13 BEST OF THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

This tuesday #TRLT is celebrating its 200th consecutive chat on Twitter and we are excited to discuss the topic “The Best of The Road Less Traveled”. TRLT is about discovering the unknown, venturing across borders and broadening travel horizons beyond the famous World Wonders or picture-perfect photos of destinations found in common travel magazine. Here are 15 of some of the best road less travelled places I have personally seen, experienced and would love to recommend.
In no particular order.

Camping in Africa – Gabon

Camping Africa

I have personally been to 38 out of 54 African countries, the majority done overland, and it doesn’t matter where you choose to set up camp, sleeping in African wilderness in a tent is an incredible experience. One of my most memorable camping spots was just off the road in the middle of nowhere in Gabon where we found a most spectacular mountain, water view.

Amazon Rainforest – Peru

Rainforest Expeditions offers some of the most unforgettable lodging and excursions in the remote heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Bedrooms that only have three walls, the fourth entirely open making you feel PART of nature.

Longji Rice Terrace – China

Longji

For lovers of hiking, take the hot journey through villages and rice fields to the lookout point over Longji Rice Terraces. Operating for 650 years, these incredibly functioning rice field terraces are truly a man-made wonder.

Polonnaruwa – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka itself is a fabulous alternative destination to its much more popular neighbouring country, India. The ancient city of Polonnaruwa is a must for its beautiful surrounding nature, temples and ruins.

Flat Dogs – Zambia

Flat Dogs, just outside of South Luangwa national park. camp offers a truly remarkable experience of sleeping in the trees or on the ground with the Big 5 walking around your tent and picnic table at breakfast.

Karimabad – Pakistan

Karimabad – Pakistan

Enjoy the warm sunshine on your face as you look out at the stunning snow-capped mountain range of Hunza Valley towering over the Hunza River. Hike up to Baltit Fort and beyond on seemingly untouched mountain trails in Northern Pakistan, you’re unlikely to bump into many, if any, other travellers.

Gobustan Mud Volcanoes – Azerbaijan

World Heritage_UNESCO site- Azerbaijan is in the first place in the world for the amount of mud volcanoes

A bizarre landscape outside of the capital city of Baku you can find mud volcanoes bubbling up, cold and smooth from the earth. Mud volcanoes are thought to go back a whopping 25 millions years in Azerbaijan.

Tsminda Sameba Church, Kazbegi – Georgia

Tsminda Sameba Church Kazbegi – Georgia

Tsminda Sameba Church, Kazbegi – Georgia

A beautiful hike outside of the town Kazbegi will lead you to the overpowering and peaceful Tsminda Samebo Church situated in a hilly setting of Georgian countryside.

Mongolian outback

Every journey into the outback of Mongolia feels like you’re an explorer taking the first steps on untouched grounds. Ride horses, explore by jeep, sleep in a ger, eat mutton, meet local nomads and saddle a camel, all without seeing another tourist.

Djenné – Mali

Mali itself is quite “the road less traveled” destination in itself but be sure to make a stop in Djenne to see the Great Mosque, the world’s largest mud brick structure. After that, it’s a great idea to go to Mopti, departure point when traveling the Niger River to Timbuktu.

Lake Songkol – Kyrgyzstan

For a natural escape, Lake Songkol is an ideal spot to meditate and sleep in a local yurt next to the crystal clear waters in the mountainous countryside of Kyrgyzstan.

Vardzia – Georgia

Vardzia – Georgia

A very special, yet very underrated historic destination found in Georgia, the country, not the state, is the cave monastery of Vardzia. Carved out of the stone cliffside, the caves extend 500m and up to nineteen levels. The Dormition Church dates back all the way to the 1180s.

Easter Island – Chile

Although Easter Island is extremely famous, I was surprised by how road less travelled it still is when I arrived on the very quiet, laid back island. 3,500km away from the coast of Chile, the nearest continent, it is one of the most remote islands in the world. If you can afford the expensive, long journey there, you will definitely leave with special memories that few others have had the privilege to make.

What are some of your favorite “road less traveled” secret spots? Find out what other travelers have to say on this topic. You may just discover your next favorite spot.

Don’t miss this week’s 200th chat on Twitter. It’s going to be a special one. Search the hashtag #TRLT on Twitter to find us and don’t forget to include the hashtag #TRLT in your tweets to participate with fellow travellers. I am there each and every week hosting with fellow founder and friend Shane Dallas (public speaker, visited 100+ countries, currently living in Kenya) and amazing travel host, and good friend, Jessica Lipowski (accomplished author and “foodie” in USA) and host Anton Magnin (specialist in family travel in South Africa).

Savannah Grace