1. Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan
Clinging to the edge of a 900m cliff, Taktshang Goemba (Tiger’s Nest Monastery) is famous in Bhutan but like so much of the remote kingdom, little-known outside. The monastery is not open to visitors but you can hike to a viewpoint to take in the epic scenery.
2. My Son, Vietnam
Perhaps because so many people travelling down the Vietnamese coast are en route to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, My Son, about an hour from Hoi An, often gets overlooked. Yet it’s an incredible, eerie site of towering temples, covered in jungle creepers.
3. Ek Balam, Mexico
If you want to avoid the coach parties at Chichen Itzá and Uxmal, head for Ek Balam – where wild animals outnumbers tourists. Though much of it is covered in vegetation, you can climb the massive main pyramid.
4. Lalibela rock churches, Ethiopia
The 11 12th-century churches chiselled out of red volcanic rock at Lalibela still hum with the sound of murmured prayer and the shuffle of bare feet.
5. Choquequirao, Peru
With Machu Picchu under threat from tourism, the government is focusing all efforts on developing other sites – the “Lost World” of Kuelap, a pre-Inca walled city in northern Peru, and the mountain-top Inca site of Choquequirao, a three-day hike from the nearest village.
