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If you like to travel and check out new places chances are you have visited some major cities and some of the major world-renowned landmarks. Have you been to large cities like San Francisco, New York, London or Paris? I have found some of the greatest pleasure in my travels in visiting lesser-known travel destinations. While destinations that have a lot of tourists certainly offer a lot of conveniences and of course that local culture, the overpopulation of these locations can make the journey less enjoyable. However, when you travel to a destination less known, the difference can be dramatic! Let me elaborate a little more: if you visit London, you will be surrounded by many people and may not get the escape your mind needs. I’m commenting more here on the overall experience and not just the sites. On the contrary, if you visit a less-traveled place like the Solomon Islands, you will find a much different overall experience including exploring unseen beauty or finding a beach or island where you are the only person there that day. There is also another benefit that is not well-known: traveling to lesser-known countries will help alleviate poverty by increasing the economy. With all this being said, here are five places you may want to consider traveling to that don’t have many tourists.

Montserrat: 

Surrounded by luscious green hills, the Carribean Island nation of Montserrat has many inactive volcanos that have not erupted since the 1990s. Montserrat is classified as a modern-day Pompeii, with the capital city Plymouth at one point buried under volcanic stone and ashes. 

Comoros: 

Nestled between the nations of Mozambique and Madagascar, Comoros is known for its clear water and desolate beaches. While almost every other place on this list offers clear water and desolate beaches, there’s one unique aspect of Comoros that separates it from the rest: the air. You would think there is nice, clean fresh air but there is a different, more inviting smell to experience. Comoros, or the “perfume isles” has developed aromatic plants for making scents that go into different perfumes and colognes for hundreds of years. A common smell you will experience is cloves, bergamot, lavender, vanilla, and lemongrass combined which you cannot find anywhere else (unless you go to a fragrance shop or factory). 

Djibouti: 

Located between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Djibouti’s location in eastern Africa is rather ideal, but the landscape is another story. Normally, when you visit a beach you expect to see yellow sand. When you visit the beaches in Djibouti, be prepared to see white salt around Lake Assal. You can also expect to see hot-pink colored flamingos, camels across Lake Abbe, and unique terrain from marsh grass to volcanic hills. 

Tonga: 

If you’re looking to visit a country known for its hospitality, there’s no better place than Tonga. The South Pacific Island nation is filled with hidden beaches, flying foxes, among other things. What makes Tonga so special? The coast is bubbling, literally. There are hollow channels that hide in the jagged rock off the coast that create blowholes that can shoot hundreds of feet up into the air. No other country offers this kind of experience, so it’s best to make your trip to Tonga as soon as possible! 

Liechtenstein: 

Settled between Austria and Switzerland, Liechtenstein is definitely the smallest country on this list, especially when compared to its neighbors Germany and Austria. Although that may imply there is not much to do in Liechtenstein, that is far from the truth. Even though it is one of two countries completely landlocked,  there are many historic places to visit including castles, as well as wine tasting and plenty of hiking trails with scenic views of the country’s hilly landscape.

Honduras:

Located in Central America, Honduras touches the Carribean Sea in the north and the Pacific Ocean in the south. And while there are ancient Mayan sites to visit and many islands offering a wide variety of beauty to take in, I prefer to get on and under the water. Local business operators are very friendly and are easy to get along with while engaging for service to provide boats and local knowledge for pursuing interests like fishing and diving. But, my favorite place to visit is Anthony’s Cay which is officially located in Sandy Bay, Honduras; otherwise known as Roatan which is one of the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras. On this quiet island, much of the activities are already organized and very laid back making it a terrific place to get away and experience unique culture and activities without heavy tourist traffic.