Adventure tour operator Explore Worldwide has researched over 350 hidden gems in over 130 countries across six of the world’s continents to reveal which ones are the most underrated.
The unique travel experiences have been ranked based on how high their Trip Advisor score is versus how many people have actually reviewed the activity, and how many Google searches there are around people wanting to try the experience. The resulting list reveals twenty-five of the world’s most undervalued travel activities which are, for the moment, relatively unknown or of little interest to the general masses, but which promise an incredible experience to the intrepid traveler.
The experiences span the breadth of the globe, with the top ten underrated travel experiences around the world including activities in East Africa’s Burundi, Pangnirtung in Canada, and Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn in Wales in the UK. From waterfalls and snowy mountains, to tasty dumpling tours, vineyards and remote islands, the experiences that are revealed in the new research provide an enormous amount of different ideas to those who want to try something new on their next adventure.
Ten of Asia’s Most Underrated Travel Experiences
Travel Experience | Region & Country | Underrated Experience Score |
Tada Falls/Ubbalamadugu Falls | Chennai, India | 6 |
Bambarakiri Ella Falls Suspension Bridge | Matale, Sri Lanka | 8 |
King’s Highway Tour | Jordan | 15 |
Diving in the Musandam Fjords | Khasab, Oman | 26 |
Exploring Orchid Island | Lanya, Taiwan | 32 |
Hauntu Haunted House | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 38 |
Mekong Delta Cruise | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 44 |
Mirror House | Kuwait City, Middle East | 48 |
Zhangye Danxia Geopark Tour | Danxia, China | 67 |
Walking the Amanohashidate Sandbar | Kyoto, Japan | 167 |
For the Asian continent, the research revealed that two waterfalls: the Ubbalamadugu Falls in India and the Bambarakiri Ella Falls in Sri Lanka, are some of the most underrated travel experiences to try, whilst the historic King’s Highway road in Jordan rounds off the top three underrated things to do in Asia.
25 of the World’s Most Underrated Travel Experiences
Travel Experience | Region & Country | Underrated Experience Score |
Schafberg Peak Hike | Salzburg, Austria | 2 |
Sable Island Tours | Sable Island, Canada | 3 |
Bungonia National Park Walks | New South Wales, Australia | 3 |
Gishora Drum Sanctuary | Gitega, Burundi | 3 |
Cynghordy Viaduct Walk | Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn, Wales | 5 |
Auyuittuq National Park Tours | Pangnirtung, Canada | 5 |
Melbourne Dumpling Walking Tour | Victoria, Australia | 6 |
Roots Yard Off Grid Camping | Volta Region, Ghana | 6 |
Tada Falls/Ubbalamadugu Falls | Chennai, India | 6 |
Keep River National Park | Northern Territory, Australia | 7 |
Great Stone Door Trail | Tennessee, USA | 7 |
Jokkmokks Fjalltradgard Botanical Garden | Norrbotten, Sweden | 8 |
Bambarakiri Ella Falls Suspension Bridge | Matale, Sri Lanka | 8 |
Desert Edge Tours | Queensland, Australia | 9 |
Bodega Cerro Chapeu | Rivera, Uruguay | 10 |
Purnululu National Park | Western Australia | 10 |
Mitchell River National Park | Western Australia | 10 |
Parque Nacional das Emas | Goias, Brazil | 11 |
Mont Rouge Estate | Victoria, Australia | 13 |
Explore Navarino Island | Puerto Williams, Chile | 13 |
Bernardo O’Higgins National Park | Puerto Natales, Chile | 16 |
Boat Tour of the Streets of Giethoorn | Overijssel, The Netherlands | 16 |
Bazaruto Archipelago | Inhambane Province, Mozambique | 16 |
Langebaan Lagoon | Western Cape, South Africa | 16 |
Wolf Creek Habitat | Indiana, USA | 17 |
Discover 10 of the World’s Most Underrated Travel Experiences
1. Schafberg Peak Hike, Salzberg, Austria: Topping the table as one of the world’s best experiences off the beaten path is hiking toSchafberg Peak, a fun-filled adventure in Austria that suits hikers of all levels. Whether you choose to hike out of the quaint village of St.Gilgen or choose the southern way of St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut, this summit in the Lechquellen Mountains provides breath-taking views over Austria’s finest peaks, hills and stunning Wolfgangsee Lake.
2. Touring Sable Island, Canada: For an adventure only known to a few daring explorers, take a tour of Sable Island. Tour groups coming in by plane can land right on the beach, and the national park has an incredible herd of wild horses. The wildlife doesn’t stop there however, as this secluded island is home to one of the largest grey seal colonies in the world.
3. Bungonia National Park Walks, New South Wales, Australia: Roughly 40 kilometres east of the city of Goulburn, this protected national park offers multiple trails set amongst some of Australia’s most striking nature. From towering trees to crystal clear waters, exploring this park is a must visit for anyone looking for a relaxing day away from crowded city streets.
4. Gishora Drum Sanctuary, Gitega, Burundi: According to its small number of Trip Advisor reviews, the drumming performances in the field of Gishora are one of the most incredible cultural spectacles in the world. This wonderful experience is preserving the art of Burundi’s ancient drum rituals, with this sanctuary being one of the most prominent drum sites in Burundi. This drum and dancing performance is like a tour through history, fast paced and beautiful, and needs no translation.
5. Cynghordy Viaduct Walk, Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn, Wales: Tucked away in the valleys of Wales in the UK, a walking route from Cynghordy to Llandovery will lead you to this railway viaduct that looks like something straight out of a movie scene, with the bright green rolling hills contrasting against the awesome arches of the viaduct.
6. Auyuittuq National Park Tour, Pangnirtung, Canada: This experience is one is for the serious hikers. Take the 60-mile trail, complete with its overnight stays, to truly appreciate some of the world’s most gorgeous and underrated alpine scenes, from Mount Asgardto the Owl River valley.
7. Melbourne Dumpling Walking Tour, Victoria, Australia: An underrated experiences for lovers of urban travel, this walking tour explores Victoria’s Chinatown, offering plenty of opportunities to dine on the most delicious dumpling and other tasty morsels of local cuisine. With a guide by your side, you’ll be sure to hit the most mouth-watering spots whilst learning about the area’s history.
8. Roots Yard Off Grid Camping, Volta Region, Ghana: Away from bustling towns and the touristy centres, this underrated campsite is run by a British-Ghanian family and offers vegan food, a relaxed atmosphere, plus easy walks around the area.
9. Tada Falls/Ubbalamadugu Falls, Chennai, India: Hidden in the dense forest of Siddulaiah Kona, the Ubbalamadugu Falls are a magical sight to behold, with crystal clear waters cascading over a 100-odd metre drop. Suitable for those with good mobility, courageous explorers can even brave the rocky climb to dip in the pool above the falls.
10. Keep River National Park, Northern Territory, Australia: This park has less visitors than Australia’s other national parks, but boasts some wonderful examples of natural red rock outcrops and rock art. The Jememoon walk gets particularly high praise from people who have hiked the park’s trails.
Michael Edwards, Managing Director at Explore Travel comments “This study has been quite an undertaking and researching over 350 underrated travel experiences has given our researchers some major wanderlust. We’re all about advocating lesser-known adventures off the beaten track, and we’re pleased to be able to shine a light on experiences that have clearly left a wonderful impression on those who have tried them, but which aren’t very well known about amongst the majority of travellers. We hope our research encourages people to try something a little different the next time they travel.”
The full findings and further information on each continent’s most underrated travel experiences can be found here: https://www.explore.co.uk/blog/underrated-travel-destinations
