info@robinesrock.com
ROBIN ESROCK - BESTSELLING AUTHOR, SPEAKER, TV HOST
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • BOOKS
  • SPEAKING
  • BLOG
  • TV
  • PARTNERS
  • MEDIA
    • PHOTOS >
      • Favourite Photos
      • Esrock in Photos
      • Download Bio Photo
      • VIDEO
  • CONTACT

10 of the World's Most Inaccessible Countries

9/29/2015

0 Comments

 
If you’re a travel nut. you’ll probably want to go everywhere.  After all, there’s always something to discover – a landscape, a culture, a cuisine, or perhaps just an interesting person you’ll talk about for years.   There are however plenty of places that are not as inviting as we would like.  War, remoteness, politics, lawlessness, corruption  – there’s a number of reasons why you might want to steer clear of these places, or consider more viable alternatives.
1.    North Korea
​

As a Westerner, you’re going to have a hard time getting into North Korea, and if you do, an even harder time discovering the “real” North Korea.  Tourism is heavily controlled by the government, who restrict who can come in, where they can go, what they can see, and even who they can meet.  Photography is controlled (you can point and shoot only where they tell you to point and shoot), and visitors are accompanied by a North Korean chaperone at all times.
​2.    Bouvet Island
​

A volcanic island located in the South Atlantic Ocean, Bouvet Island is the most remote, uninhabited island in the world.   A friend of mine actually went there, filming a documentary about the world’s most travelled man.  What he found was a small rocky island, covered in glaciers, with no harbour or anchorage.  The nearest land base, Queen Maud Land is 1750km away in Antarctica, while South Africa's Cape Town is just a stone’s throw at 2500km away.  The island, 93% of which is covered in glaciers, is a Norwegian territory, and oddly, was used as a setting in the movie Alien vs Predator.   If you plan to be the world’s most travelled person, now you know where you have to go.
3.    Somalia
​

It has the longest coastline in Africa, blessed with long, undeveloped beaches.  But read anything about Somalia and you’ll probably see the words: war, terrorism, lawlessness, warlords, kidnapping, and murder.   The Economist reports a hotel in Mogadishu recommending guests having at least 10-armed guards, which can be quite a strain on the old budget. As for the national parks, reports state that most of the animals have been hunted for food, and are no longer protected by the government.   Landmark buildings have been destroyed from shelling, while museums have largely been looted. The government of Canada advises against all travel to Somalia, further advising any Canadians inside the country to leave immediately.  In the end, no beach is worth your life.
4.    Pitcairn Island
​

Although it is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world, Pitcairn Island does receive some some tourists.  Located in the South Pacific, the island is the last British territory in the Pacific. Most of the 50 people living there are descendants of mutineers on the doomed Bounty.   There are no flights to the island, and getting there largely depends on whether you can convince a research vessel, cargo ship or yacht from French Polynesia or New Zealand to drop you off.  Occasionally, cruise ships from Chile might stop by.  There’s a museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site full of rare birds, and a very sought-after postage stamp to chase upon your arrival.
5.    Myanmar
​

Visiting Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a hot traveller debate.   On the one hand, it’s people are known to be extremely hospitable, its culture rich, and its countryside beautiful.   The undeveloped state of tourism in the country has made many travellers feel an authenticity in their experience, perhaps lacking in other Asian countries.    However, the political turmoil and iron-fisted dictatorship in Myanmar has led to widely reported human rights abuses.     Still, roughly 350,000 tourists visit every year, although the government, who tend to prohibit independent travellers, strictly controls travel in and around the country.  Government approved agencies facilitate tour groups, but perhaps the most difficult aspect of visiting this country is deciding whether or not you should visit at all.
6.    The War Zones  (Iraq, Afghanistan, Northwest Pakistan)
​

Unless you’re a soldier, fighting for one side or the other, chances are you’re going to find it very difficult to enter into a warzone.  So you probably won’t find many not tourists, hitching around with an out-of-date Lonely Planet, hoping to take in the sites (RIP Palmyra), and interact with locals.     “Canadians who choose to stay despite the warning should be accompanied by professional security escorts at all times,” advises the Canadian Foreign Ministry, shortly after advising that nobody should enter Iraq in the first place.  ​
7.    Alert, Nunavut
​

Like basking in the sun?   In summer, head north to Iqualit,  Nunavit’s capital.  Once you there, get on a plane, and head north again, say about 2000km, and you’ll arrive in Alert, the most northernmost permanently inhabited place on earth.  Alert is just 800km from the North Pole.  From April to September, you can bask in sun 24 hours a day, but you’ll still need to cover up, as temperatures only breach, barely, 0C in July and August.  Of course, there are also 6 months of pure darkness, which must weigh heavy on the five permanent residents.    To join these Arctic researchers, you’ll have to hop aboard a scheduled military flight. ​
8.    Iran
​

Three US backpackers discovered what happens if you mistakenly set foot in Iran.  They were locked up as spies, suffering two years in prison before their release was negotiated.  It is a pity.   Iran has many historical monuments, beautiful mountains, lakes, and gorgeous beaches too.  It does market itself to tourists, and has invested in a tourism infrastructure, but just a fraction of those who visit are Westerners.    Iran’s political volatility makes it a difficult destination for travellers, who should consult established agencies and government offices before thinking of visiting.
9.    Area 51
​

It’s going to be extremely difficult to visit a place that officially doesn’t exist.  Even more so since this place that doesn’t officially exist has big fences with barbwire and very official looking signs warning trespasses that they will be arrested.     Area 51 is the legendary top-secret military base located in the Nevada desert.  UFO enthusiasts have long flocked to its well-protected edges drawn to legends of spaceships hovering over its area, and even aliens taken captive.   Only 83 miles from Las Vegas, the US deny using this space to test the latest aircraft and weapons.  Up until 1995, there were some viewpoints, but government agents, suspiciously dressed in black, have seized these areas.  Your best bet for a view is Tikaboo Peak, about 26 miles east, which requires a 4x4 and powerful set of binoculars.
10.    Tristan da Cunha
We’ve finally arrived at the most remote inhabited spot on earth, an archipelago in the Pacific located over 1750 miles from South Africa, and 2000 miles from South America.  The main island has a population of 275, which is a metropolis compared to the Pitcairn Island, but deals with the same challenges.  No airstrip, with supplies and few visitors breezing through on passing cargo ships.   The island’s 80 families share just 8 surnames, and are mostly farmers with smallholdings.   Tristan da Cunha is known for its remoteness, and also its wildlife, which include over a dozen breeding seabirds.   Before you hitch aboard a ship in Cape Town, you’ll need prior permission from the Island Council to land on Tristan, which includes a return ticket of passage.   There are two guesthouses, or you can stay with a local family as a paying guest. ​
0 Comments

10 Countries Most at Risk

9/11/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
In 1989, one of my favourite authors, Douglas Adams, set out around the world to find animals most at risk.   His book, Last Chance to See, tracked endangered animals and birds like the Aye Aye in Madagascar, China’s Yellow River Dolphin, and the Amazonian Manatee in Brazil.  Decades later, climate change and rising sea levels is threatening not only animals (see Elizabeth Kolbert's Pulitzer Prize-winning Sixth Extinction), but also entire nations.   These are the ones most at risk: ​
Vietnam 
​

Since emerging out of isolation in the 1980’s, Vietnam has become one of the world’s fastest growing economies.  Unfortunately, according to the World Bank up to 16% of its area, 35% of its people and 35% of its gross domestic product could be wiped out if sea levels rise by just 5 metres. Climate change has been detrimental to this Southeast Asian nation, with an increase in the severity of floods, drought and typhoons.   Entire blocks of Ho Chi Minh City were underwater at the end of 2011, with vast portions of the country flooded. ​
Kiribati
​

Straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean, the Republic of Kiribati is an island nation of 100,000 people, living on 32 atolls spread out over a staggering 3.5 million square kilometres.  Its largest urban centre, Tarawa, sits at less than 3m above sea level, with an average width of just 450 metres.  Besides rising sea levels, storm surges, drought, cyclones, and shoreline erosion have made it one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change.  Fortunately, with the aid of the World Bank, the Global Environmental Facility and others, Kiribati’s government has instituted a series of “adaption measures” it hopes will ensure its survival.
Tanzania
​

Deforestation, pollution, poaching, urban expansion, and now climate change are seriously threatening the future of 200 endangered animal species in Tanzania.  These include the black rhino, hammerhead shark, wild dog and bush baby.   Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Ministry of Environment reports that up to 80% of the glaciers atop Mount Kilimanjaro have vanished over the last 50 years, largely due to deforestation and warmer temperatures.  This could threaten drinking and irrigation water supplies for millions in the surrounding area. ​
Barbados
​

Barbados, a popular winter getaway located in the North Atlantic, is facing more intense hurricanes, coastal erosion, algae blooms, rising sea levels, and damaging coral bleaching.  The government has been working for nearly 30 years to protect its threatened coastal zone, which thanks to tourism, also serves as the country’s best economic resource.  It has spent millions of dollars helping to stabilize erosion along its 97km stretch of coastline, including building a waterfront promenade that doubles as a tourist attraction and coastal buffer for devastating windstorms.
Bangladesh
​

Floods, cyclones, and tornadoes devastate Bangladesh almost annually, and climate change is only making it worse.   Although it’s coastline is relatively small,  if sea levels rise just one metre, it will inundate up to 30% of the country, with a devastating impact on an estimated 40 million people.   Its monsoon season has been getting increasingly warmer and its winters cooler, causing glacial melt in the Himalayas and increased flooding of inland areas.  In 1998, the country saw the worst flooding in modern world history, displacing 30 million people and flooding two-thirds of the country.
Nepal
​

Rising temperatures have caused extensive glacier melting, and the result has been a serious increase in floods and landslides for Nepal.  Rainfall has become more unpredictable, typically followed by periods of drought, all of which has impacted communities around the country. Some towns have responded by growing a species of flood tolerant rice, or elevating tube wells to prevent water contamination during flood seasons.  Nepal is working with various environmental organizations to help the risk of glacier lake outburst floods, but remains constantly at threat.  All this beyond the catastrophe of earthquake. ​
Maldives
​

In 2009, the government of the Maldives drew worldwide attention to its environmental risk by holding a cabinet meeting underwater.  80% of the country’s 1200 islands in the Indian Ocean sit just one metre above sea level.  Some scientists predict the ocean will literally swallow the Maldives, displacing the country’s 390,000 population.   It took 14 years for the government to build a 3 metre high wall around the capital city of Male, protecting the population from tidal surges, but not from rising sea levels.  The government has looked at land purchases in Sri Lanka, India and Australia for the relocation of what could be the world’s first environmental refugees.
Bhutan
​

This landlocked Asian kingdom is located at the eastern end of the Himalayas, making it particularly vulnerable to melting glaciers, and the formation of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOF). Also known as the “silent tsunami”, a GLOF threatens whatever lies downstream – people and agriculture.  As temperatures continue to rise, the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers, the “water towers of the world”, spells the loss of fresh water reserves for millions of people.
Malawi
​

This poor, landlocked country in southern Africa does not have to worry about rising sea levels, but rather the onset of frequent and intense droughts.   The World Bank has identified the country as being most at risk from droughts, with temperatures rising above the global average, impacting crops and agriculture.  Disaster Risk Management faces a challenging mix of poor farmers, rapid deforestation and increasing soil erosion.  ​
Tuvalu
​

This Pacific Island nation sits on a string of nine coral atolls with the highest point being just 4.5 metres above sea level.    It has already reported losing one metre of land around the circumference of its largest atoll.  The country hopes to shift 100% to renewable energy by 2020, hoping to inspire other nations to do the same.   Meanwhile, increased salinity in the water has caused problems for what little agriculture the nation has.   The population of 12,000, living on just 26 square kilometres of land, has also toyed with the idea of resettlement abroad. ​
Picture
0 Comments
    Greetings. 
    ​Please come in. Mahalo for removing your shoes.


    ​After many years running a behemoth of a blog called Modern Gonzo, I've decided to a: publish a book or eight, and b: make my stories more digestible, relevant, and deserving of your battered attention.

    ​Here you will find some of my adventures to over 100 countries, travel tips and advice, rantings, ravings, commentary, observations and ongoing adventures.

    Previously...

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012


    Categories

    All
    Adrenaline
    Adventure
    Africa
    Airports
    Albania
    Alberta
    Anguilla
    Animals
    Antarctica
    Arctic
    Argentina
    Art
    Asia
    Australia
    Backpacking
    Bali
    Beaches
    Belgium
    Bike
    Boats
    Bolivia
    Books
    Brazil
    British Columbia
    Bucket List
    Bulgaria
    Cambodia
    Canada
    Caribbean
    Central America
    Chile
    China
    Climate
    Colombia
    Commentary
    Contests
    Cook Islands
    Costa Rica
    Croatia
    Cruise
    Cuba
    Czech Republic
    Denmark
    Diving
    Ecuador
    England
    Estonia
    Ethiopia
    Europe
    Family
    Finland
    Fishing
    Flying
    Food And Wine
    France
    Galapagos
    Gear
    Genealogy
    Georgia
    Germany
    Gift Guide
    Great Britain
    Greenland
    Halloween
    Hawaii
    Hike
    History
    Holland
    Hong Kong
    Horse
    Hotels
    Hungary
    Iceland
    India
    Indonesia
    Industry
    Interview
    Iran
    Ireland
    Islands
    Israel
    Issues
    Italy
    Japan
    Jordan
    Lakes
    Laos
    Latvia
    Lithuania
    Malaysia
    Malta
    Mancations
    Mauritius
    Mexico
    Mongolia
    Mountains
    Movies
    Myanmar
    News
    New Zealand
    Nicaragua
    North America
    North Korea
    Norway
    Nunavut
    Panama
    Papua New Guinea
    Peru
    Philippines
    Photo Galleries
    Portugal
    Quirky
    Rafting
    Reviews
    Rivers
    Road Trip
    Romania
    Russia
    Sailing
    Saudi Arabia
    Scotland
    Ski
    Slovenia
    Snowboard
    South Africa
    South America
    South Korea
    Speaking
    Sponsored
    Sport
    Sri Lanka
    Sustainability
    Sweden
    Taiwan
    Technology
    Thailand
    The Netherlands
    Tibet
    Tourism
    Train
    Transylvania
    Travel Tips
    Tunisia
    Turkey
    Ukraine
    United States
    Usa
    Vancouver
    Venezuela
    Victoria
    Vietnam
    Volcanoes
    Water
    Weird
    Winter
    Zanzibar
    Ziplining

    RSS Feed

Picture

Subscribe Now

​
​Subscribe to my newsletter for infrequent inspiration
​

Enter specific and clear language on the intended use of the collected information.

Latest Tweets

Tweets by robinesrock

Quick Links


Books

About

Speaking

Media

TV

Photo

Contact

 Copyright Esrock World Media 2005-2023 

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • BOOKS
  • SPEAKING
  • BLOG
  • TV
  • PARTNERS
  • MEDIA
    • PHOTOS >
      • Favourite Photos
      • Esrock in Photos
      • Download Bio Photo
      • VIDEO
  • CONTACT