Musandam Fjords Oman

World’s Most Underrated Travel Experiences

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 

Bambarakiri Ella Falls Suspension Bridge 

Matale, Sri Lanka 

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 

Sable Island Tours 

Sable Island, Canada 

Bungonia National Park Walks 

New South Wales, Australia 

Gishora Drum Sanctuary 

Gitega, Burundi 

Cynghordy Viaduct Walk 

Llanfair-ar-y-Bryn, Wales 

Auyuittuq National Park Tours 

Pangnirtung, Canada 

Melbourne Dumpling Walking Tour 

Victoria, Australia 

Roots Yard Off Grid Camping 

Volta Region, Ghana 

Tada Falls/Ubbalamadugu Falls 

Chennai, India 

Keep River National Park 

Northern Territory, Australia 

Great Stone Door Trail 

Tennessee, USA 

Jokkmokks Fjalltradgard Botanical Garden 

Norrbotten, Sweden

Bambarakiri Ella Falls Suspension Bridge 

Matale, Sri Lanka 

Desert Edge Tours  

Queensland, Australia 

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 

Newsletter subscription

Scroll to Top