What little-known destination would you recommend visiting?

[Austman]

How about Visby on Gotland Island, Sweden

It's a real find!

Almost no one knows about it! And its history.

But those who have been there ... Including me just once ...

Everyone I know, was dazzled.

(of course, being Sweden, it's not exactly cheap ...)

 

[burmans]

Will be in Almaty this Thursday and Uzbekistan two weeks later, this thread has just whetted my appetite!!

 

[nancypants]

Cocos & Keeling Islands

View attachment 328675

Quite interested!

Make it a twin centre with Christmas Island

 

[craven morehead]

Lesotho, which I visited by truck as part of a southern/eastern African tour and was the highlight - stunning valley scenery, rock art and cherry blossoms.
Amazingly, the accommodation we stayed at took Amex - even my Melbourne cafe doesn't!

I had lunch and a few beers in Lesotho about 4 years back and would love to go back for a proper look around. The drive up the Sani Pass was amazing.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Here's another one from me: The Atacama Desert (in Chile) - fly from Santiago to Calama (1h45m) - well worth the detour - the scenery is amazing.

 

[dajop]

Albania. Coast and inland , much quieter (except at 1 or 2 of the more popular beaches, but there are many) than it’s neighbours to the north.

 

[burmans]

Did Albania last year, unfortunately had post COVID lung infection and had difficulty finding a doctor to get antibiotics (it was the weekend) for a couple of days but even feeling unwell loved it. Tirana was a bit ho hum, but the coast was stunning if a slow drive with huge mountains right by the sea, some great archeological sites and old towns (Berat and Gjirokaster). Definitely recommend a visit because I suspect it won’t remain off the beaten track for long.

 

[dajop]

Tirana was a bit ho hum, but the coast was stunning if a slow drive with huge mountains right by the sea, some great archeological sites and old towns (Berat and Gjirokaster). Definitely recommend a visit because I suspect it won’t remain off the beaten track for long.

Agree about Tirana, although some nice places just outside of Tirana. I think accessibility has held it back, but with new airport being built at Vlore it will almost certainly be invaded by euro-hordes once that opens. Although, in the south, very accessible to all over Europe via Corfu, it's only a 40-80 minute ferry ride from there to the southern Albanian city of Sarande.

 

[Flashback]

Shkoder (north, near the border with Montenegro) is cool, too. Hired a bicycle there and rode along the lake out to the border, stopping at a lake side tavern for some fresh fish for lunch.

 

[CaptJCool]

for me this place jumped out!

Mecklenburgische Bäderbahn Molli GmbH | Dampflok Bad Doberan - Kühlungsborn

Mit der Dampfeisenbahn Molli geht es mehrmals täglich auf schmaler Spur mit nostalgischem Gebimmel von Kühlungsborn nach Bad Doberan und zurück. Steigen Sie ein in unsere Dampflok und fahren Sie von Bad Doberan mit der Bäderbahn nach Kühlungsborn.

www.molli-bahn.de

Live Cam

Die Ostsee auch zu Hause LIVE erleben, mit der Live Webcam im Ostseebad Kühlungsborn. Weiter zur Live Cam direkt am Strand und am Bootshafen.

www.kuehlungsborn.de

within easy reach of Berlin
when i originally travelled there, back in the day, (we flew Lufthansa from Sydney in the early 90s) it was like 6 changes of train (German Rail Pass) and a Jugend hostel on arrival.... was quite the journey and kept in touch with the English speaking guy who was running the hostel at that time. Saw him on my more recent trip to Berlin in 2019 which was an absolute pleasure going out into the burbs to a very nice German steakhouse!

 

[Warragul]

On a work trip about 5 years ago, finished business in Madrid on Thursday, next engagement was Monday in Sofia. Where I spent the weekend was up to me, glad I chose Sofia, different than my expectation and interesting history.

Picture of a restored church that used to be a mosque and prior to that a church - depending on who was ruling at the time since around 1000 CE.

 

[NoName]

Don’t think I’ve been to anywhere that would qualify for this thread but it did make me think about a wiki I stumbled across a while ago, part of which has a page on destinations that are “next to impossible” to visit. Anyone been to any?

Next-to-impossible destinations – Travel guide at Wikivoyage

en.m.wikivoyage.org

 

[Matt_01]

Anyone been to any?

I have been to:

• 38 Diego Garcia
• 53 Arnhem Land
• 55 Australian Outback
• 58 Northern Australia
• 59 Torres Strait Islands
• 71 Wollemi National Park

The first five I have been to when I was in the ADF. The last one I often spent time there as a kid/ teenager as it was close to where we lived and the ancient tree hadn’t been discovered.

 

[Mattg]

Will be in Almaty this Thursday and Uzbekistan two weeks later, this thread has just whetted my appetite!!

I'm going back to Almaty next month and can't wait! Also looking at a possible side-trip to Uzbekistan or Tajikistan.

 

[burmans]

I'm going back to Almaty next month and can't wait! Also looking at a possible side-trip to Uzbekistan or Tajikistan.

I must say that when people ask why I’m going to the Stan’s (usually people who are close to totally uninformed about the region), aside from a couple of great books about the region which highlighted the area, I do tell people that it was some TRs on AFF (including yours) that really piqued and confirmed my interest. Of course, those who know something about the area all say they’d love to do that, it’s interestingly how reactions are so polarised.

 

[stm1sydney]

Will be in Almaty this Thursday and Uzbekistan two weeks later, this thread has just whetted my appetite!!

UZ is amazing, we visited the three main cities Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara (all linked by efficient trains) and also train to Ferghana Valley (Kokand/Qoqon and Margilan - Kumtepa/Qumtepa sunday market). Super friendly locals, very few Western tourists, great food, great value, nice hotels, ancient historic cities, good infrastructure eg trains and internet.

Check out this hotel:

Bibikhanum Hotel · 10 Tashkent Road, Samarkand 140101, Uzbekistan

★★★★☆ · Hotel

www.google.com.au

 

[cgichard]

I must say that when people ask why I’m going to the Stan’s (usually people who are close to totally uninformed about the region), aside from a couple of great books about the region which highlighted the area, I do tell people that it was some TRs on AFF (including yours) that really piqued and confirmed my interest. Of course, those who know something about the area all say they’d love to do that, it’s interestingly how reactions are so polarised.

Just don't bother with Turkmenistan!

 

[Flashback]

Just don't bother with Turkmenistan!

Care to offer any reasons as to why?

 

[cgichard]

I was in Turkmenistan only because it was the only route for road traffic from Uzbekistan to Iran. We (a tour group again) were required to stay a minimum number of days (5, maybe?) in Turkemistan. Our guide there was a Russian woman who had been dismissed from her quite senior post at the main museum because she was not a native citizen; so it was galling for her to have to take us round that museum, but there were few tourist attractions. Some streets were entirely government buildings, monotonously similar. Lots of white marble.

Our guide did facilitate currency exchange for us by introducing us to a couple of men in long raincoats with carrier bags stuffed with cash of assorted currencies, with whom we conducted business on a street corner tactfully outside the hotel.

Every shop window was filled with photos of Turkmenbashi and his latest book but ordinary objects like sungasses were hard to find. But that was some years ago: the placemay have changed.

My main memory of that trip is being stuck in no-man's-land between Turkmenistan and Iran. It was quite a distance between the two customs check points - rough ground over which we had to trundle our cases - and by the time we reached the Iranian frontier the customs officials had just gone off for an extended lunch. So we were stuck in the hot sun, no shade or refreshments, and no toilets, though we improvised behind spindly bushes with one person standing guard.

It depends what floats your boat. @RooFlyer was very impressed by this;
One travel experience you've had that was particularly incredible category.

Without doubt, Darvaza Crater in central Turkmenistan, also known as the Door to Hell. Drive 3hrs through the desert, to reach nowhere in particular, and be confronted with this:

Roaring hell hole, like putting your head in an oven when the wind blew from it.
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[drron]

Reading this thread should the “Stan’s” be considered little known to AFFers?