8 undiscovered wonders you need to see
If you’ve ticked off all your bucket-list destinations and are looking for something new, these undiscovered wonders are perfect for you.
We’re going to let you in on a secret here. A few, actually. We’ve done some serious digging to bring you a selection of the globe’s under-the-radar destinations. From Libya to Mozambique, here’s where to go next.
1. AlUla, Saudi Arabia
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
With major historical sites such as Machu Picchu and the Pyramids of Giza so ingrained in popular culture, it’s common to feel a sense of déjà vu when we finally see them with our own eyes.
The rock-hewn temples of Hegra. (Image: Sarah Reid)
It’s a very different feeling visiting AlUla. While travellers familiar with Jordan’s Petra will recognise the rock-hewn temples of Hegra as the handiwork of the ancient Arabic Nabataean civilisation, the mind boggles as to how the wealth of geological and archaeological riches of this remote corner of north-western Saudi Arabia went virtually unknown to the outside world for more than 2000 years.
Habitas is a luxe oasis in the desert. (Image: Sarah Reid)
When Saudi Arabia first opened to international tourists in 2019, the ancient oasis city of AlUla quickly emerged as its showpiece attraction. Sculpted by millions of years of erosion, the region’s otherworldly landscape is worth the trip in itself, with immense boulders shaped like giant elephants and basaltic lava flows oozing from ancient volcanoes.
Hegra is made up of more than 100 rock-cut temples. (Image: Tanveer Badal Photography)
2. The Great Inca Road, Peru
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
The Inca Trail gets all the glory, but it’s just part of one of the most incredible feats of ancient engineering, with the Great Road system, or Qhapaq Ñan as the Inca knew it, stretching some 40,000 kilometres from present-day Colombia to Chile.
Journey through the Great Inca Road. (Image: Christian Declercq)
Now a less-visited section of the network in Peru has become more accessible, with Intrepid Travel among the handful of operators now leading hikes on a section weaving past ancient ruins and traditional villages, east of Huarez.
A traditional llama caravan along The Great Inca Road. (Image: Christian Declercq)
3. Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, Houston, USA
Travelling with: Alexis Buxton-Collins
The best music venue in Beyoncé’s hometown isn’t some fancy new arena. It’s the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a subterranean vault that used to hold Houston’s drinking water. A forest of 221 columns rises from the gloom in a cavernous reservoir modelled on Istanbul’s magnificent Basilica Cistern. But when our guide bursts into song, the entire structure is transformed into an instrument, her voice bouncing off the concrete walls so that each note shimmers in the air. When she begins to harmonise with herself, it sounds like we’re being serenaded by an angelic choir and, as the last notes fade, even our whoops of delight are magnified by this atmospheric cave of wonders.
The former water reservoir has been transformed into an artsy performance space. (Image: Katya Horner)
4. Leptis Magna, Khoms, Libya
Travelling with: Sarah Reid
It’s likely not the first place that springs to mind when it comes to Roman ruins. But Libya is home to some of the world’s finest remains of Roman architecture, culminating at Leptis Magna, a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast near modern-day Khoms, expanded under Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus.
The magnificent remains of Leptis Magna in Khoms, Libya.
Off limits since the Arab Spring, Libya’s Roman relics are finally becoming easier to visit again, with adventure travel specialists Untamed Borders and Lupine Travel both launching tours in 2023.
One of the stone medallions found in the remains.
5. Hill Country, Sri Lanka
Travelling with: Kee Foong
Sri Lanka’s lush, cool hinterlands are a sight to behold. Think mist-shrouded mountains and rolling hills covered in luminous green tea estates and wild tropical jungle. Scattered throughout are former planters’ bungalows that have been converted into intimate boutique hotels set among manicured lawns and English-style gardens.
The Warleigh Lakeview Suite fronting Sri Lanka’s scenic hinterlands.
Among the finest are three run by Teardrop Hotels, including Camellia Hills with its glorious lake views, Nine Skies, located close to a historic railway bridge, and magical Goatfell, which sits nearly 2000 metres above sea level. With its long and winding roads, this is a trip to be savoured like a fine brew, not rushed.
Sri Lanka’s Hill Country is carpeted with a wide expanse of tea plantations.
6. Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
Travelling with: Kee Foong
If you think Australia’s Whitehaven Beach is spectacular, then wait until you see Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago. Time your arrival by air at low tide and you’ll be treated to incredible swirls of dazzling white sand that seemingly stretch to infinity. The archipelago hosts the country’s most important marine national park, teeming with whales, sharks, manta rays and rare dugongs.
Bask in crystal clear blue waters and white sands at Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique.
Of its five islands, Benguerra is best to lay your head. Top of the heap is Kisawa Sanctuary, an ultra-exclusive resort of just 11 palatial bungalows, each nestled within its own beachfront sand dunes. Or there’s the relatively more affordable yet excellent &Beyond Benguerra Island.
Kisawa Sanctuary is a luxe island retreat in Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique.
7. Montenegro, The Balkans
Travelling with: Carla Grossetti
The tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro exceeds expectations with everything from its medieval villages to its UNESCO-listed parks and steep limestone cliffs plunging into jewel-like glacial lakes.
The Church of Our Lady of Remedy stands atop the cliffside town of Kotor.
All this minus the crowds that mob the islands of nearby Greece and Croatia. Mamula Island Hotel has also put Montenegro on the map with the design-led property giving visitors another reason to discover Montenegro’s rich heritage and culture.
Mamula Island is a dreamy waterfront hotel in Montenegro.
The boutique hotel is housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century fort on Montenegro’s so-called ‘Feel-Good Island’ surrounded by turquoise waters and rugged scenery. The luxurious retreat is one of many reasons Montenegro is high on our list of lesser-known gems.
Relax on the sun loungers by the pool at Mamula Island.
8. Nauru
Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall
It’s time to broaden our understanding of the tropical island country of Nauru, marred by the boom and bust of exhaustive phosphate mining and its controversial Regional Processing Centre.
Jaw-dropping rock formations in Nauru.
Once dubbed Pleasant Island, Nauru is ringed by pristine reef, blanketed in lush jungle and a sprawling underground cave system, while its moon-like interior of jagged limestone pinnacles is an eternal reminder of phosphate extraction.
Flip the script and learn about traditional Nauruan culture, its German and Japanese occupation, and see its natural beauty with Crooked Compass on an eye-opening four-day Micro Nation of Nauru tour.
Wander through the Phosphate mine. (Image: Sarah Arane)
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