1. Socotra
This group of islands belonging to Yemen sits just a few hundred kilometres off the coast of the Horn of Africa, smack in the most troubled waters on earth. Somali pirates, who have made a name for themselves by preying on European and Asian nationals, still roam the sea here with relative impunity, boarding vessels and taking hostages for ransom. Luckily, they seem to leave Socotra itself alone. What the islands lack in terms of luxury, they more than make up for in terms of natural bounty. Listed as a UNESCO world natural heritage site in 2008, they are home to 307 plant species found nowhere else on earth, including the fantastic Dragon’s Blood Tree, which looks like a spiky umbrella and weeps a crimson-coloured sap when scraped.
2. Cambodia
Beyond the allure of Angkor Wat and the fabulous feasts to be had in Phnom Penh, the rest of the country awaits discovery. If you’re prepared to rough it, there are the Cardamom Mountains, a protected natural reserve with nearly pristine wilderness, the ruins of Phnom Bokor, a French era casino and hill resort that was occupied by the Khmer rouge until the 1990s or, for something more luxurious, there’s Song Saa. This boutique island resort just off the coast of Sihanoukville, the colonial beach retreat where the skeletons of Modernist villas built by the pre-war elite still poke out of the foliage, will remind anyone who knew Phuket before the travel industry ruined it just how sweet life in the Gulf of Thailand used to be.
3. Mozambique
Azura, Pambele, Ponta Mamoli, Machangulo. With so many luxury (and even ultra-luxury) beach resorts to boast of, it’s hard to believe that 20 years ago, Mozambique was a war zone, though profusion of signs warning the unwary about the dangers of stepping off the road in certain places – the country is still heavily mined – does serve as a reminder.
Largely undeveloped outside of its cities, Mozambique’s lack of infrastructure does make getting around a chore but this has also left it with thousands of miles of forested coastline, pounding Indian Ocean surf and clusters of small, sandy islands, home to hotels that charge more in a day than the average Mozambican earns in a year.
4. Wakhan Corridor
Probably the farthest off our radar, certainly in luxury terms, this finger of land in the far northeast of Afghanistan wedged between Tajikistan, Pakistan and China, is probably the one place even your best-travelled friends have never been. Though perhaps not for long. Wakhan’s inaccessibility (it’s easier to get there from neighbouring countries than from within) has kept the Corridor free from most of Afghanistan’s troubles, lending it the kind of stability the rest of the country can only envy. The draws? Wakhan’s rich mosaic of tribes, many of them still nomadic and traditionally-dressed, its awe-inspiring mountains and rich cultural heritage are rapidly turning it into a magnet for hardy, outdoor types in search of something unique, as well as the hardy outdoor tour operators eager to cater to this crowd.
