The 5 Most Dangerous Tourist Destinations on Earth!

All of these places have a lot to offer to those willing to take a chance and visit them, but, compared to other, just as beautiful, destinations they pose a higher risk. Just to be clear this is not a list of the most dangerous places on Earth; countries like Iraq, Sudan or Liberia haven’t been listed here because they are so dangerous that tourists have lost any interest of traveling there.

5. Brazil
Brazil is a beautiful country, with sunny beaches, clear waters, lush rainforests, incredible culture and many other attributes that make it a lovely travel destination. Unfortunately there is also a down side, a dark side of Brazil you’re bound to experience if you ever go. Despite the accelerated economic growth of recent years, poverty is still a serious issue here and people will do just about anything when their survival instincts kick-in.

You could end up with a switchblade pressing hard on your throat and be forced to surrender your wallet and valuables in order to keep your life. Kidnappings aren’t unusual in large cities like Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paolo; you just get pulled into a car and taken to the closest ATM in order to pay your own ransom. If you can’t do that, well, you better hope your family can or you’re in serious trouble. Drug cartels have a firm grip over the slums of many of Brazil’s large cities and the police simply don’t have the power to bring them to their knees, so you might be unlucky enough to find yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time and become a victim of their crossfire.

4. Sri Lanka
Resembling a tear falling down from the Indian mainland, Sri Lanka is an exotic paradise where natural beauty and man-built luxury combine perfectly.

With some of the most beautiful sights on the planet and a few of the world’s most luxurious resorts, Sri Lanka might seem like paradise to many tourists.

But those who keep in touch with world news would know that terrorism has been a great problem here ever since a conflict between the government and a revolutionary faction called the Tigers of Tamil broke out in 1983. Over 70,000 people have died since then and although foreigners are not directly threatened they could easily become collateral victims.

3. South Africa
With all the civil wars going on as we speak in African countries like Sudan, Liberia, Burundi and many others, some might say South Africa is one of the few islands of peace in an ocean of war.

But South Africa has its own problems and for many, they are enough to make them change their minds about spending a vacation there. The 2010 World Cup host is always rated as one of the top countries by homicide rate.

Most of the killing takes place in the poor parts of the country but it often reaches the more peaceful cities as well.

South Africa has been named the “rape capital of the world” on numerous occasions and more than 10 million of its inhabitants are HIV positive. Not exactly your dream destination, is it?

2. Colombia
With a gorgeous coast, lovely mountainous inland and some of the most beautiful women on Earth, Colombia sounds like the perfect travel destination.

And it is indeed worth a trip if you can live with the risks. It’s a known fact that Colombia supplies almost 80% of the cocaine in the world and people like Pablo Escobar have become legends to those that want to leave poverty behind through any means necessary.

Drug cartels around Colombia have no fear of the law, they bribe who they can and kill the rest, especially local authorities who refuse to do their bidding.

And one mustn’t ignore the dreaded FARC rebels, famous for kidnapping people and releasing them when nobody really thinks they’re alive anymore. Those are the lucky ones, many others are simply killed. There are thousands of people kidnapped in Colombia every year.

1. Haiti
One of the most beautiful countries in the Caribbean, Haiti is also the lawless, poorest and most dangerous. Riots, killings and kidnapping used to take place on a daily basis but, after the deployment of UN troops in the area, the country gained some political and social stability.

Still, the inefficiency of the police and judiciary system help maintain Haiti in a state of crisis. Even the UN Council called for aid in stabilizing the country that is now confronted with problems caused by devastating hurricanes.

Of the 57 million demanded by international humanitarian organizations to help the Haitians, only one had been raised at the end of September 2008.

Famine and the lack of shelter could throw Haiti back into the chaos it fought so hard to climb out of.

The World's Most Dangerous Swimming Pool - Victoria Falls

This is not your typical Sunday afternoon type of pool that you visit! It is the world's most dangerous swimming pool as it literaly dangles on the endge of the worlds's largest waterfall. (Please click on the pictures for a larger view). The Devil's Swimming Pool is certainly aptly named. Victoria Falls, when the dry season reduces water levels to create what has been likened to the ultimate infinity pool. Hundreds of thrill-seekers descend on the falls, on Zambia's border with Zimbabwe, clambering across rocks and wading through shallows across the precipice to reach the pool.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Places on Earth! Do you know?

In keeping with this site’s love of helping out with holiday plans, this is a list on the top 10 most dangerous places in the world - these are all places you might consider not visiting when planning your next holiday. Some of the items may be a little controversial, but you are, of course, free to ignore our advice and go anyway!

10 Russia

In this crime-ridden, ex-Soviet state, no longer does the government stuff their Armani suits with rubles, but the vandals and gangsters. The Russian mafia runs amuck, there are more gangsters than police, and a Russian is assassinated every 18 minutes, averaging 84 murders per day in a nation of 143 million. The nucleus of Russian crime is stationed in the Republic of Chechnya, a region within Russia just north of Georgia. Prostitution, drug trafficking, and underground restaurants are arbitrarily controlled by the Chechens. Foreigners are kidnapped more frequently due to the higher ransom allocated. Crimes towards include but are not limited to: pick pocketing wallets, cell phones, cameras, cash, and physical assaults. From superpower to Third World country, think tanks are beginning to speculate if communism really was the cure for Russia.

9 Brazil

For anyone traveling to Brazil, it is not a matter of whether you get mugged, it is a matter of when! Grinding poverty still lives alongside incredible wealth in a country that is riding a wave of economic growth. But with prosperity, rates of crime have also soared. Street crime is rampant in parts of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, and whilst many victims are left unharmed, having a broken bottle put to your throat for your bracelet is not pleasant. The incidences of “quicknappings” has risen in major cities. This involves being abducted and taken to an ATM to pay your ransom. If you can’t pay, thanks to mobile technology, your family is only a call away. Along with street crime, organized criminal groups have waged wars against police and public institutions that were unable to be bribed. Prison riots are brutally suppressed, drugs and narco-terrorism claim civilian casualties and if you survive all that - the piranhas are waiting.

8 South Africa

Any nation described as the ‘rape capital of the world’ should be one to take extra special care in. Although rape had shown a declining trend to 113.7 in 2004, it increased in 2005 to 118.3 per 100 000. Another damning statistic for South Africa is its appallingly high murder rate. The 2010 World Cup host is consistently in the Top 5 list of countries by homicide rate. Most crime is confined to poor areas but it hasn’t stopped gated communities springing up all over South Africa and armed guards protecting wealthy tourist groups. Farming in South Africa has become one of the most dangerous professions in the world. The murder rate for farmers is 313 per 100 000 - about 8 times the national average. And like anywhere, sex can be very dangerous in South Africa, where more than 10 million people are infected with HIV.

7 Burundi

This small, densely populated and poor nation has giant problems. A civil war between Hutus and Tutsis tore the nation apart between 1993 and 2006. A ceasefire was declared however most provisions have not been implemented. Mass murder and mayhem compete with environmental problems as the biggest headaches for the people of Burundi. The list of assassinated leaders is extensive, and control of the nation has changed hands numerous times in the last 50 years. Crimes committed by roaming gangs and armed children are risks for visitors. Muggings, carjackings and kidnappings await, so you are advised not to stop the car for souvenirs. Should you be injured or harmed while in Burundi, you may need to be well trained, as local clinics have almost no resources to assist you.

6 Antarctica

While murder, rape and robbery may not be a big problem in this part of the world, the hostile conditions are. Antarctica is home to some extreme weather conditions, with the mercury regularly dropping below -60 degrees Celsius (-100F) and winds tearing in at more than 100km/hr. If exposed to this weather for more than an hour, you will most certainly die. Antarctica has no hospitals, no food to forage and if you get lost, not a lot of hope. Stay with the tour groups. At least there is a McDonald’s at Scott Base if you manage to find it.

5 Afghanistan

This nation has for hundreds of years, been one of the worlds most strategically important and lusted after territories. However it remains one of the poorest, undeveloped and unstable. During the Soviet invasion, the Red Army planted more than 12 million landmines in Afghanistan. Hundreds of people are killed, shredded, and maimed each year due to these insidious devices. Following the Soviets came the Taliban, whose control meant women were banned from jobs and universities. In 2001, the United States overthrew the Taliban, but banditry, tribal rivalries and drug related violence has left the nation unstable. Suicide bombings are a constant threat, and nobody in Afghanistan is safe. The most lethal suicide attack occurred in Baghlan Province in November 2007, killing more than 70 people. Did I mention Afghanistan is also the worlds largest supplier of top grade hashish and opium?

4 Somalia

Somalia is a failed state known for its anarchy, corruption, lack of government, and starvation. Travelers are warned against entering Somalia, the self-proclaimed “independent Republic of Somaliland” or even sailing near the Horn Of Africa. Pirates patrol these waters armed with AK-47s and will seize craft and hold crews to ransom. Inter-clan fighting has claimed thousands of lives in the north of the country, while territorial control in the capital, Mogadishu is carved up between many clans and warlords. Ethiopia attacked Islamic troops in Somalia in late 2006, resulting in hundreds of casualties and the internal displacement of thousands. Heck, if this place is too much for the Marines, what chance do you stand? Make sure your insurance is fully up to date.

3 Sudan

Desperation, death and destruction are synonymous with Sudan. Terrorism is a mainstay of this nation, which has been controlled by Islamic military regimes since its independence. Some of the worlds most famous killers have earned their stripes in Sudan, finishing with degrees in car-bombing, rocket launching and genocide. Violence is rife in the Darfur region between government-backed militias, government troops and local insurgent groups. Sudan has been in open warfare with Chad partly due to the Darfur conflict. Since 2003, 230,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to eastern Chad from Darfur. More than two million have died during the 2 civil wars that spanned the last 50 years. Along with its bleak desert conditions, Sudan is one of the worst places on the planet.

2 Colombia

Kidnapping is the main worry in Colombia. There were 2338 kidnappings in Colombia in 1998. Of the victims, 138 were killed by their captors. Ranked Fourth in the world for murders with 69.98/100000 in 2006, the popular targets are mayors, with dozens of them being slain each year. And of course, who can forget cocaine? Colombia supplies 75% of the worlds supply and thanks to Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel, paramilitary groups have waged war on the government in a bloody conflict with no end in sight. Even those working in the name of charity are not excluded from the frenzy. In 2005, 5 Catholic missionaries were murdered, down from 9 in 1999. Colombia’s beautiful coast and rugged mountains should make it a tourist paradise, instead it is among the most feared destinations you can visit.

1 Iraq

It doesn’t matter whether you are George Bush, Pele or Chuck Norris - you are not safe in Iraq. Despite its rich history and its oil reserves, it is a ruined nation that is wracked with violence, despair and confusion. Since 2003, the United States has occupied Iraq which has led to a civil war claiming the lives of more than 650 000 civilians. Al-Qaeda, Sunni insurgents, Shiite security forces, Kurdish rebels, American soldiers, Turkish troops and criminals are involved in a cycle of violence that unfortunately, will not abate any time soon. Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs) and mines are a constant threat, as are suicide bombers who have slain hundreds. Kidnappings and random killings are reported with almost mind-numbing frequency. Since 2003, 2 million Iraqis have fled to neighboring countries and another 1.9 million in Iraq remain internally displaced. Depleted uranium used as armor-piercing rounds will poison Iraqi civilians and US servicemen for decades. Truly, a hell on earth.

Bonus: United States of America

For the average traveller, the USA is fairly safe, but the numbers do not lie. There are more than 200 million guns in the USA and more than 50 murders a day, 10 times the rate of Germany. Nearly 5000 people die a year in truck crashes, about 6000 pedestrains die on the streets and 31000 people end their own lives. The USA now leads all nations in violent crime and leads all nations with incarcerations now standing at 2.3 million. American citizens also make up the greatest number of criminals serving time in overseas prisons. Militias, hate groups and other right wing radicals all spread their message of violence and are known to throw around the odd pipe-bomb. The government is not much better, spending a whopping $600 billion a year on defense in order to contain the handful of nations hostile to it.

Top Ten Unexplained Phenomena (Auckland, New Zealand, NZ, David, Lim)

The Body/Mind Connection

Medical science is only beginning to understand the ways in which the mind influences the body. The placebo effect, for example, demonstrates that people can at times cause a relief in medical symptoms or suffering by believing the cures to be effective - whether they actually are or not. Using processes only poorly understood, the body's ability to heal itself is far more amazing than anything modern medicine could create.

Psychic powers and ESP

Psychic powers and extra-sensory perception (ESP) rank among the top ten unexplained phenomena if for no other reason than that belief in them is so widespread. Many people believe that intuition (see #3) is a form of psychic power, a way of accessing arcane or special knowledge about the world or the future. Researchers have tested people who claim to have psychic powers, though the results under controlled scientific conditions have so far been negative or ambiguous. Some have argued that psychic powers cannot be tested, or for some reason diminish in the presence of skeptics or scientists. If this is true, science will never be able to prove or disprove the existence of psychic powers.

Near-Death Experiences and Life After Death

People who were once near death have sometimes reported various mystical experiences (such as going into a tunnel and emerging in a light, being reunited with loved ones, a sense of peace, etc.) that may suggest an existence beyond the grave. While such experiences are profound, no one has returned with proof or verifiable information from "beyond the grave." Skeptics suggest that the experiences are explainable as natural and predictable hallucinations of a traumatized brain, yet there is no way to know with certainty what causes near-death experiences, or if they truly are visions of "the other side."

UFOs

There is no doubt that UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) exist - many people see things in the skies that they cannot identify, ranging from aircraft to meteors. Whether or not any of those objects and lights are alien spacecraft is another matter entirely; given the fantastic distances and effort involved in just getting to Earth from across the universe, such a scenario seems unlikely. Still, while careful investigation has revealed known causes for most sighting reports, some UFO [video] incidents will always remain unexplained.

Deja vu

Deja vu is a French phrase meaning 'already seen,' referring to the distinct, puzzling, and mysterious feeling of having experienced a specific set of circumstances before. A woman might walk into a building, for example, in a foreign country she'd never visited, and sense that the setting is eerily and intimately familiar. Some attribute deja vu to psychic experiences or unbidden glimpses of previous lives. As with intuition (see #3), research into ,human psychology can offer more naturalistic explanations, but ultimately the cause and nature of the phenomenon itself remains a mystery.

Ghosts

From the Shakespeare play "MacBeth" to the NBC show "Medium," spirits of the dead have long made an appearance in our culture and folklore. Many people have reported seeing apparitions of both shadowy strangers and departed loved ones. Though definitive proof for the existence of ghosts remains elusive, sincere eyewitnesses continue to report seeing, photographing, and even communicating with ghosts. Ghost investigators hope to one day prove that the dead can contact the living, providing a final answer to the mystery.

Mysterious Disappearances

People disappear for various reasons. Most are runaways, some succumb to accident, a few are abducted or killed, but most are eventually found. Not so with the truly mysterious disappearances. From the crew of the Marie Celeste to Jimmy Hoffa, Amelia Earhart, and Natalee Holloway, some people seem to have vanished without a trace. When missing persons are found, it is always through police work, confession, or accident never by 'psychic detectives'). But when the evidence is lacking and leads are lost, even police and forensic science can't always solve the crime.

Intuition

Whether we call it gut feelings, a 'sixth sense,' or something else, we have all experienced intuition at one time or another. Of course, gut feelings are often wrong (how many times during aircraft turbulence have you been sure your plane was going down?), but they do seem to be right much of the time. Psychologists note that people subconsciously pick up information about the world around us, leading us to seemingly sense or know information without knowing exactly how or why we know it. But cases of intuition are difficult to prove or study, and psychology may only be part of the answer.

Bigfoot

For decades, large, hairy, manlike beasts called Bigfoot [video] have occasionally been reported by eyewitnesses across America. Despite the thousands of Bigfoot that must exist for a breeding population, not a single body has been found. Not one has been killed by a hunter, struck dead by a speeding car, or even died of natural causes. In the absence of hard evidence like teeth or bones, support comes down to eyewitness sightings and ambiguous photos and films. Since it is logically impossible to prove a universal negative, science will never be able to prove that creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster [video]do not exist, and it is possible that these mysterious beasts lurk far from prying eyes.

The Taos Hum

Some residents and visitors in the small city of Taos, New Mexico [video]. have for years been annoyed and puzzled by a mysterious and faint low-frequency hum in the desert air. Oddly, only about 2 percent of Taos residents report hearing the sound. Some believe it is caused by unusual acoustics; others suspect mass hysteria or some secret, sinister purpose. Whether described as a whir, hum, or buzz and whether psychological, natural, or supernatural no one has yet been able to locate the sound's origin.

Top Ten Fastest Car n the world! David Lim, Auckland, New Zealand

Bugatti Veyron
Top Speed: 252.2 mph
1001 Horsepower
No surprises here, the fastest and most powerful production car ever makes the top of the list. I wonder when Koenigsegg will decide to take the #1 position and beef up the CCX.

Koenigsegg CCX
Top Speed: 250 mph
900 Horsepower As said above, we expect Koenigsegg to take the number one spot eventually; those crazy Swedes aren’t fooling around.

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo
Top Speed: 248 mph
750 Horsepower
VCars didn’t specify that it’s an S7 Twin-Turbo, but that’s what they’re talking about. This is one bad-ass car.

McLaren F1
Top Speed: 240.14
620 Horsepower
Can you believe this? The McLaren F1 was made in 1994, 13 years ago, and it’s still one of the fastest cars in the world. This happens to be the first car on this list I would purchase if I had the cash. Then I’d buy the Koenigsegg.

Ferrari Enzo
Top Speed: 217 mph
657 Horsepower
Ferrari’s newest Mega-Car seems to have people crashing it left and right, but the drivers always walk away fine (physically.) With only 399 of these ever made, the value of the car goes up with each crash.

Jaguar XJ220
Top Speed: 217 mph
549 Horsepower
Even older than the McLaren F1, the Jaguar XJ220 has been on this list since 1992. Be sure to check out the Pininfarina version as well.

Pagani Zonda Roadster
Top Speed: 215 mph
602 Horsepower Yes, we know this is a picture of the Roadster, not the Zonda F. With Pagani’s new Zonda R on the way, the Zonda might be creeping up on this list faster than Bugatti can say “We need bigger turbos.”

Lamborghini Murcielago LP640
Top Speed: 213 mph
633 Horsepower VCars got a little bit confused here. The title suggests they mean the standard Murcielago, but the top speed and pictures tell us they’re talking about the LP640. Let’s clear this up a bit…the horsepower on the LP640 is 640 (hence the name,) and the hp rating on the standard Murcielago is 580.

Porsche Carerra GT
Top Speed: 209 mph
605 Horsepower
Porsche’s fastest, most attractive (and most expensive) car to date comes in at #9.

Mercedes McLaren SLR

Top Speed: 207 mph
626 Horsepower

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