34 posts tagged with Off the beaten path
Kyrgyzstan has the mountains of Nepal, the nomadic culture of Mongolia, and the visa simplicity of Western Europe — and roughly 150,000 tourists a year. …
Read MoreSri Lanka packs more into a single island than most countries manage across entire continents: ancient cave temples, colonial hill towns, one of the world's …
Read MoreThe Pamir Highway — M41 on road signs, the second-highest paved road in the world — runs 1,200km through the Pamirs from Osh in Kyrgyzstan …
Read MoreSamarkand's Registan is one of the most architecturally breathtaking public spaces ever built — and you might have it almost to yourself. Uzbekistan has opened …
Read MoreKosovo declared independence in 2008, making it Europe's youngest country. It is also one of Europe's most welcoming, most affordable, and most historically layered — …
Read MoreCartagena is Colombia's most photogenic city, but it represents perhaps 5% of what the country offers. The coffee region's mountain towns, the four-day trek to …
Read MoreLake Malawi is 580km long, up to 80km wide, and holds more species of fish than any lake on earth. The beaches on its southern …
Read MoreKaieteur Falls drops 226 metres in a single unbroken plunge — four times the height of Niagara, with five times the volume of Victoria Falls …
Read MoreThe Serengeti is magnificent — and magnificently crowded. Tanzania hides a dozen ecosystems that rival it in wildlife and surpass it in solitude: the remote …
Read MoreWhile Dubrovnik battles overtourism and sky-high prices, Kotor in Montenegro offers medieval walls, Adriatic fjords, and a fraction of the crowds — making it one …
Read MoreThe Darvaza gas crater — the Door to Hell — has been burning continuously since a Soviet drilling rig collapsed into a natural gas cavern …
Read MoreThe Sognefjord and Geirangerfjord are spectacular — and in summer, spectacularly busy. Norway has 1,190 fjords. The ones most travellers never reach are often deeper, …
Read MoreMorocco's medinas are designed to disorient. Fes el-Bali is the world's largest car-free urban area, a 9th-century labyrinth of 9,000 lanes. Marrakech's souqs are theatre …
Read MoreGabon protects 11% of its land in 13 national parks, most of it primary rainforest. It has 60,000 forest elephants, half the world's remaining western …
Read MoreBhutan charges a Sustainable Development Fee — currently $100 per day — that puts off many travellers. But the fee includes accommodation, meals, a licensed …
Read MoreThe Skeleton Coast is one of Africa's last genuine wildernesses: 1,600km of fog-shrouded Atlantic coastline where shipwrecks rust beside seal colonies and desert elephants walk …
Read MoreTimor-Leste gained independence in 2002 after a catastrophic occupation and became one of the world's newest countries. Its coastline sits on the Coral Triangle — …
Read MoreMatera's Sassi districts — ancient cave dwellings carved into a ravine in southern Italy — are one of Europe's most extraordinary and least-visited UNESCO sites. …
Read MoreLesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa — the only country on earth to be completely enclosed by a single other nation, apart from San …
Read MoreMachu Picchu is one of the world's great sites — but Peru is a country of extraordinary depth. The floating islands of Lake Titicaca, the …
Read MoreWhile Bali grapples with record visitor numbers and new tourist taxes in 2026, Flores Island to the east offers Komodo dragons, coloured volcanic lakes, and …
Read MoreGiza is one of the seven wonders of the world — and one of its busiest tourist sites. Egypt's real secrets lie elsewhere: the Valley …
Read MoreGeorgia — the ancient Caucasus nation, not the US state — is 2026's most underrated travel destination. World-class hiking, 8,000 years of winemaking history, and …
Read MoreThe Danakil Depression sits 125 metres below sea level and averages 34°C year-round, with peaks above 50°C. It is also one of the most visually …
Read MoreOman is everything Dubai promises but rarely delivers: authentic souqs, dramatic desert canyons, ancient forts, and a warmth that feels genuinely earned. In 2026, it's …
Read MoreSocotra Island, a Yemeni territory in the Arabian Sea, hosts dragon blood trees, white sand beaches, and an ecosystem so unique that one-third of its …
Read MoreLuang Prabang sits at the meeting of two rivers in northern Laos, its golden temples and colonial architecture drawing travellers who want what Southeast Asia …
Read MorePristine reefs, empty beaches, and crystal-clear water still exist beyond the Instagram-famous islands. These tropical destinations remain wonderfully uncrowded.
Read MoreWhile famous national parks grow increasingly crowded, these lesser-known protected areas offer pristine wilderness and that rare feeling of genuine remoteness.
Read MoreWarm, pristine beaches exist beyond the crowded tourist magnets. These five destinations deliver turquoise waters, soft sand, and tropical warmth without the crowds.
Read MoreBeyond Fiji and Tahiti lie untouched paradises where active volcanoes meet pristine beaches. Discover five secret South Pacific islands that welcome visitors but remain blissfully …
Read MoreSkip the Riviera crowds and discover France's secret coastal gems. From Brittany's wild shores to hidden Mediterranean harbors, these five towns offer authentic seaside charm …
Read MoreBeyond Queenstown's bungy jumps and Milford Sound's tour boats lies a New Zealand of empty trails, kayaking through pristine waterways, and adventures shared with few …
Read MoreJust 3 hours from the Australian east coast lies an archipelago of volcanic islands, traditional villages, and pristine beaches. Discover why Vanuatu should be your …
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