It’s easy to be convinced of a glamorous location based off exotic photos seen on social media, but often the places most lauded online are overrun with tourists and are less than desirable on arrival.
Wanting to get off the beaten track, one Reddit user asked the forum: ‘Which country is a must-visit?’ with commenters responding in their droves with their favorite places to see.
Users shared their own experiences of visiting the little-known vacation spots – urging people to get in quick before tourists from around the world swoop in.
Take a look below at the hidden gems that promise the beauty of an Instagram famous location without the crowds.
Slovenia, Central Europe
Slovenia is a country in Central Europe, known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes
Slovenia is a country in Central Europe, near the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean Sea. It’s known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes.
‘Slovenia is absolutely gorgeous – at least in parts. It gets some tourists but far fewer than similarly beautiful destinations,’ one user wrote.
‘My wife is born/raised Slovenian and we go back every other year or so to see her family and friends,’ another shared.
They continued: ‘It is a beautiful country, but that secret is really getting out now, especially Instagrammy places like Lake Bled and Predjama Grad. Granted, still nowhere near as crowded as places like Dubrovnik.’
Albania, Balkan Peninsula
Albania is a country in the Balkans. The country is known for beautiful beaches and the Accursed Mountains, which are a spectacular mountain range in the North of Albania.
‘Albania. Try it before the massive exodus due to Instagram influencers,’ one user urged.
Albania is known for beautiful beaches and the Accursed Mountains
‘I’m gonna go to Albania. It has a really bad reputation, but the people there are very warm and honest, the beaches are incredible, the food is a really good blend of Balkan/Greek/Turkish/Italian,’ agreed another.
They continued: ‘It’s super cheap, and it has good weather. The only downside is that it lacks tourist infrastructure to get between the main cities.
‘The buses can be really overcrowded and picking up random people on the side of the highway/delivering chickens to random farms.’
Transylvania, Romania
Transylvania is located in central Romania, known for medieval towns, mountains and castles like Bran Castle – a Gothic fortress associated with the legend of Dracula
Transylvania is located in central Romania, known for medieval towns, mountains and castles like Bran Castle – a Gothic fortress associated with the legend of Dracula.
‘I love seeing the red roofs, the open fields, and the mountains as I fly in to Transylvania. The more I learn about Romania, the more I fall in love with it,’ a user gushed.
‘Romania – great architecture,’ agreed someone else.
Bolivia, South America
Bolivia is in South America, spanning over the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin rainforest
The landlocked country of Bolivia is in South America, spanning over the Andes Mountains, the Atacama Desert and Amazon Basin rainforest.
‘Amazing landscape, spotlessly clean, friendly people, and lots of fun if you want to ‘party.’
‘That was 10 years ago, I hope it’s still as lovely because it holds a special place in my heart,’ a user wrote.
Montenegro, Balkan Peninsula
Montenegro is located in the west-central Balkans, known for its high mountain ranges, medieval villages, and beaches. Pictured: Perast, located in the Bay of Kotor
Montenegro is located in the west-central Balkans, known for its high mountain ranges, medieval villages, and beaches.
‘I also loved Montenegro,’ a Reddit user suggested.
‘That whole region is stunning. I was lucky enough to visit: Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro and Croatia (among others) and thought it was just a wonderfully beautiful and underrated part of the world,’ shared another.
Paraguay, South America
Paraguay is a country between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia in South America.
‘Paraguay is really cool. The history and culture of the capital city Asunción is really cool. Lots of wars with their neighboring countries over the years – at one point in their history like 90 per cent of Paraguayan men were killed in wars,’ someone wrote.
Paraguay is a country between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia in South America
‘The social scene and food are also ridiculous! Freshly grilled meats right from the asado with friends is the stuff of legends,’ reminisced a user.
‘One of my favorite parts of Paraguay was staying out obscenely late at a club with friends and then eating lomitos, this amazing sandwich in a bag you buy in a parking lot at four in the morning with about 50 other hungry drunk people.’
They continued: ‘Plus it is CHEAP there. An Uber across town costs literally like two dollars. A nice lunch for two will cost maybe 15 bucks. I got an hour-long massage at a nice spa for 25 bucks. If you’re on a budget, Paraguay is the place to go.’
