Britain is home to the horror-hungry, according to analysis of KAYAK.co.uk search data*, which has revealed a 51 per cent increase in planned trips of British travellers to 10 countries which are home to some of the world’s scariest destinations this Halloween, including Mexico City, Latvia and Romania. We took a closer look at some of the locations these thrill seekers could choose to visit – if they’re brave enough…
| 1. Night of the living dolls | 35% of these travellers have selected Mexico as their Halloween destination. Mexico is home to the Island of Dolls in Xochimilco for their Halloween getaway. The island once belonged to Julian Santana Barrera, who discovered the body of a dead girl in a nearby canal and began collecting discarded dolls and doll parts, which he would hang from the trees on his island in an attempt to ward off evil spirits. Julian Barrera died in 2001 – legend has it that the dolls came alive and drowned him in the canals… but legend or not the dolls still remain today, decaying amongst the trees. |  |
| 2. The Hill of Crosses | The second most popular destination, attracting 28 per cent of travellers, is Latvia. Brave holidaymakers could take a trip to The Hill of Crosses in Šiauliai. Established in the 1830s, it is said to contain at least 100,000 crucifixes and giant crosses and makes for an eerie setting, particularly once the sun has set. |  |
| 3. Ghost Town | In third place is the city of Kiev in the Ukraine, which was selected by 24 per cent of British Halloween holidaymakers where the daring could venture into the deserted ghost town of Prypiat. A giant Ferris wheel still stands in the centre of the town, decaying and motionless after the city was evacuated in 1986 following a malfunction in the Chernobyl reactor. |  |
*Data is based on flight searches from KAYAK.co.uk users for flights during the period of 1st October to 9th November 2013 to Mexico City, Mexico; Kiev, Ukraine; Summit county, Ohio; Riga, Latvia; Pardubice, Czech Republic; Sibiu, Romania; Mount Fuji, Japan; La Paz, Bolivia; Kansas City
(Preview photo cred: iStock.com/LindaMarieB)
