There's nothing quite as creepy as an abandoned building, is there? That feeling of disconnection from the outside world, the odd sensation that someone else might be there you can't quite shake and, of course, the signs of former life (abandoned crockery, toys and vehicles) that serve as reminders that this place was once populated. And that's just one building. Imagine what a whole town - or even theme park - is like when its entire population has upped sticks and gone somewhere else, either of their own volition or through being forced out. These places are fascinating to people because we get to have a glimpse at what the world would be like if we weren't in it any more, a fact that should hardly be surprising given our relatively recent but ever-present love of post-apocalyptic drama. Well, we scoured the world (okay, the internet) to see if we couldn't hunt down the most interesting of these abandoned places, the shells that humanity just had to crawl out of and leave behind. Here are eighteen of the weirdest, loneliest places in the world that we'd love to visit.
17. Palmersaurus - Australia
Australian billionaire Clive Palmer bought the Hyatt Regency resort on the island's Sunshine Coast in 2011 and dedicated its remolding in his own name, calling it the Palmer Coolum Resort and immediately ruining the place. While before the luxury resort was brimming with tourists, after Palmer took the reins it became a ghost town due to layoffs, bar and restaurant closures and everyone generally just wanting to stay as far away from the guy as possible. Even with the 'charming' addition of Palmersaurus, a quasi-Jurassic Park ripoff that houses Clive's collection of plastic dinosaurs.
16. The World Islands - Dubai
Tell us if you think this is a bit much: over 300 man-made islands were built off the coast of Dubai to resemble a map of the world, with each isle representing (more or less) one of its countries. Following in the wake of the success of the nearby Palm islands, this was sure to be a hit with egomaniacal billionaires and Bond villains, but construction was stopped after the 2008 financial crisis and in 2011 it was found that some of the islands were sinking due to erosion. Still, at least a couple of investors have bought properties, but there's plenty of space left in the world.