When planning trips people usually turn to guidebooks and blogs. Those often suggest a certain route with stops at the same touristic hotspots. However, there is so much more to every country.
Whilst all travel can be a fulfilling and incredible experience no matter where you go and what you do, travelling off the beaten track can fill you with even more fulfilment and excitement.
It is a great way to step out of your comfort zone even more, become a more experienced traveller, immerse yourself in the local culture and learn about the country and its people. By omitting tourist hotspots, you also don’t contribute to over tourism and get to explore places without any crowds or entry fees.
A more fulfilling and satisfying travelling experience is possible with a little bit of experience and a dash of bravery!
What is travel off the beaten path?
Traveling off the beaten path is going to places that are undiscovered by mass tourism. It is finding ‘hidden gems’ and exploring them. It is going to places that are not in guidebooks or blogs.
It is an immersive way to travel, where you get to see how locals live when the tourists are not around and seeing the country through the eyes of the local. It is a conscious way to travel, where you are more mindful of your journey and come out with a richer awareness of the country.
It is travelling with a purpose – to grow and expand your horizons.
Why travel off the beaten path?
When I travel, I always enjoy fully soaking in the places that I go to. I always want to fully immerse myself in the culture and the customs. Otherwise, I feel like I haven’t really gotten to know the country and I don’t feel satisfied.
Don’t get me wrong. Even if all you do is follow the touristic route and only stop at the hotspots, and do the ‘’top things to do’’ … That’s okay!
You can travel the way you want to and the way you feel comfortable! But getting off the touristic path is a great way to truly get to know the country that you’re exploring.
Travelling like this might not be for everyone. It is more challenging. More scary, sometimes even risky. Going to places where there are no signposts, no internet and no other travellers will be more challenging.
You will be forced to step out of your comfort zone, and this is rarely comfortable. But that is when the growth happens.
How to find those “off the beaten path” locations?
Follow local travel content creators
You probably follow a lot of travellers on your Instagram already, but try to focus on finding travel Instagrammers that are from the country you want to travel in. They are more likely to know all the hidden gems.
You can find those Instagram accounts by searching for hashtags such as #visitpanama, #travelnicaragua or #lovecostarica. Use the ‘recent’ tab to find lots of profiles. Focus on finding a local and explore their page to find something that you have not seen before, it might as well be an undiscovered gem!
Pay attention to profiles suggested by Instagram, mentions and tags in that person’s profile.
There are also Instagram accounts that are run by tourism boards for example @peru.destinations. Those often reshare posts by other Instagrammers. Although most often those will be of the popular spots, it can still lead you to local travel Instagrammers or a spot that you have not known about before!
Apart from Instagram, Youtube is another great place to find some inspiration. Using keywords such as ‘off the beaten path’ or ‘hidden gems’ and spend some time watching few vlogs.
If possible, you can also read blogs in the local language, using translator if needed.
Best destinations
The Baliem Valley in the Central Papuan Highlands
Papua is great for off the beaten path adventure. I personally had one of the best travel experiences ever on the Indonesian side high up in the central highlands.
First, you will need to get into Indonesia and then take a flight to the city of Jayapura. From there you take another flight to the Baliem Valley, located in the central highlands.
In the valley you will already feel away from it all, but you are still not quite off the beaten path. It still gets its share of visitors, mostly in the high season of July and August, but most of those just stay in the valley itself and see the tribal villages located around there.
The real trick is to find yourself a local guide in Wamena, and head up away from the main valley and into the hills and mountains in the surrounding countryside.
There you can hike between villages and stay with the local tribes in their huts. The tribes are very friendly and will treat you as an honoured guest.
Up in the highlands, hiking away, you may not come across another foreigner for weeks. You will truly be very remote, and having a great adventure in some beautiful countryside.
The Wahkan Valley in Tajikistan
The Wakhan Valley is located between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. I have travelled on the Tajikistan side and the Afghanistan side. It is largely a peaceful area with very friendly people and absolutely beautiful scenery.
On the Tajikistan side you have the Pamir Mountains and on the Afghanistan side the Hindu Kush, stretching far into the distance. In-between is the Wakhan Valley.
You will come across old fortresses positioned up in the mountains, and hot springs to relax in. Getting around is largely by walking or waiting around for an old car to fill up that regularly break down.
This is a very remote area and not visited by many people. There is a weekly border market between the two countries where Afghan traders cross into the middle of the border zone and conduct business with the Tajiks.
This is a great chance to meet the local people from Afghanistan, or you could even cross into the Afghan side with the proper visa.
Sikkim in India
Sikkim could easily be described as one of the best places to visit in the Himalayas. It is a small state in India sandwiched between Nepal and Bhutan.
What contributes to its greatness as a place to get away from the crowds?
First of all, you need to get a permit to visit the place, but this can be done in Darjeeling which is nearby.
The second is its remoteness. You really have to go on a mission to get all the way up there. But once you have made it you will be in awe.
In the foothills of the mountains, you have Buddhist monasteries with peaceful monks wandering around. You could get lucky and experience a ritual cham dance by the monks dressed in masks and colourful robes.
A good way to get around is to rent a car and head up higher into the mountains for stunning views. You will see some other travellers there, but not many due to the remoteness of the region. If you like mountains and Buddhist culture, then this is the place to be.
Omo Valley in Ethiopia
Visiting the tribal regions of the Omo Valley isn’t necessarily getting off the beaten path, as tours come through the area regularly. Although it is certainly not heavily visited as without being on an expensive tour it can be very hard to get there.
Hitchhiking into the area can be quite challenging, requiring patience as I waited an entire day for a car that never arrived. Although you will eventually secure a ride into the area and occasionally find transportation for getting around, the real challenge lies in venturing off the roads commonly used by tour groups. The key is to leave the beaten path and begin walking into the wilderness.
It is very dry and harsh terrain, and very hot. The tribal villages you come across will sometimes not be used to tourists. I had some women run off scared at the site off me. Was it my looks? No, apparently they were afraid of my camera.
It is when you stay in these villages and sleep with the tribes that you get to have a really good feel for the place. It is a fascinating region to be in, with many different cultural experiences.
It is important to try and take a local guide in with you so they can translate and talk with the people.