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This little-known island is 2026’s most underrated destination

Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone took the top spot

By Amanda Teague Published September 13, 2025

Sierra Leon — Visit Sierra Leone

Adventure travelers looking to escape the crowds have a new bucket-list stop for 2026. Intrepid Travel’s newly released “Not Hot List” spotlights hidden gems around the world where sustainable tourism and authentic experiences go hand in hand, and topping this year’s ranking is Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone.

Recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Tiwai Island is a community-led wildlife sanctuary tucked inside the Gola Forest National Park. Nicknamed the “Land of the Apes,” it shelters chimpanzees, rare colobus monkeys, and other elusive species that thrive amid towering trees and dense rainforest.

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Visitors come for the sense of wilderness and the chance to support a destination with a bold new vision: a 10-year tourism strategy designed to welcome travelers while protecting fragile ecosystems and empowering local communities.

Intrepid’s list also highlights other under-the-radar adventures. In second place is the Tien Shan Mountain Range in Kyrgyzstan, where treks across alpine landscapes double as immersive lessons in nomadic culture.

Third is Sierra Norte in Oaxaca, Mexico, where eight self-governing Zapotec villages manage a cooperative model of Indigenous-led tourism. Visitor numbers are capped, trails remain pristine, and profits are shared to keep young people rooted in their communities.

The full 2026 Not Hot List

Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone
Tien Shan Mountain Range, Kyrgyzstan
Sierra Norte, Mexico
Vis Island, Croatia
Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey
Arunachal Pradesh, India
Via Transilvanica, Romania
Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador
Oulu, Finland
Great Basin National Park, United States

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Amanda, an accomplished freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio, is a dedicated explorer of both the world and the written word…

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