Forbidden destinations: from a Chinese emperor’s tomb to an island inhabited by deadly snakes; places tourists can’t go
Venice’s plague island, the French Riviera of Cyprus, a London subway station – even for the most adventurous traveller certain places remain restricted, and usually there is a good reason why
Thrill-seeking sightseers have found their way to almost every corner of the planet, including some places they probably shouldn’t. But even the most tenacious traveller eventually finds themself being turned back by a gun-toting guard or a skull and crossbones sign ordering Joe Public to venture no further. A handful of locations around the world are off limits for security reasons or because they’re too dangerous while a few are so secret they’re officially denied.
In Hong Kong, some open up only once a year (Government House, the PLA Barracks) while others are closed for your own safety (Silvermine Cave, on Lantau Island, and the summit of Victoria Peak – a no-go area occupied by a radio telecommunications facility). Here are seven other places you enter (or try to) at your peril.
1 Varosha
Not so long ago, Varosha was a bustling Mediterranean resort known as the French Riviera of Cyprus and favoured by movie stars including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot. In 1974, Turkish forces invaded the island in response to a Greek-inspired coup and all 40,000 inhabitants fled the holiday hot spot, expecting to return within a few days. They’ve yet to do so as, 44 years later, Cyprus remains divided.
