CNN Travel just published an inspiring travel article about 25 least-visited countries that are more than happy to welcome visitors. They span the globe and include countries in The North and South Pacific, Africa, Europe, The Caribbean, Asia, and New Zealand/Australia.
25 Places to Visit
The Pacific
Tuvalu – Visitors to this South Pacific Island come to stroll undiscovered beaches and view stilted houses, flying fish, and snorkel through coral reefs.
Kiribati – Kiribati is composed of three groups of islands: the Gilbert, Phoenix and Line Islands located in the central Pacific.
Marshall Islands – These islands are best known for their fantastic scuba diving through over a dozen shipwrecks.
Niue – This rugged Polynesian Island features humpback whales gliding close to shore from July to October.
American Samoa – American Samoa’s wildlife includes the endangered fruit bat found in the Island’s popular National Park.
Solomon Islands – This archipelago of islands will fascinate World War II historians who want to explore sunken and jungle treasures.
Federated States of Micronesia – This area is made up of 607 islands. Pohnpei is the largest island and Nan Madol boasts the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nan Madol featuring temples and grand basalt (volcanic rock) palaces.
Tonga – It’s rugged coastline regularly puts on a show as crashing waves shoot water hundreds of feet into the air.
Vanuatu – This South Pacific island is home to the worlds most active volcano. Land divers, palm trees and sand beaches are common sights here.
Africa
Comoros – These islands sitting off the shore of Mozambique, Africa are referred to as the Perfume Isles because the scents of the ylang-ylang tree mix with cloves, bergamot, jasmine, vanilla, and lemongrass that waft through the air.
São Tomé and Príncipe – These west African islands include lush jungles and hundreds of orchid varieties. Principe is listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve!
Djibouti – Sitting on the coast between The Red Sea and The Arden Gulf, this country includes white sand beaches, a volcano, and colorful flamingos.
Sierra Leone – Because of historic strife, this West African country is rarely on a places-to-visit list, but it’s now recovering and welcoming tourists to appreciate its beaches, sea turtles and pygmy hippos.
Guinea – Waterfalls, avocados, mangoes, canyons and local hospitality are just a few reasons to visit this country that borders Sierra Leone.
Eritrea – This East African country is perched on the coast of The Red Sea and shares a border with Djibouti (above). Modernist architecture and scuba diving are popular activities. The capital, Asmara, is listed as the country’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Carribean
Montserrat – This island, near Antigua, is best known for the Soufrière Hills volcano which experienced a series of eruptions in the 1990s.
Anguilla – This is a beautiful British-owned island that is home to high-end resorts and uncrowded beaches.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines – In 2017, the first international airport was constructed and now a series of spectacular beaches and island-hopping is accessible to the world.
Dominica – Visitors are drawn to this overlooked island because of its active volcanoes and a coast-to-coast, long-distance hiking trail.
St. Kitts and Nevis – The best reasons to visit these two lesser traveled Caribbean islands: food, drink (seafood, spiced rum) and relaxation.
Asia
Timor Leste – The lush wilderness and challenging mountain biking are popular attractions in Timor Leste, Asia’s newest country.
Europe
San Marino – Really? A country within Italy? Yes, it’s known as the least visited European country, located east of Florence, and it’s just 24 square miles large. Climb the 11th-century tower to view the country from border to border.
Liechtenstein – Hiking trails, vineyards, and historic castles define this principality that’s located between Austria and Switzerland.
Moldova – Attention wine-lovers! This country wedged between Romania and Ukraine features an exceptional variety of wines – from dry reds to sweet ice wines. National Wine Day is held in October each year.
New Zealand, Australia
New Caledonia – This is an island found north of New Zealand and east of Australia. In New Caledonia, it’s all about its waters boasting the 3rd largest reef system, dozens of sharks, protected marine life, snorkeling, swimming, and beach lounging.
Getting there
Getting to these least-visited countries may require significant online searching. The fastest way to search the best sites is with Opptee Travel Search. Use the app to search flights on Momondo, Priceline, Hawaiian Airlines, Cathay Pacific and many more. While looking for flights, also browse hotels (like Hyatt, Westin) as well as private rentals like Airbnb and VRBO.com. Opptee simplifies your search by listing the most popular travel sites conveniently within one app. All you need do is enter travel details once and those details are transferred across to every site you search within Opptee.
