Why you should take vacations in the most remote locations in the world
I’m writing this from Greenland while the weather pelts down rain and hurricane winds and I’m glad I’m here.
Ever since I was a child, I had been fascinated with travelling and seeing distant lands. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate that my travels to Iceland, remote parts of Nepal, Faroe Islands and Antarctica have had the most profound impacts than any of my other travels. Here’s why…
A different kind of quiet…
Sure, you can go to a quiet corner of your home state, but there’s something special in going somewhere foreign and far away. It’s not just you avoiding the crowds- they just don’t exist there!
I found the hikes through the Faroe Islands particularly meditative. It’s just you, the landscape and a few animals. On some hikes I saw less than 5 people in the entire day. Those that I did see weren’t carrying the same mental baggage that people where I live would be carrying.
Doing more by doing less
Often (though not always), these lesser known places are a bit more rough around the edges. Logistics isn’t quite as easy and a simple activity can take up most of the day.
In day to day life, these are all things that are really annoying. However, do this in a spot that is alien to you and you suddenly start to notice the small things. It’s an enforced “stop and smell the roses” thing. It allows you to fully immerse in something and do the activity more fully instead of ticking things off on a travel checklist.
No social media envy
On the note of checklists, these remote places often doing have “the” photo to take or an absolute must visit list. There’s no crowds to fight against to get to an iconic view point. It’s nice to just be able to wander and capture the little things you notice. Currently, the colours of the houses in Greenland are my particular fascination!
A sense of adventure
More than anything else, this is my favourite reason to go to remote places. There’s a sense of adventure and even a simple hike isn’t as well marked. Getting lost is part of the process and you have no choice but to think on your feet and figure things out as they come…
Some suggestions
Have I convinced you on the merits of travelling to the remote places? Are you looking for some suggestions? Here’s my short list of places I’ve been that I’ve really loved…
- Pokhara, Nepal — It might be more built up these days but being high up on the mountains in what was a sleepy village defined my entire time in the country
- Otago Rail Trail, South Island, New Zealand — Riding through the idyllic New Zealand countryside in early spring means there’s hardly anyone to see as you pass through towns that have populations in the single digits
- Faroe Islands — These islands are simply magical! The landscapes look like they shouldn’t exist!
- Greenland — My current adventure. It’s raining with strong wing gusts so instead of exploring, I’m writing this. Just the flight into Nuuk was worth it though. Views of glaciers, icebergs and the stunning landscape from up high
- Antarctica — This 10 day trip reminded me of just of fast our modern world moves and how unnecessary it all is. Watching the penguins floating by the zodiac boats as we weaved through bays filled with icebergs was nothing short of magical…
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