The globe is full of intriguing destinations that draw crowds of travellers. These dangerous places provide a wide range of experiences, from tropical paradises to Himalayan peaks, and they appeal to a wide range of individuals, from sunbathers to adrenaline seekers.
However, as amazing as certain locales are, they may also be quite hazardous. The threat can come from a variety of sources, ranging from natural disasters to high crime rates.
While some of these areas aren’t the worst places to visit, there are reasons why you should continue with caution. Here is the list of Most Dangerous Places in the World for Tourist. So check out…
1. Most Dangerous Places in The World
1.1. Drakensberg Grand Traverse, South Africa
by Dannii Coughlan / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2020’
This is the name of the 220-kilometer-long Dragon Mountains path. It takes 6 to 12 days and is considered a true test of fortitude and endurance. Until 1985, 55 individuals died here, according to government figures.
The counting was later discontinued, but deaths on the road occur on an annual basis. Natal National Park is traversed by the Drakensberg Grand Traverse. It varies greatly, but there are eight checkpoints over its whole length.
The trail begins at the Sentinel parking lot and finishes at the Bushman’s Neck border crossing. The hiker must maintain a steady pace on sloping terrain, gaining an average of 1,000 meters each day.
The struggle starts in the first meters when a traveler carrying a large rucksack must climb two almost vertical ladders built of thin chains to reach the ridge’s peak. It will also be the first of 30 ridges covered along the journey.
Those who have finished the trek say the breathtaking sights and the sense of absolute oneness with nature were well worth the effort.
1.2. Death Valley National Park, California, USA
by Meriç Dağlı / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2017’
Death Valley National Park is the hottest and driest location in the United States, living true to its name. Thousands of miners were slain on its land in the nineteenth century as they attempted to take a shortcut, traveling from place to place in quest of gold discoveries.
Although there are much fewer casualties in our century, Death Valley still kills – up to ten individuals are killed here each year. The primary danger to visitors is excessive warmth.
Summer temperatures vary from +50°C during the day and +57°C is the highest recorded for a significant dip at night in Death Valley.
There is also deadly wildlife not limited to black widow spiders, scorpions coyotes, and rattlesnakes in the Valley, as well as the potential of flash floods and mudslides during rainstorms and the likelihood of coming across an illicit marijuana farm in Death Valley.
So, what draws visitors to such a risky location? First and foremost, these are completely strange environments. Colorful mountains, sand dunes, salt-covered plains, drying rivers, canyons, and clay deserts may be found in Death Valley.
Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point with their spectacular vistas are the most popular places, as are the dried-up Racetrack Playa Lake with moving boulders, the incredible Mosaic Canyon, the incredible Mosaic Canyon, the rainbow hills of Artists Palette and the strange Badwater Basin salt marsh.
1.3. Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan
by Ybrayym Esenov / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2015’
The raging Darvaza Gas Crater in the middle of the Karakum Desert is known as the doorway to hell. It is a 69-meter-diameter, 30-meter-deep crater filled with natural gas that is continually burning.
And it’s been blazing for almost 50 years. It is uncertain what caused the crater to develop and then burn.
The most plausible explanation is that it arose in the 1960s during oil exploration in a region near the village of Darvaza, and the drilling rig was positioned in the location where a subterranean gas pocket formed.
When it was opened while drilling, the earth and all of the equipment collapsed, and natural gas began to leak from the hollow.
To protect the people of the settlement, the geologists set fire to the sinkhole. So far, this has not occurred, and Turkmenistan has obtained its most renowned and deadly monument.
Every year, almost 6,000 people visit Darvaza Gas Crater. This is a remarkable result, given that the government issues around 8,000 visas every year.
Of course, everyone who visits the crater does so after dark, when it appears exceptionally spectacular. However, do not approach the crater’s margins because they have an unstable structure and can disintegrate underfoot.
Furthermore, the gas does not totally burn, and inhaling it is hazardous to one’s health. Wild animals and dangerous insects are also a threat since they are drawn to the heat.
1.4. Everest, Nepal
by Andreas Gäbler / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’
Climbing Everest is seen by many climbers as a monumental test of ability and endurance. And, without a question, it is one of the most hazardous locations on the planet.
The dreadful 8,849-meter-high mountain prepares its conquerors for many harsh challenges: ice streams, deep fractures covered by snow, cliffs, avalanches, blizzards, winds, rapid weather changes, and low temperatures which go down to -30°C.
But it is what happens to the human body as you climb that is the most terrifying. At 3,600 meters, the air is so thin that the body only receives 60% of the oxygen it requires.
One climber described the experience as sprinting and attempting to breathe through a cocktail straw. The base camp is located at an elevation of 5,000 m.
Even a little stay there increases the risk of blood clotting, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary edema.
Oxygen deprivation produces coughing bouts, choking, overall weakness, and, as well as alterations in consciousness ranging from mild to severe hallucinations.
The death zone begins at 8,000 meters when survival without an oxygen tank is impossible. There is a restricted trail to the summit of Everest, and climbers must wait for their turn for many hours, squandering this valuable resource.
As a result, some just do not have enough oxygen the drop and perish. Everest has claimed the lives of over 300 people in the last century.
According to the Himalayan Rescue Service, around 200 of the deceased have been allowed to rest on the top since taking their remains down is a technically difficult and costly task.
1.5. Kjeragbolten, Norway
by Anastasiya Dalenka / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2022’
Another popular attraction in Norway is the legendary Kjerag Bolt, also known as Kjeragbolten, which elevates the adrenaline level. This massive boulder is wedged between two vertical boulders about a kilometer above the Lysefjord.
To get there, you must first do a 12-kilometer hike. Tourists must descend and ascend multiple times during its whole length.
Because of the dampness, much of the track runs on bare rock, which is exceedingly slippery and dangerous. That is why it is best to avoid going when the weather is hazy or rainy.
Those who successfully complete this path will be rewarded with stunning views from the Kjerag plateau as well as the opportunity to capture the classic shot while standing atop the Kjeragbolten.
However, you must ascend it by walking along a small rock ledge with your chest against the rock. For your protection, there is a ring that you may grasp.
Even in dry weather, there is a risk of slipping off or stumbling and sliding down the rounded surface of the rock. However, the images of this place look stunning.
1.6. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, USA
by Cedric Letsch / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’
The area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is 1,308 km2. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a unique geological landscape. Two of our planet’s most active volcanoes are among its most popular tourist attractions.
Mauna Loa is one of the world’s second-largest mega volcanoes. The most recent big eruption occurred in 1984. It does not, however, slumber and ground shocks are often documented, as is soil deformation and the creation of new fumaroles. Kilauea has been erupting constantly since 1983, attracting thousands of visitors.
They are all prepared to risk their lives to witness ash, gas, and steam clouds rising into the sky during the day and lava flows, and the blazing crater vent during the night. Park rangers go to tremendous lengths to keep people safe and to keep an eye on the fire giants.
However, since they are unpredictable and uncontrollable, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains one of the most perilous locations on the planet.
Even on well-traveled routes, sinkholes filled with boiling lava erupt often, cliff sides abruptly disintegrate, and ground fractures appear. This place is one of the world’s most dangerous places because, the toxic volcanic emissions also cause eye damage, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness, and even heart failure.
1.7. Yosemite Half Dome, California, USA
by Yang Song / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2015’
The Half Dome trek is the longest, most perilous, and most exhilarating path in Yosemite National Park. For a long time, its 1,450-meter-high top was thought to be unreachable. George G. Anderson was its first conqueror in 1875.
He bored holes in the mountain’s monolithic wall, which were subsequently used to lay cables that made the ascent simpler. Today, up to 50,000 hikers attempt the Half Dome each year, although not all of them succeed.
Many people are saved by Rangers who are unaware of their own strength, yet some are tragically killed. And the latter number exceeds 60 people. The ropes and granite boulders become extremely slippery in rainy weather.
The Slabs of Death, from which many hikers have previously fallen, are the most treacherous portion of Half Dome. Climbers may also be hit by lightning when on or near the top. At least five similar incidents have occurred, two of which were deadly.
Altitude sickness, which causes nausea, dizziness, and heart difficulties, is another risk factor. Not to mention the possibility of encountering a black bear. Those who conquer all hurdles and ascend Half Dome will be rewarded with breathtaking vistas of Yosemite.
1.8. Danakil Depression, Ethiopia
by Daniele Levis Pelusi / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2020’
The Danakil Depression is located in northern Ethiopia’s Danakil Desert. It’s one of the hottest spots on the planet which thereby makes it one of the world’s most dangerous places. The maximum summer air temperature is +63°C, while the soil temperature can reach +70°C.
Despite this, hundreds of daring travelers come here, risking their lives to experience the strange vistas of the Danakil Desert. There are three volcanoes here: the dormant Ayalu and Dallol, as well as the active Erta Ale.
The latter is the only one in the world that has two lava lakes at the same time. Many hot springs bubble up from the surface of the Danakil Desert. They are surrounded by elaborate sculptures of terracotta, orange, yellow, and green salt deposits.
The enormous Dallol Lake is extremely beautiful, with its beaches sparkling in a variety of colors ranging from lemon to purple. Its water is green in color and really boils – it may reach +110°C.
The air of the Danakil Desert is corrosive and bitter, dense with deadly vapors. Not only is it difficult to breathe here, but you can also lose consciousness, suffer burns, and get severely poisoned.
1.9. Kalalau Trail, Hawaii
by Alain Bonnardeaux / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2020’
The Kalalau Trail winds through the picturesque Npali Coast State Wilderness Park on Kauai, the oldest island in the Hawaiian archipelago.
Hikers who are up for a challenge will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the lush valleys, steep slopes of sleeping volcanoes, coastal cliffs, the Pacific Ocean, and a white-sand shoreline.
However, keep in mind that this journey is not only scenic but also perilous. It begins from Kee Beach and continues to the Kalalau Valley.
The journey from one end of the path to the other is about 35 miles and it takes about two days and needs exceptional physical preparation. Hikers must actually trek through the forest, cross mountain rivers that become dangerous roaring torrents after the rains, and avoid continuous rockfalls.
And waterfalls have hurled several hikers down the narrow route, gravely injuring or killing them. The beaches through which the path goes, however, offer the greatest threat. They appear to be quite hospitable at first glance.
Swimming, or simply a walk near the ocean, might have disastrous repercussions. The waves are quite high, the undercurrents are powerful, and the shoreline is rough and full of nasty surprises.
More than 100 people have perished on the trail’s seaside parts, according to data. Hanakapiai is the most hazardous of them all.
1.10. Madidi National Park, Bolivia
by Hugo Kruip / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2019’
Everyone knows that Australia is known as the land where all living creatures attempt to murder you. However, it is significantly more accommodating to visitors than Bolivia’s Madidi National Park.
Any visitor who is not cautious and respectful of the area’s ecology and animals risks experiencing the most agonizing experience of their lives or losing it entirely. As a result, when asked what is the most hazardous area in the world, its name is frequently mentioned.
Madidi National Park is a stunning wilderness nestled at the foot of the Andes in Bolivia’s northwest department of La Paz. It encompasses many climate zones and has an area of 18957 km2.
The park is the most significant in terms of biodiversity in the world and appears to be a true paradise at first look. However, desperate extreme travelers who want to visit Madidi should carefully assess all of the hazards.
Touching most plants can cause serious allergic responses such as rashes, itching, fainting, and breathing difficulties. Dangerous parasites may enter the human body through minor cuts and wounds, as well as through water and food.
Local flies and gadflies also deposit their larvae beneath the skin of animals and people. Extreme tourists will face the same fate. Against this backdrop, even the park’s predators do not appear to be as menacing.
1.11. Huashan, China
by Joshua Earle / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2018’
Huashan, one of China’s Sacred Holy Mountains revered in Taoism, is located in Shaanxi Province, in the Celestial Empire’s center region. It has five peaks: South, East, West, North, and Central. The first one is the most important which is 2154 m.
This is the famed Trail of Death, which Taoist monks used to ascend to reach the temple at the summit. Today, travelers who want to experience an exceptional adrenaline rush while admiring the breathtaking environment use this incredibly perilous path.
The temple has been transformed into a tea cafe where the courageous may relax. The route is a two-plank wide wooden plank that follows the curvature of the high cliffs.
It stretches for hundreds of meters across a gorge. There are no guardrails or obstacles. It can only be traversed by pushing against the stone walls and clinging to the shackles affixed to them.
As a safety net, a short rope is used. Even the most desperate adrenaline addict should think hard before embarking on the Path of Death – the tracking lasts around 30 minutes, any mistake can cost lives, and you must return the same route.
Despite this, hundreds of tourists visit each year to put their skills to the test.
1.12. Fagradalsfjall, Iceland
by Toby Elliott / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2021’
For the first time in 6,000 years, the Fagradalsfjädl volcano erupted in the heart of the Reykjanes Peninsula, 30 kilometers from Reykjavik, in March 2021. It quickly became Iceland’s new top attraction also giving extreme heat.
Thousands of visitors visit the volcano every year who aren’t frightened of getting harmed or burned in the lava fields or being poisoned by hazardous fumes. The cone of the volcano rises 224 meters above the surrounding plain.
The whole area surrounding it is covered in hardened magma, and lava pours out of the 334-meter-diameter crater. It might be a steady and languid stream at times, or it can burst like a geyser. The latter is just a fantastic spectacle that awes those who witness it.
However, because poisonous fume clouds change direction at random according to the wind, visitors who wish to see them up close should pick carefully which side to approach Fagradalsfjädl from.
Another hazard for travelers is falling into the red-hot tunnels and pockets under the purportedly frozen surface. As a result, Icelandic officials strongly advise travelers to keep a safe distance from the raging fire element.
1.13. Yucatan Cenotes, Mexico
by The Free Birds / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2021’
Divers go to the Mexican portion of the Yucatan Peninsula because of the enigmatic cenotes – sinkholes filled with fresh water and linked by an underwater tube system. They number in the thousands in the Yucatan Peninsula.
And just a small portion of it has been investigated and made accessible to tourists. These natural lakes were utilized by the ancient Maya as wells and for sacrifices.
They were known as the world of the dead’s gate. And they weren’t entirely wrong. Divers should avoid even well-explored underground labyrinths, let alone unmapped caves and tunnels.
Divers face several hazards here, including darkness, restricted space, vegetation impeding movement, confusion, a lack of a clear notion of the eventual aim and duration of the dive, and, as a result, a shortage of oxygen. Diving into undiscovered cenotes is always a game of chance.
Many people visit to experience their unique aura of mystery and tranquility, as well as to witness the peculiar fishes, columns of stalactites, breathtaking subterranean caverns, stalagmites, and magnificent underwater landscapes illuminated by sunlight falling through the openings of these natural wells.
1.14. North Yungas Road, Bolivia
by Florian Delée / Unsplash / Copyright ‘2022’
Tourists who have traveled this path and survived equate the experience to climbing Everest as this can be considered one of the world’s most dangerous places. Although the official name is the North Yungas Road, it is commonly known as the Bolivian Road of Death.
The path, which goes along the extreme edge of a steep mountain slope, was created in the 1930s to connect the cities of La Paz and Coroico. It is 56 kilometers long with elevation variations ranging from 4,650 to 1,200 meters.
Most of the route is barely 3.2 m wide, making it difficult for two automobiles to pass each other. Furthermore, practically the whole length of the Northern Yungas is coated in clay, which becomes excessively slippery in high humidity.
Locals have used North Yungas much less frequently since the new route from La Paz to Coroico opened in 2006. However, the number of extreme visitors has increased significantly, both in vehicles and on bicycles and motorbikes.
Downhill mountain biking is the most popular amusement available to tourists through several vacation firms. This attraction has taken away at least 13 lives in the last 10 years.
2. Safety Is No Accident!
Hold on! Before you take an impetuous leap into an of these most dangerous places, please keep in mind that you will need to prepare for months before visiting any of the aforementioned locations.
Before embarking on an exciting excursion to any of the most dangerous places in the world, you must work extremely hard on endurance, vigilance, and most importantly ensuring safety.
Last Updated on by Sathi
