Grand Canyon too crowded? Five alternatives to summer vacation hot spots.
I love a good trip to Rome, but frankly, the city is chock-full of tourists like myself in the summertime. And聽sometimes I just want to check out a good聽Roman ruin without everyone's grandparents blocking my Instagram shot. So where are the best places to go where no one else goes?
1. 聽North Africa for Roman ruins
North Africa has been through some turmoil in the聽past few years, but there are still many counties in the region that聽are very safe to travel to. Unfortunately, the perfectly preserved ruins in Tripoli, Libya are聽currently a no-go (as recently as 2011, the Disney Cruise Line had the city as a port), but Tunisia has Carthage, which is a great, historic city.
2. 聽Montreal for French everything
The entire Provence of Quebec in Canada has French as the official language, and many of the sights, tastes, and sounds you'll experience on the streets of Montreal will have you convinced you're in France. Montreal is a city that celebrates its French heritage, with its聽Vieux-Montreal neighborhood featuring plenty of buildings dating to the 1600s. The city's聽northern location means summertime聽is probably the best time to travel here.
3. 聽San Andres, Colombia (instead of the Caribbean)
The island of San Andres is located closer to Nicaragua than mainland Colombia, and it's聽the premier getaway for Colombians looking for some Caribbean sun. While Cartagena sees plenty of American tourists coming off of cruise ships, San Andres is generally only domestic聽tourists from Colombia. White sand beaches, turquoise blue waters, and plenty of fish dishes await you, instead of another over-run cruise ship port in the West Indies.
4. 聽Copper Canyon, Mexico聽(instead of the Grand Canyon)
Hop aboard a train and travel through Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico. This beautiful natural landmark is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon, and attracts a lot fewer tourists! 聽This area is also聽generally聽safe and accommodating for tourists. 聽Buy a first class ticket to travel in comfort!
5. 聽Niue聽for a聽Fiji vibe
Niue聽was聽once one of the world's richest countries because of its phosphorous deposits, and is now served only once a week by a flight from New Zealand. Here, amazing South Pacific views await travelers who make the journey, and unlike Fiji, it isn't rife with expensive over-water bungalows to bankrupt your bank account!
Where are you favorite travel destinations that are off the beaten path?聽
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