Known as the Kala Pani (Black Water in Hindi), Indian freedom fighters were sent there in huge numbers throughout the early 20th century.

The supposedly “civilized” British officers were anything but when it came to the treatment of the inmates. Conditions were harsh and unrelenting, and from their very arrival, prisoners on Andaman were made to suffer.

Cellular jail existed as a message to political dissidents throughout British ruled India, it was time to fall in line.

History of Cellular Jail

Cellular jail is situated in Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Britain seized these remote Islands with the full intention of building a penal colony there. Far from the Indian mainland, it was an ideal place to send rebels stirring trouble for the ruling Raj.

The first such colony was Viper Island, west of Port Blair. After the attempted “Mutiny of 1857” (known in India as the “First War of Independence”), freedom fighters were captured and incarcerated on Viper.

However, as the fight for India’s independence gained traction, the colony proved too small. There were just too many rebels being captured.

The larger replacement became Cellular Jail, with construction taking place between 1896 and 1906.

Conditions in the Jail

The plan was to ensure that rebels spent the rest of their lives in the penal colony. Isolated from their homes and loved ones, they could not influence revolt from their dank prison cells in Port Blair.

Being sent there was the highest form of punishment. Not only was the emotional distance meant to break the inmates, but physical punishments and torture were also commonplace too.

In its working form, the prison consisted of seven three-story cell block wings. These all radiated out from a central guard station, (imagine the spokes of a wheel with the spindle being the lookout tower).

The colony also had an administrative block, gatehouses, and a building to house the gallows.

The prison block had a total of 693 cells; all of which were built so that inmate life was near-constant solitary confinement. There were no proper windows. Ventilation came via a small grill high up on the cell wall.

To ensure prisoners could not see each other while in their cells, the blocks were arranged so that the cell door of one would face the rear wall of another.

Inspiration for the inhumane design came from the French penal colony on Devil’s Island, in French Guyana. The British admired it greatly.

Forced Labor and physical torture

When prisoners did see each other it was while chained together and shackled. The British used the inmates for nearby construction projects as well as the oil mills.

The latter involved the prisoners grinding coconuts by pulling a heavy frame around in a circle, a job done by horses or buffaloes in other parts of the world.

Anyone that failed to toe the line was severely beaten. Plain torture for the entertainment of the officers was also part of the MO. There were also stories of prisoners being subjected to medical experiments.

Many unfortunate souls that ended up in Celluar Jail never experienced freedom again, they died from diseases, exhaustion, or at the hands of their captors.

The closure of cellular jail

After WW1 (which saw tens of thousands of Indians die while fighting for the British) the Andaman penal colony fell out of favor with the ruling establishment.

The harsh conditions were relaxed and by 1922, deportations to the Andamans were suspended.

However, the colony remained open and with further Indian independence uprisings taking place in the 1930s, the prison was once again the location for captured rebels.

This didn’t last long. Significant pressure to end the brutal regime at Port Blair meant that by the end of the decade the repatriation of prisoners had begun. In 1939 cellular jail was finally empty.

Cellular Jail Today

After decades of abandonment (with some parts of the jail demolished to make space for a new hospital on the grounds), cellular jail was turned into a national monument in recognition of the martyrdom of its inmates.

This only happened because of an organization set up by former inmates, called the “Ex-Andaman Political Prisoner’s Fraternity Circle”.

They petitioned the government to acknowledge the prison as a memorial. They also ensured that no significant changes were made to the building.

As a result of their efforts, the Prime Minister of India dedicated the prison to the nation on 11th February 1979.

The three remaining cell blocks have been open as a museum to visitors ever since.

Where is cellular jail?

• Address: Atlanta Point, Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 744104

Visiting Cellular Jail

The preserved cell blocks are the main cultural heritage sight on the Andaman Islands and are a must-see for anyone visiting Port Blair.

It houses exhibitions covering the stories and struggles of the freedom and political fighters during India’s fight for independence, as well as the treatment of inmates within the prison.

The prison also houses a library on the first floor, with books related to the freedom movement. A gallery is located here too.

Facsimiles of original British documents describing policy within the prison are also on display. (As an Englishman, these are a little difficult to read in terms of how the establishment clearly saw the inmates as less than human).

Other areas of the former prison house items that once belonged to prisoners, (clothes, shoes, etc).

I especially liked the large scale model of the prison showing its form with all 7 blocks in place.

Once outside you have the option of heading to the gallows building or exploring the remaining cell blocks.

Looking into the empty cells is a disconcerting experience. One can only imagine the horrible existence it must have been to live within these walls.

You can also climb to the top of the central watchtower, and see the colony from a guard’s perspective.

Apart from the excellent vantage point to watch the prisoners, they also had a fantastic view.

Here you can see the hospital that replaced some of the former blocks, as well as the vista across the strait. A sight that includes Ross Island as well as the glistening Indian ocean.

The gallows is clearly the most macabre stop on the tour. Passing through a doorway you reach a small wooden hut. Inside this, three nooses hang from the ceiling with trap doors below. Executions were so regular, they could conduct 3 at a time. Make of that what you will.

Back in the sunshine of the courtyard and you will see a sculpture of a convict tied to a flogging frame, along with other “artworks” of dummies in shackles and chains, and depictions of forced labor at the coconut mills.

Throughout the year, various other exhibitions are held in the vacant areas of the site.

In the evenings it is also the setting of a Sound & Light Show. Again, the subject matter is obviously the prison and the plight of those that were held there. However, should you have the time, it is worth experiencing the setting at night with the audiovisual element included.

Featured Image: Vidit Goyal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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The 1st-century fortress at Masada was the location of one of the deadliest mass suicides in the history of the middle east. It was also the most dramatic revolt of the Jewish-Roman wars.

At the turn of the first millennia, a group of Jews stormed the Roman garrison at Masada and managed to take control. Defending the fortress against the Romans, they ended up living there with their families for 3 years.

However, in the year 73, the Romans retaliated with the means to succeed. Knowing they didn’t stand a chance against the mighty force, the Jews drew lots to decide the order of their own self-sacrifice.

They determined who would kill who until the last ones standing had no choice but to kill themselves.

When the Romans finally entered the fortress they were met with the site of over 1,000 dead, men, women, and children.

Today, Masada has been restored to a similar condition it would have been 2000 years ago. It is a hugely popular (dark) tourist destination in Israel.

History of the Masada, Israel

Built in the Roman style by Herod, the king of Judea, the imposing fortress sits 1,500 feet above the Dead Sea on one side, with the Judean desert stretching out from the other.

In essence, nature provided the most efficient fortifications. Masada was once extremely difficult to get to, making it very easy to defend.

The purpose of the fortress was to be the king’s refuge. A private palace was constructed within the safety of its confines.

There were also administrative centers for the court, storehouses to ensure enough supplies during any potential siege, and a well-equipped armory.

After Herod’s death, the fortress became less important. Almost an empty residence, it was not very well guarded. The Jews were able to take control with ease.

Jewish Zealots fleeing from trouble in Jerusalem were involved too. For the next 3 years, they lived there trouble-free. Masada was not a priority to the Romans.

Little is known why the Roman army suddenly took a vested interest. Maybe the Romans had just been biding their time. When they attacked, they did with considerable force.

The Romans built a ramp around the walls and used battering rams until a hole was created.

With no means of escape, the Jews decided to kill each other rather than be captured. The Siege of Masada was one of the final events in the first Jewish-Roman war.

After the Romans

After the fall of the Roman empire, the fortress was briefly used by Byzantine monks. After this, the magnificent edifice remained untouched for more than 13 centuries.

Nature took over and all signs of human habitation disappeared.

It wasn’t until the 1800s that humanity began to rediscover the secrets of Masada. Excavations took place, and the history of the siege gained more widespread attention.

So much so, the site is now a poignant symbol of the Jewish plight against oppression, with the words “Masada shall not fall again,” being a mantra for all those that serve to protect the Jewish state of Israel.

Where is Masada?

Visiting Masada today

Visiting Masada today is a treat. The site has been very carefully restored in recent years. This includes Herod’s private palace, which is built on three overhanging rock terraces with magnificent views of the gorge below.

This area also has bathhouses with preserved Roman mosaics and murals, as well as a synagogue.

For history lovers, there are also the remains of Roman siege camps located outside the fortress.

Other areas of the site include the mikveh (a Jewish ritual bath), original storerooms, and watchtowers.

As you walk around Masada, various artifacts that have been excavated in recent years are on display. They help bring history to life and include decorated pottery, Roman scrolls, and coins.

In some areas of the ruins, beautiful embossments and murals were discovered. These have since been restored by Italian experts in order to maintain their authenticity.

How to get there

There are a few ways to reach the top of Masada. One of the most enjoyable is the cable car that takes you from the tourist center at the bottom of the mountain, right to the base of the site.

The “Snake Path” is a more ambitious method of ascent, and timing your hike to watch the sunrise over the Dead-Sea is highly recommended.

Another way for seasoned hikers only is to climb the mountain on the ancient “Runners” path. From here you can visit Masada, then walk down again via Elazar Mountain.

This will take an entire day, however along the route you will come across the ruins of several Roman siege camps. You’ll also get some of the best available views of Masada.

However, none of the hikes should really be attempted in peak summer when the Israeli sunshine is at its hottest.

Opening Times

The Fortress museum is open during the following times:

• April to September: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
• October to March: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

On Fridays and the days before public holidays, the site closes one hour earlier than listed above.

The cable car operates during the following times:

• Sat. to Thurs: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.
• Friday and holiday eves: 8:00 am – 2:00 pm
• Yom Kippur Eve: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm.

The Snake Path is open an hour before sunrise. In summer it will close for the ascent at 09:00 with the descent closing at 10:00. (On extremely hot days, those times are 08:00, and 09:00 respectively).

Featured Image: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia

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I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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This part of Siberia is known for something else too, the devastating brutality of its Gulags.

For decades, the name Kadykchan was uttered in hushed tones by anyone unlucky enough to live under Stalinist rule. Nicknamed the “land of the white death,” the town was populated by hundreds of thousands of prisoners relocated for “reeducation” in the local work camps.

Today, Kadykchan is an abandoned ghost town. Situated along the route of the “Road of Bones”, (a highway built by prisoners to connect the many mines of the Kolyma region); it is a place only the most discerning dark tourist is likely to visit.

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The History of Kadykchan

Kadykchan was originally founded during World War II after rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, uranium, cobalt, diamonds, coal where discovered in the region.

The gulag prisoners used to build the town and work the nearby mines endured appalling living conditions. The mortality rate was tragically high.

However, the mines were prosperous. After the death of Stalin in 1953 and subsequent closure of the gulags, many of the former prisoners stayed on in Kadykchan to continue working the pits.

Although now free men, the conditions were still harsh. The Far Eastern Federal District in which the city is situated is one of the most remote areas of the former Soviet Union.

The long, cold winters and almost constant permafrost meant that the growing season was reduced to a mere three months. It was not an easy place to live.

All that said, by the 1980s, Kadykchan had a population close to 10,000 people. Gradual modernization had taken place (in line with Soviet levels of progress) and there was a collective infrastructure comparable to other industrial cities in Siberia.

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The collapse of Communism

The eventual collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting disruption to the value and level of coal production spelled doom for Kadykchan and its residents.

It wasn’t long before people were fleeing the town in droves, many for larger cities miles from Kolyma.

The town faced further problems in 1996 after a pit explosion claimed six lives. This was the proverbial nail in the coffin for the mine that was already destined for closure.

Throughout the 1990s the population of Kadykchan dropped from over 10,000 people, to under 300. By the early 2000s, there were very few people left.

The turn of the century also saw the Russian government offer the remaining inhabitants meager subsidies in an effort to convince them to relocate.

As of the 2010 Census, it had no recorded population. A deathly silence had settled upon Kadykchan. It is now the largest ghost town in Siberia.

Where is Kadykchan?

The town is just off the Kolyma Highway, approximately 1,300km from Yakutsk and 700km from Magadan. The closest city is Susuman, (100km in the direction of Magadan).

Visiting Kadykchan Today

Since many of the residents left unceremoniously, packing just essential belongings and heading by train to other parts of Russia, Kadykchan is now eerily filled with the decaying relics that were left behind.

Aging posters peel from walls, furniture lays haphazardly among ruined apartments, and rusted cars dot empty streets.,

Battered by glacial winds for much of the year, and hidden within the frequent snowy fog, to say a visit to Kadykchan is a melancholic experience is an understatement. It really does feel like the edge of the known world.

A walk through the town offers such apocalyptic sights as dilapidated, Soviet apartment blocks, decaying children’s play areas, and a cultural center whose façade still displays the word Sevodnya, (an announcement for the entertainment of the day).

To remind one further of the communist links, a bust of Lenin is still visible in the central town square.

Evidence that this was once a bustling town is everywhere. Enter one of the town’s larger schools and old textbooks litter the floor, equipment lays smashed in the science labs and gym gear can still be found in a ruined sports hall.

The old city cinema can also be explored. It is not hard to imagine a crowd of moviegoers enjoying the latest cinematic release in what are now rows of torn and broken seats.

Like many ghost towns of the communist era, a walk through Kadykchan is to travel through time.

Good to know

Vistors to Kadykchan enter at their own risk. There are potential health and safety issues and the Russian government has not opened the site to tourists, i.e there is no infrastructure to support you being there.

Roads throughout Kadykchan are not passable to traffic due to debris and decay. You are advised to park close by and to cover the town on foot.

Featured Image: Laika ac from USA / CC BY-SA

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I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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The tests were not always with the intent to one day nuke the USA, however. Conducted by the military under the banner of “Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy”, the aim was to investigate the feasibility of using nuclear weapons to help drill for oil or move earth in the construction of canals and reservoirs.

It is easy to forget that the Atomic Era was once wrapped up in a sense of positivity. The benefits of nuclear power seemed endless. Chernobyl was still decades away.

The US had a similar program (“Operation Plowshare”), however, while America quickly realized it was a bad idea (conducting 27 tests before stopping in 1977), the Soviets continued until the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989. It is believed that over 120 nuclear tests were conducted in total.

One area that copped it was the Chagan long-range bomber base.

The now-abandoned region on the Irtysh River contains a crater lake caused by one of the tests as well as the nearby abandoned town and airbase.

It has been completely left to nature and is a mecca for dark tourists and abandoned junkies that make it to this area of Kazakhstan.

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History of the Chagan Nuclear Tests

Chagan was the largest test that Nuclear Explosions for the National Economy program conducted. Interestingly, it was also the first.

Some believe that the Soviets managed to get their hands on top-secret information pertaining to the American Project Plowshare program. The first peaceful nuclear explosion conducted at the Nevada Test Site in July 1962 was the 104 kt Sedan test.

Chagan was a near clone of this and was detonated on January 15, 1965. It had increased yield making it the equivalent of 140 kilotons of TNT. The aim was to produce a large cone-shaped crater suitable for a lake.

The location of the Chagan test was within the Semipalatinsk Test Site, on a dry bed of the Chagan River. The position was chosen so that the edge of the crater would dam the river during the high spring flow each year.

By all accounts, the test was a success in terms of the resulting crater that was filled to become Chagan Lake, (more on this below).

However, what the Soviets had not fully accounted for was the radioactive plume. Chagan released a large amount of steam and pulverized rock and what could have been as much as 20% of the bomb’s fission byproduct into the atmosphere.

The small but measurable radioactive plume was detected over Japan. This caused an international uproar with the US quick to complain that the Soviets were violating the October 1963 Limited Test Ban Treaty.

The protest did not stop the Soviets from conducting their tests. However, subsequent nuclear explosions under the program were significantly smaller.

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Chagan Lake

Lake Chagan still exists today and can be visited without the need for a guide or special permission. This is despite the fact that it continues to be radioactive.

The Chagan test that caused the initial crater, created a 178-meter-deep (584 ft) hole in what was a dry section of the Chagan River. The blast caused a 400 m (1,300 ft) wide hole that has appropriately become known as “Atomic Lake”.

The crater was quickly filled with water from the Chagan River with the deepest section today being over 100m.

The water contains 100 times more than the permitted level of radionuclides in drinking water. It is not a place for boat tours or swimming either.

The Soviet government was once proud of Lake Chagan and the nuclear testing that created it. They even made a film with the Minister of the Medium Machine Building Ministry, (the department responsible for the Soviet nuclear weapons program and the tests at Chagan).

In the film, the Minister joyfully takes a swim in the crater lake. The film also depicts how water from the lake was used to irrigate local farmland and feed cows.

Chagan Ghost Town

The abandoned town of Chagan used to house the military personnel (and families) that worked at the nearby Chagan military airfield and Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

Over 10 thousand residents used to live within the town before the break down of the Soviet Union. With funding cuts and the military base fully closed by 1995, the site has been a ghost town for 25 years.

This fact alone makes it a fascinating dark tourist experience.

Where is Chagan Ghost Town & Crater?

Chagan is about a 1hr drive from Kurchatov along the R-174 highway. The ghost town is just a mile off the main road, with entrance to the former airbase a few miles south of the town.

Visiting Chagan Today

There are three areas of interest when you reach Chagan, the abandoned ghost town, the former military airbase, and the lake.

Inside the Ghost Town

The town was once full of stereotypically, grey and drab Soviet-style apartment blocks. Many still exist but in a completely dilapidated state.

Initial looting and the elements over more than two decades have really taken their toll. However, fans of abandoned ghost towns will love the derelict malaise.

An interesting memorial will greet you at the entrance to the town. The pyramid-shaped block of granite features a plaque with the image of a T-95 long-range strategic bomber in flight.

In Russian are the words:

“Part of our hearts remain here forever. People of Chagan of different times and countries. 1954 – 1994”.

Large piles of rubble line the road into the Chagan, evidence of some of the demolition work that has been attempted over the years.

The main residential areas can be ventured around, however, you do need to exercise caution when entering any of the buildings. With collapsed ceilings and broken staircases, you have to tread carefully, with some areas being completely off-limits.

One large public building stands to the west of the town. This is in such a state of ruin it is difficult to ascertain what it might once have been used for. Close to this is the shell of what might have been the town public swimming pool.

Despite the forlorn condition of most of the buildings, it is still an exceptional experience walking around the remnants of what was once a bustling soviet community.

The Former Airbase

Once you have explored the main town, there is still a lot to see at the former military airbase.

This is located a few miles south of the main Semey-Kurchatov road and much like the town, the aerodrome (as it is known by the locals) is in an equally ruined condition.

Barrack buildings stand with collapsed roofs and missing walls, there are also a number of small tunnel-like bunkers around the site that were once used to store bombs, missiles, and other ammunition.

A double runway still exists, albeit overgrown with weeds. Alongside the runway, the main “terminal building” (complete with the Soviet red star) still stands. This is quite the sight and is a definite photo opportunity.

Overall, it is a somewhat eerie experience to wander around the airbase in the knowledge that this was once the home of nuclear technology that could have potentially been used against the west.

Both the abandoned ghost town and the airbase are essential dark tourism destinations for those adventurous enough to find themselves in this remote part of Kazakhstan.

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I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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The cause is also of interest to the average dark tourist. This was no natural phenomenon, the eruption started because of a blowout of a natural gas well drilled by a company named PT Lapindo Brantas.

They deny the responsibility of course. Much like Soviet cover-ups of industrial disasters, company officials contend that a distant earthquake was to blame.

History of the Sidoarjo Mud Volcano

In May 2006 routine gas drilling on Java caused the mud volcano. 13 people were killed in the initial eruption as hot, sulfuric mud began gushing up from the ground.

The local population has been severely impacted by the flow. It is estimated some 30,000 to 40,000 people have been displaced as nearby villages were swallowed up by the mud.

Over the last 14 years, the slide has covered more than 25 square kilometers. At its peak, Sidoarjo Mud Volcano was spewing up to 180,000 m³ of mud per day.

This has diminished over recent years however, with the rate currently at a more manageable rate of 10,000 m³ per day.

Levees put in place in 2008 have helped control the path of the mudflow. Still, when rates increase, local highways and villages come under threat.

The mudflow isn’t expected to stop anytime soon either, scientists expect eruptions to continue for another 30 years.

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Alternative Cause

As already mentioned, officials at the PT Lapindo Brantas oil company state that an earthquake near Yogyakarta was the cause of the mudflow.

Scientists initially found this to lack plausibility due to the sheer distance between the mud volcano and the center of the earthquake. It was over 160 miles away.

More recent studies suggest the two could be linked, however.

Where is the Sidoarjo Mud Volcano?

The mud volcano is located south of the town center. Route 1/Jalan Raya Malang-Surabaya runs past the western side of the mudflow. The closest rail stops are Dusun Ketapang, Jl. Pembangunan (north of the volcano) and Porong, (south).

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Visiting the Sidoarjo Mud Volcano Today

Visiting the mud volcano involves checking out the various dykes and levees that have been built to hold the mud at bay.

The western dyke has been set up for tourists to some degree with the addition of refreshment stalls, a carpark and stairs leading up to an observation point.

This provides some idea as to the scale of the destruction over the years. The vista, all the way to the horizon is a desolate wasteland of mud.

A monument to those that died during the initial eruption is also in place here. This strange, but effective display has statues half-submerged in the mud, some of them reaching out as if their final death throes. It is poignant and somewhat harrowing in equal measures.

The levee is also a good place to get hold of a local tour guide. They are on motorbikes and will offer rides around the affected areas. In other words, you can get off the beaten track to see some of the remains of the villages destroyed by the mudslide.

Any route offered by these guys will be eerie. To see the top of electrical pylons, the dilapidated roofs of houses and an abandoned mosque poking out the top of the mud is extremely strange.

In areas where the mud has solidified, the bikes will begin traversing above. This too is exhilarating (if a tad disconcerting – if the mud isn’t solid you will sink into its depths).

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Halfway through the tour, you can expect to reach the closest point of the live volcano. (When I visited, other bikes had stopped and fellow tourists were carefully walking around the edge).

This is the center of the mudflow and the closest you can get to the source. At a distance, you can actually see fresh mud being spewed from the ground. Steam rises above, an indication of the hot sulphuric nature of the spill.

During more active times it would have been possible to see the mud jettisoning out in bubbles, however, today it is more of a quiet leak.

Other highlights of the tour (from a dark tourist perspective) include a half-submerged cemetery and school, an abandoned stretch of the former main highway, and a deserted village situated on the edge of the current mudflow. Locals had fled because of the inevitability of it being swallowed by the mud.

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I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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Sri Lanka was hit hard, with the Queen of the Sea, tsunami-rail disaster being the largest single rail disaster in world history. Approximately 1,700 people died after the crowded, coastal line passenger train was wiped out by the tsunami waves as they hit the mainland.

Today, 16 years later, some of the carriages from the wreck have been restored and are in action, ferrying passengers across the same line.

The spot where the disaster took place can be visited and one of the mangled carriages now sits outside the tsunami memorial museum in Peraliya.

The Sri Lanka Tsunami Train Disaster

The train running the day of the 2004 tsunami was the regular #50 Matara Express between Colombo and Galle.

The picturesque route runs along the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. For much of the journey, the tracks are a mere 200 meters (660 ft) from the sea.

The service departed from Colombo’s Fort Station shortly after 6:50 A.M. 1,500 registered paid passengers were on board, the other 200 were unpaid, cramming into the already over-crowded carriages.

Although it was the midst of the Christmas holidays as well as the Buddhist full moon celebrations, it was very much business as usual. The operators were used to the train being as full as it was.

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The Approaching Tsunami

Unfortunately, warnings of the approaching tsunami did not reach the train personnel. There were efforts to halt the train at Ambalangoda, however, the station workers were so busy assisting with the train that no one was available to answer the phone.

The #50 Matara Express slowly departed Ambalangoda with no one on board aware of the approaching disaster.

Further attempts along the route south also failed as the stations were empty, the personnel had either fled or were already dead.

The train finally came to a halt in the village of Peraliya, near Telwatta. It was 9:30 am and the first of the gigantic tsunami waves had arrived at that part of the coast.

Water surged around the carriages, however, at this stage, the depth did not seem life-threatening. Passengers either stayed inside the crowded carriages waiting for the water levels to subside, others climbed onto the top of the cars, thinking that the train was safe on the tracks.

A larger wave arrived shortly afterward which was high enough to begin flooding the inside of the train.

More passengers climbed onto the roof, while in the most crowded carriages, people began to be crushed in the panic to get out.

A few minutes later a huge wave smashed into the train, picking it up from the rails and flinging it into the trees that lined the track.

Almost everyone left inside began to drown as water completely subsumed the train. Further waves only added to the chaos, battering the carriages and anyone that had managed to escape outside.

Investigations in the aftermath state that the high-water marks on nearby buildings place the tsunami waves at 7.5 to 9 meters (24 to 29 feet) above sea level.

It is predicted that at its height the incoming wall of ocean water was between 2 and 3 meters (6 to 9 feet) higher than the top of the train. They didn’t stand a chance.

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Immediate Aftermath

Understandably the Sri Lankan authorities could do little in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. The huge scale of devastation made it impossible for emergency services and the military to begin a rescue effort. They were completely overwhelmed.

In fact, official reports show that the authorities were unaware of the train disaster for several hours. It was until an army helicopter spotted the wreck around 4:00 PM, that relief measures could be organized.

However, with the local emergency services completely destroyed, there were further delays before any significant help would arrive.

Those that were badly injured died in the wreckage due to the lack of aid. In fact, there are several cases where relatives of passengers made it to the crash site first, hoping to find loved ones alive.

It would be a full week before an organized clean up operation could begin.

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Death Toll

Sri Lankan authorities state that only about 150 people on the train survived. The death toll of 1,700 people is disputed by some; the figure could be closer to 2,000.

Due to the delay in emergency service aid, only around 900 bodies were recovered. The others were said to have either been washed out to sea, or removed by relatives.

The nearby town of Peraliya was decimated. Hundreds of locals died and all but ten buildings were destroyed.

More than 200 bodies retrieved from the wreck site could not be identified. These were later buried in a Buddhist ceremony alongside the torn railway line.

Across Sri Lanka, the tsunami caused over 30,000 deaths. A huge amount for a population of less than 20 million.

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Where was the Sri Lanka Tsunami Train Disaster?

• Location: The original site is situated 12 miles (20 km) north-west of Galle near the town of Peraliya.
• Memorial Carriage: A rail carriage from the wreck is next to the Community Tsunami Museum in Peraliya.

Visiting the site of the Sri Lanka Tsunami Train Disaster Today

After the cleanup operation back in 2005, the wrecked carriages were placed upright at the disaster site in Peraliya as a memorial to all that died there.

However, this met with criticism from the public (and regular passengers) that would travel past the site.

They were later moved to Hikkaduwa Railway Station, the mangled carriage tomb memorial open for foreign tourists to visit and take pictures. Again, this was seen to lack sensitivity and was controversial.

In the years since the disaster, the Community Tsunami Museum opened in Peraliya. This has provided a suitable home for a section of the wreck.

A single, battered carriage stands next door and acts as a poignant memorial to those that were killed in the disaster.

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Ceremonies & the Restored Train

The repaired railway line still operates a Colombo to Galle service, and the town of Peraliya has been rebuilt.

Today, the Locomotive #591 Manitoba from the wreck has been completely restored. A painted wave motif was added to the side of the train as a memorial to its past.

Furthermore, two of the damaged carriages were removed from Hikkaduwa Railway Station and rebuilt.

The locomotive and carriages returned to Peraliya on 26 December 2008. Today, on the anniversary of the tsunami, the train takes part in a religious ceremony in remembrance of those that died.

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

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That all changed quite dramatically in 1948 after Stalin’s government decided to open a top-secret biological weapons research facility on the island.

Kantubek, A quiet village on the north of the island was closed to the outside world and transformed into a military town named Aralsk-7. The laboratories were built to the south.

For the next 40 years, Soviet scientists experimented with some of the deadliest pathogens known to man.

In an attempt to weaponize these diseases, they conducted open-air tests on smallpox, anthrax, and the bubonic plague.

Kantubek is now a ghost town. Furthermore, due to the shrinking of the Aral Sea, Vozrozhdeniye Island is no longer an island.

With the abandoned facility now connected to the mainland, and untold amounts of deadly substances potentially buried in the soil, this is possibly one of the most dangerous dark tourist locations on earth.

History of Kantubek, Vozrozhdeniye Island

A child of Stalinist paranoia and the “arms race” to develop biological weapons to use against the West, Kantubek was the Soviet’s largest research center devoted to the cause.

Approximately 1,500 inhabitants lived on the island full time, all of which risked their lives, both in doing the job and if they spoke out about it.

Kantubek was chosen not only for its remote, off-limits location but also for the warm, dry climate of the Aral region. With a ground-level temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, the conditions were perfect for limiting the spread of pathogenic microorganisms.

Professor Ivan Velikanov, a specialist in bacteriological warfare headed the facility, leading some of the most ambitious tests so far conducted in the field.

However, after a decade in charge of the unit, he became a victim of Stalinist terror. For undocumented reasons, he was discharged and later, executed.

For a short while, the facility was put on hiatus. This ended after a 1952 ratification by the Soviet authorities (still led by Stalin) to resume the experiments.

More funding saw a large scale expansion of Vozrozhdeniye Island. An airport was added to the west of the island, the only one in the USSR with four tracks in a star-shape, (created so that planes could land from any direction during strong winds).

More sophisticated laboratories were developed. A port complex was also built to enable constant patrol of the waters around the island. Secrecy, after all, was sacrosanct.

Experiments were now being conducted on the most dangerous pathogenic agents in the world, including anthrax, botulinus toxin, typhus, and brucellosis. Any data leak could have proved catastrophic to the Soviet government, these substances had the capacity to decimate populations on a grand scale.

Alarmingly, we do know that soviet scientists did release these substances into the atmosphere. Tests were conducted over the uninhabited areas of the island, often dropped from airplanes.

They were also injected into animals within the experimentation zone.

In the 1980s it is reported that 500 monkeys imported from Africa by the USSR Foreign Trade Department were subjected to biological tests. Infected with a microbial strain of tularemia, their bodies were burned and buried on the island.

The tests came to an abrupt end, not long after the fall of the Soviet Union. In 1992, Moscow decided to relocate the entire “Barkhan” complex to Kirov.

Kantubek was quickly abandoned and has been a ghost town ever since. Vozrozhdeniya Island meanwhile, is now part of modern-day Uzbekistan.

Sinister Incidents on the island

The island has long been implicated with a series of deadly sinister incidents.

In 1971, a scientist fell ill after the research vessel she was on was engulfed by a brownish haze. A few days later she was diagnosed with smallpox.

She did recover, however, the outbreak spread to nine other people in her hometown, three of which subsequently died.

Another incident occurred a year later in 1972. Two fishermen went missing on the waters of the Aral sea. Eventually, the bodies were found, drifting in their boat. It is believed that they had caught the plague.

Other strange events have been connected to the island, including spells where locals would land whole nets of dead fish.

A well-documented incident occurred in May 1988. 50,000 saiga antelope that had been grazing on a steppe not far from the island, dropped dead – all in the space of one hour.

Shrouded in mystery, with the unlikelihood that the Russian authorities will ever release information on the circumstances surrounding these events, one can only wonder what else went on, and how many more fatalities occurred.

Getting to Vozrozhdeniye Island and Kantubek Ghost Town

There is a gravel road from the Uzbek town of Moqnay that leads to the former base and city on the island.

Visiting Vozrozhdeniye Island and Kantubek Ghost Town

Visiting the island can be considered dark tourism on an extreme level.

Aside from the potential dangers, this is not an easy place to get to. Arriving in this region of Uzbekistan is an adventure in itself.

What greets you at first instance is a normal soviet ghost town malaise. Communist-style apartment blocks with glassless windows and collapsed ceilings, roads littered with weeds and debris, and dilapidated industrial installations.

However, as you proceed it is possible to see signs of where the military burned the more hazardous areas in order to limit contamination.

The former laboratories are burnt out shells, wrecked army trucks, and destroyed equipment indicate that this was no ordinary town.

Not much is left of the former airport. The unique 4-way runway has been all but devoured by the desert.

Needless to say, very few people go there. One notable exception is the Russian urban explorer Ninurta. A frequent visitor to the area, he has published this very interesting video about his time on Vozrozhdeniya Island and the abandoned facilities of Aralsk-7, (see below).

Decontamination

It is worth knowing that there have been some attempts to decontaminate the island.

In 2002, Brian Hayes, a biochemical engineer with the United States Threat Reduction Agency, led an expedition to Vozrozhdeniye.

The aim was to neutralize what was considered the world’s largest anthrax dumpsite. Hayes, along with a team of 113 people collected approximately 200 tonnes of anthrax over a three-month period.

Good news to a degree. The zone is still considered to be highly dangerous with stocks of biochemical agents waiting to be discovered among the ruins of the abandoned facility.

Image Credits: MACTAK

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

darktourists.com/

Not much remains, however it is still worth taking the time to visit this dark tourist spot.

The gallows building still stands as well as a few other structures from the penal complex. The fact the site has been repurposed for tourism is also a plus.

Information panels in English provide context as you walk around and guides are available too.

The boat ride across to Viper Island is also stunning, making it a worthwhile venture if you are in the area.

History of Viper Island

The rather ominous-sounding name has nothing to do with snakes or the fact the island used to be a penal colony. It is derived from the name of the vessel “H.M.S. Viper” in which the British Lt. Archibald Blair first arrived at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1789.

The vessel came into trouble during a storm nearby and the wreckage was later found off the coast of the island.

It would be almost 70 years before the British decided to convert the Andaman Islands to a penal complex.

The larger penal colony at nearby Port Blair (named after the stricken Lt.) was originally built in 1958 to house prisoners of the Indian Rebellion.

At that time Ross Island was chosen as the headquarters of the penal settlement.

When more space was required for the complex, the British turned towards Viper Island, with the construction and development of Viper Jail taking place between 1864–67.

The building work was done using slave labor from the prisons at Blair Port.

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Viper Jail

The jail was notoriously harsh. Solitary cells, lock-ups, stocks, and whipping stands were built. It was also a brutal place where women prisoners could also be held.

One particularly nasty practice the authorities used was to chain prisoners together at night. Using coupling irons inmates would be linked at the legs, giving the place its nickname “Viper Chain Gang Jail”.

During the day they would be subject to hard labor. Essentially, the British used the jail to inflict some of the worst torture and hardship on those that had actively supported a free India against British rule.

In addition to brutal incarceration, Viper Island was also a gallows. Executions were regularly held, the most infamous of which was that of Shere Ali.

Ali had murdered Lord Mayo, the British Viceroy of India, in 1872. His hanging made headlines across the Empire.

However, the importance of Viper island as a penal colony declined after the construction of the Cellular Jail in 1906. Not long after the prisoners were relocated and the prison closed for good.

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Where is Viper Island?

Viper Island Today

Viper Island is a very beautiful tourist destination. It can be accessed via regular 20-minute boat trips from Port Blair’s harbor.

Upon arrival at Viper Island, you will see the remains of the former prison guardhouse beside the pier head.

The two-storied jail building stands as a semi-ruin. Half of the roof has caved in and an outer wall is dilapidated.

Around these, you will find information boards describing the colony and the conditions for the prisoners during the 19th century. Some of them contain prints of original photographs too.

Up from the jail is a strangely picturesque red-brick, temple-like ruin that was once the gallows. A panel here displays a photo of Shere Ali and the history behind the murder of Lord Mayo.

That is all that remains of the colony on Viper Island, however as already mentioned, the beautiful scenery and the interesting history make the trip more than worthwhile.

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Good to know

There are a number of operators that run boat trips to the island from Port Blair. Just head to the tourist buildings on the jetty and browse the kiosks there.

You can also prearrange via a travel agent or book a trip online before you arrive.

It is also a good idea to incorporate a visit to Viper Island as part of a longer tour itinerary that include nearby Ross Island and Havelock.

Featured Image: Sanyam Bahga / CC BY-SA

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

darktourists.com/

These were great adventures, however, there is one route that has a firm place on my bucket list: The Road of Bones in Russia.

This has to be one of the most epically, bleak road trips anyone can ever hope to take.

Officially known as the R504 Kolyma Highway, this enormous road stretches for 1,262 miles (2,031 km) through the Russian Far East. Considered by some, and not unfairly, as beyond the edge of the world.

The endpoints of the road are Nizhny Bestyakh to the west and Magadan, infamous for its Soviet gulags to the east.

And how did it come by the name “Road of Bones”? A simple, tragic truth. It is estimated that over 250,000 people died during its construction, their bodies unceremoniously laid beneath or around the road as the workers soldiered on.

Construction of the Kolymá Highway

The road gets its official name because it passes through the region of Kolymá. The territory is best known for the many Gulags that were built there.

Thousands of zeks (political prisoners) were sent to Kolymá. One of the motives being the rich deposits of gold and minerals located there.

However, despite the fact Stalin had been using forced gulag labor in the area since 1929, the only possible year-round access was via boat from Khabarovsk.

This was cumbersome and unreliable. In an effort to speed up production, a road was required along with more workers.

A total of 80 concentration camps were built in the Kolymá region to meet the demand. Led by the Latvian Eduard Berzin, an officer of the Cheka Political Police, a great purge was conducted across the entire Soviet Union to build and fill the gulags.

In 1932 the construction of the city of Magadán and the Kolymá highway finally began. The cheapest way to do this of course was by the use of prisoners.

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Death on the Road of Bones

It is said that the Kolymá highway cost one death for every meter of road built. Conditions were horrific.

The prisoners had little more than shovels and wheelbarrows to build over 1,000 miles of road in some of the harshest terrains on earth outside of the poles.

The grueling work was undertaken in all weathers. In winter, temperatures could drop to minus 50 degrees, in summer the mosquitoes could drive you insane. On top of this were the hunger and brutality.

In the majority of cases, prisoners worked until they literally dropped dead. And when this happened the sentries did not order for the bodies to be buried. Corpses were simply left inside the foundations of the road. Flesh made for good mortar, bones were a handy substitute for stone.

To traverse the Road of Bones today is to travel a mass grave of many thousands of corpses.

Where is the Kolymá Highway

Driving the Kolymá Highway Today

Traveling the Road of Bones is not for the faint-hearted. For most of the year, the route is covered by snow or mud and is considered one of the most dangerous roads in the world.

It is also incredibly remote. Locals call the road ‘Trassa’ (“The Route”) as no other road exists in the region.

In fact, it is worth knowing that the safest time to tackle the Kolymá highway is during the winter.

Armed with sufficient supplies and equipment to withstand the cold, the route is at least firm and more predictable in the freezing months.

In spring, the melting snow fills the road with mud and debris from the ice-flows. The formally frozen rivers are also more difficult to pass.

To add to the dangers there is also the threat of hungry bears and ticks; the latter which transmit encephalitis, a particularly debilitating ailment you do not want in such depopulated areas.

But do not let all of this put you off, it only adds to the adventure.

Must-see Sights along the Road of Bones

The best way to drive the road of bones is to fly into Magadan and make that your starting point.

Motorcycle or 4×4 is the only way you are really going to make the entire journey and these can be rented in Magadan. Organized tours along the Kolymá highway also start from here.

If you are arranging the road trip yourself, there are some essential pitstops that should form part of your itinerary. They are as follows:

Dneprovskiy Gulags

About 300km west of Magadan is the abandoned Dneprovskiy Gulag. This is one of the most intact Gulags in Siberia due to the fact the Soviets attempted to destroy all existing remains of other camps before the fall of the Union.

As you arrive in the Dneprovskiy region you will need to take a small track leading off the highway to the right.

Travel this for approximately 20km and you will arrive at the ghostly carcass of the former gulag concentration camp.

Isolated deep in the taiga forest the site has not been touched by any kind of tourism authority.

What you see is how the gulag looked 80 years ago, only weathered by time and the elements.

You will be able to explore the camp completely alone. Be sure to check out the old watchtowers and mines on the perimeter of the main camp complex.

Kolyma Remembrance Museum

Further west along the Road of Bones you will find Yagodnoye. From 1949 until 1957, the town was the administrative center of the nearby SevLag forced labor camp.

There is a Kolyma Rememberance museum located here that must be visited. With the sights of Dneprovskiy Gulag fresh in your mind, you will surely be affected.

The museum contains thousands of photographs of former prisoners. Artifacts from the camps are on display as are the work tools and objects that once belonged to the incarcerated.

Kadykchan – Abandoned Coal Mining Community

The coal-mining community of Kadykchan was founded during World War Two. However, the depleted deposits led to the town being abandoned in the early 2000s.

This is an extraordinary ghost town that you should definitely check out. Devoid of human life the town is being taken over by the enveloping Taiga forest.

Dilapidated blocks of flats with broken windows and doors still contain furniture that once belonged to the former inhabitants. Old cars rust along deserted streets.

The town is like a scene from a post-apocalyptic zombie movie. Riveting and creepy in equal measures, especially when you stop to consider that you are probably the only human around for several hundred miles.

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Oymyakon – The Coldest Settlement on Earth

Further along on the Kolymá highway, you will reach Oymyakon; often referred to as “The Pole of Cold”.

In this village of indigenous Yakuts and Evenki, (the only peoples that can physically withstand the intense cold) the coldest temperature in any settlement on earth was recorded: -71.2C.

Stop by, just to say you have visited the coldest village on earth.

Oymyakon to Khandyga – Scenic Beauty

There are no landmarks along this section of the highway as such, however, you will be awestruck by the spectacular scenery.

This part of the Road of Bones features pristine lakes with the backdrop of forest and mountain.

In some places, the road has simply been etched out of the mountain rock, affording incredible views across the valley.

Khandyga to Yakutsk – Ferry Crossing Adventures

The drive from Khandyga to Yakutsk will involve two river crossings; the Aldan and the Lena.

This is done via regular transit ferries. Organizing boarding permission on these with the local captains is an adventure in itself. But the services are regular so no need to book in advance.

The region is one of the world’s biggest producers of diamonds, (it also exports large amounts of gold, oil, and gas) so expect to see trucks loaded with expensive cargo as you travel this section of the road.

Spend some time in Yakutsk once you reach the city as there is a number of things to do here.

It also represents the end of the journey for most travelers. The airport is relatively well connected (there are regular direct flights to Moscow) and the endpoint of the Road of Bones is at nearby Nizhny Bestyakh.

For all intense and purposes, you have completed the route once you reach the city.

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The Old Summer Road – For the Intrepid

For lovers of high adventure (and are confident with either the 4×4 or off-road motorbike), The Old Summer Road section needs to be traversed when taking the Road of Bones.

It involves a slight detour, however. After the Russian government upgraded part of the Kolyma Highway in 2008, they bypassed a 200km sector between Tomtor and Kadykchan.

This section (called the Old Summer Road) has now been left to the Siberian wilderness for over a decade. With collapsed bridges, often flooded roads, and deserted settlements along the route you really are at the mercy of fate when you take it. Good luck if you try.

Featured Image: Missy Leone / CC BY

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

darktourists.com/

The date was February 23, 1945, and the photograph soon made front pages around the world, (it also won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography the same year). Not only that, but the image also painted a false representation of what was happening on Iwo Jima.

The battle on the island would rage for over a month. 110,000 U.S. soldiers, sailors, and pilots were brought in to fight. Out of that staggeringly high number, 26,000 would be killed or injured.

It was one of the bloodiest battles in the pacific during WW2. Now, 85 years later, the volcanic outpost is open to a small stream of visitors by official guide only.

For those that are passionate about military dark tourism, it is one for the bucket list.

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The Battle of Iwo Jima

The American invasion of Iwo Jima began on February 19, 1945. It would take just 4 days for the soldiers to reach the 554-foot peak of Mount Surabachi and raise the Stars and Stripes.

However, the battle wouldn’t end until March 26, 1945. It was the first U.S. attack on the Japanese Home Islands, and it is no small surprise that the Imperial Soldiers put up such a fierce fight.

The Japanese defensive infrastructure was more than ready. Their positions were heavily fortified, with hidden bunkers, vast artillery, and a large network of tunnels for fast and effective movement.

This all gave the Japanese a strong position on the island even after the fall of Mount Surabachi.

General Tadamichi Kuribayashi had eight infantry battalions at his disposal. There was also a tank regiment, two artillery, and three heavy mortar battalions. Beyond this were the 5,000 gunners and naval infantry.

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The real difference was the Japanese tenacity, however. They defended until the end, which in turn meant a high death toll.

Out of the 21,000 Japanese soldiers that took part in the battle of Iwo Jima, 19,000 were killed. Only 1,083 surrendered.

On the final night of battle, a 300-man Japanese force launched a futile counterattack. The American forces were too great in number. The next day, the island was declared secure.

Allied losses were still comparatively high, however. According to the U.S. Navy, “The 36-day (Iwo Jima) assault resulted in more than 26,000 American casualties, including 6,800 dead.”

After the Battle of Iwo Jima, approximately 3,000 Japanese soldiers remained alive in the tunnel networks. Many committed suicide as protocol dictated. Those that didn’t remained hidden throughout the island, venturing out at night to find food and water.

Amazingly, two soldiers, Yamakage Kufuku and Matsudo Linsoki managed to last three and a half years in this condition, hiding from the Americans on the occupied island. They finally surrendered on January 6, 1949.

The U.S. military would remain on Iwo Jima for another 23 years after the invasion. It was until June 26, 1968, that the remote outpost was returned to Japan.

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Where is Iwo Jima?

Visiting Iwo Jima Today

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) lives on the island today. They are in charge of support, air traffic control, fueling, and rescue and operate a naval airbase there.

The Japan Air Self-Defense Force also uses the base with a garrison of 400 troops on the island.

Civilian access is severely restricted. Only a small number of official tour operators are allowed to land there with tourists. [see box below].

Such tours will provide historians that will guide you to some of the key sites of the battle as well as explanations of the strategies employed by both the American and Japanese forces.

A trip to the summit of Mt. Suribachi is definitely worth it to see the spot where the flag was raised, and the iconic photograph was taken.

However, you will need good walking shoes and bring snacks and water. Walking to the top of Mt Suribachi does require a medium level of fitness. It is steep in places, but there is a paved road interspersed with gravel track.

Some of the beaches on the island are also worth visiting. There are a number of wrecks jutting out of the water (old military boats and equipment) and the overall feeling is very apocalyptic.

Two abandoned airfields from World War II also still exist. Central Field to the south of the current airbase can be visited. There is also an unfinished Japanese airfield to the north of the base.

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Recommended Tour

Stephen Ambrose – War in the Pacific Tour

Historical tours via Stephen Ambrose are the most reputable provider. A package deal takes care of all your travel and accommodation with pick up and return points in Hawai. Beyond access to Iwo Jima, the tour also includes visits to Saipan, Tinian and Guam.

A full-time historian and tour manager join you throughout. First-class accommodation and coach are also included.

RESERVE NOW

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Stew Baxter

I have an insatiable wanderlust for the extraordinary. Born with an adventurous spirit, I have spent over the past decade exploring the far reaches of our planet, seeking out the strange and mysterious.

darktourists.com/