Top Ten “Off the Beaten Path” Travel Destinations by Monotronic’s Ramsey Elkholy

Led by anthropologist and musician/producer Elkholy, Monotronic is a New York-based musical collective who jump genres and deliver dancefloor-ready grooves with impressive instrumentation while staying rooted in eloquent songcraft. Hear them here:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6yRrkpttMRDY8KiZG193SU

“In a rapidly developing world people are becoming increasingly interconnected through social media and other virtual means. The world has become a much smaller place in the wake of the digital revolution and the once popular belief of “6 degrees of separation” has shrunk to nearly half that in most cases. As development in the name of “progress” continues to forge inroads into once very remote parts of the world, it has become increasingly harder to get off the beaten the path. However, there are still some adventures in the world to be had – it just takes a bit more effort to seek out these out of the way places. Below is a top 10 list of my favorite “off the beaten path” locations,” says Elkholy.

South East Asian Rainforests:
Southeast Asia is home to some of the oldest and most pristine tropical forest on the planet. Unlike other parts of the world that experienced an ice age around 13,000 years ago, the forests of Southeast Asia forests have remained intact throughout these climatic changes. My first experience in these forests was as a college student, when I took a semester off school and trekked across the island of Borneo. Much of the island is only navigable by river, so I found myself hitching rides on longboats much of the time and staying in longhouse communities along the way. A longhouse a giant structure built on stilts where the entire community is housed. There is a large communal area that takes up the center of the longhouse, with individual family rooms located on the sides. I recall one night staying with the Iban, who were notorious headhunters back in the day. One evening they made me drink so much rice wine (arak) that I passed out. I was awakened some hours later by a loud gong and people singing, as a village elder approached and stood over me with a fishing net full of human skulls (or “trophies” as they called them). I remember thinking to myself “is this where my journey ends?”. The highlight of Borneo was meeting the Penan, a hunting and gathering tribe that are thought to be the earliest inhabitants of the island. This is where my fascination with Southeast Asian hunter-gatherers began and I have since been back to Borneo to visit the Penan as well as the Batek in Peninsular Malaysia.

On the same Trip I came across a group of hunter-gatherers on the island of Sumatra who call themselves Orang Rimba. I was only able spent a few days with them on this trip but ended up going back to Sumatra to stay with them for 2 years as part of my PhD research project.

If you don’t have time to go live in the forest with an indigenous tribe but want to experience the rainforests of Southeast Asia, I would highly recommend the following National Parks:

Tanjung Puting National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Taman Negera National Park, Malaysia

Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia

India:
My first trip to India was totally unplanned, as the best experiences often are. I had been teaching English in Java, Indonesia for six months (my first real job out of college), when I decided to join a friend who had been cycling through Malaysia and Thailand. I rented a motorcycle in the northern Thai town of Chang Mai and somewhere along the journey we learned about a promotional $100 flight from Bangkok to Calcutta. After a few nights in Bangkok we decided to take the plunge. 14 months later I was still in India, I couldn’t leave! Even more surprising, I still had $1,000 left – about half of what I made teaching in Indonesia. I was living on $2 a day, eating mainly dal/bat (lentils/rice), and living on the cheap. I spent the first 7 months studying Indian Classical music, the first 4 at a the University of Shantinikiten – a small liberal arts school located about 3 hours from Calcutta that was established by the poet/philosopher Rabindranath Tagore (the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913). Here I was able to live on a $1 a day, riding a bicycle locally and cooking fresh market-bought veggies every day in my trusty wok. I rented a small clay cottage for $15 a month and pulled my water out a nearby well each morning. Here I studied with late sitarist Indraneel Batacharya, who later connected me to Debashish Battacharya (no relation) in Calcutta, where I stayed and studied for another 3 months.

After Calcutta I made my way north to the Himalayan town Leh in Ladakh, where I had a chance meeting with another college friend, who was also traveling around India. After lounging around catching up for a couple days, we decided to do a 12-day trek in the Tibetan highlands – during which time we accidentally wandered across the Pakistan border (Osama Bid Laden country!). After Ladakh we traveled to the town of Dharamshala, where I would discover Tibetan culture and stay for five months working on music and studying Tibetan Buddhism. We were fortunate enough to participate in a one-week meditation retreat hosted by the Dalai Lama. The retreat consisted of daily lectures – the Dalai Lama speaking in Tibetan, with translators on either side of him speaking in Hindi, English and Chinese into a small transistor radio – each language being transmitted through an am signal that each of us would tune into with an earpiece. On the last day of the retreat the Dalai Lama came around and greeted each of us. He seemed like a genuine person and honest teacher of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Extremely unassuming and teeming with curiosity, he is one of the most accepting people I have ever met. I was lucky enough to meet him once again just a few years ago on a flight from Dharamshala to Deli. I mentioned the retreat I attended some years ago, which he remembered very well (recalling details that even I had forgotten). Since then, he has become more of a high-profile public figure, and the fondness in his eyes seemed to suggest he was reflecting on simpler times.

All the Himalayan areas in northern India are incredibly scenic and worth visiting. My personal favorites (aside from Dharamshala) are Sikkim, Darjeeling and Ladakh (start in the capital of Leh and venture off into the Tibetan highlands to do some of the most amazing trekking on the planet). Sikkim has many amazing Buddhist monasteries, and the people are very welcoming. When traveling from Ladakh to many of the other Himalayan areas of India you will probably travel along the Karakorum Highway at some point. Meandering through the Himalayas at 15,000 ft. (4,700 meters) it is one of the highest paved roads on the planet with breathtaking views in every direction. I spent a good portion of my first journey along this road riding on the roof of the bus – an experience I’ll never forget. Looking back, it’s hard to believe I was crazy enough to ride on the roof of an Indian bus!

Much more could be written on India and I’ve barely scratched the surface here. Southern India is another world altogether, with its own music and culture, not to mention the dizzying array of languages spoken, which belong to four different language families. A month in India is like 6 months anywhere else because of the sheer volume of humanity: the sights, scents, and sounds that you’re continually confronted with – it is literally an “assault” on the senses. I highly recommend a trip to India to anyone who is interested in immersing oneself in another culture and able to deal with the often-unsanitary conditions. Just one caveat: you will need lots of patience and must be willing to abandon your plans and go with the flow. On a bus journey you may find yourself spending the night on the side of the road because the rain has washed away a bridge, or you may end up in a rickshaw sitting in traffic for over an hour because there is a cow sleeping in the middle of the road that nobody wants to disturb.

There’s a new documentary out now that is worth checking out, called “The Beatles in India”, co-produced by David Lynch:

Bhutan:
On my last trip to India in 2017 I connected with a local rock band in the Himalayan town of Darjeeling and joined them to Bhutan, where they were doing a gig in the capital city of Thimphu. Bhutan is a small Buddhist kingdom on the Himalayas’ eastern edge, nestled between Tibet, China, and India. Normally special permits are required to travel to Bhutan and tourists must travel in organized tour groups. In our case the band was invited by someone with connections to the Bhutan royal family, so were granted an unrestricted entry permit that enabled us to enter the country without a visa. They passed me off as a member of the band, the only requirement being that I grow out my beard and sit quietly in the back of the minivan as the border guards waved us through.

Bhutan is a unique place in that it measures its progress as a nation by what it calls the “Gross National Happiness Index” (GDH). This happiness index is reflected through the ways in which the country takes a holistic approach to preserving its environment and natural resources. Ancient monasteries and smiling faces abound here, and the scenery is out of this world, mountain peaks in every direction. Unlike India where women traveling alone need to be vigilant of pick pockets and groping men, Bhutan is one of the safest countries in the world for female travelers. My time here was brief, but I have always dreamed of going back to spend more time there. Tiger’s Nest Monastery is one of the highlights of a trip to Bhutan and is worth a full day trip:
https://offbeatexplorers.com/hike-tigers-nest-monastery-bhutan-paro/

Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka often gets bypassed by those traveling through India, and a result the country remains an unhidden gem that is much less traveled. In fact, the first highways were only built in 2011, and prior to that travel across the country was extremely difficult and demanding, both on the body and wallet. With transportation becoming much easier in these past years, the country has become much more accessible and affords travelers countless opportunities to get off the beaten path.

What is most noteworthy about Sri Lanka is its diversity, Theravada Buddhism is the main religion here, practiced by 70% of the population, which are Sinhalese. The second largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka are the Tamil, who practice Hinduism. The country boasts the highest biodiversity in Asia and also has a great diversity of environments, from the bustling city of Colombo to historical ruins, beaches, mountains, and historical ruins scattered throughout the country. Sri Lanka is one of the largest exporters of tea in the world and the view of the endless stretches of tea plantations peppered with waterfalls is unlike anything you will ever see.

Sigiriya, the “Lion Rock,” is a 660-foot-tall ancient rock fortress. The climb to the top is no joke, but the 500+ year old graffiti and the 1500+ year old hand paintings keep you company all the way to the top, where the views of the oldest surviving gardens in Asia make the effort well worth it. Kandy is a city in central Sri Lanka that is a good jumping off point for visits to the surrounding sites. It’s set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, tea plantations and tropical rainforests. Here there are several sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth shrine (Sri Dalada Maligawa). It is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. Kandy was the last capital of the Sri Lankan kings and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mainly due to the temple.

Traveling by train is the best way to soak in the local culture here. The train ride from Kandy to Ella is seven-hours and may be one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Aside the country’s magnificent scenery, historical ruins and rich biodiversity, the real attraction to Sri Lanka is its people. Sri Lankan’s are known to be among the warmest and most welcoming people in the world.

Ayahuasca retreat Peru:
A few years ago, I took a trip to Peru with a friend to take part in an ayahuasca retreat. Ayahuasca is a special hallucinogenic brew made from the Banisteriopsis Caapi Vine. As the plant is found in the Amazon and the rituals centered around the Ayahuasca brew have been practiced by Amazonian tribes for centuries, most retreats take place in the Amazon in the care of an experienced shaman. In my case, having lived in a tropical forest for two years in Sumatra and having been through several bouts of malaria I knew that being deep in a rainforest and far from any major towns would make it difficult to get medical attention in case of emergency. So we opted instead to do our retreat in a mountainous region outside of Cusco, which is a great hub from where you can take day hikes or camp in the mountains, or rent horses for the day, as we did.

We did our retreat at a place called Sacred Valley, which is about an hour drive from Cusco: https://www.sacredvalleytribe.com/. This is just one of many private run centers that are licensed by the Peruvian government to administer ayahuasca. There are many others, some with fulltime medical staff on site and others that offer less supervision. The ritual involved a shaman, who administered the dose (given to you in a small goblet) and group of “helpers” who are there to make sure things go smoothly. About 30 minutes later, as the ayahuasca is taking hold, some music was performed, mostly drumming, accompanied by chanting. This felt a bit too culturally specific (maybe even “religious”) and I wanted to guide my own journey, so I ended up outside the communal house, where I sat near a fire pit with a big bushy sheep dog by my side. Somehow this dog and I seemed to connect; and I would even go so far as to say the dog had a grounding effect on me. I had taken psychedelics before, but this was more intense than anything I had experienced in the past. I needed to keep telling myself “it’s just another day” – a continual reminder that I’ll soon be back to normal. As the sun came up the following morning a flurry of lyrics came to me in one stream of consciousness; and within minutes, I had a fully formed song in my head (which I then scrambled to get the lyrics into my phone). Two years later the music came to me and the song was recorded. Fittingly, the song is called “Just Another Day”. Here is a private preview link, the official release is in December:
https://soundcloud.com/monotronicband/just-another-day-premastered-1/s-k0pbCCEzRxe

Brazil:
When people think of Brazil they normally think of the beaches of Rio and Carnival. While Rio is a vibrant place full of people and energy, I would steer clear of Carnival. The streets are jam packed and if you’re not careful – or simply look like a tourist – you can become an easy target for pick pockets (or worse). Besides, there are so many amazing beaches in and around Rio, which are thriving even when Carnival is not happening. That’s actually the charm of Rio: the hustle and bustle, street musicians and beach vendors, and the constant buzz of humanity (I can taste the acai now!).

If being packed like sardines on a beach in Ipanema or Copacabana is not your cup of tea, there are more quiet beaches in Leblon (walking distance from Ipanema); while the family friendly beaches of Barra da Tijuca (5 min by car from Ipanema), are even less crowded. For a more tranquil experience the beach town of Buzios is not to be missed. It’s a beautify fishing village 2.5 hours’ drive to the east of Rio with some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. There is a nice walking path along the beach and a central area that is dotted with cafes and restaurants. A great place for couples.

If you want to get off the beaten path, the possibilities in Brazil are endless. The Amazonian destinations, using the city of Brasilia as a starting point, are well documented in the guidebooks, so I’ll stay with the beach theme here. The beaches of Pipa in the north are amazing if you want a more rustic experience. Rent a bungalow on the beach and a motor scooter to get around to and from all the different beaches. The crowd here is young and most are shirtless and shoeless. Hammocks are planted in the shallow waters of the sea and the smell of Brazilian sativa is in the air. Still farther off the beaten path is Fernando De Noronha, an archipelago located 220 miles off the northeast coast. The area was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2001 and for good reason. Here you will find some of the most pristine beaches on the planet. On my last trip in 2017 we rented a dune buggy and rode around the main island, where we stumbled upon mile long stretches of beach that were completely empty – not even a footprint in the sand. The sea life is amazing too if you’re into snorkeling or scuba diving. You can also take a boat out and swim alongside enormous sea turtles (who hatch between December and June) and the occasional group of curious dolphins. The main island, where all the accommodations are, is a one-hour flight from Recife and a trip here must be planned ahead as only 500 visitors per day are allowed on the main island. It’s a bit of work to get here, but once you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing experience in a place that very few people get a chance to see.

https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/10-things-know-visiting-fernando-de-noronha/

Mongolia:
Mongolia is a very undeveloped country, with many areas that are still off the grid. Only a 30-minute drive outside the capital city of Ulaanbaatar (UB) will take you to the outskirts of this vast frontier nation, where the asphalt roads suddenly become dirt tracks. Still farther out the dirt roads give way to the vast grassland steppe and the Gobi Desert (the coldest and most northern desert in the world), where you often find yourself making your own tracks. In the far north outside the main villages there are areas with no roads and locals ride around on horseback. If you make it this far, you are officially “off the beaten path”.

It was in this far northern region where an old friend from my high school was stationed in a village called Murun through the Peace Corps. His mission was to teach medical English to Mongolian doctors. At the time I was a graduate student in the UK and had only taken short weekend trips to Amsterdam (back when easyJet flights were $100 r/t), so visiting a friend living in such an exotic location was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. After meeting my friend and spending a few days in Murun we took a trip further north to Lake Khovsgol. Bordering Siberian Russia to the north, this is the world’s deepest and most voluminous freshwater lake in the world. Here we stayed with a local Mongolian family in their ger (or yurt). A ger is traditional round shaped dwelling that is easily assembled/disassembled, making it a perfect dwelling for a nomadic lifestyle centered around animal husbandry. Most of the families here raise sheep and cattle, and they move their camps seasonally, following their herds to different grazing grounds. The locals are incredibly friendly here and they will feed you, but it’s best to also have your own supplies.

The highlight of the trip was a visit to the Tsaatan (or Dukha) reindeer herders. These are true nomads who cross back and forth from Mongolia to Russian Siberia, seasonally, as they follow their reindeer herds, which they depend on almost entirely for their survival (milk, meat, hides for tents, shoes, clothing, etc.). There are only 282 nomadic Tsaatan remaining (about 40 families). Most are living in semi-permanent villages these days. If you have an opportunity to visit a nomadic Tsaatan group (and the wherewithal to find them) you will be rewarded with an opportunity of a lifetime.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html

Northern Lights:
The Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis are natural phenomena that occur when electrically charged particles from space enter the earth’s upper atmosphere at very high speeds and collide with atmospheric gases. This results in light displays that are truly out of this world. The best places to experience the northern lights are Alaska, Northern Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Here’s a great video from Rovaniemi, Finland:

They are visible from late August through early April (by the end of April through August when the Aurora zone experiences nearly 24-hours of daylight the Northern Lights cannot be seen). The most ideal conditions to see the Northern Lights are dark clear skies, the fewer clouds the better. They are somewhat unpredictable and generally only last for 15-30 minutes – occasionally longer, but those are the exceptions.

If you don’t have the time to traveling to these remote northern circumpolar regions and simply want to experience the extended seasonal daylight, I would recommend Oslo, Helsinki, Tallinn, or Riga in June/July. Riga, Latvia is my personal favorite because it’s a small enough city that you can connect and socialize with the locals and have more of a cultural experience than in some of the bigger cities like Helsinki. I have had many great nights out in Riga, sitting in a rooftop bar at 10:30pm watching the sun set. Technically the sun sets around 10:15, but due to the curvature of the earth (sorry flat earthers!) you can see the sun setting over the horizon well past that if you’re high enough. The Terrace Cafe on the rooftop of Galleria Mall in Riga is my personal fave.

Cape Town, South Africa:
I discovered Cape Town in 2009, and it has since become one of my favorite places on earth. The sky is a deep blue and the colors of the landscape so vivid that any picture taken with a smartphone will look like you used a $20,000 camera! The wildlife is also abundant and easy to see once you get off the beaten path.

A great road trip to do is Cape Town/Namibia. The roads in Namibia are poor and if you can’t change a flat tire then don’t undertake this 12-day roundtrip journey (no AAA, you are on your own!). You can stop at the many campsites and sand dunes along the way where you can BBQ your meals and crash for the night. This road trip is becoming increasingly popular and there are lots of reviews and videos online, so I won’t go into too much detail here. Instead, I would recommend taking a more spontaneous approach. If you like a place, stay longer if you’re not feeling a place, move on. Give yourself at least a couple weeks to enjoy the experience and see the sights at a leisurely pace. The Naankuse Foundation Wildlife Sanctuary in central Namibia is a great place to visit. Located just 26 miles outside the capital city of Windhoek, the sanctuary was set up by Marlice Elrethra van der Merwe and her husband in 2007. Marlice is a Namibian native and one of the few non-anthropologists I know who can speak the San (bushman) language. Here’s a great video of Marlice taking a journey with a group of San to relocate some rehabilitated lions:

If you’re not up for a lengthy road trip you can do a comfort safari in Krueger National Park or one of the many private game reserves, where you’re sure to see plenty of wildlife. You can also stay local in Cape Town and go on some amazing day hikes, in and around Table Mountain. If you’re not up for the hike there’s a gondola that can take you to the top, where you’ll experience spectacular views of Cape Town and the Atlantic Ocean below, while watching the clouds pass over the surrounding mountain tops in real time. From a cost/benefit point of view this is the easiest place to visit with the greatest payoff. To explore the areas outside Cape Town, rent a car and drive to the horn of Africa, where you can see penguins and visit the Cape of Good Hope, which is located near the southern tip of Africa and is the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Gorilla Trekking Congo/West Africa:
Unlike the other entries in this list, this is a “bucket list” experience that I have dreamed of since watching Dian Fossey on National Geographic as a child. Gorilla trekking in Africa breaks down into two broad categories, depending on which part of Africa you want to travel to and which species you are more interested in. Mountain gorillas are divided between the Virunga Mountains that border the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Western “lowland” gorillas are smaller than mountain gorillas and much more numerous. Their populations are scattered throughout the countries of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon and the Republic of Congo.

I have always leaned toward West Africa because of all the great music and variety of wildlife that can be seen gathering at the various “bai’s”, which are large forest clearings where animals gather and can be seen from observation decks. Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo and Loango National Park in Gabon are at the top of the list. This site does a good job in laying out the different areas and logistics involved in planning a gorilla trekking tour in Africa:
https://www.go2africa.com/african-travel-blog/where-to-go-in-africa-to-see-gorillas

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