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Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre

Travelers who use their off time to visit places like the Chernobyl nuclear plant or current conflict zones say they no longer want a sanitized version of a troubled world.

By Maria Cramer

North Korea. East Timor. Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous enclave that for decades has been a tinderbox for ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

They’re not your typical top tourist destinations.

But don’t tell that to Erik Faarlund, the editor of a photography website from Norway, who has visited all three. His next “dream” trip is to tour San Fernando in the Philippines around Easter , when people volunteer to be nailed to a cross to commemorate the suffering of Jesus Christ, a practice discouraged by the Catholic Church.

Mr. Faarlund, whose wife prefers sunning on Mediterranean beaches, said he often travels alone.

“She wonders why on earth I want to go to these places, and I wonder why on earth she goes to the places she goes to,” he said.

Mr. Faarlund, 52, has visited places that fall under a category of travel known as dark tourism , an all-encompassing term that boils down to visiting places associated with death, tragedy and the macabre.

As travel opens up, most people are using their vacation time for the typical goals: to escape reality, relax and recharge. Not so dark tourists, who use their vacation time to plunge deeper into the bleak, even violent corners of the world.

They say going to abandoned nuclear plants or countries where genocides took place is a way to understand the harsh realities of current political turmoil, climate calamities, war and the growing threat of authoritarianism.

“When the whole world is on fire and flooded and no one can afford their energy bills, lying on a beach at a five-star resort feels embarrassing,” said Jodie Joyce, who handles contracts for a genome sequencing company in England and has visited Chernobyl and North Korea .

Mr. Faarlund, who does not see his travels as dark tourism, said he wants to visit places “that function totally differently from the way things are run at home.”

Whatever their motivations, Mr. Faarlund and Ms. Joyce are hardly alone.

Eighty-two percent of American travelers said they have visited at least one dark tourism destination in their lifetime, according to a study published in September by Passport-photo.online, which surveyed more than 900 people. More than half of those surveyed said they preferred visiting “active” or former war zones. About 30 percent said that once the war in Ukraine ends, they wanted to visit the Azovstal steel plant, where Ukrainian soldiers resisted Russian forces for months .

The growing popularity of dark tourism suggests more and more people are resisting vacations that promise escapism, choosing instead to witness firsthand the sites of suffering they have only read about, said Gareth Johnson, a founder of Young Pioneer Tours , which organized trips for Ms. Joyce and Mr. Faarlund.

Tourists, he said, are tired of “getting a sanitized version of the world.”

A pastime that goes back to Gladiator Days

The term “dark tourism” was coined in 1996, by two academics from Scotland, J. John Lennon and Malcolm Foley, who wrote “Dark Tourism: The Attraction to Death and Disaster.”

But people have used their leisure time to witness horror for hundreds of years, said Craig Wight, associate professor of tourism management at Edinburgh Napier University.

“It goes back to the gladiator battles” of ancient Rome, he said. “People coming to watch public hangings. You had tourists sitting comfortably in carriages watching the Battle of Waterloo.”

Professor Wight said the modern dark tourist usually goes to a site defined by tragedy to make a connection to the place, a feeling that is difficult to achieve by just reading about it.

By that definition, anyone can be a dark tourist. A tourist who takes a weekend trip to New York City may visit Ground Zero. Visitors to Boston may drive north to Salem to learn more about the persecution of people accused of witchcraft in the 17th century. Travelers to Germany or Poland might visit a concentration camp. They might have any number of motivations, from honoring victims of genocide to getting a better understanding of history. But in general, a dark tourist is someone who makes a habit of seeking out places that are either tragic, morbid or even dangerous, whether the destinations are local or as far away as Chernobyl.

In recent years, as tour operators have sprung up worldwide promising deep dives into places known for recent tragedy, media attention has followed and so have questions about the intentions of visitors, said Dorina-Maria Buda, a professor of tourism studies at Nottingham Trent University .

Stories of people gawking at neighborhoods in New Orleans destroyed by Hurricane Katrina or posing for selfies at Dachau led to disgust and outrage .

Were people driven to visit these sites out of a “sense of voyeurism or is it a sense of sharing in the pain and showing support?” Professor Buda said.

Most dark tourists are not voyeurs who pose for photos at Auschwitz, said Sian Staudinger, who runs the Austria-based Dark Tourist Trips , which organizes itineraries in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe and instructs travelers to follow rules like “NO SELFIES!”

“Dark tourists in general ask meaningful questions,” Ms. Staudinger said. “They don’t talk too loud. They don’t laugh. They’re not taking photos at a concentration camp.”

‘Ethically murky territory’

David Farrier , a journalist from New Zealand, spent a year documenting travels to places like Aokigahara , the so-called suicide forest in Japan, the luxury prison Pablo Escobar built for himself in Colombia and McKamey Manor in Tennessee, a notorious haunted house tour where people sign up to be buried alive, submerged in cold water until they feel like they will drown and beaten.

The journey was turned into a show, “Dark Tourist,” that streamed on Netflix in 2018 and was derided by some critics as ghoulish and “sordid.”

Mr. Farrier, 39, said he often questioned the moral implications of his trips.

“It’s very ethically murky territory,” Mr. Farrier said.

But it felt worthwhile to “roll the cameras” on places and rituals that most people want to know about but will never experience, he said.

Visiting places where terrible events unfolded was humbling and helped him confront his fear of death.

He said he felt privileged to have visited most of the places he saw, except McKamey Manor.

“That was deranged,” Mr. Farrier said.

Professor Buda said dark tourists she has interviewed have described feelings of shock and fear at seeing armed soldiers on streets of countries where there is ongoing conflict or that are run by dictatorships.

“When you’re part of a society that is by and large stable and you’ve gotten into an established routine, travel to these places leads you to sort of feel alive,” she said.

But that travel can present real danger.

In 2015, Otto Warmbier , a 21-year-old student from Ohio who traveled with Young Pioneer Tours, was arrested in North Korea after he was accused of stealing a poster off a hotel wall. He was detained for 17 months and was comatose when he was released. He died in 2017, six days after he was brought back to the United States.

The North Korean government said Mr. Warmbier died of botulism but his family said his brain was damaged after he was tortured.

Americans can no longer travel to North Korea unless their passports are validated by the State Department.

A chance to reflect

Even ghost tours — the lighter side of dark tourism — can present dilemmas for tour operators, said Andrea Janes, the owner and founder of Boroughs of the Dead: Macabre New York City Walking Tours.

In 2021, she and her staff questioned whether to restart tours so soon after the pandemic in a city where refrigerated trucks serving as makeshift morgues sat in a marine terminal for months.

They reopened and were surprised when tours booked up fast. People were particularly eager to hear the ghost stories of Roosevelt Island, the site of a shuttered 19th-century hospital where smallpox patients were treated .

“We should have seen as historians that people would want to talk about death in a time of plague,” Ms. Janes said.

Kathy Biehl, who lives in Jefferson Township, N.J., and has gone on a dozen ghost tours with Ms. Janes’s company, recalled taking the tour “Ghosts of the Titanic” along the Hudson River. It was around 2017, when headlines were dominated by President Trump’s tough stance on refugees and immigrants coming into the United States.

Those stories seemed to dovetail with the 100-year-old tales of immigrants trying to make it to New York on a doomed ship, Ms. Biehl said.

It led to “a catharsis” for many on the tour, she said. “People were on the verge of tears over immigration.”

Part of the appeal of dark tourism is its ability to help people process what is happening “as the world gets darker and gloomier,” said Jeffrey S. Podoshen , a professor of marketing at Franklin and Marshall College, who specializes in dark tourism.

“People are trying to understand dark things, trying to understand things like the realities of death, dying and violence,” he said. “They look at this type of tourism as a way to prepare themselves.”

Mr. Faarlund, the photo editor, recalled one trip with his wife and twin sons: a private tour of Cambodia that included a visit to the Killing Fields , where between 1975 and 1979 more than 2 million Cambodians were killed or died of starvation and disease under the Khmer Rouge regime.

His boys, then 14, listened intently to unsparing and brutal stories of the torture center run by the Khmer Rouge. At one point, the boys had to go outside, where they sat quietly for a long time.

“They needed a break,” Mr. Faarlund said. “It was quite mature of them.”

Afterward, they met two of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge, fragile men in their 80s and 90s. The teenagers asked if they could hug them and the men obliged, Mr. Faarlund said.

It was a moving trip that also included visits to temples, among them Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, and meals of frog, oysters and squid at a roadside restaurant.

“They loved it,” Mr. Faarlund said of his family.

Still, he can’t see them coming with him to see people re-enact the crucifixion in the Philippines.

“I don’t think they want to go with me on that one,” Mr. Faarlund said.

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Maria Cramer is a reporter on the Travel desk. Please send her tips, questions and complaints about traveling, especially on cruises. More about Maria Cramer

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Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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Dark Tourist

From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, New Zealand filmmaker and journalist David Farrier ('Tickled') visits unusual -- and often macabre -- tourism spots around the world. From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, New Zealand filmmaker and journalist David Farrier ('Tickled') visits unusual -- and often macabre -- tourism spots around the world. From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, New Zealand filmmaker and journalist David Farrier ('Tickled') visits unusual -- and often macabre -- tourism spots around the world.

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The rise of dark tourism: what’s the appeal?

Netflix's new series focuses on morbid destinations around the world, but why is this travel niche gaining popularity.

Swimming in a lake formed by a nuclear blast in Kazakhstan, attending a voodoo festival in Africa, and dining with vampires in New Orleans may not be at the top of most travellers’ lists, but New Zealand journalist David Farrier isn’t most travellers. He’s the host of the new Netflix series Dark Tourist, reviews of which have spanned enthusiastic praise for its “ample strangeness and droll laughs”, and waspish criticism for being “shallow and sordid”.

It’s easy to see why dark tourism as a notion is polarising. On the whole, it focuses on the macabre, turning disaster sites such as the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan into an attraction, where guides now lead tourists through towns abandoned when the earthquake hit in 2011. In 2017, locals were horrified when a coachload of Chinese tourists turned up at Grenfell Tower to take photos, just weeks after the fire.

Yet at the other end of the scale, sites such as Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland, the September 11 memorial in New York, and the Khmer Rouge killing fields in Cambodia, which have all been recognised as historically significant tourist destinations, all saw record numbers of travellers in 2017.

Rise in appeal

The term was coined in 2000 by academics John Lennon and Malcolm Foley who published a book by the same name to explore “the attraction of death and disaster”. “It is clear,” the introduction states, “that tourist interest in recent death, disaster and atrocity is a growing phenomenon”.

This has also been true among British travellers in more recent years. New figures from flight booking website Kiwi.com reveal there has been 307% increase in searches from the UK to destinations usually associated with death and suffering.

Top of the search list is Chernobyl, the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster in Ukraine. Actual bookings have increased by more than 1,200% since 2016. Official figures show visitor numbers to the exclusion zone have boomed in recent years, with almost 50,000 people making the trip in 2017, 70% of whom were foreigners. That’s an increase of 350% since 2012.

The site has been open to tourists since 2010, but local travel agencies suggest the 30th anniversary in 2016 and recent adjustments that reduced the amount of radioactive material being leaked, have both contributed to the sharp rise.

Traveller numbers to Cambodia’s killing fields have more than tripled over the past decade, with as many as 800 tourists a day visiting in 2017. Kiwi has also seen bookings on its site increase tenfold in the past two years.

For Philip Stone, executive director of the Institute for Dark Tourism Research at the University of Central Lancashire, there is no such thing as “dark tourism”. It’s merely, a term academics have used to “shine light on the contemporary commodification of death and disaster sites”.

“There tends to be a lot of emphasis … on the motivation of tourists to visit particular dark tourism sites,” he has said in an earlier interview . “To me, many of the motivating push-and-pull factors to visit dark tourism sites are fairly obvious … What is less obvious, to me at least, are the emergent motivations and consequences of the tourist experience at dark tourism sites. For instance, how does the visitor feel and perform at particular dark tourism sites? What are the meaning-making processes at play within dark tourism consumption?”

Ethical questions

There are those reviewers that have questioned the ethical standards behind some of Farrier’s escapades – including utilising one of Pablo Escobar’s former hitmen as a guide, and going on an immersive recreation of what it’s like to sneak over the US-Mexican border as an illegal immigrant.

There is a risk, as Foley and Lennon point out in their book, that once investment is secured to preserve a former concentration camp, battle site, or the location of a disaster, it “becomes a tourist resort to be exploited like any other”. Indeed, Cambodian officials have expressed concern that tourism is hindering their efforts to protect the memorials of the 2 million people who perished there.

Pawel Sawicki, a press officer at the Auschwitz Memorial museum says the original motivations of visitors aren’t as important as what they learn: “The Auschwitz Memorial is visited by over two million people from all around the world annually. The motivations of the visitors will be very different and complex. Some come here because of family connections, [the] majority visit as part of some educational programs, for some it’s a religious pilgrimage, some want to see this place to learn the history of Auschwitz or the Holocaust.

“There also are people who are just tourists, who visit the Memorial because their guidebook says [so] … For us it’s important to create the situation in which the visit here – no matter what is the motivation of the people coming – is an important lesson of history and a valuable personal experience. Most of the visitors are guided by our experienced educators and the commemorative and learning components are the most important elements of the visit … the guided tour emphasises the role of the Memorial, the authentic historical site, as a place where we commemorate all victims but also a place which is a warning to humanity today.”

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11 Of The Best Dark Tourism Destinations For First-Timers

Dark tourism is relatively new in the world of travel, and these destinations are perfect for those looking to get a taste of it.

Netflix's hit series  Dark Tourist opened viewers' eyes to a niche that's been a part of travel in one way or another for centuries. Humans are naturally drawn to the macabre. It stirs something inside to witness places associated with darkness, a somewhat unexplainable thirst to understand things that seem unbelievable.

Though dark tourism has come under criticism for being exploitative, visiting sites with dark histories is an indispensable way to learn about how things happened, why they did, and how they can be prevented in the future. These destinations around the world are perfect for travelers interested in learning about the world in a way that's often missing from formal education.

*Note: As always, it's essential to be respectful of one's surroundings when traveling. Due to the nature of these places and their sensitive history, it's vital to be especially respectful when visiting. 

Updated by Lauren Feather, February 18, 2022: The world overflows with just as much horrific history as that which is glorious. Many of the planet's most devastating events still echo suffering of past where they once happened, and it's possible to visit such places in order to learn all about them. With dark tourism popularity on the rise, much of the world's most discerning travelers with an interest in natural disasters and volatile history choose to enrich their learning by actually visiting the areas where such events took place. As such, some of the most popular places were darkness once occurred have been added to this fascinating yet macabre list of dark tourism destinations. And as always, please tour these places respectfully and with an open mind and heart.

11 Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano put Iceland on the global map in April 2010. Most people had never even heard of it, until the massive ash cloud it spewed out grounded flights for over two weeks. The ordeal cost the European economy about five billion dollars, however tourism in Iceland has since accelerated, and consequently, helped to compensate the loss.

Before the volcano let rip, most travelers wouldn't even think of visiting the Land of Fire and Ice , but thanks to the fame it achieved (for somber reasons albeit) tourists from all corners of the world have added the cold northerly country to their bucket lists. From glaciers, icy lagoons, and the legendary Northern Lights to the midnight sun and the volcano that caused all the chaos, travelers have so much to do and see in this chilly country of spectacular icy scenery.

Related:  10 Things To Do In Iceland (That Aren't The Blue Lagoon)

10 Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii is perhaps one of the first dark tourism sites to gain popularity, attracting international travelers for over 250 years. The fallen city is one of the best-preserved places to see Ancient Roman architecture, due significantly to the violent eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

Volcanic ash blanketed the city, somewhat ironically protecting the structures from the elements. The residents trapped in Pompeii perished, their bodies transformed into plaster statues. Mount Vesuvius remains active, and scientists say the volcano is overdue for an eruption.

Related:  Pompeii Was Destroyed 1,924 Years Ago, But Many People Still Don't Know These Things About The City

9 Catacombs - France

Tourists flock to Paris' Catacombs to witness a massive, real-life underground graveyard that's inspired literature and film over the years. During the 18th-century, Paris' population expanded faster than its cemeteries could, and overcrowding meant burials posed a threat to human health.

Officials decreed to use the city's underground quarries as makeshift cemeteries, at first simply tossing the deceased into the tunnels. Eventually, the remains were stacked in an orderly fashion, with skulls lining the walls like a macabre interior design choice. Upon entrance, visitors are greeted with an exhibition room to learn about the history of the Catacombs, and two kilometers of tunnels are open for observation.

Related:  The Paris Catacombs Are The Final Resting Places Of Six Million People, And You Can Visit Them

8 Auschwitz - Poland

The atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust are among the worst in human history. It's unfathomable to consider how human beings were held against their will, forced to labor, starved, abused, experimented on, and exterminated. There is no nice way to put it, and it serves no purpose to surround the tragedy with euphemisms.

Visiting the notorious concentration camps of Auschwitz allows people to feel the weight of the atrocities in a way that learning about them through the pages of a book never could. It's a sobering experience that forces people to confront the harsh realities of impenetrable darkness and learn about the events that led to such a deep stain in the fabric of human history.

7 Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Cambodia is home to the stupefying Angkor Wat, which is one of the world's largest and most impressive religious monuments that's a UNESCO listed temple. Despite its intrigue and beauty, it doesn't overshadow its horrific past and the people who are still recovering from the suffering they endured under the Khmer Rouge regime only a few decades ago - during which an estimated one million people were brutally murdered.

Travelers with a discerning eye can get a feel for the dark times and misery when they visit the Tuol Svay Prey High School and the killing fields of Choeung Ek, which, in spite of the scars that are still present, are ever important grounds in Cambodia's volatile history that played a crucial role in the country becoming what it is in the modern day.

Related:  A Travel Guide To Cambodia: Tourists Should Plan Their Trip Around These 10 Things

6 Hiroshima - Japan

Since its invention, nuclear weaponry has gripped humans in fear. Drills during the Cold War sent children beneath their desks in preparation for an attack. In recent years, the possibility of nuclear war regularly echoes from the nightly news. Several countries currently possess bombs powerful enough to wipe out entire nations, a sad fact considering the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.

The A-bomb destroyed the city and took the lives of thousands of innocent people. The residents of Hiroshima are fiercely dedicated to promoting peace on a grand scale. To visit Hiroshima is to witness the strength of humanity to rebuild. UNESCO designated the A-bomb Dome a World Heritage site, the building preserved as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare.

5 Port Arthur - Tasmania

Located on the Tasman Peninsula is one of several convict sites steeped in dark history. Convicts at Port Arthur were subject to brutal floggings, hard labor, and long stints in solitary confinement, a practice that's frequently called into question for its cruelty. Many men lived and died within the walls, their hard work responsible for large chunks of architecture in Tasmania. Guided tours and interactive exhibits educate guests about Port Arthur's history, leaving none of the dark bits out of the stories.

Related:  Here’s Everything You Can Do In Tasmania During Your First Time There

4 The 9/11 Memorial & Museum - United States

Two decades have gone by since the attack on the World Trade Center, and people can still vividly remember exactly where they were when it happened. Thousands of people lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and the New York City skyline changed forever. In the aftermath, the country put all its differences aside and united to rebuild.

People slowly cleared the rubble, dust, and debris. Life resumed as it has and will continue to in the wake of tragedy. Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum are among the top-visited dark tourist destinations worldwide. It is difficult to imagine what the city looked like 20 years ago on that fateful day. It's amazing to think about how human beings can come together to tend to the emotional wounds left behind by such events.

3 Berlin Wall - Germany

A majority of the Berlin Wall was dismantled after the Cold War, but fragments throughout Berlin serve as a reminder of the negative impacts division has on society. The large concrete barrier separated East and West Berlin for nearly 30 years. An area known as the "death strip" contained guard towers, beds of nails, barbed wire, and more, the defenses intended to keep people from crossing.

In 1989, the world watched on as the Berlin Wall fell, symbolically reuniting Germany and marking the fall of Communism in Europe. The remnants of The Berlin Wall are scattered throughout the world, but the largest portions can be found in Berlin. Stunning graffiti from past and present add pops of color to the city, a reminder of art's transformative and healing power.

2 Chernobyl, Ukraine

There's not a soul in the world that doesn't know about the devastating event that took place in Chernobyl in 1986, where a nuclear power plant explosion set off an apocalyptic chain of events that saw the place become a dangerous, desolate wasteland. The bravest of travelers can take guided tours of the uninhabitable, decaying city of Pripyat to see a real-life post-apocalypse that still continues today , where empty schools, abandoned residences, rusted structures overgrown with greenery, and derelict buildings stand as a reminder of the horrors that once occurred.

At the time, local communities were told they were only evacuating their homes for three days, however, what they didn't know was that they were never going to return ever again. Countless power plant staff, rescue services, and civilians died as a result of the tragedy - some right in the aftermath, whilst others suffered for many years, eventually passing of terminal diseases like cancer - caused by exposure to the dangerous radiation emitted by the power plant's explosion.

Related:  Chernobyl: Over 35 Years On, Is It Actually Safe To Visit?

1 Darvaza Gas Fire Crater, Turkmenistan

A large crater has been burning in Darvaza, Turkmenistan for 50 years now, attracting tourists to witness the site commonly referred to as the "Gates of Hell." The natural gas field in the middle of the desert collapsed in the 1960s. It was set ablaze in 1971, though there are no solidified records of who did it or why. The dark tourist destination in the desert is a popular spot for wild camping, and thousands of travelers head to Turkmenistan to observe a piece of the earth on fire.

Next:  Dark Tourism: What It Is And How To Do It Respectfully

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‘Dark Tourist’ is a worldwide tour de grim

The netflix docuseries visits tragic and grotesque tourism destinations..

Kahron Spearman

Posted on Jul 22, 2018   Updated on May 21, 2021, 10:30 am CDT

Netflix ‘s new, grotesque documentary series  Dark Tourist  features Kiwi journalist David Farrier committed to a mindbending, worldwide tour de grim. Over seven moderately offensive episodes, the television reporter visits morbid and tragic places that have somehow attracted tourism.

A European tour stop features World War II gunfire exchange reenactments and vacationing Danes in full Nazi SS garb. Understanding why people travel to these places proves to be the series’ truth.

We should’ve seen this series coming. We’re bored out of our minds—a live-action pass through some of Dante’s circles as content wasn’t far behind. And consider that Farrier’s first flight at the ballsy and pathos-centric documentary (2016’s Tickled ) was about “competitive endurance tickling.” The oddball Farrier plus macabre people, places, and things? What could go awry?

Not much as it turns out. The show wants to take a deep dive into dark tourism, which Wikipedia defines as “tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.” It seems straightforward as a concept; however, that dive ends up more a dip in the shallow end.

Farrier also includes general abnormality and novelty without considering consequences. He can be astonishingly exploitative traveling to an Indonesian corpse-exhuming ritual ceremony or be brashly irresponsible in explaining present-day Medellin, Colombia, with one-sided simplicity.

In one morality play, Farrier ends up deciding against shooting a cow, to the delight of his fellow travelers. The setting was an extreme shooting range in Phnom Phen where the same participants giddily fired high-caliber military grade weapons—in a country principally known for the Pol Pot-led Khmer Rouge, a Maoist regime that killed approximately 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians from 1975 to 1979. It’s a bad look.

Farrier assumes inherent likelihoods in its locales and this sometimes makes him a bad world traveler—Eurocentric and condescending—and not the best guide. In one segment in Africa, while making the mistake of using the phrase “slum tour,” he and a gang of white tourists traverse through a shanty town on shiny 12-speeds.

Farrier’s continued adventure in South Africa contains Dark Tourist ‘s most potent content: His experiences with the Suidlanders , a set of white Christians of Afrikaner-Boer heritage. These right-wingers think that their inevitable demise draws near with each passing moment because a blitzkrieg of vengeful Black folks is coming to end them. Farrier gets it all on camera like only a witty, white man from New Zealand can. Here he delivers on his promise to capture the worst the world has to offer.

Still not sure what to watch tonight? Here are our guides for the absolute  best movies on Netflix , must-see  Netflix original series ,  documentaries ,  docuseries , and  movies .

Need more ideas? Here are our Netflix guides for the  best war movies ,  documentaries ,  anime ,  indie flicks ,  true crime ,  food shows ,  LGBT movies ,  gangster movies ,  Westerns ,  film noir , and  movies based on true stories streaming right now. There are also  sad movies  guaranteed to make you cry,  weird movies  to melt your brain,  old movies when you need something classic , and  standup specials  when you really need to laugh. Or check out  Flixable , a search engine for Netflix.

Kahron Spearman is the community manager for the Daily Dot and Nautilus magazine. He’s also a journalist, copywriter, and host of “Discovery with Kahron Spearman” on KAZI 88.7.

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15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024

Having just finished the new Netflix series ‘ Dark Tourist ’ it compelled me to write an article on the subject of dark tourism and list some of my favourite dark tourism destinations around the world. So, let’s find out, what is dark tourism.

Examples of dark tourist destinations include sites of natural and man-made disasters from Pompei to Chernobyl. Places like Auschwitz and the killing fields in Cambodia, the Unit 731 Museum in China and the Karagana gulag in Kazakhstan.

As someone with a curious interest in all things dark and spooky, I’ve been visiting dark tourism sites ever since I first start travelling. I’ve visited Iraq, North Korea twice and spent the night at Chernobyl. I’ve explored museums around the world and even use to volunteer at Highgate Cemetery in London.

*Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links, which means should you click and purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Table of Contents

Quick Summary of Dark Tourism Sites Covered

• Albania – BunkArt Museum
• Armenia – Memorial of the Armenian genocide
• Bosnia and Herzegovina – Old front line, Mostar
• China – Unit 731 Museum
• England – Cold war nuclear bunker
• Hungary – House of Terror
• Iraq – Erbil
• Kazakhstan – Karaganda gulag
• North Korea – DMZ
• Northern Ireland – Belfast murals
• Romania – Bran “Dracula” Castle
• Transnistria – Europe’s last communist regime
• Turkey – City of Diyarbakir
• Turkmenistan – the “Door to Hell” at Darvaza
• Ukraine – Chernobyl

My Top List of Dark Tourism Destinations

Wherever I travel I am always looking out for dark tourism destinations, and below are some of my top picks from all around the world.

1. BunkArt, Albania

If there is one thing that former Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha loved, it was concrete bunkers. One of the most interesting of these is now a museum under the streets of the capital, Tirana. Th BunkArt Museum is a must-visit ark tourism destination for visitors to Albania.

Situated next to the parliament buildings in the centre of the city is a small grey bunker that descends into a dark underground tunnel. Inside is a museum detailing the country’s recent history as one of the harshest and most reclusive regimes in the world.

As well as the interesting history and cold war stories contained below, the bunker is home to conceptual sculptures created by local artists. Located on Fadil Deliu Street near the main square. View my BunkArt guide or visit the official website for more information.

Address: Street Abdi Toptani, Tiranë, Albania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website : bunkart.al

2. Genocide Memorial Complex, Armenia

The Genocide Museum Institute in Yerevan , also known as the Armenian Genocide Museum, is a museum dedicated to educating visitors about the Armenian Genocide that took place in Western Armenia (modern-day Turkey) at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The museum is located on a hill overlooking the city and houses a collection of artefacts, photographs, and personal accounts from survivors of the genocide. The exhibits guide visitors through the history of the genocide, including the events that led up to it and the aftermath.

The museum also features a memorial garden and a monument dedicated to the victims of the genocide. The Genocide Museum Institute serves as an important reminder of the atrocities committed against the Armenian people and a tribute to those who lost their lives.

Address: 8 Tsitsernakaberd Highway, Yerevan 0028, Armenia. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours Website: www.genocide-museum.am

3. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mostar in itself is a beautiful town and deserves to be appreciated on its own merits as a tourist destination. However, given tragic events in its recent history it seems appropriate to include in this list. One of the defining features of old Mostar is the famous Stari Most bridge.

The bridge was shelled in 1993 during the Bosnian War but has thankfully been painstakingly rebuilt using the same stone quarried nearby. Evidence of the war is not hard to miss and the old front line has been preserved as a terrible reminder of what happened here during the early nineties.

You can reach Mostar by train or bus from Sarajevo in Bosnia or by bus from Split an Dubrovnik in Croatia. I’ve been to Mostar twice now; in 2010 and 2022, and it’s still one of my favourite places to visit.

Address: Dr Andre Starcevica, Mostar, BiH. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

4. Unit 731 Museum, China

One of the darkest chapters of recent human history is Shiro Ishii’s Unit 731. The unit was set up to research chemical and biological weapons and the Japanese Imperial Army tested these on unwitting and unwilling subjects in far northeast China.

The museum, located in China’s coldest city of Harbin , houses a grim collection of artefacts, confessions, experiment reports and photographs (the most extreme of which are not on display). There are also disturbing dioramas detailing some of the sick experiments.

This is truly one of the darkest of dark tourism destinations and it’s surprising that the horrors that went on here are not more widely known. The museum was closed for renovation when I lived i Harbin in 2016, but I went bak to visit in 2021 and I’m glad I did.

You can read more or see my short film taken at the museum.

Address: Xinjiang Street, Pingfang District, Harbin, China. See location on Google maps . Entrance: Free Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: unit731.org

5. Kelvedon Hatch Nuclear Bunker, England

Ever wondered where the UK government would go in the event of an all-out nuclear war? Wonder no more as this “secret” nuclear bunker is now open to the public. I visited on a trip back from China and loved the experience.

Tucked away beneath the Essex countryside, Kelvedon Hatch would have housed up to 10,000 people, including the Prime Minister, who would have managed the response to a nuclear attack and run the country from the confines of the bunker.

The nearest rail station is Brentwood. You can take a tube from London to Epping, Debden or Theydon Boice and then a taxi (approx 7 miles).

Check out my list of 10 dark tourism destinations in London .

Address: Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0LA. See location on Google maps . Entrance: £7.50 ($9.20) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: secretnuclearbunker.com

6. House of Terror, Hungary

One of my favourite museums is the House of Terror in Budapest. This is one of the top dark tourist sites thanks to the building’s dark history as a prison and interrogation centre for both the nazis and communists.

Address: Budapest, Andrássy út 60, 1062 Hungary. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 400 HUF ($1.10) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours Website: www.terrorhaza.hu

I had always been intrigued to visit Iraq as my grandfather used to work at Baghdad University in the 1950s. He inspired my own travels by driving all the way from England , and in late 2022 I arrived in Iraq after travelling overland myself.

Lik Mostar, Iraq is a beautiful place with friendly locals and a history dating back millennia. I visited the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and was blown away by the place. Cities like Baghdad, and especially Mosul still show the scars of conflict and safety remains a concern in the region.

8. Karaganda Gulag, Kazakhstan

I visited the Karaganda Gulag (Karlag) whilst travelling from Kazakhstan’s capital Astana to Almaty. This fascinating complex includes a museum with photographs, exhibits and dioramas reflecting the history of the place under Stalin and during the time of the USSR.

Explore recreations of the officer’s quarters, dungeons and transport vehicles used to move prisoners. The camp is located in the heart of the vast Kazakh steppe, once part of the Soviet Union.

Address: 39, Dolinka 101604, Kazakhstan. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 1,000 Tenge ($2) Time Needed to Visit: Two to three hours

9. The DMZ, North Korea

Like Turkmenistan, North Korea is an equally reclusive and paranoid country, but one we hear a lot more about in the media. For the curious, it can make a fascinating holiday destination.

I’ve been to North Korea twice and visited different cities across the country from Sinuiju in the north to the capital Pyongyang and Kaesog in the south. Not far from Kaesong is the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which separates North Korea from South Korea.

10. Belfast Murals, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has a long and tragic history culminating in 30 years of violence from the 1970s up to 1998 when the Good Friday Agreement put an end to the “Troubles”. The north of Ireland has a population made up of two distinct groups; Irish republican/catholic and British loyalist/Protestant.

The Catholic/republican side want to be reunited with the rest of Ireland and this led to the formation of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). The loyalist/protestant side want to remain a part of the UK and set up different paramilitary groups like the UDA (Ulster Defence Association) and UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force) to take on the IRA.

The cities of Belfast and Derry are home to many brightly coloured murals depicting the years of struggle on either side of the divide. I took a three-hour political walking tour which included many of the murals and a history of the troubles from ex-prisoners. Book the tour with Get Your Guide .

11. Bran Castle, Romania

Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Impaler was born in 1428 in a charming old house in Sighisoara that now serves as a restaurant. Tepes was the inspiration behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula and it’s possible to visit Bran Castle in Transylvania which has long been associated with the Dracula story.

Bran Castle is worth a visit for its beautiful gothic architecture, but there is’t a great deal to do i the village aside for that. I spent two days there, but it’s better to take a day trip from nearby Brasov .

Book a tour of Bran Castle with Get Your Guide

Address: Strada General Traian Moșoiu 24, Bran 507025, Romania. See location on Google maps . Entrance: 40 Lei ($8.70) Time Needed to Visit: One to two hours

12. Transnistria

Like Mostar above, it seems a little unfair to include Tiraspol on a list of dark tourism sites, but as charming as this small city is, it gets a place due to Transnistria being a country that doesn’t exist according to the rest of the world (it is recognized only by Abkhazia, Artsakh and South Ossetia; themselves also unrecognized breakaway republics).

Stuck in a soviet time-warp, the KGB is still active here, posters of Lenin adorn the streets and tanks and troops guard the demilitarized zone separating it from Moldova.

You can take a bus to Tiraspol from Chisinau in Moldova and get a VISA/permit at the border. Journey time is approx 2 hours including border crossing and costs under 5 Euros.

Need somewhere to stay in Transnistria or looking for a tour guide? Check out Mars Hostel !

13. Diyarbakir, Turkey

Diyarbakir is a city in southeastern Turkey close to the border of Syria and Iraq. The city is home to Turkey’s largest Kurdish population ad has something of a troubled history. During the 2016 Seige of Sur, many houses were destroyed by Turkish forces.

I spent six weeks living in Diyarbakir in 2022 and although the city has suffered (most recently in the 2023 earthquake), it is also a fantastic destiation with lots of history dating back to Roman times.

14. The Darvaza Gas Crater, Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan deserves a place all of its own on any dark tourist’s list thanks to the strange city of Ashgabat and the bizarre laws still in place in this reclusive former soviet republic. The country is made up of 90% desert, and hidden deep within is a huge flaming sinkhole that has been burning for over 40 years.

I visited the Darvaza Gas Crater (also known as the Door to Hell) in 2017 on my way overland from England to China and spent the night camping next to the crater.

Arrive as the sun is setting and camp next to the roaring crater, but don’t get too close as there are no safety barriers and the fumes can be quite toxic! Definitely one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world!

15. Chernobyl, Ukraine

Chernobyl is one of the top dark tourism destinations in the world and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in not only dark tourism, but also the cold war and the former Soviet Union.

Wander around the deserted city of Pripyat where nature has well and truly reclaimed the town. Pripyat was once a bustling metropolis of 50,000 nuclear power plant workers and their families.

Travel through the exclusion zone with a Geiger counter to see how dangerous the radiation can be. Marvel at the massive Duga Radar Station hidden deep in the radioactive forest. Ironically, it was used by the soviets to detect incoming nuclear missiles from the West.

What Exactly is Dark Tourism?

According to the Wikipedia page, Dark Tourism “has been defined as tourism involving travel to places historically associated with death and tragedy.” But goes on to state that “The main attraction to dark locations is their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering.”

Dark tourism can mean different things to different people. For me it is the exploration of places with a dark or similarly interesting aspect. From Dracula’s castle in Transylvania or Salem in the USA to the Darvaza ‘Door to Hell’ gas crater in Turkmenistan or North Korea and Chernobyl, these are all places I have recently visited that could be considered dark tourism spots.

The University of Central Lancashire is conducting studies into the rise of dark tourism which makes for some interesting reading.

Most people equate Dark Tourism with human suffering. But although many such places on the dark tourist’s map will have been witness to such horrors, it can equally include creepy abandoned places (Chinese abandoned cities), cold war bunkers or just the outright weird (Ashgabat in Turkmenistan).

Dark Tourism can include sites linked to genocide (Auschwitz, the Killing Fields etc), nuclear catastrophe (Chernobyl, Fukashima etc), war or disaster tourism (Iraq, Afghanistan etc) and much more.

It is up to the individual to visit what they feel comfortable with. If you go with the aim of increasing knowledge and a better understanding, then that can’t be a bad thing. If you are going to simply gawp at misfortune or tragedy, then better stay at home and turn on the TV!

Is Dark Tourism ok or Ethical?

It’s important to remember that many dark tourist sites have seen tragic events and as with travelling anywhere, respect is key to coming away from the experience a better person.

Dark tourism should not be about voyeurism, but for those with a morbid fascination, or even a healthy curiosity, seeking out such places can be extremely educational as well as humbling.

Check out this great list of 50 crazy destinations for lovers of the weird and macabre.

Below I list 10 of my favourite dark tourism destinations. You can find details of how you can visit them too if you dare!

The best resource for travellers interested in dark tourism is the site dark-tourism.com. The site is home to hundreds of articles on dark tourist locations across the globe.

Now you know the answer to the question: what is dark tourism, which sites would you like to see?! Comment below with your favourite dark tourism destination!

Dark tourism is popular around the world and most countries have dark tourist sites. From Pompei in Italy to Auschwitz in Poland and Chernobyl in Ukraine, these places see many visitors every year.

Dark tourism places include Bran Castle in Romania, the House of Terror in Hungary, Chernobyl, Fukushima, the Uit 731 Museum in China and many more. Countries on the dark tourist map include Syria, North Korea ad Iraq.

Dark tourists are people that search out the macabre, spooky or places with a dark history.

Final Thoughts

With so many interesting dark tourism destinations from Albania to Armenia and North Korea to Northern Ireland, which of these sites are you interested in seeing? I will continue to search out ore fascinating dark tourist sites on my travels.

About the author: Steve Rohan is a writer from Essex, England. He has traveled to over 60 countries, lived in Armenia, China and Hong Kong, and is now living the digital nomad life on the road.

Steve prefers “slow travel” and has covered much of the world by train, bus and boat. He has been interviewed multiple times by the BBC and recently featured in the documentary Scariest Places in the World . See the About page for more info.

Where I am now: Yerevan, Armenia 🇦🇲

5 thoughts on “ 15 Gut-Wrenching Dark Tourism Destinations for 2024 ”

These are some very interesting places and a few I didn’t even know tourists could go visit (NK) but it’s awesome that you shed a bit of bright light on places that are known as quite “dark” to the average person.

Thanks Dom, yes North Korea is open to tourists and makes a fascinating destination!

I love Dark Tourism and find most of the sites fascinating. This is a great list and I want to travel to so many of these places!

I would also suggest the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide museum in Cambodia

Hi KS, thanks for the heads-up. I will be visiting Cambodia later this year and will definitely be visiting the Killing Fields and adding it to this post. Best, Steve

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Netflix’s Dark Tourist and the trouble with ‘extreme’ travel TV

David Farrier’s series follows in the footsteps of Ross Kemp and Vice by making titillating television from war zones and disaster sites. It’s shallow and sordid

O ne of the most unpleasant rumours I can recall emerging from the Balkan wars of the 1990s was of a German agency who organised trips for tourists to “visit” the conflict and even participate. There’s nothing quite so appalling as that in David “ Tickled ” Farrier’s new Netflix series Dark Tourist, although it does venture into the grotesquely bizarre. He looks at the trend for Nuclear Tourism, for example, in which people flock to soak up the radiation left behind following the disaster in Fukushima , as well as the tourist industry that has built up around the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer . He also visits locations in Africa and South America associated with death and destruction that some tourists find somehow attractive, a shameful attraction the makers of Dark Tourist assume is shared to a degree by the viewer.

Although there are strong hints of Louis Theroux in Farrier’s chin-scratching demeanour, overall the series is part of a recent trend for making titillating TV from the world’s troublespots. Its soundtrack and graphics fit the bill: pummelling, Wagnerian motifs knocking you back like Tequila slammers, bursts of brutal fast cuts. It feels a little sordid, as if the miseries of the world are mere fodder for some televisual equivalent of the thrills of extreme mountain biking. On the other hand, you feel a bit chastened in your armchair watching Farrier enduring privations such as a voodoo ritual or narco tours in Pablo Escobar’s old neighbourhood.

From The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan to the range of documentaries produced by Vice ( Uganda’s Moonshine Epidemic , The Cannibal Warlords Of Liberia , Nigeria’s Oil Pirates: The Curse Of Oil ), there is a deep ambivalence about this particular strain of television . It’s educational, for sure, and takes some courage to produce but seems more interested in wallowing in the colourful weirdness of strife, as well as the ballsiness and endurance of facing up to it first hand, rather than offering any sort of political analysis or possible solution.

A particularly egregious example, it always seemed, was Ross Kemp’s Extreme World featuring the former EastEnders hardman looking suitably engorged, challenging the world’s troublespots to come and have a go if they thought were hard enough. The credits were especially risible, bringing to mind Alan Partridge sitting on the toilet reading Andy McNab’s Bravo Two Zero .

Once you got past the posturing and the “I was warned by the locals not to venture here but I’m a Mitchell brother, no one tells me where not to go”, he did actually succeed in exposing viewers to some bleak and brutal truths. In one episode, for instance, he investigated the phenomenon of sex trafficking in India, with thousands of girls abducted from country villages to big city brothels every year. He spoke to both the traffickers and to outraged villagers who were taking matters into their own hands. After all that initial posturing, you felt that Kemp himself shared a feeling of impotence in the face of such chronic evil, while the community response offered a sobering and genuinely strong measure of hope.

Meanwhile, in Misadventures, when comedian Ranganathan visits Port-Au-Prince in Haiti, he has a moment of genuine doubt as to what he is doing there. The whole conceit of his stepping bravely out of his comfort zone (a motif of Dark Tourist also) suddenly seems cripplingly irrelevant in the face of the urban despair, while the wry, sidelong glance at the bonkers-ness of it all feels utterly inappropriate, too. “I’m not sure we should be filming here,” he says.

Perhaps the master of this mode of television was Anthony Bourdain . In his series Parts Unknown, you never felt like you were being targeted by some amorally tumescent programme commissioner, seeking out macho thrills at the expense of the locals. When visiting Burma, for instance, he revealed its people not as global eccentrics, gun-toting desperadoes or basket cases for our entertainment but as human beings, conversing with them sympathetically, and inviting them to express themselves not through the varied and yet universal language of cuisine.

Dark Tourist is on Netflix now

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[UPDATE May 2019: I've meanwhile been to Fukushima myself, went an a real tour there and spoke to various people. From that I gathered that what's depicted in the Netflix series was in fact, quote, a “fake tour”. The “guide” wasn't one (but a photographer posing as a guide) and even the other participants on the “tour” were apparently hired by Netflix especially for this episode. This would explain a few things. It seems all that hysterical panic about radiation was actually just put on. This confirms the impression that the whole series is in fact a “fake documentary”, or at least not a serious one deserving that classification. In a proper documentary questions aren't simply asked and then just left to stand unanswered to create some cheap suspense; instead a documentary tries to find answers. And that would have been possible here too. For instance about the safety of the food: it turns out that food safety regulations and tests are actually stricter around Fukushima than they are elsewhere in Japan. So the food served in the series may well have been “safer” than in, say, Tokyo. No wonder the misrepresentation in the series caused so much anger and resentment in Japan.]

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Second-Half Travels

Adventures of a Fifty-Something Cubicle Escapee

13 Best Travel Documentaries on Netflix (2023)

These Netflix documentaries about travel will pacify your wanderlust between trips as you explore the world from the comfort of your couch.

Here are some of the best travel documentaries on Netflix in the US as of July 24, 2023. Many are also available in other countries. Watch them while you can, because content disappears as licensing agreements expire.

Also, don’t miss the bonus list of travel documentaries on Amazon Prime below.

Table of Contents

Netflix Travel Documentaries

1. dark tourist.

Netflix meets Vice in this travelogue by New Zealand filmmaker David Farrier, who sets his sights on the world of dark tourism.

From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, he visits macabre — and sometimes dangerous — tourist destinations around the world.

Countries : Various

2. Street Food: Latin America

Experiencing street food culture is one of the joys of travel. This mouth-watering docuseries travels to Latin America to meet the local stars of street food.

Countries : Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia

3. Street Food: Asia

This inspiring series from the makers of Chef’s Table is as much about the compelling survival stories of these talented street chefs as it is about their signature dishes.

The first season takes the viewer to nine Asian destinations.

Countries : Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, the Philippines, and Vietnam

4. Pedal the World

Over the course of one memorable and adventure-filled year, German-born Felix Starck documents his 18,000-kilometer bicycle journey across 22 countries.

The Oscar-nominated heart-rending true story of the rangers risking their lives to save Africa’s most precious national park and its endangered gorillas.

Country: Congo

6. Chef’s Table

Each episode of this Emmy-nominated docuseries visits a different international location for an in-depth interview with one of the world’s most renowned chefs.

Creator David Gelb also directed the critically acclaimed Jiro Dreams of Sushi , and the two productions share a similar emotional and artistic sensibility hallmarked by compelling narratives and mesmerizingly beautiful cinematography.

7. Magical Andes

No English subtitles available for trailer – but you don’t need them to admire the stunning photography

From Argentina to Colombia, this inspiring documentary follows five characters who share their deep connection to South America’s majestic mountains.

Countries: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia

8. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Chef David Chang brings his trademark irreverent humor and curiosity to Vancouver, Marrakech, Los Angeles, and Phnom Penh as he explores the culture and food accompanied by various celebrity guests.

Countries : Canada, Morocco, US, Cambodia

9. The Trader (Sovdagari)

At only 23 minutes, this award-winning documentary short provides a fascinating and poignant window into impoverished rural life in post-Soviet Georgia.

The camera follows a traveling trader as he sells secondhand goods in exchange for potatoes. Beautiful cinematography that captures the stark Georgian landscape.

Country: Georgia

10. Ugly Delicious

Smart-ass chef David Chang leads his buddies on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world’s most satisfying grub.

Each episode of this highly original show tackles a topic like tacos, pizza, or dumplings, examining its cultural and culinary history and visiting different countries to compare how it’s made.

Warning: Chang can be obnoxious, and racial and political commentary is liberally sprinkled throughout the show, which may not be to everyone’s taste.

11. Period. End of Sentence.

This Oscar-winning documentary short takes us to rural India, where local women fight the stigma surrounding menstruation by manufacturing low-cost sanitary pads.

Country: India

12. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat

Based on Samin Nosrat’s best-selling book, this visually stunning series travels to the home kitchens of Italy, the southern islands of Japan, the heat of the Yucatán, and to Berkeley’s Chez Panisse.

Samin’s contagious laugh and genuine passion for cooking inspire as she explores the central principles of what makes food delicious.

Countries: Italy, Japan, Mexico, United States

13. Taco Chronicles

Note: No English subtitles available for YouTube trailer; click to watch subtitled trailer on Netflix Warning: Don’t watch if you’re hungry. Explore the complex histories of the world’s most beloved tacos in this love letter to the iconic handheld food.

Country : Mexico

Travel Documentaries on Amazon Prime

See below for some of the best travel documentaries on Amazon Prime Video. I’ve indicated whether each is free to Prime members or available for rental.

Note that these films may also be found at your local library.

A Map for Saturday

Classic travel documentary that follows a variety of solo budget travelers — from teens to seniors — through 26 countries on four continents.

Young filmmaker Brook Silva-Braga trains his inquisitive lens on backpackers lending a hand to tsunami victims, trekkers forming brief but intense relationships, and fascinating moments of self-discovery and adventure.

Available for rental on Amazon Prime .

This inspiring documentary follows the record-breaking round-the-world voyage of Dutch teen Laura Dekker, youngest person ever to sail around the world alone.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime.

This beautifully filmed docu follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey to Patagonia of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins, legendary founders of The North Face and Patagonia sportswear and pioneering conservationists.

Along the way Johnson gets shipwrecked off Easter Island, surfs the longest wave of his life, and attempts to climb a Patagonian peak.

Available for free to Prime members on Amazon Prime .

Countries: Mexico, Chile

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• Travel Essentials You Never Knew You Needed
• Netflix TV Shows and Movies Filmed in Morocco
• Best Russian Shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime
• German TV Series on Netflix and Amazon Prime

About Ingrid

Ingrid left software engineering at age 43 to devote herself to language learning and travel. Her goal is to speak seven languages fluently. Currently, she speaks English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, and is studying Italian.

Reader Interactions

July 5, 2018 at 3:56 pm

Definitely going to start ploughing my way through some of these before I head off next!! 🙂

July 5, 2018 at 10:38 pm

Definitely… Netflix travel shows provide some of my best inspiration! 😉

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Flannels or FlipFlops

The 15 Best Netflix Travel Shows To Watch Now

Posted: March 11, 2024 | Last updated: March 11, 2024

Step into the world of armchair adventure, where wanderlust is cured through the expeditions of others. Netflix has become a treasure trove for those bitten by the travel bug, offering a passport to discover the globe’s wonders from the comfort of your living room. Now more than ever, escapism takes center stage, transforming weekends into whirlwind cultural experiences.

From exploring off-the-beaten paths to revisiting the classics with a fresh perspective, here’s a curated list of the 15 best travel shows on Netflix that are sure to whet your appetite for worldly exploration.

Down to Earth with Zac Efron

2 seasons, 16 episodes | IMDb: 8/10 Exceeding all expectations, Zac Efron ditches his musical roots to explore the world’s most stunning and sustainable natural wonders. Combining humor, science, and travel, Down to Earth takes you on an eye-opening journey as Efron teams up with health expert Darin Olien to discover how we can make a difference in our own lives and for the planet.

11 seasons, 120 episodes | IMDb: 7.6/10 For the carnivorous traveler, this Emmy-nominated series follows author and hunter Steven Rinella as he treks through America’s wildest regions in search of game meat. Along with his brother and friend, Rinella hunts, cooks, and eats everything from wild boar to mule deer as he delves into the history, politics, and culture surrounding hunting.

Street Food

3 seasons, 21 episodes | IMDb: 7.9/10 From the creators of Chef’s Table, Street Food highlights the vibrant and diverse street food culture in Asia, Latin America, and the USA. Each episode explores a different city and its signature dishes, showcasing not just the delicious food but also the hardworking individuals who dedicate their lives to perfecting them. Warning: this show may induce extreme cravings.

Somebody Feed Phil

7 seasons, 41 episodes | IMDb: 8.3/10 Join foodie Phil Rosenthal as he travels the world, indulging in local delicacies and seeking authentic dining experiences. From the street food stalls of Ho Chi Minh City to the bustling markets of Tel Aviv, this feel-good series celebrates culture, community, and delicious food.

Dark Tourist

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 7.5/10 Dark Tourist is your perfect travel companion if you’re more interested in the weird and offbeat. Journalist David Farrier visits some of the world’s most bizarre tourist destinations and explores their dark histories and cultural significance. From a nuclear disaster zone to a haunted forest in Japan, this unconventional series will satisfy your curiosity for all things strange and macabre.

Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father

5 seasons, 17 episodes | IMDb: 7.6/10 Join comedian Jack Whitehall and his unadventurous father, Michael, as they embark on hilarious and often chaotic trips worldwide. With a mix of humor and heart, this unconventional travel show brings a unique dynamic to father-and-son bonding as they navigate different cultures, cuisines, and experiences.

Ugly Delicious

2 seasons, 12 episodes | IMDb: 7.8/10 Renowned chef David Chang takes viewers on a culinary journey, exploring the intersection of food, culture, and identity. From pizza in Italy to tacos in Mexico, Ugly Delicious challenges our perceptions of what makes “good” food while diving into important social and political topics.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

1 season, 4 episodes | IMDb: 6.7/10 Chef David Chang returns with another mouth-watering series, exploring the connection between food and culture through the lens of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With celebrity guests like Chrissy Teigen and Seth Rogen, this show perfectly blends delicious cuisine and entertaining conversations.

2 seasons, 12 episodes | IMDb: 9.3/10 Narrated by the iconic Sir David Attenborough, Our Planet takes viewers on a stunning visual journey through some of the world’s most extraordinary habitats. However, this series also serves as a powerful reminder that our planet is changing, and its inhabitants face unprecedented challenges. It is a must-watch for anyone who cares about preserving our beautiful home.

Night On Earth

1 season, 6 episodes | IMDb: 8.1/10 Ever wonder what animals get up to when the sun goes down? This visually stunning series uses cutting-edge technology to capture nocturnal creatures in their natural habitats. From lions hunting under the cover of darkness to bioluminescent creatures lighting up the ocean, Night On Earth is a captivating look at the secret lives of animals after dark.

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 7.5/10 If you love home design and travel, this series is for you. Designer Genevieve Gorder and real estate expert Peter Lorimer help homeowners transform their rental properties into profitable short-term rentals through stunning makeovers and strategic marketing techniques. With each episode set in a different city, Stay Here offers valuable insights into the unique cultures and neighborhoods that make these destinations desirable.

Restaurants On The Edge

2 seasons, 13 episodes | IMDb: 6.8/10 Join a team of experts as they travel to struggling restaurants worldwide and help revitalize them with stunning makeovers, menu updates, and cultural insights. From a beachside restaurant in Malta to a historic winery in Canada, this series showcases the power of food to bring people together and create unforgettable dining experiences.

Tales by Light

3 seasons, 12 episodes | IMDb: 8.2/10 Combining stunning photography and heartfelt storytelling, Tales by Light follows renowned photographers as they capture breathtaking images from some of the world’s most remote corners. But it’s not just about the photos – this series also delves into the personal journeys and motivations behind these awe-inspiring artists.

Larry Charles’ Dangerous World Of Comedy

1 season, 4 episodes | IMDb: 7.3/10 Comedy may be universal, but this series proves it can also be dangerous. From war-torn countries to oppressive regimes, Larry Charles travels the globe searching for comedians who use laughter as a form of resistance and rebellion. With poignant insights and plenty of laughs, this thought-provoking series sheds light on the power of humor in even the most dire circumstances.

15 Stupid TV Shows That Critics Argue Are a Complete Waste of Time

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From a nuclear lake to a haunted forest, journalist David Farrier visits unusual -- and often macabre -- tourism spots around the world.

• Country New Zealand
• Genres Adventure, Documentary, Travel
• Runtime 40 minutes
• Total runtime 5 hours 20 minutes
• Status Ended
• Network Netflix
• Showrunner Carthew Neal
• External links TheTVDB page IMDB page TheMovieDB page
• Last update 3 November 2020 - 04:00 on 11 databases

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Money latest: Cost of raising child to age 18 revealed in new research

Crisps are on the menu for the Money blog today as we see where you can make healthier choices for the best value. Elsewhere, the boss of Sainsbury's has insisted customers like self-checkouts - do you agree? Leave your thoughts in the box below.

Friday 26 April 2024 12:32, UK

• Sainsbury's boss insists customers like self-checkouts
• FTSE 100 hits another record high
• Halifax hikes mortgage rates - as entire market moves upwards
• Morrisons rolls out bureau de change and trolley adverts

Essential reads

• Do smart meters actually save you money?
• How to buy the healthiest crisps  
• The world of dark tourism - what is it, is it ethical and where can you go?
• Money Problem : I have a mortgage offer - will it change now rates are rising?
• Savings Guide : Why locking into fixed-rate bond could be wise move
• Cheap Eats : Michelin chef's secret lasagne tip - and expensive ingredient you shouldn't use

Ask a question or make a comment

The UK could face a shortage of cava due to a drought in the sparking wine's Spanish heartlands.

The Penedes area of Catalonia is dealing with its worst drought on record, with vineyards across the region so parched the roots of 30-year-old vines have died.

It's left shrivelled red and green grapes languishing under intense sun, fuelled by fossil-fuel driven climate change.

Cava is an increasingly popular drink in the UK, with 17.8 million bottles sold in 2023 - an increase of 5% from the previous year, when Brits stocked up on 16.8 million bottles, according to the Cava Regulatory Board.

That makes the UK the fourth largest buyer, behind only the US, Belgium and Germany.

Workforce slashed

The problems have been compounded after Catalonia-based cava producer Freixenet announced it will temporarily lay off 615 workers, almost 80% of its workforce.

Under Spanish law, companies facing exceptional circumstances can lay off staff or reduce working hours.

This measure is expected to take effect from May and it is not known how long it will last.

Price rises

One industry source told retail publication The Grocer cava shortages would push up prices "certainly for next year" if there isn't enough supply.

This could last for years if the drought persists, they added.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney told MailOnline the staff cuts at Freixenet can only mean one thing - price rises.

However, she added, supermarkets say they are not currently experiencing any issues.

Parents are being hammered by rising childcare costs, according to a new study that suggests they may spend more than £160,000 raising their child to the age of 18.

Research by Hargreaves Lansdown has found that parents with children pay £6,969 a year more than couples without.

Over 18 years and assuming an annual inflation rate of 3%, that amounts to a whopping £163,175, the investment platform said.

Its study also found that parents were less likely to have money left at the end of the month.

Single parents carry the biggest burden, with the research suggesting they have just £85 left on average compared to £365 for couples with children.

Hargreaves Lansdown also found just 23% of single parents reported having enough emergency savings to cover at least three months' worth of essential expenses, compared to 63% of couples with children.

Parents are also at a slight disadvantage when it comes to pensions, the research found, with only 43% of couples with children on track for a moderate retirement income, compared to 47% without. Only 17% of single parents have a decent projected pension fund.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at the firm, said "having children is one of the most expensive decisions a person can make".

She adds that as a result of having a child, "financial resilience suffers across the board", and added: "For single parents, life is even tougher, and they face far lower resilience on almost every measure.

"It means we need all the help we can get."

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

One of the top stories shaking up the markets this morning is that UK-based mining company Anglo American has rejected a major $38.8bn (£31bn) takeover bid.

Details of the attempted buyout by Australian rival BHP emerged yesterday  - sending Anglo American shares soaring.

The deal would have created the world's biggest copper mining company - with the news coming as the price of the metal hit record highs this week.

However, Anglo American has now dismissed the proposal as "opportunistic" and said BHP had undervalued the company.

Anglo's shares are slightly down by 0.8% this morning - suggesting investors may not have given up hopes that a deal could eventually be agreed.

However, overall the FTSE 100 is up around 0.4% this morning, buoyed by strong reported earnings from US tech giants Microsoft and Google owner Alphabet.

It's helped the index, of the London Stock Exchange's 100 most valuable companies, hit yet another intraday (during the day) record of 8,136 points this morning.

The winning streak comes after a week of all-time highs on the index - including a record close of 8,078 points yesterday. The score is based on a calculation of the total value of the shares on the index.

Among the companies doing well this morning is NatWest - despite the bank reporting a fall in pre-tax profits of nearly 28% for the first quarter of the year.

Shares in the lender are up more than 3% after its results were better than expected by analysts.

On the currency markets, £1 buys $1.25 US or €1.16, almost on a par with yesterday.

Meanwhile, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has crept up slightly to $89 (£71).

Self-checkouts - they're like marmite, people seem to either love them or hate them.

But the boss of Sainsbury's has claimed that his customers do  enjoy using self-checkouts, despite criticism that that machines don't always provide the convenience promised.

Simon Roberts told The Telegraph that there are more of them in Sainsbury's stores "than a number of years ago" as shoppers like the "speedy checkout".

But despite this, he said there won't be a time when they'll replace cashiers completely.

"Over the last year, where we've put more self-checkouts in, we're always making sure that the traditional kind of belted checkout is there," he said.

His comments come after northern supermarket Booths ditched self-checkouts at all but two of its sites after customer feedback. 

Walmart and Costco in the US have also scaled back on the systems.

Let us know in the comments - do you love or hate self-checkouts?

We've all heard consumer advice that's repeated so often it almost becomes cliché. So, every Friday the Money team will get to the bottom of a different "fact" and decide whether it's a myth or must.

This week it is...

'Smart meters save you money'

For this one, we've enlisted the help of Dr Steve Buckley, also known as the Energy Doctor and head of data science at Loop...

So do smart meters help you save? 

"The short answer is both yes and no," Steve says.

"Installing a smart meter by itself won't magically reduce your energy consumption. But, by giving you easy access to your energy usage data, smart meters pave the way for savings that you couldn't achieve otherwise."

Before smart meters, most households only found out how much energy they had used when the bill arrived. 

By that stage it's too late to address wasteful usage, leading to what's known as "bill shock". 

"With a smart meter, you can see your usage and costs in real-time through an in-home display or an app provided by your supplier," Steve says. 

"This immediate feedback encourages you to use less energy. If you measure it, you can control it."

In 2022, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero found that homes with smart meters used about 3.4% less electricity and 3% less gas. 

"This might not seem like a lot, but it adds up to a saving of over £50 per household annually," Steve says.  

If all homes in the UK made similar cuts, that would amount to savings of around £1.5bn and a potential reduction in CO2 emissions by about 2.7m tonnes each year. 

"Good for individual households but also great for the planet," Steve says. 

Smart meters are often installed at no extra cost to the consumer - it's effectively free data for households. 

Limitations

Smart meters are more or less what you make of them - a simple, free tool that allows you to see headline figures. 

However, "without detailed analysis, it's tough to identify and eliminate" where you could be wasting money, Steve says. 

Apps like Utrack, Loop and Hugo Energy can help you work out where you might be losing money by offering a more detailed breakdown if connected to your smart meter. 

Those tools are often free, but you may need to register your card details as proof of address. 

The tools give a number of useful insights, including looking at consumption in other households of similar size or monitoring where chunks of your money are going, such as to a faulty boiler or the "phantom load" (energy wasted by devices left on unnecessarily).

Myth or must?

Although smart meters alone don't reduce energy bills, they are a vital tool to help energy efficiency and cost savings. 

By Ollie Cooper, Money team

It can be hard to balance getting nutritious foods that make you feel good without spending a lot.

In this series, which ends today after digging into yoghurt, bread, pasta, fruit juice and plant-based milk, we've tried to find the healthiest options in the supermarket for the best value.

Sunna Van Kampen,  founder of  Tonic Health ,  who went viral on social media for reviewing food in the search of healthier choices, has given his input for the past six weeks.

And for the final part of the series, we're looking at the nation's favourite snack: crisps. 

The series does not aim to identify the outright healthiest option, but to help you get better nutritional value for as little money as possible.

We're a people obsessed: in the UK, we get through six billion packets of crisps a year.

Sunna has three easy tips for finding the tastiest options that are kinder to your body...

1. Understand the fat facts

"Typical crisps can be oil sponges and contain over 30% fat from low-quality vegetable oils that have been fried," Sunna says. 

"What we are on the lookout for those that buck the trend and stay away from the fat." 

So, he says, aim for crisps that contain less than 15% total fat.

2. Fibre up your snack time

"While crisps aren't exactly salad, some can offer more nutritional value than others," Sunna says.

"Check the labels for options that have more fibre or protein."

These help you feel fuller for longer and also keep your digestive system happy.

3. Portion control

"It's easy to demolish an entire bag in one sitting - however, many brands offer multipack bags that are portion-controlled, usually around 25g a bag," Sunna says.

Sticking to these helps to manage calorie intake and stops overindulging.

The big picture

"Small changes might not immediately seem like a lot but if you eat a bag a day with your lunch, we are talking about up to a whopping two litres of oil cut from your diet over the course of the year," Sunna says,

"This is not permission to eat crisps every day (enjoy as an occasional treat) but rather an indication of how small changes add up quickly overtime."

The good news is Sunna's recommendations are all similar in price to their popular, fattier rivals - so you don't need to make a bigger investment to reap some health benefits. 

We've included the prices for the brands' standard multipacks at Tesco - correct as of time of writing. 

Walkers Oven Baked - £1.95 for six-pack

"Around £1.95 for a pack of six, these crisps are baked, not fried, slashing the fat content to 13%, so a great option."

Popchips - £2.25 for five-pack

"These have just 13% fat content as they're popped rather than fried so are a great way to go reducing fat without compromising on the crunch."

And for some non-crisp options...

ProperCorn Popcorn - £2 for six-pack

Often described as "the healthier, lighter option", Sunna says ProperCorn "isn't actually the best option on the market for fat content at 17.4%".

That being said, you do get "double the fibre of standard crisps at 10.9g per 100g". 

At only £2 for a pack of six, it's well-priced, too.

Snack A Jacks - £2.20 for five-pack

"At only 8.3% fat per 100g, it's a great option at £2.20 for a pack of five."

Penn State Baked Pretzels - £1.50 for 175g bag

Now for Sunna's winner.

"The German classic is a great option at only 4.6% fat per 100g," he says.

One downfall is that they are not available in portioned bags, so be careful with the whole 175g bag for £1.50.

Want another option altogether?

"If you want to be even healthier, consider the switch to nuts, seeds or even dried cheese snacks," Sunna says.

"Higher in calories yes, but higher in good healthy fats too and are more satiating which will limit the chance of overeating."

The nutritionist's view -  from  Dr Laura Brown , senior lecturer in nutrition, food and health sciences at Teesside University...

"Baked instead of fried crisps is definitely a way forward as well as the popcorn suggestion," she says.

"We should also be aiming to look at the amount of protein and fibre found in products. For example, lentil and pea snacks are growing in popularity due to their higher protein and fibre values, so the focus should be more on looking for ingredients other than potatoes, oil and salt. 

"I also feel 'crisp' based snacks made in an air fryer are becoming more popular. These can include a wholemeal wrap with a small amount of oil added, and placed in the air fryer with paprika and other seasoning added for flavour. 

"Also, chickpeas in the air fryer make for a super delicious protein and fibre rich snack. They are cheaper than crisps and lower in fat since no oil has to be added."

Read more from this series... 

Halifax has become the latest major lender to up mortgage rates.

They are putting up a range of deals by 0.2%.

BM Solutions also announced increases today.

It follows similar moves by TSB, NatWest, Virgin, Barclays, Accord, Leeds Building Society, HSBC and Coventry last week.

Lenders are responding to swap rates - which dictate how much it costs to lend money - rising on the back of higher than expected US inflation data, and concerns this could delay interest rate cuts there. 

US trends often materialise elsewhere - though many economists are still expecting a base rate cut from 5.25% to 5% in the UK in June.

This is what average mortgage rates look like as of today...

Justin Moy, managing director of EHF Mortgages, told Newspage: "Yet more bad news for mortgage borrowers, as two of the biggest lenders announce increases to their fixed-rate products. 

"As mortgage rates creep up and past 5% even for those with the largest deposits, we seem to be lacking a clear strategy of the government or the Bank of England on how rates will eventually fall. 

"Even 2% inflation may not be enough to reverse the recent trends in rates."

Morrisons has launched two major changes for shoppers – with stores now offering travel money and trolleys featuring advertisements.

Announcing their bureau de change service, Morrisons said customers could exchange currencies in select stores or could place their money orders online at Morrisonstravelmoney.com.

Using the online service means customers can either click and collect their cash in certain Morrisons stores or at any of Eurochange's 240 branches. Alternatively, they can go for home delivery.

Services director at Morrisons, Jamie Winter, said the service "will provide our customers with easy access to a wide range of currencies at competitive exchange rates".

So far, stores in the following areas have travel money kiosks:

• Basingstoke

In other news, the supermarket chain rolled out a new trolley advertising across 300 stores in a partnership with Retail Media Group.

A sweetener used in drinks, sauces, savoury and sweet foods and chewing gum can cause serious damage to people's health, according to a new study.

Neotame, a "relatively new" sweetener, could damage the intestine by causing damage to healthy bacteria in the gut, according to the study, leading it to become diseased and attack the gut wall.

The study by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition, found the negative effect of neotame "has the potential to influence a range of gut functions resulting in poor gut health", potentially impacting metabolic and inflammatory diseases, neuropathic pain, and neurological conditions.

The illnesses this could lead to include irritable bowel disease or insulin resistance.

Read the full story here ...

As we reported yesterday, a pilot programme is coming into force in Venice today that means visitors have to pay a €5 (£4.28) charge to enter the city.

Authorities say the pilot programme is designed to discourage tourists and thin the crowds that throng the canals during peak holiday season, making the city more liveable for residents.

Pictures have been emerging this morning of people queueing to register for a QR code that will allow them to enter after they have paid the charge - and officials carrying out checks on people inside the city.

People found to be contravening the rules can be fined up to €300 (£257).

As detailed in our story , the move has been met with anger among some in the city.

Venice is the first city in the world to introduce a payment system for tourists - but comments from its most senior tourist official suggested it may become a more common practice for major tourist hotspots in Europe.

Simone Venturini revealed the pilot programme was being closely watched by other places suffering from mass tourism - including other Italian art cities and hugely popular weekend-break destinations Barcelona and Amsterdam.

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