Fantastic places and unbelievably beautiful nature exist not only in fairy tales but in the real world too. Sometimes you have to see them live with your own eyes to appreciate their beauty. But a lot of amazing places in the world aren't popular tourist destinations because it's difficult to get to them. Or maybe because they are too scary? For example, North Yungas Road in Bolivia is one of the most picturesque — and the most hazardous roads in the world. Over 200 folks tumble to their demise each year on this devious mountain climb, and the absence of any guardrail doesn’t help at all.
If you’re more into walking, consider the Hussaini Bridge in Pakistan. It’s officially the most dangerous hanging bridge in the world. It’s a long and nerve-racking traverse over Lake Borit, with many planks of the bridge missing and the whole construction creaking ominously in the wind. So, today, we've prepared a list of the creepies but really beautiful locations in the world. Most tourists have even never heard of them. If you’d like your holiday to come with some thrills, these places are just for you. Otherwise, steer well clear!
#brightside
TIMESTAMPS: North Yungas Road in Bolivia 0:10 The Hussaini Bridge in Pakistan 0:47 Lake Natron in Tanzania 1:20 The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia 1:56 Snake Island in Brazil 2:30 Fly Geyser in the Nevada Desert 3:00 Sagano Bamboo Forest in Japan 3:38 The Great Blue Hole 4:11 The Darvaza Gas Crater in Turkmenia 4:47 Jellyfish Lake in Palau 5:23 The Gomantong Caves on the island of Borneo 5:54 Madidi National Park in Bolivia 6:33 Thrihnukagigur volcano in Iceland 7:11 Mount Hua in China 7:48 Pripyat, Ukraine 8:23
00:00North Yungas Road in Bolivia is one of the most picturesque and most hazardous roads in the world.
00:17Just imagine biking along a cliff trail at a mind-numbing height overlooking the lush
00:22Bolivian jungle and misty mountains at a distance. What a view!
00:26But as soon as you realize you're riding on a 10-foot-wide stretch of road, some of which isn't even paved, you might get skin crawls.
00:34And for good reason. Over 200 folks tumble to their demise each year on this devious mountain climb.
00:42And the absence of any guardrail doesn't help at all.
00:46Now, if you're more into walking, consider the Husseini Bridge in Pakistan.
00:51It's officially the most dangerous hanging bridge in the world, but hardly the only one in the country.
00:57It's a long and nerve-wracking traverse over Lake Borat, with many planks of the bridge missing and the whole construction creaking ominously in the wind.
01:06Still, the place has become a major tourist attraction, although the old and broken bridge visible nearby only adds to the impression that you're inevitably going to fall to a screaming end.
01:19Well, at least you can be thankful that the lake beneath is not Lake Natron in Tanzania.
01:26If you fall into water, you still have a chance of survival.
01:29If you fall into the waters of Natron, not so much.
01:33The pH levels here are a skin-melting 10.5.
01:37What passes for water is more like an alkaline soup.
01:40No wonder this place is so peaceful.
01:43Pretty much nothing wants to live here.
01:44And yet, flocks of flamingos come to Lake Natron to breed every few seasons, and it becomes a white-pink paradise for the period.
01:53Positively.
01:56Which can't be said about the Danikil Depression in Ethiopia.
02:00Despite its beautiful, otherworldly landscape, it's perhaps the loneliest place on Earth.
02:07Yellow, orange, and green mounds are made of salt, sulfur, and iron, creating views like nowhere else on the planet.
02:13Yet, the combination of temperature and toxic minerals makes this place absolutely unlivable.
02:20Researchers coming here haven't found even microscopic life in this valley.
02:25Really, like another planet.
02:27Beautiful and desolate.
02:29On the other hand, there's an island that's bubbling with life, yet still, you don't want to be there.
02:35It's called Snake Island, and the name says it all.
02:39It's chock full of snakes.
02:41In fact, there are so many of them, especially the venomous varieties, that Brazil has forbidden access to the island to any and all visitors.
02:50But even if it wasn't closed off, not many would be brave enough to go to a place where a single step offshore could land you a venomous bite.
02:59Now, I'll bet that Fly Geyser in the middle of the Nevada desert was created partly because humans became jealous of that.
03:08This place had been just another bit of desert until 1916.
03:13People came here to drill a water well.
03:15They quickly saw the error of their ways, though.
03:18The water came out boiling hot and unfit for drinking.
03:2250 years later, there was another attempt.
03:24But the same thing happened.
03:26We don't learn, do we?
03:27Anyway, hot water never stops spewing from under the ground.
03:31And today, we have a massive geyser cluster colored in shades of red, orange, and yellow.
03:37Now, I'd say let's take a break from things that could bite, burn, or crush you and take a walk in a serene forest.
03:45We're in Japan, and it's Sagano Bamboo Forest, a marvelous natural park where you can't help but hush your voice and just look.
03:54And listen, too, because the sound of the wind in the bamboo trees is the first ever officially recognized soundscape.
04:02All the more surprising to find such a place just half an hour's ride from Kyoto, one of the busiest cities in the country.
04:11Take a deep breath of fresh air now.
04:13You're gonna need it.
04:15We're going underwater.
04:16Behold the Great Blue Hole.
04:19Apparently named by Captain Obvious, it's one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
04:24Located off the coast of Belize, this giant sinkhole is a massive tourist attraction, especially popular among divers.
04:32It's actually a whole cave system, and they say it gets weirder and more picturesque the deeper you dive.
04:38Beware, though, it's popular among sharks, too.
04:42And both bull sharks and hammerheads have been spotted here more than once.
04:47Here, have a towel and prepare for some barbecue.
04:51The Darvasa gas crater is waiting.
04:53A huge hole again, this time in the ground and burning.
04:57Over 50 years ago, geologists found this spot in Turkmenia, Central Asia, and were quite a bit alarmed.
05:04There was an enormous deposit of methane, a highly flammable gas, underground.
05:09They set it on fire to prevent the gas from spreading, and since then, the holes kept burning.
05:15It's over 200 feet across and 100 feet deep, and no one knows when it'll finally run out of fuel.
05:22Is it too hot again?
05:24Well, let's have a little swim with jellyfish, then.
05:27Jellyfish Lake on one of the rock islands in Palau is perfectly described by its name.
05:33In 2005, there were about 30 million of these creatures here.
05:37Although today, only 700,000 of them remain, their number is growing, and tourists can actually swim with them.
05:44Until they get stung, that is.
05:46Okay, kidding.
05:47These jellyfish don't have stingers, so it's safe.
05:50Until they decide to grow stingers, of course.
05:54From the depths, we're going even deeper.
05:57The Gomantong Caves are our next stop.
05:59The cave system on the island of Borneo could have been Batman's hideout, given how many bats live there.
06:06At night, these nocturnal animals fly out of the cave in the thousands, making you wonder why you're still there watching it.
06:13But if you're brave enough to go inside the cave, you can truly marvel at the variety given to us by nature.
06:19Because there, on the floor and walls of the cave, lie tons of bat droppings, giving food and home to millions of cockroaches, parasites, and giant centipedes.
06:31Wondrous.
06:32Okay, I'm out of here.
06:34Now, if you're as easy to get away as I am, here's a place to go.
06:38Mediti National Park in Bolivia.
06:39It's one of the largest protected areas in South America, and is home to an immense variety of animals, birds, and insects.
06:48I could do without the mosquitoes, but it's still among the few places where you could see wild macaws, monkeys, capybaras, and dozens of other creatures.
06:57Still, it's better to be careful, because wild animals aren't always happy to see you.
07:02And there are known cases of attacks on tourists.
07:05Ever wanted to feel like Frodo Baggins in Middle Earth?
07:09Here's your chance.
07:11In Iceland, there's a slumbering volcano named Thryguka Gægurth that welcomes guests to a tea party.
07:18Now, don't confuse this with another infamous Icelandic volcano, Eafjætla Jukuk.
07:24Yeah, it's easy to mix them up.
07:25They sound so similar.
07:27Here, tourists are actually ushered down into the volcano and spend close to an hour inside,
07:33looking at the magmatic landscape.
07:36They say Thryguka Gægurth can't wake up all of a sudden, but who knows?
07:41Don't forget to bring the ring of power, just in case.
07:45From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, and here we are at Mount Hua in China.
07:50It's called the most dangerous hike in the world for a reason.
07:54It's high, it's crazy scary, and it's a hike.
07:57At the height of 7,000 feet, which already makes me reconsider, there are several wooden planks nailed to the sheer wall of the mountain.
08:06When you get to the start of the hike, you put on safety gear and realize there's no turning back.
08:12You have to walk all the way.
08:14And then back!
08:15But, if you're lucky, you'll see a crowd of hundreds of tourists and decide not to spend hours waiting for your turn.
08:22Finally, to really creep you out, I'm taking you to Pripyat in Ukraine.
08:28If you watch the TV show Chernobyl, you probably know what happened in this area.
08:33If you didn't see it, well, don't have a meltdown.
08:36Much of the town is still off-limits for visitors, but there are already guided tours around the place.
08:43As haunting as it is, the landscape has some magnetic force.
08:47The silence makes you keep as quiet as you can.
08:50Also, you can see with your own eyes what happens when people abandon a whole city.
08:56Nature takes back what once belonged to it.
08:59Creeping vines along the walls and lampposts.
09:02Trees and bushes sprouting from under concrete.
09:06And the main attraction in this desolate place is the rusty old Ferris wheel.
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