8 Old Colonial Hotels You Can Still Stay In

Remnants of a bygone world, these colonial memorials are places of nostalgic luxury where century-old traditions are preserved with meticulous care. Their Victorian flavour is reminiscent of Agatha Christie stories (actually, the famous writer stayed in some of them herself).

Most of old colonial hotels are as unaffordable for the average traveller as they were a hundred years ago, but this apparent shortcoming is compensated for by their opulence, charm, rich history and a long list of famous guests. Get to know some of the most celebrated hotels in the world…

Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Opened in 1864

Facing the Indian Ocean, this very personal and unique hotel has been hailed as a masterpiece of Victorian architecture. Some of its guests have said that staying at Galle Face is alone a sufficient reason for visiting Sri Lanka.

What is more, staying at Galle Face is affordable. You can enjoy the dramatic sunsets over the Indian Ocean from its black-and-white chequerboard terrace and know that famous guests, such as Richard Nixon, Indira Gandhi, Jawaharlal Neru, Emperor Hirohito, Roger Moore, Yuri Gagarin have probably done the same.

The hotel has its own ‘landmark’ – a world-famous doorman, eight-eight-year-old Kuttan, proudly bearing the title of the most faithful employee in hotel industry. He has served Galle Face for 66 years since the days of the British Raj.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand

Opened in 1876

One of the oldest hotels in Asia, the famed Mandarin Oriental (formerly Oriental) is not cheap, but it certainly lives up to its reputation of superb service and opulent luxury. With a ratio of three staff per one guest, the hotel aims to make every visitor feel like royalty.

The famous guests include almost everyone who comes to mind – politicians, royalty, designers, celebrities such as Graham Greene, Sophia Loren, Alfred Hitchkock… Joseph Conrad did not stay at the hotel, but he was a frequent visitor to the bar.

In 1888, he arrived in Bangkok to take over the command of a ship whose previous captain died at sea, and spent many an evening swapping stories of far-off places in the bar of the Oriental. A few years later he would settle in England and take up writing full-time.

Raffles Hotel, Singapore

Opened in 1887

In 1886, the Armenian Sarkies brothers took over a harbour-facing building known as the Beach House. In December 1887, the new hotel opened and was named after the founder of the British colony in Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles.

Rudyard Kipling, who arrived in the same year, noted that the food was excellent but the rooms were bad. It seems the hotel has improved a great deal since then and has a guest list that looks like an edition of Who’s Who. Charlie Chaplin, Ginger Rogers, William Golding, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie have all stayed there.

One of Raffles‘ legendary, even if not overtly famous guests, was a certain Dutch archaeologist, Professor Callenfels, who drank up to three bottles of gin for breakfast alone and once ate every dish on the hotel’s menu. He then proceeded to do it all over again, only backwards.

Rumoured to be the place of mass suicide of 300 Japanese soldiers in the end of the Japanese occupation of Singapore in 1945 – in fact, only one such suicide has been proven – this famed hotel withstood wars, crises and disasters gracefully and is now a celebrated national monument.

Eastern & Oriental Hotel, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia

Opened in 1885

The Eastern Hotel in Penang – now a UNESCO world heritage site – was the first enterprise of the Sarkies brothers. Renamed Eastern & Oriental after a few years, it became commonly known as the E&O.

This hotel is one of the earliest major historic buildings still standing in Georgetown and is a charming legacy of Malaysia’s colonial past. Many of the historic features have been retained up to the present day, including the somewhat moody antique elevator and classic black-and-white tiled Victorian bathrooms.

E&O has welcomed celebrities such as Noel Coward, Herman Hesse, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham.

Pera Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Opened in 1892, will reopen in April 2010

The grand and opulent Pera Palace was built for the use of passengers coming from Paris to Istanbul on the Orient Express. It is located in a cosmopolitan quarter of Istanbul on a hill overlooking the Golden Horn and Bosphorus, a place of symbolic significance, where the East meets the West.

Pera Palace been frequented by politicians, writers and artists. The guest list includes name such as Mata Hari, Greta Garbo, Ernest Hemingway and Valeri Giscard d’Estaing.

The hotel had a very special place in the life of Agatha Christie. She stayed there many times between 1926 and 1932, and also wrote one of her best-known stories, Orient Express, in the hotel.

Winter Palace, Luxor, Egypt

Opened in 1886

Winter Palace, built in a typical British colonial style, soon became famous for its New Year’s Eve celebrations with masked costume balls. Taking part in hotel celebrations became a symbol of status and recognition. It was said to be the ultimate privilege to have one’s yacht moored along the quayside opposite the Winter Palace.

Agatha Christie is once again on the list of famous visitors, and it might have been here she got inspiration for her many stories set in Egypt.

It was on the notice board at Winter Palace that Howard Carter first announced the discovery of the tomb of Tutankamon in 1922. The famous Egyptologist frequented the hotel until his death.

Oberoi Grand, Kolkata, India

Opened in 1890

One of the oldest hotels in India, this colonial mansion is a haven of privacy, peace and old world charm in the hectic and exhausting city of contrasts that Kolkata is.

Boasting celebrity guests such as Melinda Gates, Ricky Martin and the Queen of Bhutan, Oberoi Grand used to be the favourite destination of princely Indians and local and international celebrities alike.

It is still one of the best hotels in India and perhaps the best hotel in Kolkata, a city is rich in top of the range hotels. The grand dining room offers different international buffet every night of the week as well as an exquisite Sunday lunch buffet, popular with locals and tourists alike

Mount Nelson Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa

Opened in 1899

Mount Nelson Hotel was the fruit of the imagination and determination of shipping magnate Sir Donald Currie. The first visitors were the European high society travellers and the nouveau riche who partied and celebrated at the wake of Anglo-Boer war that broke out in the end of 1899. A young Winston Churchill was then a regular guest as a newspaper correspondent reporting on the war.

Since these troubled days, the walls of Nellie, as it is affectionately known, have survived three wars and many changes of government. They have welcomed the rich, the famous and the royal. Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and more recently Charlize Theron, Robbie Williams, Bono and Oprah have all stayed at Mount Nelson.

This white mansion boasts breathtaking views of the Table Mountain, and is striking in its colonial grandeur that South Africa is so famous for. Mount Nelson still serves high tea in the afternoon and champagne before dinner.

Additional photo credit: Pera Palace Hotel by Inga Kastrone

Best Round-The-World Travel Blogs

Here at BootsnAll, we’ve been trying to inspire and help people plan round the world (RTW) trips for over a decade now. We also host thousands of travel blogs ourselves, with many of them being RTW journals and sites. You might already realize that there are so many thousands of travel blogs out there that finding the best of the best is just about impossible, but that hasn’t stopped us from at least trying to point out some excellent sites that we consider to be among the finest.

First off, what makes a great travel blog?

If you are interested in just keeping track of your journey for your own sake and the interests of friends and family, then it’s totally fine to use an existing template and just cover whatever you prefer. But if you want to put together a site that will appeal to people who’ve never met you, it’s a bit more complicated. Everyone has their own preferences, but generally speaking these are the things that will make your site stand out and appeal to a wider group of people:

• Use lots of photos, on almost everything.
• Make sure your site is easy to navigate, so people who enter on any one post can easily find posts on the same topic or different topics.
• Create an “About Me” page that is easy to find (If random readers can’t tell if you are a 22-year-old female backpacker or a 51-year-old man on a temporary retirement, it’s much harder to feel a connection with you).
• Be opinionated.
• Use lots of photos (seriously).

Here are some RTW blogs that we feel stand out:

Gobackpacking.com

This started out as a standard RTW blog written by a guy in Virginia, USA, who spent 20 months on the road, but now it’s being expanded into a helpful resource for independent travelers. It’s nicely designed and easy to read and navigate, but the content itself is the key. His article describing the actual costs of a RTW trip is a great example of the practical advice he dispenses. And it seems he is looking to expand through outside collaborators now too, so check the site if you are interested.

Nomadicmatt.com

If you follow the online travel and social media community, chances are you’ve heard of Nomadic Matt. He’s another who hit the road a few years back and has barely slowed down since. His site is filled with really helpful tips, and he isn’t afraid to be opinionated, which is refreshing. On his site you might miss his actual blog, but it’s worth a look, especially for solid entries like this recent post called Everyone Say I’m Running Away.

Everything-everywhere.com

Gary Arndt brings a fresh perspective to his site. He’s an entrepreneur who has evidently done well enough to afford a life more or less on the road since 2007. Most RTW blogs concentrate on hostel dorms and barely-existent budgets, so it’s nice to read posts by someone who isn’t forced to travel as a backpacker. Gary is also a good writer who has lately become a key player in the travel social media community, including as the host of a new weekly podcast called This Week in Travel. His site also features a stream of great photographs, so it has the distinction of also making our Best Photo Blogs list.

Alittleadrift.com

This site is the work of a 25-year-old Florida native who says she had a “quarter-life crisis” and decided to hit the road in 2008. She’s a good writer who does an excellent job organizing things so the site is easy to navigate, and there are always plenty of great photos too. She also puts together articles that are meant for a broader audience, including her budget tips and declaration that RTW travel can be cheaper than you might realize.

Ottsworld.com

Sherry Ott was in her 30s when she decided the corporate world just wasn’t for her anymore. She traveled around for around two years and has been based in Vietnam for about a year, teaching English. Now she’s on the road again, but she’ll continue to write and try to help others break away from the corporate grind. If you are unsure whether you can or should hit the road yourself, have a look at her section on taking a career break.

Wherethehellismatt.com

You already know this guy, Matt, from his amazingly inspirational and successful videos of him doing the same goofy dance in some of the most picturesque places on earth. His first trip and video got him so much attention that Stride Gum sponsored a second one and then a third one. He’s now been to 80 countries, at last count, and does actually have a proper travel blog/journal on his site, in addition to the videos and such.

Forksandjets.com

Some colleagues and I discovered this one a few months ago, and we were immediately hooked. It’s written by a pair of “amateur foodie traveloguers” who left Los Angeles in 2008 for a nomadic lifestyle, and the moment the page loads you’ll see they also have a definite sense of style. Once you get past that cool retro look and font you’ll notice that the site is filled with great photos and stories on the food and culture everywhere they go. Check out their observations and frustrations with Morocco as a good example.

Nodebtworldtravel.com

Brian described his mission as “One guy’s attempt to travel as far around the world as he cheaply can” and he’s another who has made a name for himself in the online travel social media circles. It’s not so much a travel journal anymore as it is a useful hub for travel information and advice. He’s recently put together an ebook, in which he’s compiled some of his best stuff. One great example of his style is his article discussing just how much can you save by staying in hostels instead of hotels.

Kiwifamily

This is one of the busiest travel blogs hosted here at BootsnAll, and it should be inspirational to anyone thinking about long-term travel with kids. In their own words, this is about “A Kiwi family with eight kids and a grandpa chronicle their pilgrimage from Singapore to London and beyond…..overland all the way.” You don’t see many large families on the road, so it’s interesting to read about some of the unique challenges, like this post from Bulgaria.

Theworldeffect.com

Here’s another one that is new to us, but caught our eye quickly. It’s written by a couple who obviously have a great sense of visual style. Right now they are in Africa and they have posted some of the finest pictures we’ve seen on a travel blog. An excellent example is this fairly recent post from Serengeti National Park.

Livingspree.wordpress.com

This site is also written by a couple who thought about dropping out of the rat race, and then went ahead and did it. They’ve been a lot of places, and this one isn’t the easiest to navigate, but it’s filled with good writing and useful information. Folks thinking about going to Southeast Asia might especially appreciate the way they break down their exact expenses. Particularly interesting is this post called Wish I Knew It Last Month, where they collect their best tips and insights from the road, after plenty of experience.

Roundtheworldticket.com

This one isn’t a RTW blog in the traditional sense, but we’ll forgive that since it’s part of our own travel network. It’s a site that is loaded with RTW-specific advice and resources, and even though it’s not as active as it once was, you’ll still find some interesting stuff here. In particular you might be interested in Places You Should See on your RTW Trip and Not So Obvious Reasons to Go on a RTW trip.

Do you know of any great RTW travel blogs that we didn’t include? There are lots of fantastic sites out there, so if you know of a site that deals with circling the globe, let us know in the comments.

Photo by aranarth on Flickr

31 Places to Go for Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, you may be wondering where some of the spookiest, creepiest, eeriest, most haunted and/or best places to visit on Halloween are located around the world. Places where mummies stare back at you or ghosts roam the hallways, caves where witches hide from the world or dungeons where people were once imprisoned and tortured are scattered throughout the world, giving the heebie jeebies to travelers and residents alike.

So, in honor of this spooky holiday, here is a list of the 31 creepiest Halloween destinations around the world. And, we’re not talking fake haunted houses and corn mazes with paid actors. We’re talking downright terrifying places where mysterious happenings occur year-round and which are guaranteed to give you goose bumps. From haunted prisons to caves to catacombs, these bone chilling places will scare the daylights out of you, and may just give you nightmares for weeks.

1. Mummy Museum, Guanajuato, Mexico

Mummified remains look at visitors in Guanajuato

Their haunting faces and hollowed eye sockets will make you quake in your boots. Teeth exposed from open mouths, fingers stiffly crooked for eternity, grey skin clinging to protruding hip bones and ribs, shoes still laced on unmoving, shriveled feet… The Mummy Museum in Guanajuato will haunt you long after your return from this picturesque Mexican colonial town nestled in the hills of the highlands in Mexico. However, these mummified remains are still a mystery to this day.

The mummies were originally exhumed when families were unable to pay a burial tax due each year for deceased relatives. When a family was unable to pay the tax, the body of their relative was exhumed and put on display in the mummy museum. The puzzling part? Rather than decomposing the way bodies usually do after being buried, these corpses were naturally mummified, leaving clothes, skin and sometimes hair preserved and intact. The reason? Some hypothesize it has something to do with the mixture of minerals in the soil, some think there is something a little more paranormal going on.

Either way, after an afternoon in this creepy museum full of mummies of all shapes and sizes (there are even baby mummies that look creepily like little dolls), you are guaranteed to have the heebie jeebies.

2. St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland

St. Michan’s Mummies

Although St. Michan’s church in Dublin, Ireland was founded in the mid 16th century and has the oldest organ still in use in the entire country, this next creepy destination is much more known for the vault that lies beneath the church. Down a limestone and mortar tunnel that extends below the church is a series of galleries for placing coffins.

Some galleries have been sealed off with wooden or iron doors, others have been left open. Through the iron doors of some, visitors can take a peek at a multitude of coffins laying helter skelter, the occasional arm or leg poking from the coffin lid. Then, in one of the open chambers, deep in the dark, damp tunnels below the church are 4 caskets with the lids completely removed, exposing mysteriously mummified remains—corpses partly covered with a layer of taut, leathery skin. Three of the four coffins lie in a row with a woman on the right, a man with a hand cut off and both feet missing in the center and a nun on the left. Some hypothesize the corpse is missing limbs because he was a thief and was punished by having them cut off, others believe he was simply too large to fit in the casket.

The final mummy in the vaults of St. Michan’s is a man believed to have been a soldier returned from the crusades, whose body is cut in half to fit in the casket and whose hand lifts eerily into the air. If visitors are brave enough to venture further into the underground vaults, they can see the caskets of the Sheare brothers, who were hanged, drawn and quartered in punishment for treason after an uprising in 1798. The most mysterious thing about the mummies of St. Michan is that no one understands why these bodies have not decomposed like others in surrounding areas. Maybe it’s the climate in the underground vaults, maybe it’s the high concentration of lime in the soil, or maybe it’s just something a little more paranormal and a lot spookier. It’s up to you to decide.

3. Catacombs of Paris, France

Hallowed eyes peer on visitors to the Paris Catacombs

Although a popular tourist attraction year-round, the famous catacombs of Paris are a particularly good place to visit in honor of Halloween. The underground ossuary, which was organized in a section of the city’s vast network of underground tunnels in the 18th century, were designated as a place to store the remains from condemned cemeteries in the Paris city limits. In the late 1700s, bodies from several burial grounds in Paris were moved into the underground tunnels. The result is the mass stacking of bones you see today, with skulls and femurs lining the walls like decorations.

The creepy Parisian catacombs have also inspired ghostly stories for generations. King of creepy, Edgar Allen Poe uses the Paris catacombs as a reference in his story the “Cask of Amontillado” and there have been several books written about vampires who seek refuge among the bones and dead in the catacombs. Who knows, maybe the next time you are roaming the bone filled tunnels below Paris you may just see a monster living among the dead.

4. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic

Tilted tombstones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague

The cracked and cock-eyed tombstones in the Old Jewish Cemetery in Prague date back to the 15th century and this cemetery is the second oldest Jewish burial site in all of Europe. The crooked graves and tombstones, with caskets protruding from the ground in some places, give this cemetery a definite creepy crawly feel.

It is unknown how many people are actually buried in this cemetery, because the tombs have been layered on top of each other. In fact, it is because Jews were forbidden to bury their dead outside of their own quarter that these layers of tombs and stacked remains (there are thought to be twelve) exist. Surrealist author Franz Kafka also often enjoyed periods of reflection in this creepy, old graveyard. Perhaps he was seeking inspiration for his next work.

5. San Bernardino Ossuary, Milan, Italy

Decorative skulls on display

In a non-distinct and rather unassuming church in Milan is a church full of bones. As you turn the corner in this plainly decorated little church and venture down a cold, narrow hallway (I’m getting the creeps just thinking about it) you find yourself in a chilly, one-room chapel with walls lined with human bones. The cages along the walls, holding skulls and leg and arm bones, are stacked high to the ceiling – but rather than just utilitarian piles or plain old orderly stacks, most of the bones are arranged in a decorative fashion, including several large panels where the bones are formed into cross-like designs.

In wire cases along the back doors are the skulls from individuals who had been beheaded in a nearby piazza outside the modern day La Scala opera house. As it turns out, this chapel in San Bernardino alle Ossa became a storage place for bones when a cemetery next door became full, and in 1210 a room was built to house the bones of deceased. So, since the 13th century, dead people (and maybe their spirits) have been housed in this little church in Milan. What says Halloween better than hanging out with a bunch of bones?

6. Bhangarh, India

Monkeys and ghosts are the only overnight guests here

In a ghost town in the Rajasthan state of India between Jaipur and Alwar City, there remain ruins from a once prosperous town that was mysteriously and abruptly abandoned. Although tranquil during the day, it is said no one dares to hang out in this ghost city after dark because, as legend has it, a curse forced the whole town to be vacated overnight. While some may scoff at this myth, even the Archaeological Survey of India has placed its office near Bhangarh close to a temple to protect it from spirits of the town and has placed a sign stating: “Staying after sunset is strictly prohibited in this area.”

There is a myth surrounding this ghost town that involves a princess and a magician who fell madly in love with her. The magician tried to use his black magic to make the princess his sexual slave, but was killed when his plan was foiled. Legend has it that as the magician died; he cursed the city and wished eternal death upon any person dwelling in the town. The following year, there was a huge battle in the town, which killed everyone involved. Since then, it has been said that anyone who dared to live in Bhangarh would have their roof collapse and would die—which is mysterious as today all of the ruins of houses are without a roof. Whether the creepy legend is true or not, if the Archaeological Survey of India thinks this place is too dangerous at night, so do I.

7. Dia de los Muertos Celebration, Oaxaca, Mexico

Parade goers on Day of the Dead in Oaxaca

On All Hallows Eve, Mexican families are known to don costumes, visit the graves of their loved ones, and hold parades in honor of their deceased friends and relatives. Although practiced all over Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is one of the most important celebrations in Oaxaca, as well as one of the most visited events by outsiders. Skeletons are the decoration of choice, and locals pass cemeteries with food, music and drinks, emphasizing both death and celebration at the same time.

The Day of the Dead is a tradition that fused macabre celebrations from Europe with ancient Mayan and Aztec traditions, which resulted in the modern day festivities. The Day of the Dead celebration in Oaxaca is known as one of the largest and most boisterous in all of Mexico, and with skeletons decorating the entire city, lots of traditional food and drinks made in honor of the dead, and a large cemetery parade, Oaxaca is one of the best places for any traveler to visit on Halloween. It will get you in the Halloween spirit and have you wishing Halloween in the United States was as colorful and involved as much pageantry as it does in Mexico.

8. Sedlec Ossuary, near Kutna Hora, Czech Republic

A bone chandalier at Sedlec Ossuary

Although there are a scattering of ossuaries across Europe, where bone filled walls will give anyone the creeps, this famous ossuary in Sedlec in the Czech Republic is one of the largest, most ornate and spookiest ossuaries of them all. It is thought there are 40,000-70,000 human skeletons in this church, which have been artistically arranged to form decorations and furniture in the church. The site of the church has long been a cemetery, but during the Black Death that swept Europe and killed thousands, a church was built at the site to make room for all of the dead.

Around 1400, the gothic style church was built and the lower chapel was used to house the mass amount of graves unearthed during construction. A monk was given the task of exhuming remains and stacking the bones in the chapel. In 1870, with the hundreds of thousands of bones in disarray, woodcarver named Frantisek Rint was hired to organize the heaping piles of bones. The result was a macabre masterpiece, including bell shaped mounds of bones in the corners of the chapel, an enormous chandelier made from bones (which contains at least one of every bone in the human body), and garlands of skulls draping the walls. There is even a coat of arms made from bones and the signature of Rint written using bones. The ossuary has been the backdrop for the movie Dungeons and Dragons, Blood and Chocolate and the novel The Black Angel for its extremely creepy decor.

9. Feng-Du “Ghost City,” China

Entrance to the gates of Hell at the Ghost City

Feng-Du is a necropolis built into a mountain in China that holds the realm of the dead and is the entrance to the Chinese Hells. This famous ghost city was made even creepier when the Three Gorges Dam was completed and left Feng-Du an island, with parts of the ghostly palace submerged underwater. On Ming Mountain, which is said to be one of the 72 graveyards for Taoism, there are 75 Buddha and Tao temples. It was here on Ming Mountain that it is thought the dead gather near the “spirit world,” lending the name of ghost city to Feng-Du.

There are many magic stories that come from this ghost city and it is believed by some that Feng-Du has become a place for terrible spirits, haunted by tormented souls. As the only ghost city in China, there is a yearly celebration here in March, which includes “Spirit Shows” honoring the spirits that haunt Feng-Du. With the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, now generations of tombs have been consigned to the depths of the Three Gorges Reservoir and the ghosts of Feng-Du will be joined in their watery home by those whose descendants have been forced to desert them.

10. Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France

The ghosts of Paris’ past haunt Pere Lachaise

If you like the idea of walking the corridors of cemeteries on Halloween, than Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is the place to do it. With its miles of tombstones and mausoleums, Pere Lachaise is the mother of all cemeteries. The old burial place is not only home to many French greats (not to mention American rock musician Jim Morrison, probably the cemetery’s most famous resident), but the cemetery’s above ground tombs, statues and thousands of tombstones make for a perfect, creepy Halloween backdrop.

In the fall, golden and red leaves cling to the dying branches of trees in the cemetery, making October the perfect, eerie time to explore this huge cemetery. Surrounded by the ghosts of Balzac, The Doors music legend, and Chopin, visitors might get goose bumps and feel their skin crawl in this sprawling land of the dead. Or perhaps they will feel inspired by the souls of the deceased French poets, leaders and authors. Obviously, you’ll need to visit for yourself to see what effect this place has on you.

11. Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s Castle), Romania

Bran Castle was the rumored home of real-life Dracula

A fortress situated on the border of Transylvania and Walachia in Romania, this castle was the home of the Bram Stoker’s legendary Dracula character, which has led to persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad Dracula, or “Vlad the Impaler,” who was a ruler in the area known for the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign and which inspired Stoker’s famous book.

The cruel leader who was rumored to live in this castle was mostly known for his preferred method of executing his opponents which was called “bung poling,” where the person was dropped upright onto a sharpened tree trunk starting from between the legs and forcing the tree trunk through the chest or neck. It is rumored Vlad “Dracula” would impale thousands at the same time, often leaving the bodies on the stakes decaying for months. Whether Vlad actually lived in Bran Castle is uncertain, but what better place to visit on Halloween than the Dracula’s Castle, which has inspired a plethora of terrifying vampire tales.

12. Fremantle Prison, Australia

The haunted halls and cells of Fremantle Prison

This prison in Western Australia has a long sordid history and served as a place of incarceration for almost 150 years. Its inmates included British convicts, local prisoners, enemy aliens and prisoners of war. In the twentieth century, the prison became a maximum security facility, where the worst and most dangerous criminals were kept. The prison was also the site of a number of hangings, which were carried out at 8am every Monday, and put to death some of the country’s most dangerous murderers. Because of its violent and creepy past, this prison is rumored to be haunted by a variety of ghosts, who roam the halls, cells, gallows and tunnels underneath the prison.

The Government of Western Australia runs daily and nightly tours of this haunted, creepy prison, including one tour that takes you into terrifying water filled tunnels that run beneath the prison and connect to some of the solitary confinement cells. A nighttime tunnel tour beneath an old, creepy prison sounds like an excellent, albeit terrifying, way to celebrate Halloween.

13. Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland

Plague and murder victims haunt Mary King’s Close

This series of underground closes in the Old Town area of Scotland have been shrouded in myths and mysteries for centuries. The closes, which were once narrow street passageways that were later closed by using the surrounding buildings as foundations for newer ones, make up a network of dark and creepy underground tunnels.

Blood-curdling tales of ghosts and murders, as well as stories of plague victims being cast into the close and left to die have given this close a particularly terrifying mystique. Edinburgh is internationally renowned for its strange paranormal activity and dark tales, and these underground tunnels seem to be one of the more haunted areas of the city. There is even a dark corner in the close where visitors leave stuffed animals in attempt to appease the ghost of a woman who was murdered in the tunnels centuries ago. It is said her ghost, as well as others, haunt visitors, making these ghost filled tunnels the perfect place to experience the paranormal this Halloween.

14. Rose Great Hall House, Montego Bay, Jamaica

The Great White Witch still haunts her former home

Once the home of Annie Palmer, who is also known as the Great White Witch, this old plantation home in Jamaica is said to be haunted by the witch herself, as well as the people she is said to have murdered in the home. Annie Palmer, who was the wife of a powerful sugar plantation owner, was known as a cruel and gruesome mistress who tortured and killed her slaves for the smallest infractions. The Great White Witch was also known to take her slaves to bed and then murder them when she grew tired of them, burying them in unmarked graves on the property. It is thought she also murdered her first husband, John Palmer, and avidly practiced Voodoo. It was her Voodoo practices, including sacrificing human infants, and black magic that earned Annie Palmer the reputation of the Great White Witch. Rumor has it Palmer was finally murdered to stop her cruelty.

Despite efforts to entomb the witch’s body and build a grave that would prevent her from rising and roaming the grounds of the plantation, the Great White Witch continues to haunt the house to this day. According to local legend, the White Witch and her victims actively haunt the house and she has been seen wearing a green velvet dress and riding a black horse, whip in hand. She has also been heard walking the halls of the house, and cries of the babies and slaves she murdered have been heard filling the halls. Voices are reportedly sometimes heard coming from the dungeon where she tortured victims, and lights commonly are switched on and off throughout the house with no one around. If you are brave enough to explore this house, then prepare to come face to face with the ghost of the Great White Witch.

15. La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Above ground tombs in La Recoleta Cemetery

This impressive cemetery is as beautiful as it is creepy. It is decorated by elaborate marble mausoleums, Greek columns and tall gates. Located here are the graves of some of Argentina’s most influential and important figures, including presidents, scientists and wealthy landowners. While the cemetery is a popular tourist destination and many of the mausoleums are well-maintained, there are others that have creepy cracks and lids jolted off coffins, which perhaps happened as souls of the dead tried to escape and haunt the cemetery.

The other spooky part of La Recoleta Cemetery? There is a colony of feral cats, which reside within the gates. The cats mostly hide during the day, but come out at dusk in anticipation of a group of women who come to the cemetery each day to feed them. Something about the imagery of feral cats living among tombs just seems so Halloween–making this a great spot to visit on October 31.

16. Manchac Swamp, Louisiana, United States

Manchac Swamp is home to Voodoo magic and ghosts

New Orleans has long been high on the list of many seeking out haunted locations full of Voodoo, black magic and all things dark and scary. Located outside of the city is the notoriously haunted and scenic Manchac Swamp, which has been ranked over and over again as one of the creepiest places on Earth. As night approaches, it is said that you can see the red eyes of ghost alligators as they float above the dark waters, following any visitors as they venture deep into the spooky depths of the swamp.

Tours that carry torch lamps will take you into the depths of this eerily silent swamp, where it is rumored you can hear creatures of the night singing bewitching songs, and see victims from a 1915 tidal wave which carried hundreds to their death in the swamp floating beneath the surface of the water. There are also stories about the ghosts of pirates, swamp witches and restless spirits haunting the swamp under a Voodoo curse. This swamp didn’t get the name Haunted Swamp for nothing, so venture into this spooky swamp past dark only if you dare.

17. Haunted Well of Himeji Castle, Japan

The well haunted by the ghost of Okiku

Thirty miles west of Kobe, Japan are the well-preserved remains of an imposing wooden castle at Himeji. The haunted Okiku’s Well, located near the Hara-kiri Maru (Suicide Gate) where people were forced to commit ritual suicide by disembowelment (defeated Japanese soldiers were often forced to commit suicide), was not dug as a source of drinking water, but rather was created as a means of washing away the blood of the suicide victims and was named after a woman who died there. In Japanese culture, ghosts take on different forms and Yuurei ghosts are those that were murdered or committed suicide.

The most hauntings by Yuureis come from wronged female spirits. Okiku was a servant for a lord who lived in the castle, and she was wrongly accused of stealing one of a collection of precious plates. Okiku was tried and found guilty and was punished by being tortured, sexually assaulted and killed. Okiku’s body was thrown into the well and because of the way she died it is believed her soul could find no eternal peace. It is said Okiku haunts the well today, where in the early morning hours you can hear her screams rising from the depths of the well where her mutilated body was tossed centuries ago. So, if you find yourself in Japan this Halloween, make a trip to Himeji’s castle, camp out near Okiku’s well and wait to see if you hear the woman’s ghost screaming from below.

18. Ballygally Castle, Ireland

Spend a haunted night in the Ballygally Castle

Located in Northern Ireland, this castle overlooks Ballygally Bay and is now a hotel. It is also reputed to be one of the most haunted places in all of Ireland. It is said that one of the castle’s former residents, Lady Isobel Shaw, amuses herself even in death by knocking on the doors of different rooms and then disappearing abruptly (as ghosts are wont to do).

Lady Shaw, who was locked in her room and starved by her husband, leapt to her death from a window of the castle, and it is said she has not left the property since. Another former resident, Madame Nixon, is said to have been seen roaming the halls of the hotel in her silk dress. If you are feeling brave this Halloween, get a room in this hotel and see if you experience any paranormal activity.

19. Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney, Australia

There are a million dead buried at Rookwood Cemetery

The largest cemetery in the southern hemisphere, the Rookwood Cemetery (also known as Rookwood Necropolis) is of course home to corpses as well as rumored hauntings and paranormal activity – but it’s unlikely you’ll visit many cemeteries with more than a million corpses in it. In fact, this is probably the most impressive cemetery you’ve ever seen and is a city in its own right (hence the name of Necropolis, or city of the dead). This is not just an historic site, however, as it’s still in operation as a cemetery – it’s the largest Victorian era cemetery still in use today anywhere in the world.

You can join a tour during the daytime, but it seems much more appropriate to take one of the many twilight tours on offer, don’t you think? With the immense numbers of graves, mausoleums and a crematorium, there are plenty of creepy nooks and crannies to explore for any visitor to explore at any time of year, but this city of the dead can become particular interesting (and spooky) at Halloween time. Who knows, maybe you’ll just see a restless soul wandering among the million tombstones.

20. Capuchin Crypt, Rome, Italy

Bone decor at the Capuchin Crypt

Located in a small space comprised of several tiny chapels in Rome, the Capuchin Crypt is the final resting place for over 4,000 Capuchin monks, who died between 1528 and 1870, as well as several poor Roman citizens. There are six total rooms in the crypt, where large numbers of bones are nailed to the walls in intricate patterns and some bones create working light fixtures and chandeliers.

There are themes for each of the rooms, including a room decorated using bones in honor of the Resurrection, a room full of skulls, one with pelvises, and another with leg and thigh bones. There is also a crypt of three skeletons, which include a center skeleton holding a scythe (a symbol of death). A sign in the last chapel reminds visitors that “As you are now, we once were. As we are now, you one day will be.” Although visitors flock to this crypt at all times of the year, I can imagine few spookier ways to spend Halloween than in crypts decorated with human bones.

21. Raynham Hall, Norfolk, England

The famous Brown Lady photo

This haunted hall in Norfolk, England is home to arguably one of the most famous ghost pictures of all time – and if you’re a ghost story lover, then pay no attention to the people who have decried it as an obvious hoax. The picture is of a woman known as the “little brown lady of Raynham” descending a staircase in Raynham Hall. The ghost is supposed to be that of Lady Dorothy Townshend, who married the Hall’s owner (Lord Townshend) in 1713.

Lady Townshend is said to have died in 1726, but rumors at the time said that instead of dying she was actually locked up in the house by her husband. So, whether you believe in ghosts or not, it’s easy to see why Lady Townshend might very well haunt the halls of her former home and prison since her death (whenever that actually was). The photograph of the Raynham Hall ghost was made in 1936, but since that time no sightings of the ghost have been reported in the Hall. In fact, more recently there have been reports that indicate Lady Townshend might have moved house herself to a different spot in Raynham. But why don’t you hang around in Raynham Hall all night on Halloween to find out for yourself?

22. The Chase Vault at Christ Church, Barbados

Coffins were mysteriously moved in the Chase Vault

A great unsolved mystery revolves around an old burial vault in this church that was built on a high, windswept hill overlooking the Caribbean. The Chase Vault is the location of this sinister and chilling mystery, which took place sometime between 1807 and 1820. Often called the Barbados Tomb Mystery, this story has been repeated thousands of time and is often found in books of the best global ghost stories.

The tomb, which was built to house deceased members of a rich plantation family named Chase, is made up of limestone and was tightly sealed with a large hunk of marble at the entrance. Several members of the Chase family had been buried in the vault between 1808 and 1816, when the vault was reopened in 1816 in order to place the coffin and body of Samuel Brewster inside. However, when the family opened the vault, there were met with a scene of mystery. Not only was the 240 lb. lead coffin of Thomas Chase in the wrong location, all of the coffins except the first coffin to be placed in the vault were in disarray. Despite there being no evidence of the seal from the marble door had been opened, fine sand was placed inside the vault before it was resealed in order to catch the footprints of anybody who may enter the vault. When the vault was later reopened, the seals were found to be intact, yet once again all of the coffins were in disarray with the exception of the first coffin placed in the vault.

The heavy lead coffin of Thomas Chase was also leaning against the inside vault door, thus blocking any alleged perpetrator’s exit. Some believe that the spirits of two family members who committed suicide (and therefore, were cursed and restless) moved the coffins. In any event, the coffins were moved and buried elsewhere and to this day the mystery has not been solved.

23. The Hellfire Tunnels and Caves, West Wycombe, England

Entrance to the creepy Hellfire Caves

These artificial caves were dug out of the hill at West Wycombe in 1740, when the notorious owner, Sir Francis Dashwood, ordered that they be created. At the time, the creation of artificial landscapes was popular among nobility as a means of displaying wealth. The design was meant to reflect Greek myth, and the small stream at the end that is supposed to represent to river Styx.

The caves were later used for occasional meetings for the infamous Hellfire Club, of which Sir Francis Dashwood was the founder. To this day, no one knows exactly what happened in these Hellfire meetings in the caves. This place is dark and creepy and at the end of the tunnel there is an “Inner Temple” where you can watch a what some speculate a Hellfire meeting might have looked like. Any dark cave associated with the word “hell” sounds like a good old spooky place to visit on Halloween.

24. Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, South Africa

The haunted dungeons of the Castle

It is no wonder that the oldest surviving building in Cape Town is rumored to be haunted. The castle, which was built between 1666 and 1679 as a replacement to an older military fortification, was declared a national monument in 1936 and has been vigorously restored. Located in the castle are cells where prisoners marked the walls with terrifying graffiti. The most decorated was the Donker Gat (the dark hole), which was a windowless dungeon and torture chamber located in the depths of this castle.

During winter floods, it has been recorded that rising water levels in the dungeons would drown prisoners chained to the walls in the dark hole. It would seem natural, then, that is castle is haunted, no? A semi-luminous ghost is said to have been seen roaming the halls of the castle and ringing the castle bell from time to time. Lady Anne Barnard, who once lived in the castle, is also said to be one of the most prominent ghosts, as her curly-haired but transparent ghost appears at parties and can be seen bathing in the Dolphin Pool of the castle.

25. Old Changi Hospital, Singapore

Patients haunt the halls of the Old Changi Hospital

Singapore is rumored to be the most haunted place in all of Asia, and the Old Changi Hospital houses its fair share of supernatural guests. The run-down hospital has been a favorite spot for paranormal investigators and school children out for a ghostly thrill for years. According to rumors, voices can be heard echoing through the halls of this old hospital at night and rooms where the blood from deceased bodies was once drained have a concentration of ghostly encounters.

Brave souls now attempt to make it all the way to the roof of this creepy place, despite the fact that people who work nearby are scared of the hospital. Even if you don’t believe in ghosts, this spooky old and abandoned hospital is sure to give just about anyone the willies and only the truly adventurous should explore this notoriously haunted spot this Halloween.

26. Salem, Massachusetts, United States

The Salem Witch Dungeon will creep you out

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this New England town is a great Halloween destination for anyone. I mean, witch costumes are aplenty on this holiday and pretty much every student in the United States has learned about the notorious Salem Witch trials. As the location for those famous Witch Trials, where twenty-six people accused of witchcraft were tried, convicted and put to death, Salem is now the home to several museums which describe and commemorate the witch trials.

One popular destination is The Witch House, which still stands on the corner of North and Essex streets It can be toured by Halloween lovers and tourists alike, who can see eerie memorabilia like “witch pins” and a small bottle containing finger bones. Visitors to Salem can also go on one of the many tours of the city that will tell tales of its haunted past. Not surprisingly, most of the hauntings are by people who were hanged during the Salem Witch Trials – but I can’t think of a better reason to haunt a place than being wrongly accused of witchcraft.

27. Ossuary in Hallstatt, Austria

Painted skulls decorate Hallstatt Ossuary in Austria

This picturesque mountain town in Austria, which is an easy day-trip from Salzburg, is known for its ossuary full of painted skulls and stacked bones. The ossuary contains over 1200 skulls alone, with the most recent being added in 1997. The ossuary, which is located behind the Parish Church of St. Michael, contains decorated skulls dating back to the 15th century.

Due to lack of space in the cemetery, the right to any grave would expire after 10-15 years, when the bodies were then exhumed and the skulls were lovingly decorated by family members with the names of the deceased, their professions in life, when they were born, and when they died – and then placed in the ossuary. Even if you can’t read the inscriptions, you can usually tell the men from the women by the extra decorations – women tend to have flowers while men tend to have leaves.

This isn’t the first bone-filled church in Europe on this list (in fact, ossuaries like this were once incredibly common), but the decorated skulls – and the fact that it’s still in use in modern times – definitely make it an interesting Halloween destination.

28. The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado, United States

The Shining will give you nightmares for weeks

What could be scarier than sleeping in the hotel that inspired Stephen King’s famously scary novel, The Shining? The Stanley Hotel, which also happens to have commanding views of the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park, is where King was staying when he had the idea to write The Shining. The TV series based on the novel was filmed at The Stanley, but the movie itself was filmed elsewhere. Still, visitors to the Estes Park hotel can check out room #217 where King stayed and where The Shining was born.

And in addition to the already-creepy association of the hotel with one of the scariest movies in history, it’s also reportedly haunted by ghosts – including hotel founder F.O. Stanley (he prefers to hang out in the lobby and the billiard room, evidently), Flora Stanley (who occasionally still plays piano for guests in the music room), and a woman called Miss Wilson who haunts the aforementioned room #217. Guests have also said they hear children playing in the hall outside room #418 when there are no children around. So, although seeing “Redrum” written on the walls with blood is doubtful, spending a Halloween night in this spooky and supposedly haunted hotel is a good way to test your nerves.

29. Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Will you be haunted by the Curse of the Tomb?

For more than 500 years, the Valley of the Kings served as the burial place for kings and powerful nobles of Ancient Egypt. Standing on the west banks of the Nile, there are thousands or ornate tombs, some of which contain numerous entrances and complex chambers, others of which are simple pits. These tombs are also home (or, more accurately, were home) to thousands of mummies, carefully wrapped and preserved.

Since the discovery of King Tutankhamen, this area of Egypt has ignited the curiosity of archaeologists and laymen alike, who love stories of ghostly mummy raids and spooky happenings. Many of the tombs have curses written upon them, warning any who enter may suffer from death. This legend was given validity when several members of the team that first opened Tutankhamen’s tomb mysteriously died, adding to the creepy nature of this area. Whether you believe in the curse or not, this ancient burial ground remains full of mystery to this day, making it a great Halloween destination.

30. New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Voodoo and ghosts aplenty in historic New Orleans

As one of the oldest cities in the U.S., New Orleans has a rich and very haunted history. In fact, Halloween in New Orleans is considered second only to Mardi Gras. There are parties, masquerade balls, haunted torch tours, and special Halloween exhibits throughout the city. There is also the annual Ghost Gallivant, which takes visitors into the famous cemeteries at night and has spooky Voodoo magic themed Halloween events.

Visitors can go on tours of the famous above-ground cemeteries (including the one in which the famous Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau is buried, where devoted followers continue to leave offerings to this day), and anyone who has ever read an Anne Rice novel will want to check out her home in the Garden District – it served as her inspiration and the setting for not only some of her famous vampire books but also her series about the family of witches.

Just walking through the Garden District or French Quarter at night is enough to make anyone understand why the city is reportedly full of vampires and witches. There are ghost stories and legends in so many of the buildings and cemeteries in New Orleans that is must-see destination at Halloween – or anytime if you’re a lover of spooky things.

31. Bell Witch Cave, Tennessee, United States

The Bell Witch haunts near this Tenneesee cave

To get to the source of a particularly well-known spooky legend in American folklore, you’ve got to go where the legend lives, so to speak. So to find out more about the famous Bell Witch, you’ll need to go to her cave. Local legends recount that the Bell Witch has haunted this cave since 1817, when the then-owners of the property (whose last name was Bell) were bombarded by horrible noises outside their home and one of the Bell children said she’d been assaulted by something she couldn’t see.

These days, it is said that the witch appears to people in human form and there are many unexplainable pictures of shadows and other such entities in the cave. While the cave remains in private hands, it is opened to visitors during the summer and – conveniently for you – during the month of October. Upon entering the cave, it is alleged that one will be overcome by the feeling of being watched and if you take a rock from the cave, you will forever be cursed by the Bell Witch. Many others have also reported voices in restricted areas of the cave that cannot be reached by any human.

About the Author

Bootsnall staff writer Julie Blakley’s fascination with cemeteries started at a young age, when her father would walk her through the historic cemetery bordering her preschool on their way home. Since then, she has traveled near and far, never missing an opportunity to visit cemeteries and eerie hangouts around the world. When she’s not investigating tombstones at Pere Lachaise, Julie is writing the France Travel Guide and dreaming of her next travel adventure.

original photo locations: Mummy Museum in Guanajuato from here, St. Michan’s Church in Dublin from here, Ossuary in Hallstatt from here, Fremantle Prison in Australia from here, Raynham Hall in Norfolk from here, Hellfire Caves in Buckinghamshire from here, Cape Town Castle from here, Chase Mausoleum in Barbados from here, Old Changi Hospital in Singapore from here, Bell Witch Cave in Tennessee from here.