As strange as it may sound, there are places on earth that you can never visit. The reasons for these places to be off limits are different. In some cases the entry is prohibited due to safety concerns, and in others, it is religious.
Here we have made a list of 3 such places that are off-limits. Read on to know some intriguing facts and myths associated with these off limits places.
Snake Island in Brazil
The island of Ilha da Queimada Grande in Brazil is swamped with venomous pit vipers, hence the name “Snake Island”. This makes the island naturally part of the world’s forbidden destinations. The island is located off the coast of Brazil, about 93 km away from Sao Paolo.
According to researchers, there are one to five snakes per 11 square ft area of this island. This unique species called “golden lancehead” is known to possess deadly venom that acts quickly.
The snakes are about 1.7 feet long and are responsible for 90% of the deaths in Brazil that are due to snakebites. After it bites, the flesh surrounding the wound starts to melt away. The Brazilian government has prohibited the entry of common people on this island due to safety reasons.
Mount Kailash in China
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Kailash range. It is located in the Tibet autonomous region of China. Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains all consider this place sacred. The followers of Bon, a native religion in Tibet, also consider the place to be a holy site.
Hundreds of pilgrims visit the place every year to show their respect to Mount Kailash. The pilgrims from many religions believe in the holy ritual of circumambulating Mount Kailash on their feet. However, no one dares to climb up to the peak as they believe it will offend the god.
Alpinists from all over the world showed interest but did not get permission from the government of China to climb the peak. The famous Italian explorer and adventurer Reinhold Messner was once offered to make an attempt, but he declined the proposition by saying he didn’t want to hurt the religious sentiment.
There are several legends and myths about climbers vanishing while attempting a summit to Mount Kailash. Another legend says a team of Siberian mountaineers once attempted the summit. After climbing beyond a point, they aged by a few decades within a day, and one year later, they died of old age.
North Sentinel Island in India
North Sentinel Island, one of the world’s forbidden destinations, is a part of the Andaman Archipelago. It is the home to the Sentinelese tribe, an indigenous community living here for thousands of years. Sentinelese rejects contact with the outside world and often resorts to violence to protect their voluntary isolation.
Indian government prohibited the entry of visitors on this island by a law passed in 1956. Several attempts were made in the past to establish friendly contact, but all those attempts turned out to be futile. There are incidents when they refused to accept gifts from the contact parties and buried them under the sand. In 2018, an American missionary managed to enter the island illegally and was allegedly killed by the tribe men.
According to the recent estimates, only 80 to 150 tribal people are currently there on this island. Researchers advocate strongly against opening up North Sentinel Island as they believe it will not only endanger the security of the visitors but will also threaten the existence of this tribe itself.
Loved what you read about some of the off limit places? Follow Fifty50offcial blog to read some cool stuff.
Recent Comments