No one traveler is alike, as everyone plans their unique itinerary according to their interests, comfort level, and budget. While some backpackers enjoy city hopping and meeting new faces in a vibing budget hostel, some travelers enjoy staying at an airy resort, sipping a cool glass of lemonade while soaking up the sun on white-sand beaches. Believe it or not, as long as travelers are being respectful and open-minded about visiting a new destination, who's to say which travel style is better? In life, there are extreme thrill-seekers who crave living life on the edge and exploring novel places that are hidden from a map or are considered too unsettling to visit. Travelers looking for some unique adventures should consider visiting these islands for their next thrilling vacation.

5 Tashiro-Jima Island (Miyagi Prefecture, Japan)

Cat lovers rejoice: Tashiro-Jima Island is home to hundreds of cats who are taken care of by the local residents. This small island has an incredibly small population (there were only 80 people living on this island in 2015!), but the residents happily take care of the cats that surpass the numbers of their human counterparts, almost by a ratio of four to one. The felines were originally brought to Tashiro-Jima island as a way to control the pest population around silkworm farms. Since then, cats have taken over the island and are well-respected, due to their representation of bringing good luck, fortune, and protection. At the center of the island lies a shrine dedicated to cats, known as Neko-jinja, which is one of over 10 shrines situated in the prefecture! Stone monuments dedicated to cats are also present throughout the island. Tourists can visit Manga Island, a campground featuring cabins in the shape of manga-drawn felines (which is also complete with a communal kitchen, bathrooms, and center house). Visitors keen on visiting the island must get here by a ferry ride from Ishinomaki, keeping in mind that there are very limited facilities dedicated to tourists.

  • Location: Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan

4 Aoshima Island (Ehime Prefecture, Japan )

Cat lovers can rejoice, once again as Aoshima Island, nicknamed "Cat Island" is yet another destination to befriend the felines! Outnumbering the residents by 8 to 1, the cats were introduced to Aoshima Island as a way to help farmers control the mouse population. Since then, the felines have taken over the island, welcoming hundreds of tourists with fuzzy paws. Similar to Tashiro-Jima island, Aoshima Island is home to a small number of residents (many of which are elderly), which is not equipped with tourist facilities. Tourists interested in visiting this lovely island should be respectful and remain aware that the cats should not be fed (they are fed by the residents on a daily basis), trespassing of resident dwellings is prohibited, and that loitering around Aoshima port is strongly discouraged (due to the daily deliveries of supplies by ferry to the residents). Due to the lack of tourist facilities, tourists should always bring the garbage they produce back with them when they leave.

  • Location: Ōzu, Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku, Japan

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3 Palmyra Atoll

Located in the Northern Line Islands, close to Hawaii, Palmyra Atoll has a mysterious and unsettling past. Since its first discovery in 1798, curious sailors who’ve visited this island have been met with unfortunate circumstances. The most recent—and unfortunate event—transpired in the 1970s, when a couple known as Malcolm and Eleanor Graham, went missing after initially landing on the island aboard their yacht (possessing supplies that were meant to last for a couple of years on this island). Today, access to this island is very limited, as the entrance (and exit) of this island is organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—in other words, you need a special permit to visit this island, and even then, visitors must be either be: working for The Nature Conservancy or Fish and Wildlife Service, performing scientific research, or have received special entry into the island. This island is a slice of paradise on Earth—blue lagoons, clear waters with many opportunities to snorkel, bird-watch, and fish (with a little bit of treasure hunting on the side).

  • Location: Incorporated unorganized territory, USA

2 Easter Island

Despite being a popular tourist attraction, Easter Island is still very much shrouded in mystery. Originally named Rapa Nui, Easter Island was supposedly once home to Polynesian inhabitants who began settling on the land around 700 AD. Civilization on Easter Island was said to be cut short, and many researchers are still debating why; some put blame on the overwhelming rat population, the unsustainable practice of “slash-and-burn” agriculture implemented on the island, or the fact that European settlers brought disease to the inhabitants. Regardless, Easter Island is famous for its large stone statues in the form of heads. Known as moai, these beautiful statues were thought to resemble the inhabitants’ ancestors.

  • Location: Isla de Pascua, Valparaíso, Chile

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1 Island of the Dolls

Travelers who love creeping themselves out will enjoy visiting the spooky Doll Island in Mexico City. This island was originally owned by Don Julián Santana Barrera, who began to scatter dolls across the island to ward off malevolent spirits. Since the 1950s, there are over 2000 dolls on the Island, placed in various positions and places—whether it be from atop trees or hanging out by the canals. Since Mr. Barrera’s passing in 2001, this Island is an unsettling tourist destination for visitors wanting to learn more about its rather creepy past…

  • Location: Parque Ecológico de Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico

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