Endless Elbow Room

Like Julie Andrews in the opening of the Sound of Music with arms outstretched and twirling in an open field, there’s nothing I enjoy more than having a lot of room to myself. This is one reason I always prefer to travel to lesser-known sites and regions—there’s space to explore undisturbed and enjoy unobstructed views. 

Blissfully, there still remain places in the world where you can explore for hours without seeing another human. Sometimes, there’s not even a hint of modern civilization—no cell towers, no buildings—just wide open, untouched landscapes.

Whether in a conserved tract of land or simply in a remote region not easily accessible, we love these places for the unique experience of being one of the few to step foot in them and the endless elbow room they provide. 

On our Nepal hiking tours, it’s worth veering off the trail to Everest Base Camp at Pangboche so we can head towards Ama Dablam, another spectacular Himalayan peak. The trail to Ama Dablam’s base camp is infrequently traveled, mostly only by mountaineers and their support teams. 

The sparsely-populated landscape of Southern Patagonia is vast, remote, and at times, unforgiving. On our Argentina adventure tours, you’ll enjoy scenic hikes on empty trails to gem-like lakes, through virgin lengas forest, and along pristine valleys and mountain paths.

Bhutan has gained increasing international attention as a travel destination for its unique culture and stunning scenery. For intrepid adventurers, Eastern Bhutan is where to go to leave any semblance of a crowd behind. On our Bhutan tours, trails are more rugged, and spiritual sites are more remote. You’ll likely be the only visitor there.

Does the idea of a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific sound good to you? It does to us. Kayaking and snorkeling among the uninhabited islands and thriving coral reefs may be just what we all need. Our Palau adventure tours are based in small eco-hotels where we can enjoy modern comforts surrounded by nature.

Tanzania is a lot of things—a cultural kaleidoscope, an animal-lovers paradise, a land of rich evolutionary history. But it’s also home to vast landscapes that seem to stretch to infinity. Like wide open spaces? You’ll love a safari in Tanzania.

While your initial vision of England may be of bustling London, the northern regions offer the exact opposite experience—one of quaint, low-key villages, uncrowded trails that begin at one sea and end at another, and huge expanses of farmland and pastures patched together like a verdant quilt. Explore it all on our England walking tours.