Consider These Lesser-Known Destinations for Your Next Vacation

Panama is considered the hub of Central America, yet its Bocas del Toro (Mouths of the Bull) province gets criminally overlooked. It’s truly tropical heaven filled with stunning beaches, magnificent mountain cliffs, and rich culture.

One of the primary reasons this gem of a place stays off the radar is because of Costa Rica – Panama’s rainforested Central American cousin. It gets all the love, leaving Bocas del Toro behind.

But as they say, one person’s loss is another person’s gain. With no one to disturb, you can sip Panamanian beer and spend your time reveling in the island’s beauty.

Should an apocalypse wipe off human society and you’re the lone survivor, we recommend heading out to Elbert County, Georgia. And that’s because it’s home to the ‘Georgia Guidestones.’

The ‘Georgia Guidestones’ is a monument consisting of five slabs arranged astronomically with ten principles engraved in eight languages. The encryptions are instructions that state how to rebuild human society in a post-apocalyptic world. And that’s not even the most interesting part.

No one knows about the individual(s) responsible for this, except that whoever wrote the principles believed that human civilization would destroy itself very soon, which is where the ‘Georgia Guidestones’ can come in handy.

In addition to mysterious places, Elbert County offers several impressive selections of attractions, hotels, and parks – take your pick!

Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, is slowly becoming a popular tourist destination. That’s all the more reason for you to visit the place, like, yesterday.

Bursting with culinary delights, vivid night markets, and incredible building structures, the East Asian city is the epitome of how nature and technology can co-exist peacefully. 

Not to forget that the people of Taipei are so friendly that they won’t think twice before striking up a friendship with a stranger in the middle of the road. Perhaps that’s why people have to say this about the modern metropolis:

‘Visit Taipei once, and you’re guaranteed to make at least one local friend for life.’

Considering 80% of Kyrgyzstan is covered in mountains, it’s hard to suggest just one city to visit. Situated 1000 meters above sea level, the Central Asian country is brimming with Narnia-like landscapes and exquisite geological features.

Oh, and if you’ve always wondered what it’s like to live like a nomad, you can do that here as well – feast on stews or stay in a yurt to embrace the lifestyle. Or, if you’re in the mood to play some sports, you must try Kok-Boru.

It’s a traditional horse game, pretty much like polo, except there’s no wooden mallet involved. And you have to score by putting a goat carcass into the opposite goal. See? Just like polo. 

Muscat (or any Middle Eastern country), Oman’s capital, is the last place people think of while planning a vacation. But that’s a good thing. Otherwise, you would have found it flooded with humans, like its flashy Emirati neighbors Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 

So, if you’d like to go on a secluded yet adventurous holiday, consider visiting Muscat. It’s got something for everyone – deserts for trekkers, dolphins for animal lovers, and detectable cuisines for foodies.

Muscat is also home to one of the most beautiful mosques in the world: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Vast Persian carpets are laid on the men’s prayer hall floor, making for a stunning combination of colorful mosaic patterns.

Located an hour’s drive from the Baltic Sea lies a charming port city, Szczecin, in Poland. Visting Szczecin is like roaming around the streets of Berlin and Paris – it has the architecture of the former and the contemporary feel of the latter.

Although Western Poland city has an incredible array of tourist attractions, we highly recommend exploring the ‘Crooked Forest.’ It consists of around 400 pine trees believed to be planted in the 1930s.

You might be wondering why you’d want to visit a forest, of all the places. But here’s where it gets interesting: the pine trees have a crooked shape, like the alphabet ‘J.’ 

They grow with a northward 90-degree bend before going upward towards the sky. To this day, the mysterious shape of the pine trees in the ‘Crooked Forest’ baffles locals and foreigners alike. Some claim it’s because of the area’s gravitational pull. Others believe it’s not as simple as that, and sinister forces are at play here. 

The only people with the answer to this are those who live in the surrounding area. But that’s another dead end because no one has lived in the town since the 1970s, leaving the mystery hanging in the air. 

Hunza, a mountainous valley located in the northern region of Pakistan, doesn’t exist to the outside world. But those who have visited this Lord of The Rings-Esque place have some things to say – and boy, are they good!

Dubbed ‘Heaven on Earth’ by many, Hunza’s captivating scenery will make a permanent spot in your heart, and so will the generous locals. Whether visiting the famous ‘Baltit Fort’ or ‘Attabad Lake,’ you’ll always find them willing and eager to help.

Oh, we haven’t even told you the best part. You won’t have to spend more than $50 a day for food AND accommodation in Hunza.

Mind = blown!

Hopefully, the next time you’re making a list of ‘must-visit’ vacation spots, you’ll consider these lesser-known and traveled places. They offer all the perks without other people breathing down on your neck.