Top 5: Spooky places

Spooky cemetery in New Orleans

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New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is the perfect fusion of old-world black magic, haunted old slave houses, and Voodoo charm. Wander around the eerie French Quarter at night and visit the protruding old bones at St Louis Cemetery. Take a step back into the 19th-century South with a visit to Myrtles Plantation or take a torch-lit boat ride to the Manchac Swamp, where it is said you can see the red eyes of the ghosts of alligators.

No matter where you go in this wild city steeped with antebellum macabre, there is sure to be a bone-chilling turn around every corner.

Spend a night in the spooky Ballygally Castle
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Ballygally Castle, Ireland

Spend the night at Ballygally Castle, one of the most haunted sites in the province due to the notoriously frequent ghost sightings. The castle is located on the scenic Antrim coast in Northern Ireland. It is the only 17th-century castle still open to overnight guests.

Built in 1625 by James Shaw of Scotland, the castle has history of violence. The castle, which was built in the French-chateau style with corner turrets and high walls, came under siege during the rebellion of 1641. Lady Shaw, who was starved to death by her husband, is the most frequent intruder, reportedly knocking doors and quickly pattering away. Today, the castle is owned by the Hastings Hostels Group and guests can visit specifically designated “paranormal” spaces.

Bhangarh is the most haunted place in India
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Bhangarh, India

The site of a once-mighty city is now the most haunted place in India. Located near the bustling city of Jaipur, local superstition says that those who visit Bhangarh at night will never return. According to ancient legend, a black magic wizard cursed all souls who died at the palace to eternal wandering without rebirth.

Bhangarh has been abandoned since the 18th century. Today, the Archeological Survey of India has posted a sign which says, “staying after sunset is strictly prohibited in this area”. There is no need to ignore this warning – the Bhangarh ruins are so eerie by day that visitors are anxious to slip away before nightfall.

Transylvania, Romania

Take a step away from the frenzied fad of Twilight and visit the true birth of the vampire phenomena in Sighisoara, Transylvania. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, this ancient medieval city was once home to Vlad the Impaler, or Dracula. The well-preserved Old Town is filled with spooky old churches and Dracula regalia, but to get your complete vampire fix, visit the surrounding countryside.

Rent a car or book a themed tour to the photographic Bran Castle and to the decrepit Poenari Fortress, where Vlad himself most likely did his most horrific blood-letting.

Isla de Munecas, Mexico

The Island of Dolls is just as disturbing as the name suggests. According to local folklore, three young girls drowned there and the island was deserted for years. In the 1950s, one man, Don Julian Santana, moved to the island and began to place dolls and toys on the trees to appease the spirits. Today people are visibly disturbed by the hundreds of dolls and the island is considered the most terrifying place in Mexico.

Just north of the island is Mexico City, which has its own rich history of conquest and haunting. October marks the beginning of fall celebrations as Halloween and Dia de los Muertos celebrations blend together in a carnival of skeleton toys, scrumptious feasts, and tributes to the dead.