14 mysterious places on Earth that tourist guides never mention

Our planet is huge, so much that certain corners of it are still unknown.

Tour guides usually bring tourists to the same places. It’s rare that one will help you discover less touristy locations. To do this, you’ll have to ask the locals or try to get there on your own.

That said, some places on Earth are totally forbidden to tourists for various reasons.

Here are 14 mysterious places we’ve uncovered for you. Some will make you want to go there and others, maybe not...

1. The Kofuns, Japan
   
   (C) National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs)

These artificial islands are the ancient burial sites of members of the Japanese Imperial family. On rare occasions, they are open to archaeologists, but only with the permission of the Imperial Court.

1. North Sentinel Island, India
   
   The natives living on the island will stop at nothing to protect their land from outsiders. They didn’t hesitate to shoot arrows and even killed the crew of a small fishing boat that drifted there after a storm. So, for tourists’ own safety, Indian authorities prohibit anyone from approaching the location.

2. Area 51, USA
   
   The existence of this top-secret facility was only officially confirmed by the US government in 2013. According to the partially declassified documents, Area 51 is a US Air Force base where next generation aircraft are being developed and tested.

3. Church of St. Mary of Zion, Ethiopia
   
   A specially built chapel houses the church's most sacred treasure: The Ark of the Covenant. The Ark’s guardian, the only person who has access to the relic, is forbidden to leave the church’s premises. He cannot converse with outsiders either.

4. Kaho’olawe Island, USA
   
   Throughout its history, this arid island was a site of religious rituals, a penal colony, and a training ground for the US Navy. But today, Kaho’olawe enjoys the status of a nature reserve. The only way you can go there is by joining one of the volunteer teams working to restore the local environment.

5. British Telecom Tower, United Kingdom
   
   Ever since an incident involving an explosion inside the tower, the revolving restaurant and observation deck remain closed to the public. Occasionally, when the BT Tower hosts charity events, a few hundred people still get the lucky chance to see London the way only a few have seen it before.

6. Ise Grand Shrine, Japan
   
   The territory of Japan’s holiest shrine complex is only accessible to priests and members of the Imperial family. Everyone else has to settle with admiring the roofs of the shrines from behind several rows of fences.

7. The ghost town of Varosha, Cyprus
   
   This resort, adjacent to the city of Famagusta, used to be Cyprus’s top tourist destination. But everything changed in July 1974 when, following a mass evacuation, the deserted city was invaded by Turkish troops. Since then, Varosha remains fenced off, forming part of the buffer zone patrolled by the Turkish army.

8. Sable Island, Canada
   
   Located in the Atlantic, this sandy island has a population of around 30 people and is a veritable graveyard of sunken ships. Because of its unique features, Sable has been declared a nature reserve. To visit the island, you have to write a petition to the Canadian government, explaining the necessity of the trip.

9. Pionen Data Center, Sweden
   
   Built in Stockholm during the Cold War, this nuclear bunker has recently been transformed into ultramodern offices for a Swedish Internet service provider. Here, at a depth of 98 feet and hidden behind three-and-a-half-foot thick doors, the information belonging to many famous websites is being stored.

10. Lascaux Cave, France
    
    To preserve this cave’s unique prehistoric paintings, the entrance to Lascaux is now closed to tourists after 15 years of unrestricted access. You can visit an exact replica of the cave or enjoy a virtual tour.

11. The "Don-2N" Radar Station, Russia
    
    This modern-day pyramid has a height of 131 feet and a width at the base of 459 feet. It is the key bunker in the city of Moscow’s missile defense system. On rare occasions, journalists are granted a guided tour of the facility. But, of course, they only have access to a small fraction of what’s inside.

12. Mount Rushmore Hall of Records, USA
    
    (C) Google Earth

In addition to the famous giant faces of America’s greatest presidents sculpted into the rock, Mount Rushmore has another intriguing feature: a secret room carved out deep inside the rock. The room is a “time capsule,” containing copies of the country’s most important historical documents. The entrance to this room is barred by a granite slab door, equipped with a combination lock mechanism.

1. The illusion of an underwater waterfall, Mauritius
   
   (C) imgur

When viewed from above, Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean seems to be located near a fascinating underwater waterfall. However, this beautiful phenomenon is just an optical illusion created by a run-off of silt and sand deposits.

Photo credit: imgur

Source: BrightSide

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