People often ask us what our favorite places are and though that’s a very good question, we think a better conversation is “what hidden location gems did we find”. It is very unlikely that if you have your heart set on visiting Italy, you won’t make the classic stops like Rome, Florence, Venice, etc… In fact, we’d never tell you not to because appreciating the small, off-the-beaten path destinations, has so much to do with having experienced the world-famous sites. With that said, these locations are ones we think you should squeeze in to your already packed schedule because the return on that investment will be totally worth it! In no particular order, here we go:

El Chalten, Patagonia

First of all, Patagonia is HUGE! So you will have to decide what you want to do before hand. The beauty of Patagonia is that you don’t have to be a huge outdoorsy person to really enjoy this part of the world. However, if you do happen to be an avid hiker, we’d HIGHLY recommend the little town of El Chalten just north of El Calafate; the latter is famous for the Perito Moreno glacier that is truly spectacular! Unlike Torres del Paine, an unbelievable place to hike on the Chilean side of Patagonia, the beauty of El Chalten is that not only will you find all the comforts of home like hot showers, delicious bakeries, amazing pasta and micro-breweries that serve great beer; but ALSO so many of the epic hikes that start, literally, in the town. Once you are hiking it will still feel super remote and, during high season, it will be less crowded than Torres del Paine (at least, that was our experience). We are not saying that El Chalten is a better park, they are both different but if you are traveling to the end of the world (or very close) we absolutely recommend you squeeze this park in, you won’t be disappointed.

Bantayan Island, Philippines

The Philippines definitely takes the cake, or at least a pretty big chunk of the cake, when it comes to amazing beaches. It’s hard to beat a cold beer in one hand and a Filipino sunset. The island of Cebu is a popular destination because of its international airport and also close proximity to a slew of awesome sites. In Cebu itself you can view whale sharks, go canyoneering, dive with schools of sardines, and experience the chaos of the city, in a smaller scale than Manila. Travelers often visit surrounding islands like Bohol, known for their chocolate mountains and just a little further away, surf famous Sirgao. What most travelers don’t know is that just north of Cebu, an easy air conditioned bus ride away, is the island of Bantayan. White, sandy beaches make for the perfect quiet getaway. You’ll find just enough tourist to warrant restaurants and accommodations but not enough to be super crowded. This is a chill, you & yourself only kind of getaway and we totally recommend taking a few detox days here.

Hoi Anh, Vietnam

Smack in the middle of Vietnam’s coastline, Hoi Anh is a UNESCO world heritage center and can be easily missed if you only visit Ho Chi Minh city and/or Hanoi. What makes Hoi Anh very accessible is that it’s just south of the city of Da Nang, the latter conveniently home to an airport, an international airport. Famous for tailored made clothing for both men and women, the streets lined with fabric lamps make this little town incredibly charming. Oh, and if you did indeed want a tailor made dress or suit, the turn around is incredibly fast. Also, if visiting Hoi Anh alone is not enough, you’ll only be 2 hours away from the Golden Bridge, a huge structure suspended by 2 hands with stunning views. Basically, what we are trying to say is, make a stop in the middle of Vietnam, you won’t regret it.

Inle Lake, Myanmar

If you are planning to visit Myanmar, you will likely arrive either to Mandalay or Yangon; both of these cities have great places to see and learn from. Just a quick flight away you’ll probably also visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Bagan; famous for having more than 2000 temples it is truly incredible. And just one more flight away, we recommend you visit Lake Inle. The weather in November was especially cool and comfortable. Tours of the lake give you a glimpse into a lifestyle that is slowly fading with the introduction of modern day conveniences and ever expanding tourism. Take a few days to recharge here, you’ll be glad you came. Also, if you are pressed for time, we don’t recommend taking the bus or train; flights are very inexpensive.

Gokarna, India

This sleepy little town, on the western coast of India, lives a little in the shadow of its more famous neighbor just a few hours north, Goa. If you are visiting western India, in particular Goa, do make the detour to Gokarna - extra bonus: you can experience the famous Indian train system to get there; just don’t plan on much more than riding the train that day ‘cause you never know when you’ll get there. All joking aside, this is a great place to recharge your batteries, get a little yoga in, have some delicious local curries and just chill, chill, chill.

Muscat, Oman

In all honesty we think Oman deserves more than just a side visit, but given that this part of the world is so far for most of us, we think you should try to squeeze it in if ever visiting the United Arab Emirates. Just a short flight away from Dubai, Muscat will greet you with an impeccably designed, beautiful airport and also charm you with old souks that have witnessed trade for hundreds of years. We didn’t get to visit wadis in the desert but if you have the time, definitely look them up! Like we said, Oman is really a gem to be explored on its own, but if you have a few days to spare, when visiting the UAE, definitely take a detour here.

Saranda, Albania

Just a short ferry ride away from Corfu, Saranda is a more vintage, chilled out version of what you’ll find in Greece. Also known as the heart of the Albanian Riviera, this sleepy town comes to life in the summer when many of Tirana’s residents, the capital of Albania, head down for a break. In this little beach town, you’ll find a nice reprieve from the fast pace most vacations to Europe feel like; with secluded beaches, very affordable prices and even some ancient pre-roman ruins that also happen to be UNESCO sites, you’ll be glad you stopped by for a few days.

Kotor, Montenegro

Like many of our suggested detours mentioned above, Montenegro could also stand on its own and not be a side visit, however, if you happen to find yourself in Dubrovnik, Croatia, you won’t regret making time for a quick stop in Kotor. If possible, try to spend at least one night here so you can climb to the fortress above the city and watch the sun set on the bay. Don’t forget to tour the old town that once belonged to the Republic of Venice and checkout all the adorable cats, completely indifferent to tourists. Lots of tours leave from Dubrovnik often so adding this stop to your itinerary can be easy.

Dolomites, Italy

The Dolomites are incredibly famous, especially amongst hikers. What is less famous is how close they are to Venice and how easily you can visit for the day, if you wanted. You can plan a whole trip to so many of the famous spots in the Italian alps, but if you just wanted to get a taste of this incredibly charming region, you can easily rent a car in Venice’s Marco Polo airport and drive up for the day. Completely different in beauty to many of the famous Italian cities you will probably visit, you won’t regret this short side trip to the imposing alps. Oh, and the driving? not as bad as movies might lead you to believe, totally doable.

Naxos, Greece

Last, but certainly not least, is Naxos in Greece. Literally a ferry stop between Santorini and Mikonos, you could stop here for a few days and completely recharge your party-drained batteries. Like Kotor (above), Naxos also once belonged to the Republic of Venice and therefore has all the charming venice-esque alleys and inconspicuous passage ways. It also has amazingly deserted beaches and some seriously good olive oil (although, in this part of the world finding bad olive oil is probably harder than finding the good stuff). If you have time, definitely stop by to experience a completely different type of Greek island vibe, you won’t regret it.

Like we said repeatedly, all of these sites could be entire vacations on their own but if you don’t have time, we hope we’ve inspired you to step a little off the beaten path in your next travel itinerary.

Let us know, in the comments below, if you have any questions or if you’d like to share locations gems of your own.