Venomous snakes and Komodo dragons.
Volcanic gas and radioactive waste.
These places look like paradise from afar,
but once you're there,
they can be Hell on Earth.
And if you had to choose
which one to visit,
I would recommend the haunted one.
During WWII,
hundreds of Japanese soldiers
were forced into the island marshes
by British forces.
They were set upon by the huge
population of saltwater crocodiles.
With no knowledge of the region
and almost no supplies,
the crocs had meals delivered
right to their door.
If you travel to this island,
stay out of the marshes,
or you could face the same fate.
Often referred to as Gas Mask Island,
it is located about 100 km (62 mi)
south of Tokyo.
It's surrounded by mysterious waters
known for disappearing vessels.
It also has a volcano,
which erupted in June 2000,
covering the island in ash
and clouds of gas.
Residents had to evacuate
for five years after the eruption.
When they returned,
they were required to have a gas mask
with them at all times.
But wait, there's more.
Since the volcano eruption,
the chain of islands Miyake-jima is part of
has had to deal with 17,500 earthquakes.
If you're planning on visiting Miyake-jima,
bring your own gas mask
and stay alert to the warning signs
that will indicate the time to use it.
During WWII,
Gruinard Island, aka Anthrax Island,
was the home of biological
warfare testing
undertaken by the British government.
The experiments using anthrax
killed hundreds of sheep
and resulted in quarantining
of the island.
It was decontaminated
using formaldehyde in the 1980s.
Gruinard was declared safe to visit in 1990
and is now used as a grazing island
for sheep.
But just to be safe,
avoid the soil
coming into contact with your skin
and gastrointestinal tract
while you're there.
If you get body aches,
start vomiting
or have shortness of breath,
it could be anthrax poisoning.
If you start to suffer
any of these symptoms,
get antibiotic treatment right away.
This place is hot,
dry and covered in shrubs.
And behind the shrubs?
Three-meter (10ft) long venomous lizards.
Komodo is one of five small islands
where you can find,
you guessed it,
Komodo dragons.
These reptiles can eat up to 80%
of their body weight in a single feeding.
And they will shred anything from carrion
to a big water buffalo,
and sometimes even humans.
If you want to see these beasts in person,
make sure to travel with a group.
Komodos usually target prey that is alone.
Stay on the Island paths,
avoid using strong fragrances
and avoid the place altogether
if you're bleeding.
These lizards have a great sense of smell
and can detect your blood
from kilometers away.
Nicknamed the Island of Ghosts,
this place is unpopulated
and is known as one of the most haunted
locations in Europe.
During the 14th century,
Black Plague victims
were sent there to quarantine.
Only a small number of people
left the island again.
About 160,000 corpses were burned.
Legend has it that over 50%
of the soil on the island
is made up of human ash.
In 1922, a mental hospital was built there,
and rumors spread
that experiments were being done
on the patients.
The island was abandoned in 1968
when the hospital closed down.
You need special authorization
from the Municipality of Venice
to go to Poveglia.
Once there,
don’t go into the buildings
because many of them are unstable
and you could get trapped.
Since there are limited visitors,
you might not be rescued anytime soon.
Come to think of it,
this would be a good opportunity to check
if the island is actually haunted.
Located near San Francisco,
this area was used
to dump radioactive waste
between 1946 and 1970.
The islands are also overrun with mice
and have a big elephant seal population
that attracts great white sharks.
The Farallons have been closed
to the general public since 1969,
but at least they have the largest colony
of nesting seabirds in the United States.
If you make it to the islands,
stay away from the seals.
They can be aggressive
and might be followed
by some hungry sharks.
The right way to see the wildlife
would be by taking
an authorized boat tour.
This mysterious isle is home
to a group of Indigenous people
who have remained isolated
from the rest of the world.
These hunter-gatherers live in huts
and are armed with spears,
knives and arrows.
They are extremely hostile to outsiders
and will attack anyone who comes
close to the island.
You should never go
to North Sentinel Island,
but if you unintentionally
find yourself there
approach the shore with caution.
The Sentinelese might be hidden,
waiting to defend their territory.
Keep your distance in case
they throw some warning spears.
If you have fruit or ornaments,
float them over first as a present,
and don't expect anything in return.
Whatever you do, don't try to touch them.
It might be the last thing you do.
Also, because they likely don't have
immune defenses to many
of the microbes found off the island,
they should be left alone
for their own safety.
Located 33 km (20 mi)
off the coast of Brazil,
this little island
is packed with a lot of danger.
It’s estimated that in some areas
you wouldn't be able to take
more than a couple of steps
without encountering a snake.
Among these snakes,
there are about 4,000
golden lancehead vipers.
It's one of the most venomous
and deadliest snakes in the world.
Their venom evolved to kill prey faster.
Just one bite
would rot your flesh
and even kill you.
The island is closed to visitors.
Only research groups and members
of the Brazilian Navy can go,
and they need to bring a doctor
in case someone gets bitten.
This lovely island in the Caribbean
is the last place you'd want to be
during hurricane season.
It has been hit by 15 category 3 storms
and seven category 5 storms
in the past 150 years.
The highest risk of hurricanes
is between the middle of August
and early October,
but stay away from June to November
just to be sure.
If you are there during a hurricane,
you should take flashlights,
provisions and radios with extra batteries.
Secure all doors
and board up the windows.
Wait for an all-clear from officials
before going outside again.
Located in the Indian Ocean,
this French territory
offers beautiful waterfalls, great rum
and thousands of sharks.
Eleven people have died
and eight more have been injured
in shark attacks since 2011.
In 2019,
44-year-old Richard Martyn Turner
was killed while he was snorkeling.
His body was not found,
but the shark that attacked him
was captured and X-rayed.
Inside its stomach
was Turner's hand
with his wedding ring still on it.
If you want to return safely
from your vacation at Reunion Island,
don't go swimming or snorkeling
in restricted areas.
If you like a challenge in the water,
we have one for you.
This beautiful sinkhole in Egypt
should be a thrilling experience.
Just make sure you don't join
the 200 people who haven't made it out
of the Blue Hole.
Find out how to reach the surface again,
right here.