Avoid the crowds and get away from the tourist trail at these amazing places that are yet to be overdeveloped by mass tourism.

Now the hype has moved on from Croatia, the tiny Balkan country of Montenegro is often touted as the cheapest holiday destination in Europe. Its beaches are fast filling up as the rest of Europe discovers its charms.

Sadly only open to paying guests, the rocky outcrop of Sveti Stefan is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Stay here and take day trips to the overlooked mountainous interior of Montenegro.

Myanmar is one of the hottest destinations to visit right now. The Inle Lake region in Easterm Myanmar is a glorious watery landscape and you can visit stilt villages such as Inthein that are dotted with golden stupas.

Once of Myanmar’s most photographed sites is the teakwood U Bein Bridge which has stretched over shallow Taungthaman Lake since around 1850. This evocative site might be touristy, but Myanmar’s draw is that it’s a country where, for the most part, the 21st century hasn’t encroached.

Myanmar is a devoutly Buddhist country and the gilded Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon is one of its most sacred sites. The pagoda stands imposingly on a hill and is filled with temples, stupas and statues worshipped by monks and devotees. Come at dawn or dusk.

In Alleppey, houseboats queue to chug noisily around the busy backwaters. Get off the beaten path and head instead to the serene Valiyaparamba and Kavvayi backwaters in northern Kerala, where the wildlife remains undisturbed.

Theyyam (or theyyem) are unique spirit-possession ceremonies that take place at village shrines in Northern Kerala between December and March. For now, it’s uncommon to see other Westerners – the ceremonies can be tricky to find but it’s well worth seeking these extraordinary spectacles.

An International Airport is opening in Kannur in 2017 and tourism to Northern Kerala is on the rise. For now, this part of the Malabar Coast – which goes all the way to Goa – is largely undeveloped, and you can visit historic sites such as 300-year-old Bekal Fort in relative peace.

Sossuvlei's high red dunes in the south of the Namib desert are sculpted by the wind. The conservation area is one of Namibia's most visited sites on this west African country’s burgeoning tourist trail – but it is for the most part, undeveloped.

Namibia is bigger than France but with a population of just 2.5 million, there is plenty of space for its diverse wildlife. Conservation is a big deal here, and desert-adapted elephants roam safely through Etosha National Park.

Rusting ship hulls and whale and seal bones litter the sands of the desolate Skeleton Coast shoreline, which is constantly pounded by surf. For now, this is a protected area with limited visitors.

The mountainous Far North of Vietnam borders China and was for a long time a politically sensitive region. Once upon a time, foreign tourists were unwelcome, but today visitors are discovering Vietnam’s final frontier.

The Far North of Vietnam is home to many of the country’s ethnic minority groups, including the Hmong, Tay and Lo Lo. Traditional life carries on much as it has for centuries in the region’s local markets.

Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark is an emerging tourist attraction in the Northeast’s Ha Giang province. The rugged karst landscape and never-ending switchbacks make for a spectacular drive, best tackled on two wheels.

Visitors to northwest Colombia’s Paisa region generally come here to stay in the Zona Cafetera (Coffee Zone). Rather than being a distinct region, “Paisa” refers to the people who live here and whose identity will always be connected with the lush green landscape and traditional hard-working way of life.

Salento’s brightly-coloured bahareque one- and two-story houses means this Colonial town has a whole heap of charm, but the lack of direct transport there (for now) means it’s not overrun by foreigners – yet.

Medellín is a city with Paisa roots and there’s a feeling on the street that it stands a little aloof from Colombia. Once notorious for violence and crime, today Medellín is largely safe and well worth a visit.

Visitors to Iran rave about the kindness of the people and the beauty of the Iranian Islamic architecture. One outstanding example is UNESCO-designated Meidan Emam, a public square in the center of Isfahan decorated with enameled blue ceramic tiles.

Another UNESCO site left over from the Ancient Persian Empire is the ruined city of Persepolis – the Greek name for the glorious city of Parsa that was founded here in 518 BC and burned to the ground by Alexander the Great not long after. Now international sanctions have been lifted, foreign tourists are able to once more look upon this remarkable site.

Hormuz Island, five miles off the Iranian coast in the Persian Gulf, has little in the way of tourist infrastructure – but there are whispers of resorts in the pipeline. For now, its beaches remain pristine and you can wild camp.

Since US travel restrictions to Cuba were lifted in 2016, this Caribbean Island has been on almost every single "where to go" list. And it’s true. You really should go now. 

Cuba is rapidly changing and the rural scenes of today – where farmers work the land using only oxen and horses – might soon be a thing of the past.

Music goes to the very heart of what gives Cuba its unique rhythm. Long after other memories fade, you’ll still hear the folk music with a touch of salsa and African percussion.

Brooklyn tends to steal the limelight from its neighbouring borough, but investment is pouring into Queens and some are worried about gentrification. In 2010 the Unisphere fountain – originally commissioned for the World’s Fair of 1964 – was renovated to the tune of $2 million (£1.54 million).

Home to an international food scene, Citi Fields (the state-of-the-art open-air ballpark for the Mets), and bold and innovative art museums including MoMA PS1, edgy Queens is attracting more out-of-towners, but for now it retains a lived-in feel that much of Brooklyn has lost.

The ancient Silk Road once sliced through Central Asia, with Bukhara, Samarkand and the atmospheric 6th-century walled city of Khiva springing up along the route. This view of Khiva is from the Islom-Khoja minaret.

The capital city, Tashkent, is a fascinating mix of Islamic, Soviet-era and Modernist architecture – a jumble that takes a while to charm visitors. Hotel Uzbekistan has been operating for three decades, but receives few foreign tourists.

Tashkent’s Chorsu bazaar is a charming marketplace on the south of the Old Town. Wondering around here will turn up stalls selling spices, fresh produce, souvenirs, and delicious freshly baked traditional Uzbekistan bread.

The 2017 return of Twin Peaks is bound to draw attention back to western Washington. Although a lot of the series is being filmed in California, beautiful Snoqualmie Falls is easily recognised from the original series. It’s already popular, but visitor numbers will likely soar in light of the new series of David Lynch’s cult classic.

Much of Twin Peaks’ exterior footage was on location in North Bend, Washington. Twede’s Café served as the Double R Diner, where special agent Dale Cooper would sip coffee and eat cherry pie. Get there quick to grab a seat.

We all know about the well-trodden Annapurna and Everest Base Camp treks, but the beauty of the Himalayas is that it is vast and covered with a network of trails connecting mountain villages. Manaslu Circuit is an alternative trek between tea houses that is fast gaining popularity.

If you’ve hiked anywhere in the Nepalese Himalayas, you’ll know that hillside temples and caves, spinning prayer wheels, and fluttering prayer flags are all part of what makes trekking here so special.