Searching for hidden gems? 4x unique hikes around the world

November 16, 2020

Guest Blogger Maaike wrote an article for us about 4x unique hikes you want to explore yourself!

Who doesn’t love walking in nature? When you get nothing but fresh air. When you wander for hours, exploring the beauty of our world. While hiking, you will surely meet – besides a lot of trees – many people and tourists. But… What if we tell you there are a lot of hidden hikes around the world where you see nobody: just you and wildlife. Those hikes exist, and we have placed them on a list for you!

Hidden hikes from all over the world

Whether you travel to Thailand, or New Zealand, Indonesia, or Malay Borneo: hidden hikes are found all over the world. You only need to know where to find them. Luckily, you came to the right place! If you are searching for hidden hikes where you can be one with nature, you for sure want to walk the hikes below.

Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail, Thailand

Let’s start with an extraordinary hike in Krabi, the Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail. After this intense hike that takes at least two hours, you are treated with a phenomenal view over the hilly, green landscape for which Krabi is known. On a clear day, you can even see the idyllic coastline of the area and the pretty blue ocean. If you’re lucky, you’re the only one who is enjoying the pretty view. Just because – ssht – almost nobody knows that this hike exists.

For those not performing well in the mornings, we’ve got some bad news for you. We recommend climbing this intense walk just after sunrise. And so, you need to wake up very early. After a good breakfast – you for sure need this – it is time to go to the entrance of Hat Noppharat Thara National Park. It is easily accessible by scooter and lasts thirty minutes driving from Ao Nang Beach. Once you have arrived at Hat Noppharat Thara National Park, you have to register your name at one of the rangers who will tell you more about the track!

Quick check: are you wearing the right shoes? Did you bring enough water with you? And maybe more important; are you excited? If yes, then you are good to go! For those of you who think you can easily make it, you’re wrong. In the first hour of the hike, you instantly and constantly climb up. You come across different types of flora and fauna, which will amaze you minute after minute. Luckily after just one hour, you are rewarded with a breathtaking view. The perfect moment to catch your breath and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

After having a rest, it is time for the next part of the trail. Fortunately, this part is less heavy than the first one. After one hour of walking, you reach the top and arrive at the incredible viewpoint, for which you have done all the hiking! An insider tip: take the most left path that will lead you to the most beautiful view of Krabi! A view that is full of green mountains and blue water.

General information

Free entrance
Park is open from 8 am till 4 pm
Length of the walk is 3,7 km

Diamond Lake & Rocky Mountain Loop, New Zealand

Almost everyone who visits the beautiful area of Wanaka, New Zealand, climbs the famous Roys Peak. A heavy trail leads you to the top of the mountain, from where you have a beautiful view over Lake Wanaka. Sounds good, right? But there’s something less pleasant. On a busy day, you will walk this track with hundreds – if not thousands – of people. Since we are talking about hidden hikes, this isn’t the one if you’re looking for when wanting an undiscovered walk. The hike you definitely should walk is the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain Loop. This is what we call a perfect hidden hike! A walk that includes a surreal little lake, and amazing views over Lake Wanaka and Mount Aspiring National.

You can find the starting point of the Diamond Lake and Rocky Mountain, just outside Wanaka. Since almost everyone chooses the trail at Roys Peak, there’s a very high chance you’re the only one on this track. Already excited? Get ready for some beautiful views over Laka Wanaka and stunning surroundings! Here’s where you can find the undiscovered track!

From Wanaka, you have to follow the Mount Aspring Road, which will lead you to the Diamond Lake car park in twenty minutes. Once you arrive, there’s a sign with different hikes you can walk. It’s up to you which one you choose, but we recommend doing them all. Just because all the tracks together will take you not more than three hours and are fairly easy to walk. Once you find the path of the track, you can start enjoying the beauty of New Zealand.

After just a few minutes of walking, you will be treated with the very first view of the surrounding. But there’s more; this track has not only one rewarding viewpoint but many, many more. Make sure you enjoy the surreal Diamond Lake, the incredible views of Wanaka Lake, and the beautiful greens of Mount Aspiring National Park.

General information

Free entrance
Park is open all-day
When you choose to walk all the tracks, the length of the walk is 11 km

Lintang Trail Bako National Park, Malay Borneo

Do you dream of spotting monkeys in the wild? Visit Bako National Park and walk the unique Lintang Trail! A walk that gives you a unique chance to see the rare proboscis monkeys. Besides that, don’t be surprised when you see snakes, the Borneon bearded pig, lizards, birds, deer, and the Malay flying cat. As you can see, Bako National Park is a must go for everyone who loves hidden hikes and spotting wildlife!

Visiting Bako National Park, Malay Borneo, requires some preparation. The park is only accessible by boat, which you can take from the headquarters in Bako Bazaar. After a boat trip down the river – which is already amazing – you arrive at an office where you have to write down your name and the name of the trail you are going to walk. Once you registered, it is time to start with an incredible experience: a walk through the jungle of Borneo that makes you think you are on a desert island on your own.

There are a lot of trails in Bako National Park. If you want to walk a hidden hike where you barely meet someone, you need to take the Lingtang Trail. This walk takes you along all the types of vegetation Borneo has. Vegetation such as beaches, grasslands and cliff vegetation, mangrove forest, heather forest, peat bog, and lowlands with tropical trees. Those different types of vegetation make this walk of 5,8 km one of the most diverse hikes in the world. While hiking this three-hour walk, you will certainly not get bored and be overwhelmed by planet earth. Do you still have some energy left while walking? Take a little detour to Bukit Tambi’s viewpoint and enjoy the view over the smallest and oldest national park of Malay Borneo.

It is recommended to sleep at least one night in a bungalow in the park. That way, you can do a guided night tour through the jungle of Bako as well. Together with a guide, you wander into the dark rainforest and search for all kinds of animals that are only active during nighttime. After visiting Bako National Park, you are sure to have witnessed beautiful and undiscovered nature.

General information

Entrance costs €4,00, the park is only accessible by boat which costs €8,00 for a return ticket
An average overnight stay costs €10,00 per person
Park is open from 08.00 pm till 17.00 am
The length of this specific walk is 5,8 km

Sari Organik Walk, Bali, Indonesia

Although Bali is pretty touristy, there are for sure hidden hikes to explore in Bali. But… You simply have to know where you can find them. The Sari Organik Walk is one of the hidden gems of Bali. Close to busy Ubud, there is a little path that takes you along green, undiscovered rice fields. Here you will only meet some locals who are working in these incredible fields. For this trail, we recommend walking in the early morning. Why? Because that way, you can enjoy – while wandering through the rice fields – the beautiful sunrise.

The reason why this walk is pretty hidden is that you have to take a path that is hard to find. Luckily, you are right at the right place to find out where you can start this hidden small path. From the Ubud market, you need to walk down to the main road, and just before you get to the bridge, you need to go right. There you will see a small path and a sign on the right. This sign is for Sari Organik Restaurant. Found it? Time to walk through the hidden nature of Bali!

Even though this walk will only take twenty minutes, you will be blown away by the beauty of Bali. With the sound of some chickens in the background, you walk through the rice fields while watching the sunrise. Are you feeling hungry? Make sure to go to Sari Organik Restaurant for a drink or some finger-licking food. This restaurant is one of the most delicious places in Bali, where they solely serve organic dishes.