Five Endangered Destinations

The Travel Channel has put together an interesting list of destinations that are in danger of losing their allure to the independent or adventurous traveler in the near future thanks to increasing globalism, tourist traffic, modernization, and more. They urge you to get to these places now, before the character and charm are gone forever.

The endangered destinations are:

Traditional China: China is modernizing at a startling rate, and they point to projects like the Three Gorges Dam as an indication of what is to come. When the dam was built, whole villages disappeared under water, along with countless ancient artifacts and sites. There was little regard to their cultural value, and it has changed the face of the area completely. As the next great Super Power, China seems more concerned with industrialization rather than preserving their traditional culture.

San Rafael Glacier, Chile: Two words sum this one up: Global Warming. As temperatures across the globe continue to go up, ice caps and glaciers are retreating everywhere. This site in Patagonia is changing rapidly, and it is only a matter of time before the glacier is gone altogether.

Quirky Caribbean: Travel Channel laments the loss of the independent, traditional Caribbean destinations. Those places are disappearing in favor of large, corporate resorts that lack charm and character. There are still a few places to go to get that old style, traditional feel, but you have to look much harder now.

The Red Sand Dunes of Namibia: These famous, otherworldly looking dunes look like something you would find on Mars rather than here on Earth. They are quickly disappearing though, thanks to natural erosion, but also because they are popular destinations for travelers who want to explore the area on quad-bikes and in desert safaris. There has been little effort to protect the dunes, and thus they are disappearing as more people trammel them.

Village Culture in Romania: While many places in Eastern Europe are losing their small village culture thanks to increased tourism, in the case of Romania, it's all about the strip mining business, which is only expected to increase if or when Romania joins the European Union. The area still has it's traditional charm, but industrialization will likely change that in the years ahead.

That's the list. Anything else we should add to it? Post a comment. And book your travel to these locations before they are gone.