At the turn of the 20th century, Ruddock in Louisiana was a bustling community, located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain, the town was connected by the railroads with a train coming through daily. At the height … Read More
Reggane and In Ekker were once nuclear test sites in Algeria. It was here that the French experimented with their atomic arsenal in the 1960s. Thirteen underground nuclear detonations were carried out at the In Ekker site. The reckless nature … Read More
Villa Epecuén was once a bustling tourist town along the shore of Lago Epecuen. The salt lake, some 600 kilometers away from Buenos Aires was a popular holiday spot for many decades in the 20th century. People would flock from … Read More
On June 10, 1889, New Zealand’s deadliest volcanic eruption devastated the surrounding landscape and killed over 120 people. The villagers around Mount Tarawera on the on North Island did not stand a chance as boiling mud and hot springs tore … Read More
Port Royal, Jamaica was once known as “the most wicked and sinful city in the world”. Founded in 1494 by the Spanish, the enclave positioned on the mouth of what is now called Kingston Harbour, was the center of shipping … Read More
The site of one of history’s most horrific aviation tragedies is now open to the American public. Nazi German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg, came into land in Lakehurst, New Jersey on May 6, 1937. The resulting accident took the … Read More
Sidoarjo is the biggest mud volcano in the world and the resulting mudflow is an eerie, desolate sight. The current eruption has been active since 2006, and it has transformed the area south of Sidoarjo, Indonesia. The cause is also … Read More
The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami was one of the most devastating natural disasters in the last 20 years. Countries bordering the Indian Ocean suffered greatly, with an unprecedented loss of life. Sri Lanka was hit hard, with the Queen of … Read More
On May 8, 1902, Mount Pelee erupted and destroyed the town of Saint-Pierre, Martinique. Approximately 30,000 people were burned to death instantly and it is deemed the worst volcanic disaster of the 20th century. But one man, against all odds, … Read More
On a calm night at sea in March 1954, 23 Japanese fishermen were aboard their trusty vessel Daigo Fukuryū Maru, (Lucky Dragon 5). There was a flash in the predawn sky followed a few minutes later by a rumble and … Read More
Located on the south-eastern end of Pamban Island (or Rameshwaram Island) in Tamil Nadu, Dhanushkodi is an essential dark tourist destination for anyone exploring India. This once small yet prosperous town had all the amenities of a bustling community; a … Read More
In the middle of the Sahara desert is a sight you’d be forgiven for thinking was a strange mirage. A hazy outline of an airplane pointing north towards Paris. It is very real, however, visible via Google Earth and those … Read More
Visiting the most deadly lake in the world is on my bucket list of dark tourist destinations. There is a clear winner here too. Lake Nyos in North West Cameroon managed to kill over 1,700 people and 3,500 livestock in … Read More
Visiting the almost destroyed former town of Armero is a dark tourism experience like no other. Firstly, you have to make your way out to Colombia in order to reach it. The trip isn’t for the faint-hearted. Once you get … Read More
The Aral Sea was once the fourth-largest lake in the world. As recently as 1960 this vast inland sea situated on the border between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, had a thriving fishing industry supplying the Soviet Union with a sixth of … Read More
In the middle of the Karakum Desert in central Turkmenistan, there is a strange phenomenon that has been raging for nearly 50 years. The Darvaza gas crater, known rather aptly by locals as “The Door to Hell,” or “The Gates … Read More
