1.The Giuliana Tunnel Road, China
This road is famously known in china as “The road that doesn’t tolerate mistakes.” It is both impressive and perilous, causing hundreds of deaths every year, but there is nothing much the government can do because it is the only way to reach the remote village of Gouging. The locals did a great job creating accessibility to the rest of the world, but they were not master architects, so you can imagine what they did.
The road is literally carved into the Taihang mountains connecting Gouging to the rest of the world. It is only 5 by 4 meters wide and 1.2km long, sneaking through the mountainside. It is literally impossible to overtake or overlap because the only room available is freefall into oblivion. The road has no guard rails at many spots meaning the slightest mistake is also a death sentence. It also meanders through the rocks with poor visibility, tight bends and little room for maneuver. The drop on the mountainside is also so steep that the driver won’t even imagine to “enjoy the view.”
2.Skippers Canyon Road, New Zealand
When you travel to New Zealand’s South Island, your rental car insurance just doesn’t cover this road. It can’t be travelled on by the faint-hearted or people that are afraid of heights because you will probably scream throughout the 16 miles. It always appears on the lists of the most dangerous roads in the world because of its narrow precarious nature plus steep cliffs on the sides dropping several hundred meters. It was built in 1800 by miners who needed a way to access the Skippers township during the gold rush. They didn’t account for future travelers or any luxury.
You still get to enjoy the scenic landscape through the valley, but you have to be super cautious if you are to arrive safely on the other side. It is also very narrow if you meet an oncoming vehicle, one of you will have to reverse on the narrow winding lanes for several kilometers before you find an opening. It was the cause of New Zealand’s worst car accidents through the 90s until recently when the government installed guard rails, and drivers got a lot more careful. The government has also tarmacked the road and added markings, but it is not any less scary.