Halloween is coming. Once again, we are in the season where scary classics dominate our TV screens and online movie streaming services. This year is no different; horror, suspense, and thrillers are part and parcel of your autumn chill. Want to take your Halloween movie marathon to the next level with some travel scares and phobias beautifully exaggerated on the silver screen? Here are seven travel movies from hell you wouldn’t want to miss!

1. Turistas (2006)

The 2006 film Turistas is about a group of American backpackers travelling to the northeastern beaches of Brazil. What’s intended to be a fun trip to Belem turned into a horror story. First, the bus the backpacking tourists were riding met an accident in the area of Litoral Norte. Next, they find themselves in the clutches of an underground organ harvesting ring. Unsurprisingly, they struggle to get out of captivity before their organs get sold to the highest bidder.

Now, it must be said that in real life, the locations where the film was shot actually peaceful and safe. The Litoral Norte Beach in the northern coastline of Brazil, for one, is a popular beach and gets its fair share of new and returning tourists. Another location you should visit is Chapada Diamantina, which is best known for its waterfall and well.

2. The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

The Cabin in the Woods is a movie which follows a group of college students who retreat to a remote forest cabin. There, they became the subjects of an experiment of two engineers who remotely control the cabin. The students were manipulated as they were intoxicated with mind-altering drugs to hinder their rational thinking and increase libido, before falling victim to supernatural entities.

While it is an American film, the movie was actually shot in Canada. The actual cabin where most of the story took place is part of the Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park located near Hope, British Columbia. Hikers travel to this scenic outdoor location for its obviously stunning landscape. The provincial park is nearby the Coquihalla River and a decommissioned railway grade.

3. A Perfect Getaway (2009)

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A romantic Hawaiian getaway for a group of vacationing couples turned into an affair of suspense and bloody demise in A Perfect Getaway. Tourist Nick and his girlfriend Gina find their lives in danger when murders begin to occur on the island as they were just about to start their honeymoon. Tensions start to after to arise after a double homicide of an unidentified couple is reported in the area. The wrong couple is arrested for the murders while Nick and Gina were left with the actual killers in what turns out to be a fight to escape.

A Perfect Getaway was shot on the Napali Coast in Hawaii’s Kauai Island. The island is peppered with caves (as seen in the thriller) which makes it the perfect background for filming. It also boasts a network of hiking trails and hunter roads for those who are into outdoor hobbies.

4. Midsommar (2019)

Midsommar tells the story of a group of friends who travel to Sweden for a festival that occurs once every 90 years. The trip presents itself as an opportunity for a couple in the group to patch things up following their relationship turbulence. However, things unexpectedly took for a sour turn when they find themselves in the clutches of a pagan cult. What appears to be a nice journey to immerse in turns out to be an entirely eerie and life-threatening experience for the friends.

Events in Midsommar were shot in the mountainous and rocky terrains of Hälsingland in central Sweden. The province is known for its decorated farmhouses, which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site originally built to show wealth and independence. Each farmhouse is around two to three storeys high and combines aristocratic design with traditional materials and architecture style. The land slopes towards the province’s coast make for a breathtaking view.

5. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)

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Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid is the second film in the Anaconda franchise. The thriller follows a team of researchers as they journey into the heart of Borneo looking for a sacred flower called the Blood Orchid, said to be able to help humans achieve longer and healthier lives. Their expedition was cut short when deadly anacondas start to appear and hunt them in an effort to protect their lush habitat.
Vengeful snakes aside, Borneo is the third-largest island in the world and the largest in Asia. Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia all share political jurisdiction in different regions of the island. Borneo has an abundance of rainforests which will surely give you an adventurous outdoor experience. Many of the beaches on the island are untouched, which makes this destination all the more snap-worthy. Just remember not to tamper with its natural settings!

6. The Ritual (2017)

The Ritual revolves around a group of college friends who have a taste for the extreme. Following the sudden death of one of their best mates, the remaining four reunite for a hiking trip. As they traipse through the forest between Norway and Sweden, the friends encounter an unexplained menacing presence stalking them in the woods. Think sinister nightmares and garish encounters with malevolent Nordic deities. That said, the creepy woods shown in the film are different during the day, as its settings are a hiker’s dream trek. IRL, crossing the two countries through the Scandinavian wilderness is a bucket list item for the extremely adventurous.

7. The Wailing (2018)

Koreans sure know how to make horror movies, with The Wailing as a perfect example. The film is about a policeman who investigates a series of mysterious events in a village in South Korea. Its inhabitants are plagued by a mysterious, rash-causing disease that would precede violent murderous outbreaks ending in death. With its inclusion of authentic shaman rituals and spine-chilling supernatural encounters into the script, The Wailing has earned its status as the most unsettling Korean horror film in recent years.

The film was shot in a real-life rural Korean village, though other locations across the country were used for some scenes as well. Well-loved and routinely visited by tourists, rural towns in South Korea are usually the centres for agriculture. Expect a lot of farms and peaceful plantations when making your visit. It’s a good thing that The Wailing isn’t based on true events, because if it were, tourism in this part of the world wouldn’t do as good as it’s currently doing!

Want to experience a memorable vacation at any of these thrilling film locations? Ask our agents at Fayyaz Travels to help you make your own story via a customised, unique itinerary.