Our mysterious world is forever shrinking and often it looks like there is no place to seclude ourselves from it all. But thankfully, there are a few places that the mortal is yet to fully explore.  These spots maintain their magnetism by their virtue of being not easy to reach. We thus have sorted 7 of the most secluded and stunning destinations on the planet, guaranteed to be alluring, well preserved and maintaining a pinch of mystery with them.

Deception Island, Antarctica

Located north of the Antarctic Peninsula, Deception Island is counted amongst the most fascinating remote sites in the world. Located about 12,000 KMs from Toronto, it is an active volcano comprising of ash-layered glaciers, steaming beaches and barren volcanic slopes. The largest cemetery in Antarctica and the remains of Hektor Whaling Station gives the history buffs the perfect reason to grab cheap airlines tickets to the island. The island is also a scientific outpost and is home to the Spanish and Argentine research bases.

Easter Island, Chile

Home to the gigantic moai statues, this incredibly remote island is widely known and treasured. Located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, this island has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The island is also counted amongst the top mysterious destinations in the world as the origin of the moai statues is unknown. The caves on the islands are a must see formed by the lava flowing towards the sea formed channels, which after cooling turn into caves.

Urumqi, China

Today a major commercial hub, Urumqi use to be a prominent stop on the Silk Road. With a distance of approximately 1,554 miles from the nearest coastline, Urumqi holds the incredible record of being the most remote city from any sea in the world. Kebab stands and Cyrillic signs give the city a distinct Central Asian feel, although the majority of the city’s population comprises of the Han.  There are also a number of activities one can indulge into such as horse riding, hiking or simply relaxing and savoring the spectacular views.

Madagascar

Situated in the Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the fourth- largest island in the world. This biologically diverse island boasts of an affluent village culture, various beaches and wild landscape. From the infinite jungles comprising of numerous species of endangered animals, rare birds and endemic plants to the luscious white-sand beaches of the Malagasy islands, the island is truly a gift of nature to the human race. Don’t forget to catch a performance of the endangered lemur, of which 90% of the world population resides here.

Lake Baikal, Russia

Located in South-Central Siberia, Lake Baikal is the deepest and the oldest freshwater lake in the world, containing approximately 20% of the unfrozen surface fresh water of the world. It is in fact said to contain more water than all the other great lakes combined. Surrounded by forests, mountains and wild rivers, it is said to be the oldest lake in the world at 25m years. It is also considered the clearest of all the lakes and is home to over 2,000 species of flora and fauna. Of all the animal and plant species found in the lake, almost two-third of them cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

The wildlife lovers will have a great time with the region’s plentiful species of animals which include the likes of polar bears, grazing reindeer, lounging seals, walrus, arctic fox alongside various species of birds, all co-existing in this harsh piece of land. Svalbard Archipelago is said to be best explored on foot, by ship or via zodiac. This archipelago is so remote that it is home to the global seed vault, which acts as a safety net against any accidental loss of diversity in any event of a major global or regional catastrophe.

CHANG TANG, TIBET

Spanning about 990 miles of land terrain across the Tibetan Plateau, Chang Tang is a vast high-altitude plateau that is occupied by roughly half a million Changpa , who though are not easy to spot. The Changpa are said to be a group of nomadic people who know all about struggles and hardships thanks to the brutality of the Chinese occupation and the near- arctic temperatures. In 2009, Chang Tang was named the most remote place in the world after a map was compiled listing the least and most interconnected places across the globe. Visiting Chang Tang in the off-season greatly increases your odds of finding affordable deals including last minute travel offers.