Unusual travel destinations

[SecondAttempt]

I've always been interested in travel destinations that people seldom visit. For example, my bucket list includeds:

- Montevideo Uruguay
- Faroe Islands
- Bhutan
- Greenland
- Marquesas Islands
- Tonga
- Samoa
- Cook Islands
- Chuuk Lagoon
- Nan Madol Pohnpei
- St. John's Newfoundland

For me each of these has a reason but it is usually not enough of a reason to spend a lot including it in a trip. Most are aspirational and I doubt I will ever visit.

Anyone been to these places or have similar off-the-wall destinations that they want to visit? Any suggestions I should add?

 

[Starsky]

Nice list. I've only visited St. John's which I really enjoy. Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Acadian Peninsula is another gorgeous out of the way destination in that East-of-Quebec section of the country. PEI is also very worth a short visit. You'd be amazed at what a popular destination it is for Japanese tourists. I'm a huge Canada fan. Out West, I highly recommend touring the Okanagan Valley and environs.
My aspirational list includes (in order of likelihood)

• Vietnam
• Cairo, Egypt
• Jordan
• Solomon Islands
• Cuba
• Azores
• Kenya
• Bhutan
• Madagascar

I'll be lucky to knock the top two or three off my list.
My personal top 5 favorite travel destinations that have been off the wall are Malaysia, India, Russia (Moscow), Guatemala and Kyrgyzstan. I also love Japan and want to go back for more off the beaten path experiences. Singapore was very interesting and beautiful, but weirded me out with their peculiar rules. The airport is definitely worth a stopover. It's unbelievable. I was very fortunate in my career to do a lot of international business travel where I had extra time to sightsee with locals.
I'd love it if Cuba were easier to visit. It would be at the top of my list and I'd be there in a heartbeat. I may try it via Canada if I'm feeling adventurous and my passport is almost expired.

 

[DrRoy]

I had the Faroe Islands all booked in 2021 as an add on to a Baltic cruise out of Copenhagen. The cruise was cancelled for covid. A main part of doing the cruise was for DW to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, which I am sure we will not do now until Putin is gone at the very least.

 

[Ronstar]

Here's a few

Mitad del Mundo in Quito, Ecuador - I want to set foot on the equator
Antarctica - US Scientific research base, and the Amundsen - Scott South Pole Station
Easter Island
The Wave in Arizona
All of New Zealand
Machu Picchu
Great Wall of China

 

[athena53]

I had the Faroe Islands all booked in 2021 as an add on to a Baltic cruise out of Copenhagen. The cruise was cancelled for covid. A main part of doing the cruise was for DW to visit the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, which I am sure we will not do now until Putin is gone at the very least.

DH and I went to St. Petersburg on our own in 2003. Very glad we did it back then.

Greenland- did a day trip from Reykjavik. Certainly not a complete view of the country but interesting and enjoyable.

Macchu Picchu scheduled for May, 2023. Originally scheduled for March, 2020.

One obscure location: the Orkney Islands. DH saw them on a map and suggested we combine a visit to the Orkneys with a trip to Edinburgh. We had lousy weather but still enjoyed it, and got certificates for completing the world's shortest scheduled commercial flight (Westray to Papa Westray, just a few minutes).

None in particular on my bucket list- I just like adding to the number of countries I've visited. Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania scheduled for October, 2023.

 

[marko]

I spent a week on Kiritimati Island (aka Christmas Island) 40 years ago. A business trip if you can believe.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...media/803498/?albumid=101&type=0&category=101 (click on the photo)

A week? That's because back then there was only one plane a week back to Hawaii and so, after a simple three hour repair of a satellite tracking system, I had to wait for the plane to come back and get me.

They seem to be touting fishing as their tourism draw. It was a 'closed island' and quite rugged back then but the hotel where I stayed (only hotel at the time) seems to have had quite an upgrade!

I wanted to go swimming in the lagoon one day and they said I couldn't because there was no one to go with me....he was to be the lookout for sharks.

 

[intent]

Oddly enough, I just returned from a trip to Montevideo (the trip also included a few days in Buenos Aires, a couple more in Punta del Este, and a day in Colonia del Sacramento). It was interesting, if a bit odd. I spent four days in Montevideo and it was nice, but four days felt like more than enough. The choice of location was made by my travel partner and was based largely on a 1-2 day business trip she had made to the area 20 years prior.

What I would say about Montevideo is that it does have a semi-European feel to it in the old town. If you've visited Europe much, Montevideo might feel cute but underwhelming. On the other hand, if you haven't been to Europe much, I think Montevideo could be considered as an interesting substitute, and possibly less expensive depending on where you're coming from.

The people were amazingly friendly.

 

[brett]

We spent 10 days in Uruguay. Montevideo, Punta, and Colonia before taking the ferry to BA. Enjoyed all three cities very much.

We flew in from Santiago. The flight to Montevideo was 80 percent less than the flight to BA so we grabbed it. We had not planned to do this. We were spontaneous travelers on a two month snowbird trip.

Been to St John's and environs. Incredibly friendly people, great seafood.

 

[jcfradio]

We spent 10 days in Uruguay. Montevideo, Punta, and Colonia before taking the ferry to BA. Enjoyed all three cities very much.

We flew in from Santiago. The flight to Montevideo was 80 percent less than the flight to BA so we grabbed it. We had not planned to do this. We were spontaneous travelers on a two month snowbird trip.

Been to St John's and environs. Incredibly friendly people, great seafood.

Tomorrow, I am heading to a little town about 90 minutes south of St.John's again. It will be about my 20th trip to the island. Do you think that I might like it there?

If you are ever there, try the fish and chips deluxe - aka. coronary on a plate.

 

[braumeister]

Tomorrow, I am heading to a little town about 90 minutes south of St.John's again. It will be about my 20th trip to the island. Do you think that I might like it there?

If you are ever there, try the fish and chips deluxe - aka. coronary on a plate.

Care to share the name? I love the St. John's area and have been there a number of times but never farther than Witless Bay.

 

[jcfradio]

Care to share the name? I love the St. John's area and have been there a number of times but never farther than Witless Bay.

Sure Braumeister - it's Renews-Cappahayden area.

 

[braumeister]

Thanks. Definitely planning a longish trip up there next summer.

 

[jcfradio]

Thanks. Definitely planning a longish trip up there next summer.

This past August, I did 2 weeks all across the island from the west coast to the north coast to the east coast. If you need any recommendations, let us know. I always enjoy going to "The Rock".

 

[MrsHaloFIRE]

After briefly considering Kwajeilan Atoll(sp?) for a post retirement j*b, it still intrigues me. Read a blog that the coconut crabs are the size of the lid of a 55 gallon drum and they get under the hosues and BANG into the bathtubs at night trying to get out and it wakes you up. I cant unread that. Looks like trapped in paradise.

Ended up in Guernsey once so now I want to see Jersey to see if its as lovely or even lovelier. Hard to imagine.

St Petersburg but under the correct conditions.

Black Sea area.

Lake of the Ozarks because of the tv show Ozarks. I like that house.

 

[HawkOwl]

Not as far or expensive but how about going to Narcisse, Manitoba to visit the Narcisse Snake Dens?

It is a wonder of nature seeing masses of snakes emerge from their dens every spring and coil in balls for mating purposes.

Narcisse Snake Dens Update Page!

 

[W2R]

I've always been interested in travel destinations that people seldom visit. For example, my bucket list includeds:

- Montevideo Uruguay
- Faroe Islands
- Bhutan
- Greenland
- Marquesas Islands
- Tonga
- Samoa
- Cook Islands
- Chuuk Lagoon
- Nan Madol Pohnpei
- St. John's Newfoundland

For me each of these has a reason but it is usually not enough of a reason to spend a lot including it in a trip. Most are aspirational and I doubt I will ever visit.

Anyone been to these places or have similar off-the-wall destinations that they want to visit? Any suggestions I should add?

I've been to at least 7 of them, all before I was 10 years old. Actually I suppose that's 6 of them because I had a bad cold/flu and didn't get off the ship to see Montivideo with my parents.

And, well, y'all know me. I have no yearnings to travel anywhere these days. Love happily staying in my Dream Home, instead!

 

[SecondAttempt]

Care to share the name? I love the St. John's area and have been there a number of times but never farther than Witless Bay.

The appeal of St. Johns to me came from a movie I saw many yeas ago, probably decades. I don't remember the movie but I remember the remoteness and the spectacular scenery.

But, L'anse Aux Meadows has always been on my bucket list and doing research recently I've learned that the the first transatlantic radio signal was received at St. John's, there are precambrian fossils nearby, and the earth's mantle is exposed on Newfoundland.

 

[NW-Bound]

Nice list. I've only visited St. John's which I really enjoy. Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Acadian Peninsula is another gorgeous out of the way destination in that East-of-Quebec section of the country. PEI is also very worth a short visit. You'd be amazed at what a popular destination it is for Japanese tourists. I'm a huge Canada fan. Out West, I highly recommend touring the Okanagan Valley and environs.
My aspirational list includes (in order of likelihood)

• Vietnam
• Cairo, Egypt
• Jordan
• Solomon Islands
• Cuba
• Azores
• Kenya
• Bhutan
• Madagascar

I'll be lucky to knock the top two or three off my list.
My personal top 5 favorite travel destinations that have been off the wall are Malaysia, India, Russia (Moscow), Guatemala and Kyrgyzstan. I also love Japan and want to go back for more off the beaten path experiences. Singapore was very interesting and beautiful, but weirded me out with their peculiar rules. The airport is definitely worth a stopover. It's unbelievable. I was very fortunate in my career to do a lot of international business travel where I had extra time to sightsee with locals.
I'd love it if Cuba were easier to visit. It would be at the top of my list and I'd be there in a heartbeat. I may try it via Canada if I'm feeling adventurous and my passport is almost expired.

I saw Solomon Islands in the above list. Some time ago, reading about Guadalcanal, I got curious about how to travel there. You go through Fiji. So, perhaps combine this visit with Fiji.

Okanagan Valley that you mentioned is more accessible. On the way back from Alaska, I drove my RV through Kamloops and Kelowna. Further south in the US, I stopped to visit Grand Coulee Dam.

Grand Coulee Dam is out in the middle of nowhere, and does not have the visitor traffic of Hoover Dam. The generating capacity of Grand Coulee Dam is 5x that of Hoover Dam (before the latter runs out of water as it does now).

 

[Sunset]

Not as far or expensive but how about going to Narcisse, Manitoba to visit the Narcisse Snake Dens?

It is a wonder of nature seeing masses of snakes emerge from their dens every spring and coil in balls for mating purposes.

Narcisse Snake Dens Update Page!

That's a pretty interesting thing.

 

[NW-Bound]

After briefly considering Kwajeilan Atoll(sp?) for a post retirement j*b, it still intrigues me. Read a blog that the coconut crabs are the size of the lid of a 55 gallon drum and they get under the hosues and BANG into the bathtubs at night trying to get out and it wakes you up. I cant unread that. Looks like trapped in paradise...

Job in Kwajalein? Interesting.

I knew some guys who worked there on a Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) project 20 years ago. I wonder if there's any project going on there now. Not a whole lot to do on this 1-square-mile atoll.

For people who do not know, you don't go there unless the US government invites or permits you to.

 

[SecondAttempt]

Grand Coulee Dam is out in the middle of nowhere, and does not have the visitor traffic of Hoover Dam. The generating capacity of Grand Coulee Dam is 5x that of Hoover Dam (before the latter runs out of water as it does now).

The story of Grand Coulee Dam is fascinating but complex. It is why aluminum and aircraft manufacturing are in the northwest. Roll on Columbia...

 

[SecondAttempt]

I appreciate the responses. Many have mentioned places already on my bucket list - Vietnam, easy from Hawaii, so I did not mention. Egypt is there but we need the worls situation to improve.

I went to Moscow ~20 years ago in the dead of winter and have wanted to go back. But unless there are major changes in Russia I do not see it happening. I was there on the day of the coup attempt against Putin in February 2004. We were escorted into the Kremlin around the metal detectors. My hosts were very confused and said that never happens. I learned a lot about the Russian country that day. Very patriotic and proud.

The next day visiting a factory owned by the Ministry of Defense was very interesting. Lunch included vodka and my hosts told me the biggest difference between the US and Russia is that They knew George W. Bush would not be president in 10 years but they could not say that about Putin. They were surpiringly open to talk about politics.

 

[DrRoy]

The furthest north I have been is the Lofoten Islands of Norway (been to the Orkneys too).
The furthest south is Tierra del Fuego, near Porvenir, Chile.
.

 

[HawkOwl]

Job in Kwajalein? Interesting.

I knew some guys who worked there on a Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) project 20 years ago. I wonder if there's any project going on there now. Not a whole lot to do on this 1-square-mile atoll.

For people who do not know, you don't go there unless the US government invites or permits you to.

In the same vein, I would add Wake Island. Fascinating and tragic history. I lived there as a kid in the ‘60s. All but impossible to get approval to visit now days, though.

 

[braumeister]

After briefly considering Kwajeilan Atoll(sp?) for a post retirement j*b, it still intrigues me.

In the same vein, I would add Wake Island. Fascinating and tragic history. I lived there as a kid in the ‘60s. All but impossible to get approval to visit now days, though.

We're getting into some pretty esoteric locations now!
There's a place I've often thought about. Early in my military career I was offered a job at a classified location but I turned it down once I found out about the conditions there. Always wondered about it but will probably never get there. I know I could get close to it today, but not very easily.

Here's a thread from a few years ago that some might find interesting.

farthest-south-you-have-traveled