If you’re sick of jostling for towel space on the beach, or tired of selfie sticks bobbing about in front of that scenic mountain vista, then here are some pointers to terrain less trodden.
From majestic icebergs and swampy jungles to idyllic sun-kissed islands with not a sun lounger to be seen, here are 17 gloriously remote places for your next trip.
It doesn't get much more remote than the bottom of the Earth, where the sun shines continually for six months of the year and is dark for the remainder. Visiting this inhospitable but enthralling land of translucent icebergs, curious penguins, humpback whales and gliding albatrosses is quite a schlep – although
Emperor Penguin, Snow Hill, Antarctica © vladsilver/Shutterstock
There's a whole lot of wilderness to go round in the largest and least-visited national park in the USA: giant serrated peaks, blue tinted glaciers, deep gorges and twisting rivers. It's an untouched landscape of astounding beauty, home to caribou, grizzly and black bears. With some cabins only accessible via a shaky ride in a tiny plane, accommodation doesn't get much more away-from-it-all than this.
View to Mount Wrangell and Zanetti from the Richardson Highway Viewpoint Alaska © Gail Johnson/Shutterstock
Don't expect a map to help you in
Trowutta Arch, Tasmania © Visual Collective/Shutterstock
As difficult to get here as it is to spell it, this remote town on the east coast of Greenland is not for the sun worshipper: it's cold, with its waters covered in ice for much of the year. But for outdoorsy nature lovers (and those with warm mittens) there's the pristine vastness of the National Park of Greenland on its doorstep to entice, with dogsledding adventures, sailing on glacial fjords, and a chance to see reindeer, the odd polar bear and walruses.
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There’s no place more likely to ease the stress of frenetic modern life than this sleepy little island in the Indian Ocean, some 600km east of
St Francois Rodrigues island Mauritius © Shutterstock
It's certainly remote but that's not to say it's quiet, what with the raucous sound of resplendent birds and monkeys making a right hullabaloo. With only one proper road through, the best way to get deep into the Amazonian rainforest is by hiking or by canoe along its twisting rivers. Visit the indigenous Shuar people with an ecotourism organisation to learn about their healing practices and mythology.
Cononaco River in Ecuadorian Amazon © Dr Morley Read/Shutterstock
You may be familiar with Mutiny on the Bounty, the seafaring saga of mutineers who ditched their captain and hid out on this dot of an island in the South Pacific Ocean. Two hundred years later you can visit via a choppy boat ride from Tahiti, over a thousand kilometres away. Experience island life and the lush tropical vegetation through
Pitcairn Island - a volcanic island and the last of the British Territories in the South Pacific ocean © Claude Huot/Shutterstock
If you take the one-hour hop by boat from the mainland to the historical isolated fishing village of
Battle Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada © Josef Hanus/Shutterstock
That this region is home to such notoriously camera-shy creatures as the snow leopard gives an idea just how isolated it is. Take a guided trek into the lush, lonely valleys of
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Lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos, cheetahs, as well as a stunning array of birdlife… With such wildlife on its roster you’d assume this national park would be a big draw for safari tourists. But the vast area of wilderness is so tucked away in a valley in the far northeast of the country that only the more adventurous make the trip. You can also visit a Karamojon village and learn about the traditions and culture of this remote herding community, and there’s bound to be a spot of “high jumping” to join in with.
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Sometimes it takes effort – and good hiking shoes – to escape the crowds. The days of trekking, even before the 3000m vertiginous boulder-strewn ascent, put off all but the most determined to reach
If you want solitude, this British outpost has it in spades – unless the volcano on which this rocky island sits suddenly erupts. The stomach-churning boat trip from
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas town aerial panoramic view, Tristan da Cunha, the most remote inhabited island © maloff/Shutterstock
With the only sounds coming from the slow sipping of salt tea, and the only light a warm glow from a wood-burning stove, an overnight stay with a nomadic family in a ger, or Mongolian yurt, is doubtless more peaceful than when Ghengis Khan was galloping across the region. Explore the vast grassy plains and mountain ridges on foot, or do as the nomads – saddle up and tour this serene landscape on horseback.
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Bhutan is the land of the Yeti myth, and while you might be more likely to encounter a yak en route to the country's highest village, it's still several days trek from the nearest road, which is cut off by snow for much of the year. Hike through lush meadows dappled with rhododendrons, navigate high mountain passes and take in stupendous panoramas. The friendly Layap villagers – Buddhist monks, inquisitive children, and women wearing their unique, striking, pointed hats – will welcome you.
Taktsang Palphug Monastery and the Tiger's Nest, is a Himalayan Buddhist sacred site located in cliffs of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan © Avik/Shutterstock
Although only two hours away by boat from north
The view from the southern end of Lundy Island, looking over the lighthouse and dock © Havelock/Shutterstock
With no road in, the only way to reach the hamlet on
It’ll take more than a dig around under the sofa cushions for the funds needed to stay on one of the remote outer islands of the Seychelles. But if you’ve got the cash, you can experience a piece of paradise: the clichéd coconut palms, gentle azure waters for diving and snorkelling, and pristine sandy beaches for doing – well, nothing much at all.
© Song_about_summer/Shutterstock