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Many of us have been lucky enough to visit some of the great wonders of our planet – perhaps the pyramids, the Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China, or stunning natural spectacles like the Grand Canyon and Victoria Falls.
There is only one problem: the number of tourists who flock to these attractions. There are many other wonders to see, just as impressive but less crowded or less commercialized.
From majestic landscapes to ancient ruins to an art deco gem, here are our top ten least-visited wonders of the world and how to discover them.
CORAL TREASURES
Recently featured on BBC Two’s Wilderness with Simon Reeve, the Coral Triangle is so rich in fish and coral that scientists have dubbed it a ‘species factory’. Stretching across the Pacific, from the Philippines to Bali and the Solomon Islands, its target is a remote corner of eastern Indonesia known as Raja Ampat.
Here you can explore a phinisi (traditional wooden sailing boat), with plenty of time to snorkel and visit the island communities.
- OUR ADVICE: Travel between November and March for calm seas and a good chance of spotting manta rays.
- BOOK IT: A ten-night all-inclusive group trip costs from £6,995 per person, including transfers, meals and activities (responsible travel.com). Flights from Gatwick to Sorong via Jakarta are extra, from £1,059 return (qatarairways.com).
MAYAN RUINS WITHOUT CROWDS
Caracol is the largest of many beautiful but rarely visited Mayan ruins scattered across Belize, a still barely discovered English-speaking country in Central America that is slightly larger than Wales. About 1,300 years ago it was a thriving city with 150,000 inhabitants. Today, its tall temples and vast plazas are now a jungle-shrouded refuge for toucans and black howler monkeys, where you can sit in peace and gaze at the candlesticks of history.
- OUR ADVICE: Stay at Blancaneaux Lodge, an hour and a half drive away, which is owned by director and winemaker Francis Ford Coppola.
- BOOK IT: An eight-night beach and rainforest tour, including three at Blancaneaux Lodge, costs from £3,975 per person, including flights from Gatwick to Belize City via Cancun, transfers and breakfast (Rainbowtours.co.uk).
WET AND WILD IN BRAZIL
Clinging to the borders of Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, the Pantanal is the largest tropical wetland on the planet and home to exciting wildlife that includes giant otters, the maned wolf and the magnificent blue hyacinth macaw 3 feet long. There is the largest concentration of caimans (crocodiles) in the world and around 5,000 jaguars.
- OUR ADVICE: May to October is the dry season when it is easier to spot animals.
- BOOK IT: A nine-night Pantanal wildlife group tour, visiting three lodges, costs from £5,995 per person, including flights to Cuiaba via Sao Paulo, transfers, meals and excursions (WildlifeWorldwide.com).
THE SECRET OF VIETNAM
With its imposing series of jagged karst pinnacles, Ninh Binh is as spectacular a sight as the famous Halong Bay, but does not attract hordes of tourists. Two hours south of Hanoi and lined with rivers, farms and temples, it is best explored by bike or gliding on a sampan.
- OUR ADVICE: Visit in October and November when water levels are high and the rice fields are ready to be harvested.
- BOOK IT: A 12-night Vietnam Landscapes tour, spending two nights in Ninh Binh, costs from £3,415 per person, including flights to Hanoi and return from Ho Chi Minh City, transfers, most meals and some excursions (insideasiatours.com).
HOT ROCKS IN NEVADA
Just an hour’s drive from Las Vegas, Valley of Fire National Park is an overlooked natural wonder that can’t fail to amaze. Prepare to discover swirling red sandstone formations that look like streaky bacon, 4,000-year-old rock carvings, and hiking trails suitable for all levels.
- OUR TIP: Nevada is perfect for a road trip with many two- to five-day itineraries – go from October to April when it’s cooler.
ANCIENT TIBET
Situated at just over 12,000 feet above sea level, the gigantic Potala Palace in Lhasa dates from the 17th century and has more than 1,000 rooms housing a multitude of Buddhist treasures. The adventurous way to get there is by taking the world’s highest railway which crosses the stark Tibetan Plateau from Xining, covering 600 miles with hundreds of bridges built on permafrost.
- OUR ADVICE: The weather is hottest from June to September.
- BOOK IT: A ten-day tour of the ancient city of Lhasa costs from £2,690 per person, including a two-night train ride to Lhasa plus accommodation and some meals and excursions (globalshipping.com). Flights from Heathrow to Chengdu and return from Lhasa are extra, from £1,167 return (airchina.co.uk).
FLY OVER NAMIBIA
The Namib Desert is considered the oldest in the world, barely inhabited by humans but with remarkably adapted wildlife that includes elephants, lions, rhinos and, to a lesser extent, geckos. The chance to climb colossal sand dunes, meet the Himba natives and explore the shipwreck-strewn Skeleton Coast makes it a must-see for romantics and wilderness lovers.
- OUR TIP: The distances are vast, so hop aboard a small plane and savor the fascinating views of ancient Africa.
- BOOK IT: A seven-day safari costs from £3,642 per person based on four travelers traveling together, including meals and safari activities (voyagelocal.com). Flights from Heathrow to Windhoek via Frankfurt are extra, from £1,203 return (lufthansa.com).
ART DECO JEWELRY
Rebuilt in the 1930s after an earthquake, Napier is a stylish New Zealand port that has nearly 150 colorful, well-preserved art deco buildings that are a joy to explore. Decorated with rays of sunlight and fountains, they include a theater with original neon and chrome fixtures and a bank decorated with stylized hammerhead sharks. For example, the Hawke’s Bay region is famous for its beaches, vineyards and gastronomy.
- OUR ADVICE: Napier fits well into a North Island tour with a flight to Auckland then back from the Kiwi capital, Wellington.
- BOOK IT: A 14-night self-drive North Island Classic tour, spending one night in Napier, costs from £1,966 per person, including some excursions (discover-the-world.com). Flights from Heathrow to Auckland and return from Wellington are extra, from £1,419 return (airnewzealand.co.uk).
THE BOILING LAKE OF DOMINICA
Steaming waters that bubble like a witch’s cauldron lie in the heart of the mountainous Caribbean island of Dominica. 230 feet wide and located at an elevation of 2,600 feet, the bubbling gray lake offers a rare glimpse into the violence of the Earth’s interior and is one of the many scenic sensations in Morne Trois National Park Pitons, a World Heritage Site, which also has impressive forests. waterfalls and birds.
- OUR ADVICE: If the 20 km hike doesn’t appeal to you, wait until the end of next year, when a cable car opens.
- BOOK IT: Seven nights at Fort Young Hotel cost from £1,699 per person B&B, including flights from Gatwick via Barbados and transfers (caribtours.co.uk).
CRUISE ON THE KIMBERLEY
Australia’s vast, empty northwest corner has become an exciting destination for expedition cruises between Broome and Darwin. Highlights include natural wonders resulting from extraordinary tides, such as Montgomery Reef which appears to rise from the ocean, and Horizontal Falls, where huge volumes of water are pressed through cliff passages.
- OUR ADVICE: Add some time to Broome to enjoy its huge beach, Asian cuisine and pearl farms.
- BOOK IT: A nine-night Kimberley Coast Adventure cruise aboard the 140-passenger Heritage Adventurer costs from £6,995 per person, including meals, drinks and excursions (aptouring.co.uk). Flights from Heathrow to Broome and return from Darwin are extra, from £1,512 per person return (qantas.com)