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Get Off The Grid with Black Tomato

Sick of the same old scene? Black Tomato have been very busy scouring the furthest corners of the world for unique travel experiences that lift you out of the monotony of everyday life.

It's not very often these days that you can truly say you're off the grid. Whether it's a luxury desert break, a tropical island or the most beautiful beaches in the world- for autumn holiday ideas with a difference, here's Black Tomato's definitive top 10 most unusual destinations to escape to for a relaxing holiday where you can finally hear yourself think.

1.The Atacama Desert, Chile

Solitude seekers head to northern Chile into the arms of the wild winds of the Atacama Desert.  This rain starved plateau stretches 1000km, touching both the Andes and the Pacific. Reach breathless new heights as you climb its arid platform to marvel one of nature's most powerful climatic extremes.

2.Diving between tectonic plates, Iceland

Remember those childhood geography lessons on continental drift?  At the tip of the Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland, tectonic plates are shifting and grinding in an endless clash of gargantuan subterranean forces.  Abandon the noise of the city and find peace and quiet as you plunge into the deep glacial waters between the plates.

3.Tari Valley, Papua New Guinea

The isolated Huli people of the Tari Valley know a lot about living in harmony with natural beauty.  The vibrant valley they call home is punctuated with dramatic waterfalls and dense tropical forest bursting with a kaleidoscope of flora and fauna.  Wake up to the chatter of Lorikeets and Eclectus, or watch the ebb and flow of local life from your boat on the Karawari River.

4.The Kingdom of Bhutan

Welcome to the unexplored backcountry of the Kingdom. Bhutan is a trove of beautiful hidden details, look closer at vertiginous valley walls and you'll find ancient settlements built into the rock face. With the terrain dropping a massive 3km as you cross the region,Bhutan offers a meteorological journey- transporting you from Alpine cool to sub-tropical temperatures.

5.The Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Sick of the queues and the crowds? With a tag line of "isolation guaranteed", the wilderness of the Gobi Desert in southernMongolia truly does what it says on the tin.  The desert hosts some of the world's clearest skies. Lay your head down on a pillow and spot the constellations from your camp under the stars.

6.The Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Nick-named The Land God Made in Anger, Namibia's deserted coastline is the closest thing to an abyss you're ever likely to experience.  What this unusual landscape lacks in life it more than makes up for in rare beauty: watch the suns rays light up gemstone beaches and crawl through its tumbling sand dunes and shimmering salt pans.  Admire the strange elegance of the animal and human skeletons scattered across this stark landscape and be the last man standing as you find yourself isolated with only ghost crabs for company.

7.Pansy Island, Mozambique

Pansy Island is a teeny-tiny paradise that emerges fromMozambique's emerald waters at low tide.  Its delicate name echoes the ethereal nature of this island: with nothing more than a sprinkling of white sand, crystal clear waters and pansy shells – this is quintessential desert island bliss.

8.Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica

Teetering on the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, across the Gulf of Nicoya, this remote retreat truly deserves the title of off the beaten track.  A visit to one of these sparkling beaches is not a question of parking the car and unloading the deck chairs – Pass through steamy dense jungle and be the first to make footprints on secluded immaculate white beaches.

9.Damascus, Syria

From bazaars to blind alleys, minarets to mosques there is hardly a city in the world that has packed so much Arabian charm and buzzing energy into such a small space. Lose yourself in the maze-like alleys of the Old City: peer through mysterious Narnian doorways revealing picturesque fountains and ornately decorated houses, this is the city that time forgot.

10.Devil's Island, French Guiana

For a genuine ‘escape' head to the tropical wilds of Devils Island. Earning its place in history as a notorious French penal colony in the 19th century, Isles du Diable was once the world's most challenging prison to escape; fall of the grid and throw away the key in this atmospheric corner of South America.

Here's to being out of the loop...

For more of Black Tomato's unusual holidays ideas visit  http://www.blacktomato.co.uk/unusual-holidays/

To book visit www.blacktomato.co.uk or call Black Tomato on 020 7426 9888.

 

 

About the Author

luxury, bespoke holidays by Black Tomato

Does anyone know how to remove Marks-a-Lot (black marker) from ceramic?

I have a ceramic message board....I lost the marker that it came with, which I have now found...but I wrote on it with a regular marker and now can't get it off.

I guess the one that it came with wash washable...durrr.
...errr...WAS washable...sorry.

fingernail polish remover or lighter fluid

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