Chernobyl Sightseeing

It’s not every trip abroad you have the chance to visit the site of the world’s worst nuclear accident, is it? The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is only about a two-hour ride north of Kyiv. Many tourist offices in conjunction with a government agency offers a day trip to the region, wisely deciding that the market for overnight stays is not great. Russian-speaking driver will pick you up at 09:00 in a Russian Lada car - maybe you’ll even listen to Russian music while motoring through the countryside. They also shrewdly advise that the absence of roadside cafes makes both water and fruit good things to bring along with you, althugh lunch is provided. Once you actually enter the contaminated zone, you’ll be joined by your English-speaking guide, who will show you the fateful reactor N°4 from a safe distance. You’ll also visit the nearby ghost town of Pripyat - where some apartments still bear witness to the haste in which 47,500 residents were made to leave their homes - and have a chance to converse with residents of surrounding villages. A trip to the acres of fields filled with contaminated vehicles, helicopters, etc. used in the cleanup is optional. Comfortingly, you’ll be accompanied on your return trip to Kyiv by the same friendly driver, bringing your 10-hour journey to environmental hell and back to a close. And in case you’re wondering, yes your body will receive above-average doses of radiation, but the effects are said to be harmless... 

In case the above statement does not convince you completely, you can nevertheless satisfy your curiosity in an absolutely safe way, by visiting the National Museum of Chernobyl.