There is a famous quote from a spokesperson in what was at the time the Department…
Category: Dark Tourism
Dark Tourism. A phrase that’s become popular in recent times. Maybe people are becoming more aware of history, or maybe it’s because it’s becoming the ‘in’ style of destination travel.
For me, the concept of dark tourism is linked to my passion for history. I like visiting places with an interesting backstory. It just so happens that much of history is made up of times when people have been … problematic. This could be to other people, or to the environment. I’m also drawn to places where nature itself has made an impact on human history.
From revolution and fights for independence in Timor-Leste, to genocide and dictatorship in Cambodia. From colonialism and the slave trade in Africa, to the effects of bad planning in the Soviet Union. All these sites count as places I’ve visited for dark tourism purposes.
Spango Valley
Just south of Greenock, in Inverclyde, western Scotland, is a derelict business park called Spango Valley,…
The Russian Woodpecker
On my visit to Chernobyl and Pripyat, one of the places I was taken to was…
Visiting Pripyat
Whenever anyone thinks of visiting Chernobyl, what they think of often isn’t the power plant itself.…
Chernobyl City and the Exclusion Zone
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station was the scene of an explosion in April 1986. It was…
How to Visit Chernobyl
At the time of writing this blog post, Chernobyl has been off-limits to visitors for a…
I Was Born In Year Zero: The Killing Fields
I was born in Year Zero. To be absolutely precise, I was born a few months…
Apartheid and discrimination in South Africa
When I mentioned about Apartheid on my Twitter timeline, I assumed it was a reference that…
The Other Dead Sea
The Aral Sea shoreline. It’s pretty cold; I’m even wearing socks. The sky above, coupled with…
Timor-Leste: Occupation and Independence
Timor-Leste had been a country on my ‘hit list’ for quite a few years, although the…