War Zones, Nuclear Sites: Why Is Extreme Tourism So Popular?
we're in Indonesia on the Indian Ocean this group of eight French people have been on the go for 30 hours but no one is planning on sleeping they have one aim to get near Krakatoa a mythical volcano which killed 40 000 people when it erupted in 1883. their guide is Guida sassier who's been climbing volcanoes for 58 years according to him the volcano is active but will they see an eruption [Applause] the volcano is spitting out plumes of gas close to the crater as they can what's up the boat reaches the foot of the volcano a dangerous place they gave you power if you don't count this song [Music] The Boulders or bombs which are falling into the sea are solidified lava night falls fast and the incandescence of the boulders is increasingly visible they shoot up hundreds of meters and fall at over 200 kilometers an hour if one hits you you'd be killed but that doesn't stop our team from going ashore the volcano is part of an uninhabited archipelago officially no one is allowed to approach at present it's too dangerous but they're going to sleep under Canvas OR in a hammock on this active volcano suddenly the Earth starts to tremble foreign [Music] continue [Music] the group are eager for Thrills despite being tired Everyone Gets Ready gas mask helmet a well-practiced ritual more or less but don't be fooled by appearances this group are all regulars to climb up an active volcano experience is Paramount foreign in recent years a niche activity has been developing in the Leisure industry it's called Extreme tourism volcano and tornado Hunters people who travel to war zones and Ultra sporty Travelers they're all adrenaline Seekers he followed these holiday makers who are prepared to risk their lives in the name of fun [Music] in Afghanistan we watched an intense skiing competition in a country in chaos between Kabul and the remote Banyan mountains adventurers will discover a different world in Indonesia lives to explore active volcanoes they're one Obsession to get ever closer and take home extraordinary photos the volcano Hunters want more in Chernobyl in the most dangerous zones the Roma and David will have to survive all by themselves War tourism nuclear tourism disaster tourism this is Extreme traveling we're back in Indonesia 160 kilometers east of Jakarta and Krakatoa is still erupting the group is leaving the forest at the foot of the volcano they could be crushed by lava bombs at any moment the impact has made craters all around two to three tons traveling at over 200 kilometers an hour some Boulders have started fires just meters from the group hello [Music] [Music] it's not just the guide who's excited no one wants to turn back food producing as well foreign a few meters from the crater nice one public wow [Music] good the crackling sound is that of Boulders crashing down on the cone again just meters from the group ghee still isn't worried foreign but several seconds later a huge eruption bombards the cone bombs rain down on the group Sophie on the right moved just in time she had a narrow Escape The Boulders are heated to over 600 Degrees when they come out of the crater but they quickly cool Sophie is able to collect a small piece of the fragment which could have killed her foreign high on adrenaline the team decides to stay a bit longer [Music] they're bombarded again [Applause] the group is surrounded by glowing rocks fabris's camera had a near Miss luckily it was still working uh [Music] close means taking risks did tonight the agency insists people have insurance to go on a trip with ghee and for this type of Adventure they only take people who know of the dangers [Music] extreme tourists like to be scared so what better than visiting a war zone the capital of Afghanistan Central Asia one of the most dangerous cities in the world the Taliban are in danger of regaining control and terrorist attacks are increasing in 2018 nearly 4 000 civilians died in Afghanistan a record the terrorists are targeting Afghan institutions diplomatic missions and westerners in particular going to Kabul on holiday is unheard of yet Ellen is ready for an adventure the 52 year old American loves a challenge she's already tried to climb Everest three times a few hours before her flight she sent us this video this is the first time I bought KR insurance which stands for kidnap and Ransom insurance so I've learned that I am now worth a million dollars to a colleague who knows I'm going on this trip and he said Ellen you need to be more worried about this on leaving the airport Ellen is met by an agency specializing in war tourism [Music] I mean I think I'd be lying if I said no um probably the first one where I've really thought that some something bad had actually happened charging two thousand six hundred dollars for ten days the agency takes care of travel and accommodation behind a discrete reinforced gate our car arrives at the hotel there is no sign outside just barbed wire and guard dogs this week Ellen will be with two other tourists William from New York and Inga a 22 year old Norwegian the two men have already had their first scare we got stuff for the police yeah he has gotten a bit nervous when the military stopped us they're like you see like erasing his voice and getting more and more and angry so I don't know what's gonna happen by way of a welcome their guide Kusa Hussein gives his clients a warning to you as a suicider look if you have suicidal the security does not help if you shoot him it means you are pressing the button of the bomb so the best way is to keep a low profile that's why we avoid staying in the mainstream like high profile hotels so don't take photo if you take a photo their first shoot and then they let her ask them has organized clothing for the tourists [Music] dressed for adventure the three tourists are ready for a tour of Kabul they pass through a city destroyed by a succession of wars [Music] after the war against the Soviets in the 1980s Kabul was controlled by the Taliban since 2001 the city has been run by an International Coalition and then by The Americans part of the city tells a story from a particular era yeah this is the swimming pool the famous swimming pool where Taliban were executing people point there I can tell not in front of the camera because it's political things executions by the Taliban took place in this swimming pool at the end of the 1990s some were thrown off the diving platform today with the American presence and the threat from the Taliban Kabul is still a city at War the persistent stares from the Afghans make Inga nervous this stereotypes so much and they don't look happy when they see it's mostly angry stairs it feels like quite sure you don't feel like you belong here that's for sure I don't want to stay for too long feel at all threatened and repeatedly wanders off from the group [Music] her traveling companions are growing impatient [Music] we have to go oh okay I'm sorry thank you they're grabbing okay thank you despite the poverty she's seeing the balloons and the children's Fairground rides in chantellan she's delighted [Music] foreign [Music] an Express tour in a city scarred by poverty [Music] the next day the tourists leave Kabul at dawn they're heading for the Banyan mountains to the west of Kabul the purpose of their trip is to take part in a skiing competition in five days time a competition that is both extraordinary and timeless we're in Kiev the capital of Ukraine Roman David are 22-20 and their passion is urbex or Urban exploration they seek out places abandoned by humans no tourist trips for them the two students wait for Nightfall at the hotel it's midnight the day can now begin to celebrate the end of their exams they're not going to the beach or clubbing their destination is more radioactive the forbidden zone in Chernobyl the site of the worst nuclear disaster in history the 26th of April 1986. the Soviet Empire's fourth reactor exploded releasing a huge cloud of radioactive waste all over Europe over 9000 people died and 200 000 were evacuated the zone is still dangerous and guarded by soldiers the young French men are going in at night to avoid the Ukrainian police for safety our journalists contacted a man who knows Chernobyl well Igor dressed in military gear this unusual guide takes tourists into the forbidden zone for 300 Euros the forbidden zone is a two-hour Drive North of Kiev the two friends are off to the unknown [Music] thanks to the full moon they can move through the night they enter the 30 kilometer radius military zone but Homer and David have a problem [Applause] 10 kilometers the guy doesn't speak French and his English is poor communication could be difficult they'll walk for several hours in silence without knowing where they're going yeah [Applause] [Music] after three hours walking when day breaks the atmosphere is increasingly tense the French men can be seen and police patrols could be anywhere if they get caught they'll have to pay a fine and they'll be deported [Applause] [Music] communicating with the guide remains difficult this is uh in the middle of the forest in utter silence they come across rare Vestige of the Soviet era barely anything has changed here for 33 years breaking into a militarized zone is risky but for these friends that's the fun of urban exploration [Music] foreign [Music] the other risk is an invisible one radioactivity the trees here will be contaminated for at least the next 20 000 years but Against All Odds The Zone has become a refuge for biodiversity as these photos show nature is reasserting itself it's eight o'clock and they need to find somewhere to sleep using a geiger counter Roman checks the radiation projects and David will spend three days alone in the Chernobyl Forest and Krakatoa in Indonesia things are calmer the adventurers emerge after a dangerous night the weather is good goes off to observe the volcano from the boat oh yeah [Music] they're all thinking about last night's scare ghee is being more sensible today [Music] the group is more cautious the crater shouldn't be approached during the day the sunlight makes the glowing Boulders and the approaching danger harder to see but one person is less prudent covered in Ash and scratches Anton a young Russian is very excited he climbed almost to the top of the volcano hello option experience his first volcano be careful it's dangerous yeah a little dangerous but I like Anton seems a little reckless his nonchalance shocks the brook s wife unlike the Russian they're waiting until the light fades but the group cracks before nightfall and decides to go beyond the forest s within the group varies behind ghee some stop short they know the risks half the group refused to go any further yeah foreign promised he wouldn't go back up to the ridge but there he is in the exact same spot where we were bombarded the day before the guide has been climbing volcanoes for 58 years he's burned his feet in lava and narrowly escaped death several times there's relief when he returns PK Festival s tea foreign District expansions [Music] once again the volcano Hunters have given themselves a real fright but that's what they came foreign [Music] [Music] the adventurers planned to come back soon but Krakatoa won't look the same a catastrophe will change the geography of the region Al competition is approaching the Army is on alert with the presence of tourists comes an increased risk of attack Banyan west of Kabul is known for its giant Buddhas dating back to the 3rd Century which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. 18 years later the niche of the great Buddha is still empty and the region remains very poor but our tourists are not here for that [Music] we catch up with the group as they begin their training for the competition and they're not the only ones preparing the competition is here too our guide has even found them some secondhand skis [Music] those excuses cannot use in Europe they donated to gamyon and then still they can use them it's better than the wooden skis they have there are no ski runs here either they attach their skis on the road and improvise we're gonna do longer warm-up than we anticipated nothing unusual here just probably another day in Afghanistan the Banyan mountains are at the end of the Himalayan range with 40 Peaks at more than 4 500 meters above sea level the race for which the turrets are preparing consists of ascending and descending a summit The Climb is hard at this altitude oxygen levels are low it comes on the way down as they carve their way through untouched snow [Music] there is however one real ski run in Afghanistan this year sajad who runs the local ski club has set up an experiment along with some friends this is the first skew station in Afghanistan yeah most people they thought that we have we need a big big budget but we We Made It by only one motorbike and rope and yeah one motorcycle a rope around the wheel and another wheel at The Summit and they're off on a 280 meter climb at top speed Ellen our American loves it [Music] another unlikely event in this country is being prepared a ski Championship reserved for Afghan women the problem is most of the competitors have only just learned to ski but there's one champion skier Fatima she was among the first female skiers and she's highly ambitious [Music] foreign [Music] the next time go to the Olympic I want first girl in Olympic several more Brave women have followed in her tracks the recluse knit team they have to be in order to face down the disapproval of Afghan Society um the big day is here it's six o'clock in the morning We join Fatima at home high above Banyan Boulevard [Music] her older brother lends his support since their father died he is the head of the family is it's time for Fatima to go but first an important phone call s Ruby [Music] there are only three hours to go until the championship at the ski club Fatima is bursting with excitement a large crowd has turned out for this the eighth annual women's event as expected they're all men a handful of women watch from a distance and naturally all the tourists are here he's pretty weird to to imagine there will be a ski competition here especially for women but it's cool to see very cool to see the sport is in its infancy in this country the layout of the ski slope is very simple and all the participants are amateurs the fact that Afghan women are taking part in such a championship is an event in itself Fatima wants to win at all costs the race is about to start and the atmosphere is Tense one by one the ten competitors make their descent let's go now it's the Champions turn [Applause] [Music] [Applause] yeah she's wrong at 38 seconds 58 she currently holds the best time once her sister the last competitor arrives she's sure of winning the title [Laughter] Fatima is officially Afghanistan's female downhill skiing Champion for the third year in a row [Applause] the other girl's faces are hidden to protect them against fundamentalists Fatima on the other hand is a TV sensation the tourists look on soon it will be their turn to take part in this unique competition the big International race Americans swedes Canadians Australians a dozen of them line up to compete with the Afghans back in Chernobyl there is no competition for the young Frenchman just a slightly rude awakening foreign sleeping in this radioactive Forest the two friends set back out on the road towards the nuclear power plant they have just one aim to get close to the remains of one of the nuclear reactors in pripyat near Chernobyl but the Army patrols are still there [Music] resolution the boys are scared but they may soon find themselves alone as agreed in advance Igor their guide is due to leave them here before turning back he shows them the route towards the town of pripyat just next to the power plant on the phone the map shows a five-hour walk in the most dangerous Zone this is still a privilege but this big red Forest very very big radiation very big radiation very fast very fast foreign wild animal uh um police national Guardia National Guardia lacking experience the two young men are exposing themselves to many risks moreover there are easier ways to explore this fast area of 2600 square kilometers some prefer to take the clandestine route a day-long bus tour is available at a cost of 80 Euros tourist agencies are allowed access because they work with the Army and follow strict regulations but a night under the stars is off the agenda we cannot eat outside because outside you increase possibility to solve some particles if they travel in there don't put your belongings on the ground don't sit anywhere because if your things are contaminated on the way back we will need to leave them in the zone [Music] in fact Chernobyl is the most popular tourist activity in Ukraine and a major attraction a lot it's hard to say the numbers but now for example it's around 500 600 people every weekday on weekends it's up to one thousand one thousand five hundred people Future these 12 tourists of many nationalities have come to see the remains of the worst nuclear disaster in history all are aware of the scale of the tragedy when mankind isn't here anymore it would be probably like this [Music] the houses were deserted overnight thought they'd be gone for just a few days the majority didn't survive the radiation it's estimated that at least nine thousand were killed directly as a result of the disaster it's a very significant place but it's like everyone should at least once in their lifetime visit Chernobyl and the concentration camps it's the big human tragedies and here we can see [Music] all the destruction that man can do but the risks are still there and measuring the radiation levels is the most popular activity metal is particularly dangerous it means that we should not spend here too much time here too a little shot of adrenaline doesn't go amiss slightly terrified [Music] buried deep is away the two Frenchmen continue to be exposed to it they set out 15 hours ago [Applause] the guide agreed to accompany them a little further but the situation is becoming increasingly difficult they are now in the middle of chernobyl's forbidden zone will they make it out unscathed yeah three weeks after we left Krakatoa on December 22nd 2018 an extremely rare geological event took place an eruption led to the collapse of the volcano which triggered a tsunami 600 people were killed and forty thousand evacuated in the days that followed the eruptions continued sending up large clouds of Ash but gee has only one aim to lead a group onto the collapsed volcano at the airport he meets other regulars who know Krakatoa well they jump straight on a plane the Indonesian government has imposed a five kilometer exclusion Zone around Krakatoa the group can't be sure of reaching the volcano but they eagerly board the boat regardless of the weather conditions and while some are suffering from seasickness the crew realized that the boat has a slight problem [Music] Motel eventually the boat restarts the tourists are soaked but in good spirits five hours later they finally see it the new Krakatoa [Music] the entire volcano has collapsed crater whose mouth once stood at 318 meters is now at sea level where once there was vegetation and a beach there is now just a pile of Ash ghee is eager to achieve his goal to be the first person to walk on the still hot volcanic ash let's go and sure enough the French have defied the ban Yan they are the first to walk on the new Krakatoa I'm filamental seconds eruption was a water but the group is still Keen to tackle the mountain of Ash the terrain is difficult and they have to find their way through the immense Labyrinth thank you once at the summit ghee can hardly believe it fabulous [Music] [Music] laughs controllers [Music] people while everyone relaxes their guide remains wary foreign way [Music] but once again ghee does the opposite of what he says he decides to venture a little further down and everyone follows him foreign foreign [Music] February up ahead ghee doesn't look reassured either [Music] eventually the group stops 100 meters from the Crater Lake Gee's addiction has prevailed once again okay but for as much as this natural spectacle entertains the tourists the volcano remains deadly 50 kilometers away in the fishing Village of kurita the tsunami triggered by the eruption of Krakatoa destroyed entire families returning to the coast the French visitors are confronted with the local reality is [Music] some of the party are suddenly struck by the scale of the tragedy the contrast is hard to bear [Music] uh the um the villagers didn't even receive first aid from yeah faced with the scale of the disastered [Music] foreign foreign the Indonesian energy Minister has even banned them from staying in the area [Applause] it's competition day for our tourists but they will have to deal with local constraints blocked in by snow dozens of vehicles are immobilized the contestants will have to finish the journey on foot [Applause] but I guess it's fair because everyone is stuck down here so everyone has to walk off [Applause] so it's a fair deal [Applause] this is Afghanistan race yeah it's Afghanistan I didn't expect any less the organization little shaky but for the Afghans the race is important the 44 contestants have been training for months to beat the visiting foreigners and especially to win the first prize 10 000 afghanis or 110 Euros more than twice the average monthly salary in Afghanistan [Music] from the start the difference is clear the Afghans are running in deep snow it's impossible for the foreigners to maintain the pace [Music] aside from the 350 meter climb of 4 000 meters other obstacles are stacking up the weather is closing in foreigners are struggling to keep up [Music] they are still far behind when the first Afghan reaches the summit and begins his descent [Music] the champion of the Afghan ski challenge 2019 finishes the race in 26 minutes meanwhile at The Summit the first foreigners still have to prepare their equipment for The Descent in an icy wind Inga the young Norwegian has fallen far behind here and try to Sprint with a voice in the stars I lasted for 100 meters my body catch up with me suddenly he collapses seemingly paralyzed the fatigue has caused an old shoulder injury to resurface you have a problem here the young man can no longer move fortunately Ellen the American is a doctor and has just arrived Ellen soon manages to relocate his shoulder [Music] but Inger will have to find the strength to go down unaided [Music] the Afghans reach the Finish Line they're fast but not the most technical [Music] and finally the first foreigners to cross the line are placed only 14th and 15th [Music] did it we did it the last game ski challenge a quarter of an hour later an exhausted Inga rejoins the team [Music] [Applause] [Music] skinning up there wasn't it because I didn't think everyone would be that fast I like someone has life that girl never know everyone is here [Music] the afghan's victory is well deserved but the tourists have also earned their moment of Glory their presence gives hope to this very struggling region despite the country's instability vamyan plans to attract more adventurers in the years to come elsewhere some are not yet Out of the Woods Homer and David are exhausted and without water their obstacle course continues in the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion Zone after more than 15 hours a new goal has been reached the site of one of the symbols of the Soviet Empire duga two huge antennas that served as an over the horizon radar during the Cold War but there's a problem this time Igor wants to leave them here and his advice is shocking cnpp you cnpp cnpp yes station okay there are still more than 20 kilometers from their final destination but alone it's dangerous [Music] universe the two friends decide to give up their Chernobyl Adventure ends here but for others the trip is far from Over the tourist agency's clients will now discover the Soviet antenna [Music] we're definitely not under the radar you might say and it bus ride and they will be given the full guided tour the Soviet Cinema the gymnasium the amusement park that was due to open four days after the disaster [Music] Privia was a new city a model of Soviet architecture today there are trees everywhere and all that's left is a ghost town [Music] so we're in quite a big city and there's not a sound just the birds highlight of the visit is to get as close as possible to the origin of the disaster reactor number four of the nuclear power station it's covered with a large containment Dome the size of a football stadium not more than flying in the tourists are won over for the photos they say not cheese but radiation and before leaving the premises they must pass through the security portal with detectors that check their radioactivity levels especially on their hands and feet with nearly a hundred thousand visitors a year Chernobyl has become the symbol of disaster tourism but what will be the next step for our extreme adventurers space most likely from 2020 travel agencies will start offering stays in the space station
2023-03-14 20:06
