A couple of years ago we visited the Faroe Islands and I was amazed by how deserted it was, I’m so used to visiting areas overloaded with tourism, that it was absolutely beautiful to see an opposite experience, to escape the crowds and see natural environments the way they’re supposed to appear.
It made me think about other remote places around the world I could visit over the next few years, so I’ve listed some that are tempting me, in case you have the same mindset.
The Arctic
This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that feels out of this world right now, but you just never know! Walking over ice, potentially trying some kayaking and witnessing the amazing fjords would make this one of those pinch-me moments.
I would love to book an Arctic Cruise one day, while it would make it even more spectacular if you spot the Northern Lights while out there!
These cruises often involve seeing other countries like Iceland or Norway, which I would love to do, so this could be a chance to tick off two countries in one. A friend went on one not too long ago and mentioned they managed to spot whales close to the cruise which I thought was so cool!
Antarctica
Sure, I’ve just gone from one polar point to the other, but I’d love to visit them both for very different reasons. While the Arctic has polar bears, Antarctica has huge penguin colonies and plenty of seals.
There aren’t any traditional hotels you can stay in, so this will most likely be a cruise again, which means you can stay nice and toasty and sip on a hot chocolate while enjoying the sights.
The most common departure point is from Ushuaia, which is in Southern Argentina. The Drake Passage is now quite a famous aspect, but you can expect some rough seas here, so I hope you don’t suffer with sea sickness.
Greenland
This one always blows my mind when you see Greenland on an accurate sizing map, as it’s just ridiculously big.
Despite the size, there are no roads connecting the different towns in Greenland. You’ll therefore have to commute by plane, boat or helicopter, making this another quite pricey trip, hence why they haven’t had as much tourism as other neighbouring countries.
A dogsled is possible, I’m not sure how I feel about that from an ethics side, with two pooches of my own at home.
With approximately 80% of the country being covered by ice, the name Greenland feels like a comical joke. One point of Greenland is said to be 3,200 metres thick of ice vertically, that’s hard to even comprehend.
I’ve mentioned Greenland, but if you’ve been won over and want to go, then you should look up Ilulissat, where you’ll find some stunning glaciers which you can hike to, plus this is a popular area for whale watching.
Easter Island
A friend of mine has asked to do this each year as a potential trip, I figure if I ever win the lottery, this is where I’ll fly him out to!
Located 3,700km off Chile, the island is best known for the giant stone heads that are depicted in movies (anyone remember them being knocked down in Mars Attacks?).
These stone statues, known as Moai, are found in multiple places here, with around 900 in total and then 300 ceremonial platforms.
You also might want to visit the large volcanic crater Rano Kau while you’re here, plus I would love to spend hours wandering through the Rapa Nui National Park.
The Galapagos Islands
When I backpacked across South America, I couldn’t afford the expensive trip to the Galapagos Islands, so I instead did the budget version, the Ballestas islands. This allowed me to see animals and birds relatively close, but it also left a feeling of an un-ticked box.
On the islands, you’ll find giant tortoises, iguanas, penguins, sea lions, flamingos, sharks, rays and blue-footed boobies, amongst the long list of animal species living here.
People often think this is a single island, but it’s actually a collection of 127 different islands, islets and small rocks, with only 4 being inhabited.
I remember learning about the Galapagos islands in the most obscure way, playing Civilisation II growing up, when you would unlock the Darwin Wonder, as Charles Darwin sailed here in 1835 and led to his development around the idea of evolution.
