibited Area
Woomera Prohibited Area (abbreviated as WPA) is a large testing range located in South Australia and features an area greater in size than some countries. Testing military weapons is the reason it is used and only the Australian Defence Force can access it. Some parts of the road that crosses the area are open to the public occasionally when no testing is scheduled, but the rest is off limits.
Metro-2, Russia
Metro-2, a secret underground metro system dated to the Stalin era, is rumored to exist under Moscow’s streets. The Soviets’ strategies were prepared for implementation in the event of an attack. Metro-2 has never been confirmed to exist, but it’s a favorite subject of urban explorers and conspiracy theorists looking to expose secret depths of Russia’s past.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, deep in the Arctic Circle, is an impregnable fortress, safeguarding the world’s crop seeds. The vault is buried under a mountain on a remote Norwegian island and built to withstand natural and manmade disasters, so that the genetic diversity of our agricultural heritage can survive any catastrophe. To protect its contents, representing millennia of agricultural history, public access is prohibited.
Room 39, North Korea
North Korean government facility Room 39 is thought to be located in Pyongyang, but secretive. North Korea is said to be using the facility as the centre of its clandestine operations and illegal activities such as counterfeiting money and drugs. North Korea itself is so remote and impregnable, and the secrecy and speculation about Room 39 are so great, that almost nothing is known for sure about what goes on in the room.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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Even if you’ve been on a safari in the past, an African photo safari is something you want to experience or at the very list add to the top of your bucket list.
But first, what is a photo safari? The phrase “photo safari” is not a common sentence structure but its meaning can be deduced easily. An African photo safari in general context means going on an adventure with the sole purpose of taking high-quality pictures.
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