How to Travel to Some of the Most Obscure Regions on Earth

Images from Wikimedia Commons, click images for attribution, unless they are in the public domain

Since the latter half of the 20th Century, travel has become more accessible than ever before. After everyone and their nan had been to see the Eiffel Tower, and cities like Barcelona and Venice resembled a theme park more than a liveable, breathing city, then tourists (erm, travellers) began to desire more secluded and authentic destinations. This coincided with the rise of the internet, followed by social media, spreading awareness of all sorts of previously obscure locations to visit.

So, what's next? How will you navigate in a world in which overtourism is split between sightseers, backpackers, trekkers and the like? Where can you go to get away from the crowds, yet still find yourself in a fascinating locale, and how do you get there?

In my clearly-over-the-top travel advert voice, I will run you through a few places which I believe to be relatively obscure (even in the age of the internet).

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Wa State

Myanmar

Capital: Pangkham

Population: 558,000

Status: de facto independent

Wa State is unique among autonomous territories, in that it does not claim independence in any form, although Myanmar does not have control over this territory. Rather, it is the Chinese influence that is most pronounced, with Mandarin Chinese being the second language of most citizens after the Wa language and the Renminbi official tender in the north of the territory. Wa State is a socialist, one-party state not unlike China, and appears to retain a high level of militarisation. In an ever interconnected world, Wa State maintains a rare image of seclusion and mystery.

How do I visit? Wa State administers its own borders, and this is going to turn out to be a huge problem for potential travellers. Quora-user and former Wa State resident Wu Ming has written an excellent answer detailing how to enter this remote region [1]. In it, he explains that only residents of China or Myanmar can apply for a permit, and this can be very expensive for those who don't live close to the border. Other foreigners can and have entered through informal connections with the right officials (which is technically illegal). Wa State is a very exclusionary place to visit, and remains closed off to most foreigners.

Why should I visit? Good question, aside from the novelty of visiting a breakaway, Chinese-influenced state most people have never heard of, in reality there isn't a whole lot of reasons to go through the trouble of entering. In fact, Wa State is largely a centre for otherwise illegal activities, including casinos, prostitution, drug cultivation and wildlife trafficking. I read about a 135 metre pagoda that adorns the Wa landscape, but otherwise there isn't much worth seeing, that you could not find across the border in Myanmar or China. However, should you visit you will have the honour of being one of the only foreigners in this secluded territory. Here is an interesting account from a Burmese journalist [2].

One of the four available images of Wa State on Wikimedia Commons.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

France

Capital: Saint-Pierre

Population: 5,997

Status: overseas collectivity

Saint Pierre and Miquelon comprise the remainder of what once was New France. Located just under 20 kilometres from mainland Newfoundland, Canada, this territory retains a culture and accent more similar to that of Metropolitan France, than that of nearby Quebec or Acadia in Canada. The islands are known for their Basque heritage too, although the Basque language is no longer spoken on the islands. In 1889, the guillotine was used for the first and only time in North America, to execute convicted murderer Joseph Néel.

How do I visit? Saint Pierre and Miquelon is much easier to visit than Wa State. The territory is part of the European Union, so EU citizens can stay indefinitely, although since it is not in the Schengen Area a national identity card or passport is needed upon entry. Canadians can enter with a government issued ID and stay for up to three months, provided they enter directly from Canada. The easiest way to enter is by ferry via nearby Fortuna or Argentia, Newfoundland, however be prepared to leave your car behind as the boats are too small for vehicles. Flights operate through Air Saint-Pierre, and direct flights are available to a handful of Eastern Canadian cities, and (in the summer), Paris [3].

Why should I visit? I picked this territory with North Americans in mind. Saint Pierre and Miquelon is essentially a piece of Europe in North America--they use the Euro, people speak French with a Normandy-esque accent, the plug outlets are different to the Canadian ones, even the road signs are more European than North American. The landscape is striking, but the main reason to visit Saint Pierre and Miquelon is for the culture and history, it is a French town, transplanted onto a couple of islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (and therefore perhaps less enticing to French tourists, who have all of that at home).The Newfoundland and Labrador tourist board has an excellent article on the islands here: [4].

Wikimedia Commons - photo from the outskirts of the capital, Saint-Pierre.

Upper Mustang

Nepal

Capital: Lo Manthang

Population: 7,000

Status: region; former kingdom

This upper portion of Mustang District, Nepal was annexed in 1795, but it remained an isolated kingdom, with the local monarchy only abolished in 2008 when Nepal became a republic. The last Raja (King), Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista, a direct descendant of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, died in 2016 and the next heir to the throne lives in San Francisco with no intention to take over the kingdom. Upper Mustang, formerly known as the Kingdom of Lo, was demilitarised and closed off to foreign tourists until 1992, and retains a strict Tibetan culture.

How do I visit? Despite being open to foreign tourists, Upper Mustang is relatively hard to get to and received just 2,000 visitors in 2008. Foreigners must pay a permit to stay, costing $500 USD for ten days, while Nepalese citizens can enter free of cost. The sharp fee (supposedly) goes towards the local people and economy. You also need to pay the Annapurna Conservation permit, just short of $20 USD. Money is not the only challenge, actually reaching Upper Mustang is difficult too. The journey can be split into two parts--reaching the more frequently travelled Jomsom in Lower Mustang, and from Jomsom making the trip into Upper Mustang. Jomsom can be reached by plane, or by 8+ hour journey via dangerous and uncomfortable roads from Pokhara, Nepal. From Jomsom, you can head north via trekking or by jeep, taking 5 days and 2 days respectively, one way, until reaching the capital of Lo Manthang. Nepal-based New Zealand writer Elen Turner writes a useful article on reaching this remote region [5].

Why should I visit? Upper Mustang is an absolutely fascinating part of Nepal. The entire region is desert-like, spotted with Buddhist monasteries and painted caves in which mummies have been found. Lo Manthang is a mediaeval walled city home to the 600 year-old royal palace, as well as numerous stupas. Tibetan culture can be experienced here, and the region is a good alternative to Chinese Tibet, which is hard to visit and fairly restricted for most foreigners. Since most of the top websites on Google are trying to sell treks, I will link the Wikipedia article here [6].

Wikimedia Commons - photo from Tange, Nepal.

Tristan da Cunha

United Kingdom

Capital: Edinburgh of the Seven Seas

Population: 246

Status: British Overseas Territory

Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited community on earth. Situated in the South Atlantic, it is 2,437 km from Saint Helena (another British territory) and 2,787 km from Cape Town, South Africa. The community's isolation has given it a unique dialect and identity, although it resembles traditional British culture in many ways. From 1961-63, the only settlement of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas was evacuated to Britain, due to the eruption of the volcanic island, however most residents chose to return to their island home.

How do I visit? There is exactly one way to visit Tristan da Cunha, other than swimming--boat. A five to six day voyage from Cape Town via the polar research vessel, SA Agulhas, or fishing vessels Edinburgh or Baltic Trader can be expected, with cost ranging from $800 to $1300 USD depending on ship and passenger status. Since the ships only visit a number of times each year, you will have to be flexible and schedule your holiday a year in advance, and some visitors end up staying for extended periods of time. Apparently cruise ships also dock at Tristan da Cunha. Visas are not required, but you will need permission from the Island Council in order to visit, and they reserve the right to refuse you if they judge it not to be in the interest of the islanders. Tristan da Cunha runs a helpful website on visiting [7].

Why should I visit? There is not a whole lot to see on Tristan da Cunha, however it is the lifestyle of the Tristan residents which makes the destination. You can visit the thatched house museum, an example of a traditional island house, or climb Queen Mary's Peak, at 2062 metres above sea level. Inaccessible Island is another destination, (I mean the name itself suggests a challenge), although overall the island seems to be either a novelty destination due to its remoteness or a lifestyle destination, all depending on what you make of it.

Wikimedia Commons - Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, as photographed from the slopes of Queen Mary's Peak.

These are just a small handful of relatively obscure, yet interesting destinations I could think up. There are plenty of interesting regions around the world, however, but I am thinking about a (Jetpunk-influenced) world in which even Transnistria isn't obscure enough. I would love to travel to Upper Mustang and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, while Wa State and Tristan da Cunha are just a little hard to get to, to justify the effort in my opinion. I tried to keep a list of diverse regions, I probably could have just included only Himalayan regions otherwise because there are so many to choose from. I also decided against including the otherwise interesting region of Tigray, Ethiopia, considering it is an active warzone.

I know that 20 people maximum will click on this blog post, but I should probably still advise everyone to do your research before visiting a place like this, and be sure not to do anything illegal (even if that means never being able to visit Wa State).