The World Has a Weird Side — Here's How to Find It
Most travelers follow the same well-worn paths: Paris, Rome, Bangkok. But for those willing to venture off the tourist trail, there are places so peculiar they almost defy belief. The best part? You can actually visit all of them.
1. Longyearbyen, Norway — The Town Where You Cannot Die
Longyearbyen, deep in the Svalbard archipelago, has a rule that sounds like dark comedy: dying is effectively banned. Because the permafrost prevents bodies from decomposing, the local cemetery stopped accepting burials decades ago. If you're terminally ill, you're flown to the mainland. It's one of the only places on Earth where death is, technically, against the rules.
Beyond its macabre policy, Longyearbyen is a gateway to polar bear country, Northern Lights, and the legendary Global Seed Vault — humanity's backup hard drive for plant life.
2. Coober Pedy, Australia — Life Underground
In the scorching outback of South Australia, temperatures regularly crack 50°C (122°F). The solution? Move underground. The residents of Coober Pedy live in "dugouts" — homes carved directly into the hillside. You'll find underground churches, hotels, and even a golf course played at night under floodlights on a course with no grass.
3. Centralia, Pennsylvania — The Town That Burns
An underground coal mine fire has been burning beneath Centralia since 1962 — and shows no signs of stopping. Most residents were relocated, leaving behind a ghost town where smoke seeps through cracks in the road and sinkholes can swallow the unwary. The eerie landscape reportedly inspired the video game and film Silent Hill.
4. Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain — Built Into a Cliff
This small Andalusian village is wedged so tightly beneath an enormous overhanging rock that the cliff face literally forms the ceiling and walls of homes, cafés, and shops. Walking down the main street feels like stepping through a cave that someone decided to turn into a neighbourhood.
5. Whittier, Alaska — One Building, Entire Town
Almost the entire population of Whittier, Alaska, lives in a single 14-story building called Begich Towers. The post office, police station, medical clinic, and general store are all inside. Residents walk to work through a tunnel. The outside world is optional.
6. Kawah Ijen, Indonesia — The Blue Fire Volcano
Most volcanoes glow orange. Kawah Ijen glows electric blue. This is caused by ignited sulfuric gases that burn as blue flames — a phenomenon visible only at night. The turquoise acidic crater lake below is the largest of its kind on Earth. Visiting requires a night hike with a gas mask, but the reward is otherworldly.
7. Fordlândia, Brazil — Ford's Abandoned Jungle Utopia
In the 1920s, Henry Ford carved an American-style town out of the Amazon rainforest to grow rubber for his car empire. Complete with houses, hospitals, and a golf course, it was a spectacular failure. Today, Fordlândia stands as a surreal ghost town — a piece of industrial America slowly being reclaimed by jungle.
Plan Your Weird Adventure
Each of these destinations requires some research before you go — some are remote, some require permits, and a few demand specialist gear. But that's exactly the point. The most memorable travel stories never start with "I flew to the airport and took a shuttle to my hotel."