10 Places You can no Longer go due to Ironic Circumstance
Unfortunate is a term used to describe something unlucky, or covered in misfortune. While all of these unfortunate locations are indeed unlucky, they have also been marked with nothing less than human error, natural disasters, or downright spooky coincidences. Due to their lack of luck, visitors are now banned from entering these otherwise unique places, though many still do. Some such lawbreakers have passed without coincident and lived on to tell the story of their thrilling experience. Others have not been so lucky though, leaving theirs and others potential fates to the decisions of would-be trespassers to attempt to enter at their own risk.
North Sentinel Island, India
To this day, there are still tribes of people around the world living off the land and never having had the opportunity to use a phone or dishwasher. Most of these people live in deeply remote areas, like rainforests, and have only briefly throughout history had contact with outsiders. Usually, when curious travelers and scientists encounter such tribes, they will attempt to make contact to learn more about the people. The tribe of North Sentinel is one that is strictly against this idea, and they’ll let you know it.
The first sighting was back in 1771 as a ship passed by the island and noticed fires on the beach. As it wasn’t on the main trading route, it was years before anyone decided to take a visit and explore the island. Between a history of shipwrecked crews, scientific visits, and the odd fisherman, it was determined that the people are not only unaccepting of contact, but want it to stop. Almost all visits are met with arrows and spears, and more than one dead body has been buried on their beach. Most recently, a visiting tourist was killed after paying fishermen to help him make his way to the tribe.
Because of the hostility and obviously want to not be contacted, the government has put the island off-limits to visitors, primarily because they do not want any. With no immunity to outside diseases or want to be contacted, it is decided that it is in everyone’s best interests to leave the tribesmen be.
Chichen Itza Pyramid, Mexico
The Mayans are a well known ancient civilization that once ruled throughout the majority of Central America and Mexico. They are known for their advanced society that created a solar and lunar calendar, complex math pieces, and sprawling cities. Although it is suspected that there is yet much to be discovered of this vast empire, today the main attractions are the massively noticeable pyramids.
Scattered through the jungles, these towering structures rival the works or the Egyptians. Built for worship, the towering sides rise steeply and lead up to a flat platform that was used for sacrifice. Today, tourists like to visit and climb the pyramids for the spectacular views of the jungle, but the millions of visitors throughout the years have worn the steps so smooth that they are almost unclimbable. After the accidental death of one climber due to the dangerous trek, almost all of the major pyramids are closed to anything besides pictures.
Jim Morrison Cave
The thought of Los Angeles or Malibu usually brings up images of celebrities, mansions, and movie stars, but there is a lot more to the area than just fame and money. The landscape is beautiful, and just so happens to be very popular for hiking too. One particular place where nature and the famous come together though is in Corral Canyon Cave. Supposedly, Jim Morrison of The Doors used to frequent the remote cavern and scribble ideas on the walls. Once the rumor spread of the secluded retreat, the number of visitors multiplied to recently around a hundred a day.
Being mainly Doors and creative fans, the visitors got artsy and it became custom to doodle on the walls just like their idol. One can of spray paint wasn’t enough though, and the entire inside of the cave is completely decked out in psychedelic doodles and writing. Vandalism arrests have been made but have not deterred would-be painters from adding to the decor. It has gotten to a point where authorities are unable to control the situation, and the cave is now unfortunately closed to visitors. Whether he ever wrote prose on the walls will never actually be known because of layers upon layers of paint.
Komodo Island
Komodo Island is one of only five islands located in southeastern Indonesia that are home to the world-famous Komodo Dragon. Growing up to 10 feet in length these lizards are not only the largest in the world but their bite is also one of the most deadly due to venomous secretions in their saliva. These giant reptiles don’t have venom like snakes do, but one bite can become serious within hours due to the bacteria it contains. With their strength and toxic mouths at play, they’ve been known to eat anything from rodents to water buffalo.
Despite their deadliness, the island has become a major tourist attraction as people flock to see the one of a kind real-life dragons. Unfortunately, their uniqueness and rarity puts them at risk of smugglers who trap and sell the lizards on the international black market. Measures are taken to protect the safety of these creatures, but a recent bust in a smuggling ring has forced the government to shut down the island to future tourist visits to assess the situation. For anyone looking to see a Komodo Dragon in person, still your fears, at the moment, the shutdown is only temporary for the next year.
North Brother Island
A journey around the globe will leave you fascinated by the number of abandoned places that were once home to great things. One look at gigantic dilapidated buildings makes one wonder just what exactly happened that led to such disrepair.
North Brother Island is one such location of spooky silence. The island, located in the middle of one of the most populated areas in the world, New York, is a land spotted with dozens of large buildings. One glance would not give a hint to the fact that its first use was by the city as a quarantine area for people with infectious diseases such as Typhoid. Interestingly, the many facilities were meant specifically for these outcasts. Even the first person in the U.S. to thought to have had typhoid, “Typhoid Mary,” was housed there.
With big plans for continued quarantine and treatment, the facilities use took an unexpected turn once the war hit. Instead of infected persons, the island became home to veterans and their families after the WWII housing crisis. Once the economy stabled out, the pricey facilities were again converted to a treatment center, but this time for teens with drug addictions. The island’s destiny seems to have once again had other plans though. The program not only failed but left the land in nothing but ruins and abandonment.
Now, with floodwaters set to rise in the coming years, it is expected that the entire place will soon be underwater, making the idea of putting reconstruction efforts together relatively pointless. Ironically, it wasn’t the mismanagement of programs, unfortunate global crises, or lack of resources that sent the island into a downward spiral, but the invention of the typhoid vaccine almost immediately after its completion.
Cave of the Crystals, Mexico
Located far below the Sierra de Naica Mountain is an unusual cave. Only recently accidentally discovered by a mining company in the year 2000, it’s uniqueness is not in the number of gypsum crystals it has, but the size of them.
Usually, crystals form in areas where magma seeps up through the layers of rock and cools down under the perfect conditions to leave behind a sparkling cavity. The temperature is the main determinant in how long these formations are able to continue to grow. Once they’ve cooled below a certain degree, they remain that way for the rest of their lives. This cave happened to fill with water and heated just enough by the magma underneath that it stayed at the same temperature for over 500,000 years, leaving behind crystals up to 36 feet in length.
Unfortunately, after it was discovered when the miners drained the water, the cave was also found to be inhospitable to humans. With temperatures well over 100, and humidity levels not falling far behind, a person can only last for a few moments before their lungs will fill with water.
While some scientists did get the opportunity to venture through the Cave of Crystals, and a few lucky tourists found a tour guide willing to take them, it was decided that nature should be allowed to run its course. Drains and mining ceased with the hope that the giant beauties would continue to thrive. Sadly, only time will tell whether the exposure to cooler air stunted their growth for good.
Ilha de Queimada Grande, Brazil
One of the deadliest locations in the world is well known, but not because of the toxicity levels or lack of reachability. This particular island was made off limits to all travel, with the exception of a few scientific researchers, due to the number of reptiles that inhabit the isolated land. The lack of natural predators has lead to an influx in the snakes that live here and has caused a massive population spike. With nowhere to go, it is estimated that there is a snake or two approximately every few meters.
It is not due to the scare factor or our thoughts of harm to these serpents that we are not allowed to venture to the island though. Although they are endangered, the government bans visitors to Snake Island because of the type of snake that thrives here. The Golden Lancehead Viper, one of the most venomous snakes in the world, prefers to call Ilha de Queimada Grande it’s permanent home.
Locals have claimed that pirates released them there many years ago to help protect buried treasure. The more likely answer though is that evolution took hold and the vipers evolved a deadly bite to kill their main prey, birds, as quickly as possible. A grasp from one of these snakes begins almost immediate hemorrhaging along with a high chance of certain death.
Hunter’s Hot Springs, MT, USA
Geothermal hot springs are found in many locations throughout the world and are a favorite with the young and old alike. The high mineral content of hot springs is good for the skin, body and is even thought by some to contain healing powers. Communities often grew from the attraction of the warm waters. Over the decades though, hot springs have been found, developed, and dried up to a point where they may as well be ghost towns, nothing but steam of a forgotten past.
One such place is Hunter Hotsprings. Found while camping by a Civil War vet trekking west for gold, the springs were located en route to Yellowstone National Park. The location was claimed by the man named Hunter who had the idea to return and build his home. Upon doing so, he quickly created a spot for the beginnings of a thriving business. As the railroad made its way through, the popularity of the resort grew so large as to include a golf course, ranches, a luxury hotel, a mineral water bottling plant and a famous bar known for its good times.
When prohibition hit, the springs saw a downturn in their history as the place became known for bootlegging and less of a family scene. Once transportation started changing from trains to personal vehicles, the resort saw real problems as the number of visitors slowly started to decline. Despite the economic shift, the springs were still well known and had many famously regular visitors in the ongoing years.
The tragic event occurred on November 1st, 1932. A fast fire struck due to an existing electrical issue and burnt down the grand hotel in a matter of four hours. Ironically, this was only two days after they had drained all of the possibly life-saving water in preparation for freezing in the coming winter season.
Wittenoom, Australia
Mining is a major industry around the world, it also happens to be one of the most dangerous. Not only are miners at high risk of collapses, explosions, and other natural disasters, the byproducts of sludge that have been unceremoniously torn from the earth also leave behind traces of often deadly substances.
Wittenoom is home to one such mine, although it was not the byproduct of the mining that became a problem, but the actual treasure itself, asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral used in the creation of a multitude of materials from insulation to piping.
Unfortunately, the dust from asbestos comes with a deadly side effect, death. Victims need only be exposed to asbestos infected air to begin developing health issues, and Wittenoom did not only have a booming town but a blooming problem.
The known toxicity of asbestos was not hidden, making the town’s tragic history even sadder than were the disclosure an accident. Years went by with the mine and workers warned of potential health problems if they did not suppress the asbestos dust. Because of the wealthy asbestos market that was flourishing at the time, no one listened. Once the place was finally evacuated, it was too late.
Much of the Western Australian state is still affected by asbestos-related issues, and many of the previous residents and workers of Wittenoom have since passed. Now, the town is a forbidden place to visit at your own risk. Although signs warn tourists of the dangers, there are still hundreds of trespassers each year willing to risk their lives to get a glimpse of the eerily deserted ghost town.
Bangarh, India
Topping the list of unfortunate destinations is a location woven in story and shrouded in mystery. The Bhangarh Fort in the Alwar district of India is known for its haunting beauty and true ghosts. Locals and guides alike will tell you different stories of how it came to be, however, the consensus is that the original family of the town, and the fort itself, are cursed. Now nothing but ruins, the roofs of all of the buildings have collapsed, a mysterious but apparently likely phenomenon.
Interestingly, you can still visit the fort, but it is forbidden to travel there after dark because of the spirits and dangers. Though this is difficult to confirm when no one is allowed to be there, it is said that anyone who enters the fort after sundown is never seen again. While most tourist destinations are banned due to possible safety concerns, this place takes the prize as being known by locals and the government alike as the most haunted location in India due to little more than ghost stories and folklore.
