Travel Tip: Atomic Travels [ 0:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

There are only a few places in the world I wouldn’t travel to, and they’re probably not the places you think. In fact, I’m even open to traveling somewhere that has an—er, explosive history.

China has recently announced plans to open up a former atomic bomb test site, the Malan Base, in a remote military facility. This is the site where China detonated its first atomic bomb in 1964, and you’ll be able to get a first-hand look at its laboratories, dormitories, and an air raid shelter.

And if you really want to go post-apocalyptic, get ready to fill out some liability waivers. You can actually visit Chernobyl’s Exclusion Zone, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster. Trust me, you’ll be kept on a tight leash during the tour. But you’ll get a glimpse into the city of Pripyat which has sat abandoned and untouched since the devastating reactor explosion in 1986. You’ll also see the iconic amusement park and a decaying elementary school where pictures and lesson plans still sit on the walls.  You may even end with lunch in the power plant’s cafeteria.

Not up to the challenge? Stay a little closer to home and check out the Nevada Test Site in Mercury, Nevada.  Tours include a walk through Doom Town, a  sets constructed by the Atomic Energy Commission to test the effects of atomic weapons, as well as through radioactive disposal sites.

For more information, visit the Natural Disaster archives.

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