Over thirty years ago on April 26, 1986, Ukraine became the host country to the worst nuclear disaster known to humankind. Seen as a modern day Pompeii, Chernobyl attracts a mass amount of tourists throughout the years it has been served to educate and demonstrate everyone about the dangers, consequences and life after the nuclear disaster.
My initial attraction towards visiting the danger zone was to finally visit a part of the world, where nobody was allowed to live anymore. Only a few insects on the grass did I witness during my visit, with no bird flying in the sky. With its history being so modern, I got to experience a part of life which many did not manage to escape the poisonous atmosphere after the explosion.
You can visit Chernobyl for one or two days, depending how much time you have to look at the city. The only thing I missed from the one day tour was a chance to look inside the hospital, which I was upset about missing. Of course, you are accommodated close-by but unable to sleep in Chernobyl. The drive from Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, to Chernobyl is roughly around two hours, and the tour guide waits in the city centre, where all the hotels are situated. Therefore they are very easy to find. Everybody is checked for radiation on clothing and so on so that everybody goes home safe and clean. The dosage of radiation is far less than a transatlantic flight, so there is nothing to be worried about. However, there are a few simple rules all tourists have to follow which are vital, and the tour guide goes through all of them before departing.
The whole experience is totally worth it, and I recommend it for any travel buff who enjoys learning about every aspect and country on earth. I highly recommend the tour group which I had the pleasure of being a part of, and here is their link to their website so that whenever you feel ready to embark on your new experience, you can book it straight away!
Maria Hanako van Straaten 