Molokai Island, Hawaii. Much more like the Hawaii of 50 years ago - you really mix with the locals, and it is laid back to the 50th power.

Hope it hasn't changed in the few years since I visited. I rented a little cottage and just relaxed for a week, had the owner's dog there to go on beach walks with, etc. The local beach bar at the hotel in Kaunakakai was full of BS'ers "talking story" and the weekly get together of the island ukulele and singing group.

Another great place is Bequia Island in the Grenadines, a short ferry trip from St. Vincent. Beautiful beaches, friendly people, an incredible little place surprisingly devoid of the tourist crowds. http://www.paradise-islands.org/gren...ia-beaches.htm

Awesome! I was already planning to go there in January (hopefully hitching a ride on a sailboat from Barbados)!

You will love it. I need to get back there....

Isla Mujeres is also what first popped into my mind, as it's only been a couple months since I was there. Especially if you rent a golf cart and drive to the south end/back side of the island.

St. Kitts was a unique experience, but that was 7 years ago just when the very first "real" hotel had opened. Dodging goats and cows on the drive to the beach, feeding monkeys by hand and laying on the beach a few feet from a 700 lb pig was certainly unique. I fear going back as it may have been "modernized" my now.

The natural wonders in the area between Page, AZ and Zion/Bryce are amazing. I could spend weeks just hiking that area.

Re: OP. I liked the Bandas in Indonesia a lot. It appeared stuck in time from when the Dutch left. The original spice islands and where all the world's nutmeg originated for 200+ years. Several forts, cannon barrels lying by the streets and few visitors.

Pohnpei is a beautiful "high" island and feels like the real, untrammelled Pacific. If it had a beach that you didn't need a boat to get to it'd be much more visited.

For Thailand, I'm not sure I'd say Hat Rai Leh near Krabi is off the beaten path anymore. Beautiful place, but gets lots of daytours (including the one I took). Krabi and Samui are fast becoming the next Phuket, which is becoming the next Pattaya, while Pai may become the next Chiang Rai, which'll become the next Chiang Mai...the story never seems to end well in Thailand.

Elsewhere in that region, I'm glad I got to Angkor in 1997 and Luang Prabang in 1998.

Jibacoa, Cuba

Remote, on a remote island..

Salzburg, Austria: The Augustiner beerhall located about a mile and a half from the tourist (Mozart) area. Drank really good beer in the afternoon with locals. Some appeared to be retirees, some were workers just getting off shift. It was a great experience. We were the only tourists. You pick a mug off the wall and bring it to a guy in front of 4 huge kegs and he fills it up for you.

Andechs Monastery: A 45 minute train ride from Munich. Can't say enough about this tranquil retreat in the beautiful Bavarian countryside. A one thousand year old monastery on a lush green hilltop where monks have been brewing beer that tastes like cake batter for a very long time. Check Trip Advisor.

Dames, Belgium: 5 km from Brugges. Local beer called Uilienspiegelbier. Hands down the best beer I ever tasted in my life. You won't even find it in Brugges, only in Dames where it's brewed. If you ever go to Brugges, rent a bike and ride out to Dames. It's worth it. There is also a very old church there and you can climb the steeple, better views than from the Belfry in Brugges. You can see sheep grazing and windmills in the Belgian countryside.

Cieneguillas, Peru: About an hour drive from Lima, you'll drive by some of the worst poverty imaginable, but once there, it's an oasis with great food, great service and friendly people.

Pere Lachaise Cemetary, Paris, France: Again, out of the tourist area and off the beaten path. About a 25 minute cab ride from Eiffel Tower. It's in a quiet neighborhood. I remember seeing school kids walking home with their backpacks and Parisians going about their daily lives. Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Chopin and many other famous people are buried here. Remember the last scene in the Doors movie in the cemetary? Forget any notions about it being depressing or not something you'd want to see on vacation. The crypts and old graves are incredible. There are a few good local pubs on the street by the entrance, and from there, it's only a few minutes in a cab to Notre Dame and Isle Saint Louis.

Keukenhof: Half hour bus ride outside of Amsterdam. The worlds largest flower garden. 32 acres of endless rows of tulips and such. Off the beaten path from Amsterdam, but also very touristy. Open only in the spring.

Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas. 14 mile drive loop with spectacular scenery.

The drive through the San Gabriel mountains just outside Los Angeles near Pasadena.

Well, two of my favorites have already been touched upon here. I spent a few days on Ouray, CO on my Western US road/camping trip over the summer, and it was my favorite stop. I also lived in VT's NEK for several years and enjoyed every minute of it. I would also add Eureka Springs, AR, a beautiful town nestled in the Ozarks.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...84745932_n.jpg

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Phra Nang beach seemed like it got a ton of daytrippers but Ton Sai and Rai Leh East were pretty quiet when I was there. Maybe it was because it was the tail end of the rainy season though.

Great pictures!

Never knew that these sites existed here on earth.;)

Wow... Next do?

Sicily, Italy. Avoid the touristy city centers of Palermo and Catania. Rather get a rental car right at the airport and do some driving in the countryside. The little ancient cities with streets so narrow your car can hardly go through are unforgettable. For all the Godfather fans out there, head over to Forza d'Agro just outside Taormina to find the actual house that served as Bar Vitelli.