Best Places to Travel Way Off the Beaten Path
Smart travelers always seem to be looking ahead, lusting after their next adventure, searching for a place to go that’s unique, different and difficult to find in the best possible way. The traditional offbeat places just won’t do so we have five destinations that maybe you’ve never even heard of, let alone thought of planning a trip to. Our list includes a deserted island, the coldest place on earth, and two places in Europe where you can avoid the typical tourist crowd. Which one will you add to your bucket list?
Clipperton Island
Clipperton Island is a small, ring-shaped atoll located roughly 700 miles off the coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. Completely uninhabited and off the grid, this desert island isn’t for the faint of heart, but rather the uninhibited smart traveler. Staying there, camping amongst wildlife, adventurers can snorkel and fish to their hearts content. This isn’t for those seeking the white-sand resort experience, but rather those curious and willing to have a semi Tom Hanks in castaway-esque one.
Antarctica
Antarctica is the most extreme place on Earth. It is the farthest continent south. It is the largest desert on earth, receiving only a tiny bit more rainfall than the Sahara. It has an average elevation of 7,544 feet. Temperatures range from a high of 15°C to an average of -49°C, with the lowest temperature ever recorded being -82.8°C.
Because of these factors, getting there and exploring this frozen land can be fairly difficult and so, it remains largely untouched by humans. Despite the challenges involved, adventurous smart travelers still find ways to traverse the unspoiled antarctic, take in the scenery and experience its unique wildlife. Stunning destinations to add to your itinerary include Port Lockroy, South Georgia, Deception Island and Paradise Harbor. Once in a lifetime does not even begin to describe what this trip would be.
Kyrgyzstan
Many would consider Central Asia off the beaten path to begin with, so let’s take things a step further, literally. Breathtaking natural beauty: mountains, pastures, lakes. This is what makes up Kyrgyzstan, a land still roamed by yurt dwelling shepherds. It is heaven for hikers and lovers of the outdoors. You don’t need a visa to take advantage of the stunning scenery, and you’ll be welcomed into hospitable home stays, where you can truly dive into local life.
Macedonia
Macedonia is a little bit of everything: geographically, historically, culturally. Tourists have slowly begun to discover the lakeside town of Ohrid, but there’s much more to this country that’s part Balkan and part Mediterranean. For one, the cities are not to be missed. Skopje has the largest bazaar in the Balkans outside of Istanbul, as well as bars and restaurants to wet your whistle. Walking through Bitola, you can easily mistake it for European, with its shopping, busy pedestrian streets, ancient ruins and wild nightlife. Away from urban life, mountains for hiking and lakes for swimming and kayaking are everywhere, even if traditional infrastructure for travelers isn’t. Locals are warm and happy to point you in the direction of their favorite trail, delicious meal or a warm bed to spend the night in. So much of Europe has been crisscrossed by tourists, but here you can truly get off the beaten track.
Belarus
Considered the “last dictatorship in Europe”, Belarus only sees around 150,000 foreign visitors per year. Compare this to a nearby destination like Lithuania which sees almost 2.5 million tourists. Despite being stuck in the 20th century in many ways, the country has gone to great lengths recently to allow travelers in without a complicated visa process. Because of its history of isolation, it has remained authentic, ostensibly untouched and influenced by the rest of the world. Minsk, its capital, is bustling and full of everything from museums to nightclubs. Go to see the castles and temples, take advantage of the pristine nature and explore little villages where famous painters and authors were born.
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