15 TOP SPOTS WITHOUT CROWDS

READY TO DODGE THE MASSES AND HAVE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE?

1. LOGAR VALLEY SLOVENIA

Walking through this enchanted valley, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve stumbled into a fairy tale. Tumbling waterfalls, green valleys and soaring mountains are dotted throughout the remote Solcavska region. On a walking tour with Inntravel, you’ll stay at a historic hotel whose descendants have lived in the area for almost five centuries, go forest bathing and explore Velika Planina – one of Europe’s few surviving high altitude herdsmen’s villages. inntravel.co.uk

2. WESTERN HIGHLANDS PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The sight and sounds of hundreds of tribes gathering is something you won’t forget. A four-day Crooked Compass tour takes you to the heart of the Mount Hagen Show, a festival featuring more than 100 tribes celebrating the diverse culture of the region. Among the beating kundu drums, rhythmical chanting and shimmering feathered headdresses you’ll watch the tribes transform themselves with elaborate body paint. crooked-compass.com

3. TIWI ISLANDS NORTHERN TERRITORY

A short ferry ride from Darwin is the Tiwi Islands, known as the “island of smiles’’. The two main islands have a vibrant Aboriginal arts culture and the pristine waters offer world-class fishing. Base yourself at the Tiwi Islands Retreat, a tranquil resort on the water’s edge. It’s the perfect spot from which to explore remote swimming holes, local Aboriginal art communities or join a tour to catch the island’s best barramundi. tiwiislandretreat.com.au

4. TOHOKU JAPAN

Japan is having its moment in the sun, but it has plenty of areas relatively untouched by tourism. In the Tohoku region it’s rare to see another foreigner. On an Inside Japan Northern Highlights trip you’ll visit Samurai houses, explore remote fishing villages of Sado Island and discover secluded temples while walking up Mount Haguro. insidejapantours.com

5. PHOBJIKHA VALLEY BHUTAN

As the world’s only carbon-negative country, Bhutan is a leader in sustainable, low-impact tourism. Numbers of travellers are capped and each tourist must pay a daily fee of about $300. Six Senses Gangtey, in the Phobjikha Valley, is a luxurious base from which you can join local monks for meditation and view black-necked cranes as they arrive from Tibet each October. sixsenses.com

6. CUIDAD PERDIDA COLOMBIA

It might sound like something out of an Indiana Jones movie, but if an abandoned city built 650 years before Machu Picchu gets your heart racing, head to Ciudad Perdida (Lost City in Spanish) in Colombia. An 11-day trek with Much Better Adventures takes you waist deep through rivers, past glacial peaks, and into a welcoming Arhuaco indigenous community before reaching the 1200 mossy steps to the ancient city. muchbetteradventures.com

7. WESTFJORDS ICELAND

As one of the hottest cold-weather destinations, Iceland isn’t exactly low on tourists’ love. But travellers tend to flock to the Blue Lagoon and the spectacular glacial lake of Jökulsárlón. Hidden Iceland takes travellers to the Westfjords where only 7 per cent of all visitors go. Here you’ll visit remote fishing villages, bathe in geothermal pools and search for arctic foxes. hiddeniceland.is

8. NOOSA EVERGLADES QUEENSLAND

On the Sunshine Coast, you’ll find one of only two everglades systems on Earth and the only one where you can swim safely (the other, in Florida, has alligators).

The best way to explore the 60km stretch of pristine water and breathtaking flora and fauna is on a cruise and canoe tour with Everglades Ecosafaris. evergladesecosafaris.com.au

9. YUKON CANADA

As one of the seven wonders of the natural world, seeing the Northern Lights ripple and dance across a pitch-black sky is an unforgettable experience. But being in a chartered plane 36,000 feet in the air flying amid the undulating green glow is something else entirely. On this trip you’ll be one of very few people who not only saw the aurora borealis, but soared among them. aurora-360.ca

10. KIMBERLEY COAST WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Accessible only by private charter flight or boat, there’s a true sense of seclusion at Berkeley River Lodge. From helicopter tours and river cruises to gorge hikes and 4WD adventures, the personalised itinerary ensures your days are filled with exactly what you want to do, including lounging in a luxurious villa overlooking the Timor Sea. berkeleyriverlodge.com.au

11. FAROE ISLANDS DENMARK

There are more sheep than people on the Faroe Islands, a remote archipelago situated between Iceland, Norway and Scotland. It’s an enchanting place – think wooden houses with grass roofs, spectacular coastal cliffs and quaint villages. To get an authentic taste of Faroe life, dine in the homes of locals where you’ll eat traditional Faroese dishes. visitfaroeislands.com

12. CHIAPAS MEXICO

Skip Cancun and head to the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Mayan archaeological sites, deep canyons and verdant rainforests await. On a seven-day trip with Insight Guides you’ll also visit some of the 59 different coloured lakes at Montebello Lakes National Park, shop at local markets, meet native elders from the highland community of Zinacantan and stay at a Spanish colonial-style hotel dating back to the 1740s. insightguides.com

13. SEVENTEEN SEVENTY QUEENSLAND

It’s the tiny coastal Queensland town with a funny name. Seventeen Seventy (1770) sits between Bundaberg and Gladstone and was named after the second landing site of James Cook in (you guessed it) 1770. It has Australia’s northern most surf beach and is a jump off point for the Great Barrier Reef. Take an amphibious boat tour across the beaches and estuaries, swim in the pristine waters of nearby Deepwater National Park or visit the 1770 Distillery. 1770larctours.com.au; 1770distillery.com

14. KOH MAK THAILAND

It’s hard to find a place in Thailand that is relatively unknown to tourists, but the island of Koh Mak may be it. The lack of night-life and big resorts means the pace is set to rest and relaxation. Enjoy sleepy fishing villages, lush rainforest and local hospitality. miramontra.com/

15. HUON VALLEY TASMANIA

Hobart’s MONA may seem like the centre of the art world in Tassie, but the lesser-visited Huon Valley also offers rousing, immersive public artworks. Setting off from Hastings Caves you’ll journey into the trees to hear a recording of 2000 ravens flying in to roost or peek into tiny holes punched into a graffitied shipping container in Geeveston where a mythical landscape in miniature awaits. project-x.net.au