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.
09:11That sure shivers my timbers.
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