Every year, lovers worldwide think of special ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day. While some prefer spending the night out in a fancy restaurant and gifting red roses, perfumes, and teddy bears, others look for more off-the-edge memorable moments and outstanding experiences with their partners.
If your partner is one of those into the unexpected, here comes a perfect idea that might haven’t crossed your mind yet to get out of the ordinary; a mind-blowing visit for adventure enthusiasts to one of the world’s most abandoned places.
Chernobyl, the site of the catastrophic nuclear disaster, will make a memorable experience your partner will never forget about. Therefore, this article will spotlight all the basics of touring Chernobyl.
Must-know things when heading to Chernobyl
It is exciting to visit a new place like Chernobyl, but it could still be dangerous going there without being well prepared for this adventure mentally and considerably. So, the following are key takeaways to consider regarding trip arrangements.
Tour guides
One basic demand to get to Chernobyl is finding a licensed and good tour company. It is not allowed for tourists to enter the territory alone since there are some areas considered to be very dangerous and still contaminated with high radiation degrees until now. Tour guides are experts with the place and can tell where it is safe to walk around and where it is not.
Chernobyl guided tours provide advantages like offering suitable accommodations, transporting travelers from and to the airport, offering food and drinks, and giving individual dosimeters to measure radiation in the place. In addition to small group tours of 10 to 15 people, organized tours make it an easy trip and ensure safety throughout the tour.
Official documents and requirements
To be able to visit Chernobyl, the first thing is to check for visa requirements. Residents of some European and eastern Asian countries are allowed to stay in Ukraine for 90 days or less without a visa, while residents of other areas need to apply for a tourist visa to be permitted to enter the country.
Other important documents travelers should keep their IDs or passports since they will be asked for them at the different checkpoints while heading to Chernobyl.
Personal vehicles
Some people wonder whether it is allowed to enter Chernobyl in their private vehicles. It depends on the kind of vehicle, for if it’s a motor vehicle, it is not allowed to travel to Chernobyl. However, private cars or buses are permitted to enter the city after getting authorities’ approval.
Clothes
Travelers need to keep in mind that they need to wear a suitable outfit that will protect them from harmful radiation. Generally, travelers should wear long-sleeved tops, trousers, and closed shoes and try to avoid clothes with lots of metal zips. If visiting Chernobyl in winter, remember that the winters are cold there, and you will need a heavy waterproof jacket, gloves, and a scarf to keep warm.
Sometimes, travelers must throw away clothes they wear in the city after returning if radioactive doses are stuck within. That is why it is advised to choose old clothes that will be ok to dispose of. Concerning protective masks and respirators, there is no need to wear any though tour companies would rent respirators for people who would like to follow safety precautions.
Languages
Besides Ukrainian, tours are conducted in English. English is fairly used there, and tour leaders also speak it very well.
Safety concerns
We have mentioned that dangerous areas in the city require following the guide’s rules and keeping a Geiger counter to measure radiation. Yet, saying this does not mean that Chernobyl is not a safe place to visit.
People have been visiting the city in large numbers for decades, and it is affirmed that the amount of radiation travelers are exposed to is similar to getting x-rays or taking a long flight since travelers stay for just a few hours at a time.
However, there are some tips to ensure increased safety. It is worth mentioning that some buildings around Chernobyl are decaying since they have been abandoned for a long time. So be careful when walking around urban areas.
Also, make sure to watch out for uncovered maintenance holes since people say that some metals are missing in certain places. Also, don’t touch anything that doesn’t need to be touched, and don’t be tempted to take anything as a souvenir from such a place.
Age and health limitations
When it comes to the permitted age for entering Chernobyl, people must be 18 years old or older. So, it is not permitted to bring children under 18. Also, people with long-term illnesses shouldn’t go there because it could be very bad for their health.
Places to explore in Chernobyl
People will be intrigued to view a range of interesting places. Taking a real walk in Chernobyl’s abandoned buildings greatly differs from reading about it. The empty streets and neighborhoods that were once bustling with life evoke an odd sensation.
Some of the places that tourists usually visit are the amusement park, Duga Radar, Reactor Number 4, and the Palace of Culture. The Red Forest is also a significant site, but it is one of the still dangerous sites. There is also the Chernobyl Museum in Kyiv, where tourists learn more about the scale of the Chernobyl disaster.
In the end, visiting such a place as Chernobyl is an exciting adventure, but at the same time, visitors should ensure they follow safety procedures to avoid unwelcome effects. This tour might have an unexpected emotional impact, so it is better to be prepared beforehand.
