I still remember the gasps that greeted my sister the day she returned from a school trip in the middle of the 80s sporting a souvenir baseball cap that confidently proclaimed "I've been to Sellafield". In these days of extreme tourism it's impossible to recreate such surprise.

But luckily the Ukrainian government has come to the rescue of jaded trophy travellers who refuse to holiday anywhere less than a disaster zone, by opening the site of the nuclear industry's worst disaster in 1986 to visitors. Tours will be offered inside the 30-mile exclusion zone around Chernobyl, avoiding still-dangerous areas.

And if that whets your appetite here are four other unlikely places to try:

Democratic People's Republic of Korea The national airline is considered unairworthy by the EU, and you cannot leave your hotel without a government "guide". But a visit to the secretive state offers the chance to try the local speciality – dog soup. Other highlights include a visit to Kim Il-sung's mausoleum and the chance to bow to the embalmed body of the former Great Leader.

The gulags of Siberia These brutal labour camps only released their last prisoners in the mid-90s, but tourists are already making an appearance – and in 2004 a Russian company even announced river cruises to the hardest-to-reach camps, where millions died. Be warned: the area is so cold the trip can be made only in June or July.

Anthrax Island British scientists chose to demonstrate the deadly power of anthrax during the second world war by releasing spores on the tiny island of Gruinard in the Highlands of Scotland, killing a small flock of sheep. The experiment worked so well the island was declared out of bounds for 50 years and in the 80s it had to be decontaminated by soaking the ground in 280 tonnes of formaldehyde. But Visit Scotland promises the site is now safe and open to birdwatchers and walkers.

Guantánamo Bay Souvenirs, sea and sand are all on offer close to the world's most notorious detention camp in sunny Cuba. And if the razor wire and torture allegations don't put you off there are fast-food outlets, wind surfing and an American football pitch on the territory, which has been leased to the US since 1903. The catch? You can get in only with permission from the military.