If you are like me, you often find yourself extremely disappointed when visiting a travel destination that appears attractive on paper, but upon arrival, you encounter an overwhelming number of crowds filling every street you explore.
You might think that overtourism is now the new norm and something to be expected in this day and age, but what if I told you that it doesn't have to be this way?
After visiting more than 80+ countries in the past 10 years, I have discovered a fair number of countries that are both breathtaking yet rarely ever get any tourists throughout my journey, and I have decided to compile a list of the best off-the-beaten-path countries to visit for those who want to stay away from the crowds. Without further ado, here are the 8 best off-the-beaten-path vacation ideas for you:
1. The Gobi Desert, Mongolia
As I was reliving my Mongolian Moments while I went through all my travel videos from the past 10 years on Youtube, I started to realize just how great the Mongolian Steppes and the Gobi Desert are to disconnect from the world, escape, and be among the incredible vast nature of this historic nomadic land.
I remember the time I looked out of the yurt I was staying in on my last night in the Gobi Desert and realized how spacious our world is. There was not a single soul around me for miles away.
I went and walked up to a mountaintop to look for any signs of other settlements, and I was unable to see any. There was nothing around me but pure nature, and I felt nothing but bliss as I stood on that mountain, realizing how lucky I was to be able to be there.
To explore the Gobi Desert, you will need to embark on a tour that can vary in duration, typically ranging from 6 to 12 days, depending on your specific interests in the Gobi Desert. These tours accommodate a maximum of six people, and you will spend your time visiting some of the most picturesque locations the area has to offer. Each day, you'll move from one yurt to another, just like the nomads from the bygone era. This experience truly makes it the ultimate off-the-beaten-path destination to visit.
To get to the Gobi Desert, you will have to first fly into Ulaanbaatar (find cheap flights to Mongolia here) and find a tour to join to go to the Gobi Desert. I highly recommend the Sunpath Tour Operator or you can browse through other Mongolia Tours with the link below.
2. The Pamir Highway, Kyrgyzstan & Tajikistan
The Pamir Highway is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable road trips you can experience in your lifetime. This highway winds its way through the remote mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, bordering Afghanistan, within the Pamir range. This beautiful scenic road is considered to be one of the world's highest international highways, reaching its peak at a staggering altitude of 4,655 meters above sea level.
Along the way, you will be sleeping at locals' guesthouses in towns in the middle of nowhere, seeing what life is like out there along the Pamir, and interacting with the lovely people while being sandwiched between stunning landscapes and snowy mountains throughout your entire road trip.
The Pamir Highway is one of the most remote regions in the world, and it's unlikely you will see any more than a couple of tourists, mostly bikers, at guesthouses at night when you travel the area, which makes for a great off-the-beaten path destination to visit. Since the Pamir Highway connects the two countries, you will have to start your trip in Kyrgyzstan and end in Tajikistan.
In order to begin your journey across the Pamir Highway, you will first have to travel to Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. From there, you can either join up with a tour, which can often be organized at Osh Guesthouse, or you can pre-organize it via Caravanistan Forum, which is how I found my ragtag group of 8. It's best that you pre-organize the road trip in advance if you plan to pool in other people! The earlier, the better!
3. The Great Walks in New Zealand
New Zealand is one of my favorite countries in the world. While the country does attract a significant number of tourists each year, you'll notice a significant drop in numbers as you venture deeper into the remote countryside and natural landscapes, which is what I highly recommend you do here.
There is no denying that New Zealand has a multitude of breathtaking natural locations, especially in the South Island, and one of the best ways to immerse yourself in these remote areas is by embarking on one of New Zealand's Great Walks, which are scattered throughout the country.
The people of New Zealand have managed to create and maintain several epic hiking tracks across the country where you will be able to hike through some of New Zealand’s most awe-inspiring landscapes with varying difficulties and durations. There is no better way to get off the beaten path in New Zealand than to go hiking, and they have a ton of scenic routes for you to choose from.
There are several Great Walks for you to tackle while in New Zealand. While I was there, I was able to do parts of the Abel Tasman Coast Track as well as the full length of the Routeburn Track, which I highly recommend.
To do these great walks, first, you have to plan ahead and pick the dates you want to start and end the hike. Then you will have to book the mountain huts on New Zealand's official website along the route. These mountain huts get booked out extremely fast, so be sure to do it prior to your trip.
There are also other awesome places to visit and things to do in New Zealand that doesn't involve hiking like learn surfing in Westport, kayak with dolphins in Kaikoura, and more.
4. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
South America does get quite a bit of tourists, but there are many ways to get away from the crowds and stay off the beaten path, even at one of the most popular destinations out there like at Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world in Bolivia.
Despite being one of the most visited tourist attractions in Bolivia, thanks to the vast expanse of Salar de Uyuni and its sparsely populated settlements scattered across over 10,000 square kilometers, it never felt overcrowded when I was traveling around the salt flat. Throughout our 3-day journey, we were mostly alone, to the extent that it almost felt like we were exploring another planet.
To explore Salar de Uyuni, you will be traveling in a jeep with a maximum of 6 people through the salt flats, sleeping in a hotel made out of salt, and relaxing in a high-altitude hot spring in the remote mountain region of Bolivia.
To start planning your trip, you can book a tour from a local travel agency (I recommend Andes Salt Expedition) when you arrive in Salar de Uyuni, or you can browse through the tours available online here.
5. The Galapagos Island, Ecuador
While we are still in South America, another excellent off-the-beaten-path destination to travel to is the Galapagos Island in Ecuador. Despite it being one of the most popular places to visit in Ecuador, the island's remoteness and the cost of getting there do help reduce the number of tourists, which makes for a great vacation to get away from the crowds.
The Galapagos Islands are located 926 km off the coast of Ecuador, and it is home to a unique and diverse range of wildlife and ecosystems with unique species that can only be found in the Galapagos, like giant tortoises, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, Galapagos penguins, and a wide variety of other flora and fauna.
To get to the Galapagos Islands, you will have to go through either the Quito or Guayaquil airports. From there, you can fly domestically to Isla Baltra and Isla Santa Cruz, where the airport and the main town are located, respectively.
While you are on the main island, you can spend a day browsing around and find the perfect cruise to join for a trip around the Galapagos archipelago, which is the best way to explore the more remote regions of the Galapagos.
On this cruise tour, you will be accompanied by approximately 8-12 other people as you navigate through some of the most remote regions in the world. You'll engage in a wide range of activities, from snorkeling to hiking and more, which will keep you occupied for the next 6 to 12 days. Along the way, you are likely to encounter only a handful of other cruises, as the government restricts the number of boats at each attraction.
If you would rather book a cruise online and pay with a credit card instead of cash, I highly recommend you check out some of these available boat tours and find the one that fit well with your itinerary and budget.
6. Easter Island, Chile
Talking about islands, another great remote island that you should visit if you want to go off the beaten path is Easter Island, located over 3,500 km away, making it one of the most remote islands I have ever visited in my life.
The beautiful culture of Rapa Nui is one of the most interesting cultures out there, and being able to see the Rapa Nui statue with your own eyes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you will not regret.
You can rent a quad bike and explore the island alone, away from people, or you can go off at night and see the stars as you have never seen them before. I've never seen the Milky Way so visible in my life!
To get to Easter Island, you will have to fly into Santiago, and from there, you can fly domestically with LATAM Airlines to reach Easter Island. When you arrive at the island, you can rent a car, a quad bike, or a bike and go out to explore the remote island by yourself.
You can find cheap flights to Easter Island at Expedia or if you would rather go on a tour around Easter Island instead of doing it independently, you can check out some of these available tours here.
7. The Himalayas, Nepal
You can't talk about remote areas without mentioning one of the most remote areas in the world: the Himalayas, which is another great place to go off the beaten path. Nepal is one of the cheapest countries you can travel to and yet you are able to get to some of the most beautiful and remote regions of the Himalayas.
You can go off into the mountains and start hiking one of the many scenic trekking trails around the country, or you can stick to the popular routes like the Annapurna Base Camp or the Everest Base Camp, both of which I highly recommend.
With the tourism infrastructure to accommodate hikers from around the world, you will have plenty of options when it comes to teahouses. You will be mostly alone while you are hiking, but if you are seeking a little companionship, you can always meet other hikers in teahouses along the route, and more often than not, you will continue to meet them again as you progress on your hike, which is pretty awesome.
To start hiking in the Himalayas in Nepal, you will first have to travel to Kathmandu, and from there, you can fly domestically to the trailhead (Pokhara for the Annapurna region, Lukla for the Everest region, etc.) and begin trekking into the Himalayas. You can do the Everest hike independently, as I did, but as of 2023, you are going to need to hire a guide for another region. For organized tours to help you out with the trip, you can find more here.
8. The Outback, Australia
Australia is another country that has a ton of remote regions and off-the-beaten-path destinations you can explore despite the country attracting many tourists per year. It is the world's largest island that accounts for over five percent of the world's land, after all.
The Outback desert of Australia, in particular, is the perfect place to go off-the-beaten-path while you are traveling in Australia. With a vast unpopulated desert area so remote that even Australians rarely go, you will have all the beautiful Aboriginal sacred spots like Uluru and Kata Tjuta all to yourself.
There are also some beautiful hiking trails like Kings Canyon that will take your breath away at every turn, or you can go and ride camels at sunset while looking at Uluru. Either way, there are more things for you to do in the Outback than you might think.
To get to Uluru, you can either fly from cities like Melbourne or Sydney to Ayers Rock (another name for Uluru), or you can fly to Alice Springs and make your way down to Uluru. For tours to take you around Uluru or other areas in the Outback, you can browse for available tours here.
Extra. And, of course, in your own country
Last but not least, please don't forget to explore your own country and seize the opportunity to discover what your homeland has to offer. There are many off-the-beaten-path spots in your country, and no one is better prepared to explore these remote regions than you, since you already live there.
I am from Thailand, a country not typically known as an off-the-beaten-path destination, and yet I have discovered so many cool hidden gems throughout the years that rarely ever attract any tourist. With the insider information at your disposal, you are better equipped than any travel blogger, including myself, to explore the less-traveled areas. So, don't forget to go off the beaten path and explore your home country!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
6 Comments
great pics
Thanks for the guidance specially now when the world is enclosed due to the pandemic, always be safe God bless
Thank you!
Thank you!
I love this list of destinations. I just hate the reasoning behind why you chose them. This isn't 2020 anymore. At this point it should be about where you can travel safely and responsibly without having to distance yourself 500 miles from the nearest person.
Hey Jason, you are right. The article was written in the midst of the 2022 pandemic. It's now updated for this year!