Hey world travelers, do you know Dark Tourist already? Dark Tourist is a bizarre documentary series from New Zealand about the phenomenon of Dark Tourism. Dark Tourism is a rapidly growing phenomenon where you look for places and experiences that are far from 'normal'. The Netflix program therefore does not go to the most beautiful beaches in the world, but instead dives into the dark side of tourism and goes in search of bizarre events and the most dangerous places in the world. Dark Tourist is presented by journalist David farrier† The series has eight episodes and is a must see for any world traveler seeking out-of-the-box experiences.
You can watch the official trailer at the top of this page. Are you curious about which places and topics are covered? Read the short summaries per episode below. If you want to dive right in: here you can immediately turn on the series on Netflix!
Dark Tourist episodes
Episode 1 | Latin America
David travels to Medellín, where he takes over the legacy of Pablo Escobar investigates. He later tours La Catedral with Escobar's former hit man Popeye† He then travels to Mexico City, where he meets followers of Santa Muerte and witnesses an exorcism before experiencing an illegal border crossing into the US.
Episode 2 | Japan
David embarks on a thrilling journey to Tomioka, who was evacuated during the Fukushima nuclear disaster, where he discovers higher than expected levels of radiation. He then stops at a hotel staffed solely by robots in the Huis Ten Bosch theme park before arriving in Aokigahara; a suicide hotspot. David's time in Japan ends on the deserted island of Hashima.
Episode 3 | United States
David joins Dark Tourist Natalie in Milwaukee, where they learn more about Jeffrey Dahmer by taking a tour of the sites of Dahmer's murders before meeting his attorney, Wendy Patrickus. David then visits Dallas, where he goes on two very different tours related to the JFK assassination. In his time America comes to an end in New Orleans, where he spends time with some real vampires.
Episode 4 | Kazakhstan & Baikonur
In Kazakhstan, David joins the Dark Tourist Andy and together they visit the city of Kurchatov, where they learn about the nearby test site Semipalatinsk, the main test site for the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons. David then travels through Kazakhstan to Baikonur, a closed city and home to the Soviet space program.
Also read: Kazakhstan is one of the 10 largest countries in the world
Flying over the border, David visits the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat, where he sees the personality cult surrounding President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, before trying, but failing, to visit the gates of Hell. After a short trip to the hospital, David hopes to see the opening ceremony of the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.
Also read: Kazakhstan to polls for economic reform
Episode 5 | Europe
Just outside Maidstone, David takes part in the world's largest WWII reenactment. After surviving a mock battle, David travels the width of England to Littledean, where he visits a controversial museum with an exhibit dedicated to Fred & Rose West and a Nazi-era lampshade supposedly made from human skin. As a result of his museum tour, David receives a call from Charles Bronson. Then he travels on Europe to Cyprus, where he tries to sneak in to Famagusta, a walled ghost town.
Also read: Worldly | Which are the safest and most dangerous countries in Europe?
Episode 6 | South East Asia
At a shooting range in Phnom Penh, supported by the Cambodian army, David gets his hands on a series of heavy artillery and is faced with a moral dilemma. David travels to Myanmar and visits the brand new capital Naypyidaw, which he discovers is significantly quieter than most capitals. While flying to Indonesia, David meets a Toraja man who has been "resting" for two years and participating in the Ma'nene funeral rites.
Episode 7 | Africa
In Ouidah, Benin, David learns more about Voodoo, and undergoes a voodoo disciple ritual under the god Thron. After that, he attended a ceremony that Kokou was much more violent in Lake Nokoué with the tofinu living on Ganvié Island. Traveling to Johannesburg, he investigates the township of Alexandra to see how dangerous such townships are. David's time in South Africa comes to an end in Orania, where he meets a small group of Afrikaner Nationalists before moving further north to Randfontein and meeting the Suidlander Survivalists.
Also read: Worldly | What are the safest and most dangerous countries in Africa?
Episode 8 | Back in the United States
Returning to the USA, David arrives in Los Angeles, where he takes part in a tour of the Manson Family murders and meetings with fans and friends of Manson. David flies across the country to Kentucky, where he visits a full-size replica of Noah's Ark before meeting a prepper in Virginia. On his final stop, he visits Tennessee, where he visits the scariest horror house in the world, McKamey Manor.
Also read: All National Parks in the United States of America | List
Guided tours “Dark Tourism” by FEG and Clio Muse
De European Federation of Tourist Guide Associations (FEG) organizes and hosts in collaboration with Clio Muse Tours 30 educational webinars on 'Dark Tourism' tours. Supported by the EU-funded RePAST project, these webinars, taking place from mid-January to the end of March 2021, are addressed to certified tourist guides in Cyprus, Germany, Poland, Greece, Bosnia, Kosovo, Ireland and Spain.
As a partner of RePAST, Clio Muse Tours has created eight digital tours, one for each of the countries included in the project. These tours came to life after developing a research methodology, evaluating numerous written and oral historical sources, journals, articles and books from university libraries and archives, as well as government reports and legal documents.
As part of the FEG's lifelong training, the Clio Muse tours, along with key RePAST results and other educational materials, will be used during the online webinars to introduce cultural tourism professionals to the etiquette of shady tourism tours.
The aim is to equip qualified tourist guides with the skills to deliver high quality meaningful and impactful experiences on location. With an increase in the popularity of dark tourism, we believe that these webinars will become a valuable resource in further developing qualified tourist guides operating in these countries and helping them highlight unseen aspects of the cultural heritage of these countries to bring.
