19. Virunga National Park - Democratic Republic of Congo
The Eastern part of the DRC is still a dangerous place to go with still ongoing guerrilla activity.
"Getting there requires a flight to Kigali, Rwanda, and a three-hour taxi ride."
"While a park spokeswoman said there have been no reports of unfriendly encounters between rebels and tourists, the eastern D.R.C. remains an unpredictable area that calls for sensible precautions."
If you want to see the mountain gorilla, just go to Rwanda. Very safe country, the Switzerland/Singapore of Africa. Or Uganda for even cheaper. I am not saying to only go to safe places, but avoiding active combat zones is easy to do.
Sad to see almost nothing in (non Northern) Africa. Great place to avoid the mobs.
EDIT: a few more points
36 - Tyrol, Austria
The Tyrol extends into Italian as south Tyrol, so if you are touring Italy, visit this region.
45 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I found it boring, and so did most visiting non-expats that I met. Most tourists simply visit the Killing Fields and prison, which is not mentioned.
Did they really recommend the part of the Congo to which the UK foreign office advises against all travel (i.e. your travel insurance will be invalid)? Wow. The rest of the country is "advise against all but essential travel"
I was surprised to see it on the list, especially when neighboring countries have many of the same touristic aspects. Keep in mind that the Congo and the DRC are two different countries.
I was in Virunga this summer and it was quite special and I would absolutely recommend it over Rwanda if you're willing to accept a bit of a more difficult process and journey.
I went on four gorilla treks and on average was with only one other tourist. In Rwanda, you'll usually be in a group of eight. This is significant as great viewing angles can be in short supply.
Other reasons to go:
-You get a behind the scenes view of the park - I got to see a demo of their ivory/poacher sniffing dogs, got to see the gorilla rehab center (and to meet Andre Baume, who was featured in the movie!), and lots of interaction with the rangers
-The gorilla permit fee is $400 instead of $750 in Rwanda ($600 in Uganda, admittedly this value is diminished if you stay in the expensive park lodging, whereas in Rwanda cheap places are possible)
-Trekking Mount Nyiragongo (active volcano) is really, really cool
-As soon as you cross the border, you are constantly in the hands of Virunga vehicles/lodging/guards (a Virunga car picks you up at the border post and an armed guard is inside)
I did my trekking in Uganda. It is $350 if you go during the right time of year. My group had 8 people, but I did not find the viewing angles limited. The only limitation with a bigger group is that you may be affected is someone is not physically capable of trekking to a remote spot. The gorillas are not in plain view, the scouts will tell you where they are.
"you are constantly in the hands of Virunga vehicles/lodging/guards"
I simply do not want to travel that way. :) Reminds me of being in South Africa. Very safe, provided you stay within your compound with high walls and electric fencing! The behind the scenes does sound amazing.
Angles - yeah, usually not so bad, but being alone or only with 1 other person is very special
Security - fair
$350 at right time of the year - by right time, you mean "bad"/rainy time when they offer discounts (May/Nov I believe) :) - I have had excellent experiences in the rain, but I'm not sure that I'd recommend a first timer go for that $350 rate
I met others who went gorilla trekking in Rwanda and told me the family they tracked was over a dozen. Amazing. Mine was about 7-8, but luckily I saw all the attractions (silverback, babies). I went at the end of November and had great weather until the very end.
Just getting to the camp was an adventure. Traveling in many parts of Africa is not easy. Learned a lot of the local language while riding in the front cab of a truck. I need to go back.
You bring up some good points about the DRC but I have to disagree with you on Phnom Penh. It was, and still is, one of my favorite cities I've ever visited. At the same time, I find it hard to express in words why I liked it so much. I think part of it is just that compared to the rest of SE Asia (at least the parts I've visited: Thailand, Laos, and Siem Reap), Phnom Penh just seemed more authentic and real compared to all the tourist traps that spot the rest of the region.
That being said, it was almost ten years ago since I was there and I'm sure their tourism industry has grown. In addition, My comments about other countries being touristy is limited to the places that I went (and this is certainly a biased sample).
I think part of the point of the film "Virunga" and it being on this list to raise its exposure. If just a few travelers visit every year, it can make a difference on the park's viability.
The Eastern part of the DRC is still a dangerous place to go with still ongoing guerrilla activity.
"Getting there requires a flight to Kigali, Rwanda, and a three-hour taxi ride."
"While a park spokeswoman said there have been no reports of unfriendly encounters between rebels and tourists, the eastern D.R.C. remains an unpredictable area that calls for sensible precautions."
If you want to see the mountain gorilla, just go to Rwanda. Very safe country, the Switzerland/Singapore of Africa. Or Uganda for even cheaper. I am not saying to only go to safe places, but avoiding active combat zones is easy to do.
Sad to see almost nothing in (non Northern) Africa. Great place to avoid the mobs.
EDIT: a few more points
36 - Tyrol, Austria
The Tyrol extends into Italian as south Tyrol, so if you are touring Italy, visit this region.
45 - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
I found it boring, and so did most visiting non-expats that I met. Most tourists simply visit the Killing Fields and prison, which is not mentioned.