A lot of people often fancy a little bit of some quality time for themselves. During this time, a quiet and tranquil environment is crucial. As if to be made specifically for this purpose, these places have redefined tranquil as well as natural silence and are home to some of the most deathly quiet environments on earth. With some even allowing for the audibility of its occupants’ internal organs, some among these places are either entirely off-limits to non-experienced explorers or are simply too spooky to visit. Here are some of the quietest places on earth:
1. Olympic National Park, US
Considered to be the quietest place in the US existing in a natural setting, the Olympic National Park in Washington, USA, isn’t exactly soundless. It’s raw and untouched ecologically diverse environment boasts of 70 mammal species as well as an abundant 300 bird species and stands roughly 678-feet above sea level. While this serene piece of wilderness isn’t completely soundless, it is maximally devoid of outside noise sources.
With an underdeveloped air tourism system and lack of roads dissecting through the park, as is often the case with other National Parks, the Olympic National Park has maintained its natural pristine majesty. Thanks to the extremely minimal outside noise influence, it is much easier to identify different distinct sounds.
2. Kielder Mires, England
Crossing over to England, the Kielder Mires in Northumberland was identified as possibly the quietest place in Britain. As well attributed to the incomparable status of England’s largest blanket bog, it is an 8,650-acre piece of hallowed land tucked away in the Northumberland mountains and is accessible through a treacherous trek through bogs.
Kielder Mires is not quite bristling with natural life and is home to a few animals like identifiable birds that can distinctly be heard from some significant distance away. Located near an RAF military firing range, this tranquil place has its geographical location to thank for its status. Being a considerable distance from any usable road while having no official flight path, this place will undoubtedly isolate you from the noises of the outside world.
3. Zurich, Switzerland
Among the quietest places on earth, Zurich in Switzerland is heavily backed up with scientifically proven facts that suggest it is the one place on earth with the least noise pollution. Perhaps why it is considered to be the second most liveable city in the world, Zurich is not only ideally quiet, it is highlighted by beautifully lined Snow-capped mountains that majestically define this magnificent place in Switzerland.
The World Hearing Index indicates from a survey carried out in this beautiful Swiss city and compared to assessed 200,000 hearing tests from around the world, that Zurich is the least noise polluted. The World Health Organization, as well as concurs with these findings based on their research, carried out across 50 locations worldwide on noise pollution.
4. Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
North-East of Botswana is home to this 3,900 square kilometres of an intriguing naturally occurring phenomena. In its early existence, the Makgadikgadi pan was once an insanely large surface area covering the lake. So large that it could quite comfortably fit the size of Switzerland. Its current condition that has it identified as among the world’s most extensive salt flats is thanks to drying out over the years through the unforgiving harsh seasonal periods.
While the Makgadikgadi Pans can be pretty uninhabitable through the dry season, allowing virtually no plant life apart from the thin layer of blue, green algae, and low wildlife presence can be quite a different place during the rainy season. Mammoth crowds of migrating wildebeests and Zebras highlight this place while inadvertently attracting adoring and intrigued tourists from all around the world.
5. Krubera Cave, Georgia
It may not be open to ordinary tourists, but the Krubera Cave buried deep beneath Abkhazia in Georgia presents an environment like no other. The ghostly silence in this place might very well have something to do with the fact that the cave is located more than two kilometres in the ground.
The Krubera cave in Abkhazia, Georgia, is considered to be the deepest discovered cave in the world. If you are an adventurer and prefer silence over deafening party noises as well as the very noisy and active urban areas, this cave could be worth the venture even though it might not be possible without the necessary training and experience for this kind of expedition.
6. Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway
The scenic and photogenic views here are exactly what screensavers, calendars pictures, and post stamp impressions are made of. The Atlantic Ocean Road, also known as Atlanterhavsveien, is made up of a country road stretching 8.3 kilometres, 5.2 miles, beginning on the island of Averoy at the Karvag village and through the unsheltered Hustadvika, a remote area considered to be the most dangerous area along the Norwegian coast.Â
The silence covering this place can be enjoyed further by inevitably appreciating the remarkably beautiful landscape made up of an archipelago of partially occupied islands tucked away off the coast of Norway. 8 bridges including the spectacular Storseisundet bridge, majestic mountainous landscapes, beautiful coastlines and completed by dull fishing villages scattered around the area, a journey through the Atlantic Ocean Road in Norway promises to be an unforgettable one.
7. Antarctica
The human race has been highlighted by its prevalent colonial nature. It has almost been our obsession to colonize new territories and transform them into versions of our intellectual creations. Not in Antarctica, though. This place has been extraordinarily uninhabitable and quite basically supports very little life. Most of the adventurous explorers have found the place to be eerily quiet, still, and devoid of any lively activities except for a few far and widely scattered signs of life. It is not a destination favored for permanent habitation even though there are guided cruise ship trips for those willing to explore this alien-like environment. Â