16. Snake Island, Brazil

If you aren’t a snake person (and let’s face it who is) then Snake Island in Brazil probably shouldn’t be on your holiday itinerary. There’s about one snake per square meter on the island, and all of them happen to be one of the most venomous snakes in the world: golden lancehead vipers. The island is uninhabited now, with the last residents rumoured to have been dispatched by the snakes!

17. Timbac Caves, Philippines

Luckily, you couldn’t stumble across Timbac Caves. They’re a five-hour car ride, and another five-hour hike through the Philippine landscape. But if you make it that far, you’ll find some very unusual mummies. Curled into a foetal position after death, the Ibaloi tribe smoke their dead, thereby drying them out and preserving them. And they’re just waiting for you to meet them.

18. City of the Dead, Russia

From a distance, Dargavs in Russia looks like a quaint mountain village, with around 100 little stone houses sitting on a hillside. Actually, all those little houses are crypts, and full of bones. But, many of the people in Dargavs were buried with their clothes and other personal items, so it is a little like the creepiest suburb ever.

19. Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

In 1993, Pope John Paul II visited Lithuania’s Hill of Crosses and declared it a place of hope, peace, love and sacrifice. We aren’t sure we agree. In fact, this pilgrimage site is downright creepy in our minds, with over 400,000 crosses estimated to be crowding over each other on the site. Definitely one to avoid after dark, unless you’re worried about vampires. Then it’s probably a great deterrent.

20. Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, Belize

If you thought Apocalypto gave you nightmares, how about the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave? It’s a bit of a mouthful, but peek inside and you’ll find the skeletal remains of 14 victims, all thought to have been Mayan sacrifices killed by blunt head trauma. Many of the victims are children, but the most famous is known as the ‘crystal maiden’, a skeleton that has become totally calcified, and appear to be covered in crystals.