Travel expert Simon Calder has named three destinations that are hugely popular with local holidaymakers but remain relatively unknown to British tourists. The travel correspondent, who has visited countries across the world, revealed that even he had only been to three places featured on a list of 10 lesser-known wonders. One of them is Jeju Island, off the coast of South Korea, which is a popular holiday destination for Koreans.
Almost 40,000 airline seats are available each day on flights connecting the island with Seoul, making it one of the busiest routes in the world.
Despite the number of visitors, Calder said he still found plenty of space to escape along its hiking trails.
Another destination was Okinawa in Japan, which is actually closer to Taiwan than it is to Japan’s larger islands. Known for its beaches and coral reefs, Okinawa also has a tragic past, having been the site of a major battle during the Second World War in which large numbers of civilians died. Calder’s third destination was the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Canada, known for its rocky coastline.
He recalled being stopped by a highway patrol officer for speeding during his visit, which cost him C$200.
Despite the fine, Calder said he was still “mesmerised” by the area’s landscape.
He described the peninsula as “a crumple of rock and coastline at the raw edge of Canada”.
Having visited three of the destinations, Calder said he plans to explore the remaining seven on the list.
But after his encounter with the Canadian police, he joked that he would be taking things a little more slowly.
