Traveling is always an exciting experience, but nothing quite compares to discovering something new.
Unfortunately, the prospect of visiting uncharted territory is becoming increasingly rare in this Instagram-saturated world. However, if you really want to feel like one of the first few tourists to see a place (and maybe even ‘gram about it), Mar Pages, a woman who has traveled to 100 countries, has a few ideas for you.
“I have visited 100 countries, travel 40–50% of the time for the last 12 years and specialise in places nobody visits so here are a couple of ideas,” Pages wrote in a Quora thread asking, “What is your favorite place to visit that no one has heard of?”
The first place Pages recommended was the tiny African nation of Djibouti. She advised people “forget the Dead Sea,” and instead head to Lake Abbe and Lake Assal, a salt lake, which both happened to be filming locations for “Planet of the Apes.”
Next, Pages recommended spending some time at the Aitutaki Lagoon in the Cook islands. It’s “one of the most stunning lagoons you will ever see, the waters are incredible,” she wrote.
The Chuuk Lagoon, Pages said, is also a must-see. There, she explained, 70 ships from the Japanese fleet sunk in World War II, making it “a wreck diver’s paradise.” She added, “Only 5,000 or less visit the island every year so you are definitely going to be alone.”
Next, Pages said, stick around the North Pacific to visit an island known as Yap, which she described as “another tiny island part of the Micronesia group where women still walk topless, you can find out more about stone money and dive with mantas.”
Finally, Pages suggested any American looking to go somewhere unique without a passport should check out American Samoa, which “is the last place where the sun sets everyday and a US territory south of Hawaii, a very beautifully rugged island.”
