Bored of crowded destinations and touristy activities? By now, we’re even bored of the ‘offbeat’ destinations, now done to death. So we’re going a step further, and bringing to you the remotest places that you could visit:

Adventure, check.
Peace and quiet, check.
Culture, check.
Barely any people, we mean BARELY, check.

1. Macquarie Island

Tasmania, Australia

Image Source: Flickr @Austronesian_Expeditions

What’s the best thing about travelling to a remote destination? It’s relatively empty. Macquarie Island definitely has that going for it – because it wasn’t a destination to begin with! But, why should you travel halfway across the world to visit some place no one’s been to? Because the island is actually on the World Heritage List! Filled with natural diversity and home to barely any people, the oceanic island is breathtaking. It’s actually a geo conservation site - something to do with rocks from a level beneath the ocean floor being exposed above sea level. You’ll just have to go there to find out! It’s also filled with flora, fauna and wildlife. Oh, and you might even run into the occasional Australian scientist.

2. Concordia

Border of Pakistan and China

 Who would have thought that there was a place so close to home that you never even thought of visiting, perhaps haven’t even heard of? Located on the border between Pakistan and China, is a little gem of a place surrounded by mountains and nestled in a remote area that’s days away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Concordia is a tiny village with a rugged terrain that’s pretty remote, but is definitely one of the most scenic places you will ever visit. It’s very close to K2, so mountaineering enthusiasts will love it too.

3. Chang Tang

Tibet to Ladakh

Welcome to Chang Tang, an island where you can be completely alone for days on end, just ask Swedish explorer Sven Hedin – who wasn’t really happy about the 81 days it took him to see someone! It has some of the most breathtaking natural surroundings you will ever see. Forget the massive moorland, there are several lakes, a rich culture that comes from its Tibetan surroundings and a nature resort that boasts of being the second largest in the world. And it’s still pretty remote! Who wouldn’t want to visit this one?

4. Easter Island

Polynesian Triangle, Chile

Image Source: Flickr @christian-bobadilla

Alright, we’ll admit that we fell in love with Easter Island purely for the name. We were disappointed when we heard there were no Easter bunnies around here, or a hidden technology-related gift (think: Google’s popular Easter Eggs!) but we quickly got back on track – because this is one of the best places to visit if you’re looking for something remote, but filled with culture. The name stems from the day it was discovered, and that’s not even the most interesting thing. The world famous island is home to just a few thousand residents, but still boasts of beautiful architecture, gorgeous sculptures and large, stone statues – called moai.

5. Deception Island

Antarctica

Image Source: Flickr @Chris_Harris

 Let’s play a little game called hide and seek – would you like to add a little deception into the mix? An island with a name like that sure didn’t get its name from a very pleasant occurrence, planes crash here because the distance is, you guessed it – deceptive. But it’s not the sort of place you’re going to want to skip visiting. The entire region looks exactly like a cauldron (caused by volcano’s) from an aerial view, so it’s delightful to fly over it, and it’s swarming with penguins. Apart from the adorable creatures, it’s also as close to the bottom of the earth as you’re going to get and that’s more than reason enough to go!

6. Ittoqqortoormiit

Sermersooq, Greenland

 We would tell you how to pronounce this one – if we could. In fact, its old name, Scoresbysund, may have been less of a mouthful. However, we’re just going to call it that remote town in Greenland. There are several reasons to visit Greenland to begin with – cold aside, it’s a pretty cool destination to add to your checklist. Although most places in Greenland are quite remote, this one takes it to another level, because it has less than 1,000 people inhabiting it! Most of us have more people around us on the streets! Get out of your chaotic city and travel here if you dare, but there’s no way to fly down directly (as with most on this list of course) and even flights from the far off village are rare. It’s an isolated area that is really more of a settlement than an actual town, but there are boat and helicopter services you can avail of. If you’ve never seen (or heard of) a muskoxen, this is the place that will explain it all, along with a few polar bears and seals thrown in for good measure.

7. La Rinconada

Peruvian Andes, Peru

So, this is one of the most difficult places to get to, but it’s also one of those places where the destination is definitely worth the trials and tribulations of the journey. You can’t take a flight, boat or ship and if you’re trying to get there in a small car, you probably won’t make it. The thing about this place that’s super spectacular is the fact that it’s located so high; it’s actually often called the highest city in the world. It’s accessible only to the extremely lucky, extremely pushy traveller who can go that extra mile (or several) in a big truck. What’s so special about the sparsely populated place? Well, have you ever holidayed on a permanently frozen glacier? No? We thought so. This is the place to head to if you’re ever bold enough to try it out. Oh, and did we mention it’s pretty close to a gold mine?

8. Barrow

Arctic Circle, Alaska

Image Source: Flickr @jensen2k

The population here is dwindling, so you can tell that it’s a pretty remote town. The reason we’re recommending this one is because it’s a town that’s pretty much in darkness through November and December, and is situated far up in the north. It boasts of some spectacular views and is a great spot for those who want a little peace and quiet but also want to take a few pictures while they’re at it.

Since, you now know about these ‘out of the world’ places, we know you are already dreaming of visiting one, or all. But, it would take more than dreaming to reach there, be prepared for some hard work and persistence, rest assured you will have some splendid time there.

If you happen to visit or come across a destination, which lies hidden in one of the corners of the world, do let us know. We would like to know all about it and feature it in our article.

Nicole

A poet with a penchant for prose and the itch to travel, Nicole Reed is an assistant editor and features writer for a daily newspaper, struggling to find a way out of the concrete mess by dreaming of one day living and breathing off words in an idyllic country setting somewhere. Having been editor of her college magazine, written for a number of publications including Shamiana’s short film newsletter and as a current student of Literature from the University of London, Nicole sees writing like travel - an adventure – a journey to find her place, to define and redefine who she is over and over again and to live and learn through the process.

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