Pamir Highway, Tajikistan
With travel becoming more and more popular, some adventurous folk look for places where they are unlikely to meet many other travellers. Getting to places so remote you feel like you have indeed "fallen off the map".
Here are some of the most remote places in the world you can travel to.
Russian Arctic - Franz Josef Land
This remote group of 191 islands, many covered in ice, forms the most northerly archipelago in Eurasia and lies entirely within the Arctic Circle. A nature reserve, it is part of the Russian Arctic National Park. Here you can explore historical sites, remote seabird colonies and and walrus haul-outs. Polar bear encounters are also possible.
Mongolia - the far west
Western Mongolia is a place where crystal-clear lakes, snow-capped peaks and giant dunes whisper the legendary stories of nomads and nature. Be mesmerised by khoomii (traditional throat singing), stay with nomadic families, search for wildlife including ibex, argali sheep and the elusive snow leopard, then join Kazakh eagle hunters at a local celebration. This adventure unveils the true spirit of Mongolia's traditional nomads with an unimaginably beautiful backdrop.
Tajikistan - Pamir Highway
Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan sprawl across the vast expanses of Central Asia but are still hidden from many visitor’s minds, despite offering outstanding beauty, simplicity and a feeling of complete remoteness. Along the Pamir Highway, you journey through cities featuring crumbling reminders of Soviet occupation and influence and out into the stunning wilds, where the ancient history of these long-lived nations – Persian and Mongol, Buddhist and Muslim – becomes clearer. The families you will stay with in their homes have remained, while empires have fallen.
Guyana
Few people even know where Guyana is let alone travel there. This lost corner of South America is a fascinating destination with pristine rainforest, riverside eco lodges where you visit indigenous communities, spot caiman by torchlight along moonlit rivers and eat delicious Guyanese food at a small local 'backyard cafe'.
West Antarctica and sub-Antarctic isles
When I was in South Georgia in the South Atlantic, I felt like I had fallen off the map. Triple that feeling by sailing to the Ross Sea and the sub-Antarctic isles belonging to New Zealand and Australia. Marvel at the impressive Ross Ice Shelf —roughly the size of Canada’s Yukon territory—and its edge towering as high as 200 feet above the water’s surface. South of the New Zealand mainland lie the wild sub-Antarctic islands—rarely visited and home to an abundance of flora and fauna found nowhere else on the planet, including thousands of seals and more than 500,000 pairs of royal penguins, which are endemic here.
Congo DRC - Expedition down the Congo River
The ultimate Congo experience - a 1,000 kilometre voyage on the mighty Congo River. Experience the different sights and sounds of the real Africa as you travel through a land so few travellers have yet discovered. We travel using a river cruiser, a 34 meter long, wooden boat, equipped with two powerful outboard engines. A cook and a guide are present throughout. Evenings and nights are spent ashore, enabling cultural exchanges with the local population. This is an incredible journey through one of the world’s least explored areas – for us this is the very essence of adventure.
French Polynesia - Marquesas Islands
Have you ever dreamt of venturing off the beaten path, taking the road less traveled? Beyond Bora Bora and her overwater bungalows, lie some of the most remote islands in the world, the Marquesas. Travel on an upscale vessel, part passenger, part freighter, the main supply line to this archipelago. Experience the richness of the Marquesas, from its people to its history and culture to its breathtaking scenery. This is a soft adventure and cultural immersion at its best in French Polynesia.
Islands of the South Atlantic - South Georgia, Gough, Tristan da Cunha and St. Helena
Our Atlantic Odyssey cruise visits some of the remotest islands in the world, crossing the migratory paths of Arctic Terns, Long-tailed Skuas, other birds, and a variety of whales as they make their annual expeditions north for the breeding season. In South Georgia you will visit some of the world’s top king penguin rookeries and old whaling stations. Northern Rockhopper penguins and Subantarctic fur seals are often seen on Gough Island while the islands of Tristan da Cunha are famed for their Rockhopper penguins, albatross and many other bird species.
Your journey ends on St. Helena, the sub-tropical island where Napoleon died in exile.
Namibia - Skeleton Coast
The Skeleton Coast conjures up images of mist-shrouded beaches strewn with bleached whale bones and rusted shipwrecks. Stretching from the south of Namibia up into Angola, the Skeleton Coast and its hinterland offer landscapes of haunting beauty. A local family takes guests on an epic adventure travelling by private plane and Land Rover. Guests are introduced to dramatic desert and coastal scenery, as well as diverse flora and fauna, including the endangered black rhino and desert-adapted elephant.
Australia - East Arnhem Land
In the farthest reaches of remote Northern Australia lies East Arnhem Land. This vast and rugged wilderness is where the Yolngu people have lived for millennia. Discover this beautiful stretch of traditional land, learning how to hunt and gather, dance and make bark paintings under the guidance of clan leaders. Then depart the mainland for nearby Bremer Island and feel like castaways marooned on this spectacular oasis, devoid of human development and interference.