Are we alone in the universe? That’s something every one of us has wondered at some point during our lives. It’s a bold question, an elusive enigma that challenges to broaden our preconceived vision of the reality we think we know so well.
At the very center of it lies, of course, the UFO phenomenon, with thousands of alleged sightings taking place every year at every corner of the planet. Are these “flying saucers” an unknown and mystifying way of transportation used by extraterrestrial tourists? We really don’t know. What we do know is that there are plenty of international destinations out there where you can investigate, explore, or just visit some of the most famous UFO hotspots ever reported on the media throughout the decades.
Ready for a truly otherworldly getaway? Then join us on this international adventure to know where did some of the quintessential, classic, and latest UFO sightings take place worldwide!
Yakima Valley, Washington State
We begin our trip at the birthplace of the modern UFO phenomenon itself. Because it was here where, in June 24th, 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold landed to report the nine silvery, shiny, and unknown flying objects he saw just moments ago speeding through Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. From there, the legend did nothing but grow.
Arnold detailed to Washington and Oregon media during the next few days how the crescent-shaped objects moved “like a saucer if you skip it across the water”, leading reporters to coin the emblematic term “flying saucer” in what might be one the most flagrant — and beloved — journalistic misquotations of all time. That’s why, if you want to experience what Arnold might have felt on that day, beautiful Yakima Valley is the place to be. Washington’s own Wine Country is a top-notch tourist destination by itself thanks to its endless hiking choices and outdoor activities for the whole family, but every UFO chaser knows that the surroundings of the Cascade mountain range will always be suspect of hiding more than meets the eye…
Rendlesham Forest, UK
Commonly dubbed “Britain’s Roswell” among UFO enthusiasts, this remote forest in Suffolk county made loud headlines during the last days of 1980 as an alleged UFO landing site. It all started in Woodbridge, a former RAF base which was being used by the US Air Force at the time. Between December 26th and December 28th, military personnel followed strange red lights that fell from the sky right into Rendlesham forest. Apart from the odd-moving flashes, they found burn marks across the tress and several broken branches dispersed throughout the area. Sergeant Jim Penniston even claimed to have seen a “craft of unknown origin”. Lastly, Lieutenant Coronel Charles Halt registered radioactive activity and confirmed the sighting of three lights hovering on the starry night for up to three hours, which convinced him to document the whole incident as a legit UFO event.
The Rendlesham Forest Incident is considered one of the most iconic UFO events in Europe, and has a legendary status among the UFO community. The place even has a UFO trail with a life-size replica of an alien spaceship on it! If you intend to visit Suffolk county anytime soon, remember to take a detour into this quirky landmark when you’re finished with Butley Priory and the rest of attractions this land offers to visitors!
Iino, Japan
Fukushima, Japan
This little town located in the Fukushima prefecture is considered Japan’s UFO Capital due to the continuous sightings their less than 2,000 residents have been reporting since the 1970s. Apparently, the main nexus of extraterrestrial activity would be nearby Mount Senganmori and its surroundings. Legend has it, the mountain itself might be an artificial structure erected by aliens, and even hide an underground E.T. base in its depths. Iino has embraced its weird reputation with utmost pride, attracting likeminded tourists by displaying statues and signs of aliens all over the place and adopting a little extraterrestrial as the town’s mascot. So, if your UFO-chasing adventure takes you to Japan, don’t forget to take a detour into this quaint and unique community of open-minded folks!
Wycliffe Well, Australia
You can go on your own cosmic trip by booking cheap international flights to the great Down Under. Because the Australian outback hides many secrets, and some of them are wonderfully connected to what some think might be visitors from other worlds. For decades, Wycliffe Well has been notorious for the significant amount of UFO sightings and strange phenomena occurring in the region, and many people have tried to capitalize this fame one way or another. That’s why you can find here abandoned tourist traps, derelict restaurants, and forgotten themed attractions focused on transforming this small settlement between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek into the UFO Centre of Australia. Today, they stand as grim and quirky reminders of our sheer fascination about the possibility of sharing our little planet with unknown intelligences from beyond the stars.
Ruwa, Zimbabwe
Harare, Zimbabwe
At first sight, we’d have trouble trying to find a reason to visit Ruwa, a modest and unassuming town. Located just a few miles away from Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, it offers to the occasional visitor little more than a small trading center surrounded by farmlands. It is here, however, where took place one of the most famous UFO sightings ever documented in Africa. The date is September 16th, 1994. The place, the private and wealthy Ariel School. During a recess, at least 62 children between 6 and 12 years old claimed to saw a silver spacecraft landing at an adjacent field. But that’s not all…apparently, the children even made contact with black-clad, big-eyed alien beings who shared with them an ecologist message. Talk about close encounters of the third kind! Media outlets such as the BBC and even Harvard experts gathered at Ruwa to interview both the young witnesses and their teachers. Although some researchers suggested they were dealing with a particular case of mass hysteria, it’s been noted that Southeast Africa had experimented quite a few UFO phenomena months before the Ariel School Incident.
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