Secret Holiday Destinations You Need to Visit
You can never plan your next holiday too early, since booking a vacation in popular tourist destinations can be quite difficult. The best hotels have no more vacancies, flights are getting more and more expensive and all the research for the best deals is starting to give you grey hairs.
For a change, here is a list of less traveled, but definitely worth visiting, destinations.
Folegandros, Greece
When most people think of Greek islands, they think of Santorini. However, the popular destination has a neighbour to the northwest called the Cyclades Islands which is equally as beautiful.
The island has similar architecture filled with whitewashed buildings decorated in flowers and blue-domed churches and has many of the same attractions including numerous hidden beaches.
The key difference is that it does not have vast numbers of tourists due to the fact that the cruise liners do not dock on the island.
The island is filled with stunning slate paved streets and coastlines ideal for hiking. Trekking along the coast is one of the best ways to reach the sheltered beaches like Katergo.
Glacier National Park, Montana, United States
Often seen as one of America’s less visited national parks, Glacier National Park is no less breathtaking. Having said that, visitor numbers (2.3 million in 2015 compared with 307.2 million travelers to the most-visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains) are more than likely going to increase in the coming years as tourists realise that due to climate change the glaciers are slowly melting.
On arrival, once you have taken the quintessential Going-to-the-Sun Road drive, you really need to see the park’s most breathtaking and secluded alpine meadows and mountains. Both are located on a massive 700 miles of trails. You can take off yourself for a few nights camping in the wild and the place is so vast that you may not bump into anyone else for days. However, if you prefer to stay close to the beaten track, the North Fork section of the park would be your safest bet as it is the least crowded. If you can manage the dirt roads it will give you your best chance to see all of the rare wildlife and vast untouched nature that the park has to offer.
North Stradbroke Island, Australia
Australia has always been a popular destination for tourists with travelers flying to Melbourne and Sydney etc. The main cities are filled with things to do and see but the country has many hidden gems to explore. One of which is located off the coast of Brisbane and is one of the locals’ best-kept secrets: North Stradbroke Island.
It’s named Straddie, and it is the second largest sand island in the world. It is a dream for those interested in outdoor water activities and can be reached by a ferry across Moreton Bay Marine National Park. Diving and snorkeling, surfing, whale watching, paddling, and swimming freshwater lakes are just a few of the exciting water-based activities the island offers.