Lord Howe Island, Australia

Some travel destinations will always be more popular than others but one of the greatest adventures of traveling is discovering little-visited (but vibrant) hotspots. Here, we feature some of the world's hidden pockets of incredible landscapes and spectacular scenery.

Lord Howe Island is a World Heritage-listed paradise located 660km off the east coast of Australia and is only less than two hours' flight from Brisbane or Sydney. It, however, remains one of Australia's last, great paradises. The island is one of the few places in the world to impose a tourist cap; just 400 visitors are allowed on the island at any one time. The isolation, combined with the island'soutstanding natural beauty, remarkable geology and rare collection of birds, plants and marine life can make a vacation here an incredible experience.

Some may consider the island an oddity, where wildlife can take precedence over tourists.Mining, deforestation and unlawful agriculture are all effectively outlawed; cats and non-indigenous plants are banned, according to the Telegraph. The six miles of road — which have a speed limit of 15mph — also feature road signs for two specific types of bird – the flesh-footed shearwater, or muttonbird, and the very rare Lord Howe rail, or woodhen. Visitors can seek out these endangered colonies and unique flowering species on well-marked walking trails.

NEXT: One of the last, great wild places

The Pantanal, Brazil

A group enjoys the Clock Waterfall in the Pantanal region on November 17, 2013 near Cuiaba, Brazil. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

The largest freshwater wetland in the world, the Patanal covers 54,000 to 75,000 square miles, mostly in Brazil, with some edges spilling over into Bolivia and Paraguay. It's 10 times the size of the Everglades in Florida, says the Nature Conservancy, and it's filled with enough animals to keep a wildlife lover busy for days -- jaguars, marsh deer, tapirs, giant river otters, caimans, and hundreds of species of birds and fish. Every year the river swells with rainwater, and the flooding brings new aquatic life. According to a story by the BBC, the Pantanal acts as a sponge, preventing flooding in other areas and supplying many with freshwater. Although the wetlands's remoteness protects it from some environmental threats, the Pantanal is also difficult to reach for tourists. To bring more people to the region, the Brazilian city of Cuiaba, which sits on the northern edge of the Pantanal, was chosen to host the 2014 World Cup, reported the Guardian.

NEXT:Spectacular landscapes in Iceland

Westfjords, Iceland

It's not hard to see why TIME magazine called the Westfjords of Iceland "one of the world's best-kept secrets." The peninsula, untouched and almost inhabited, has spectacular landscapes — cliffs and valleys, which are packed with birds, towering waterfalls, crystal-clear streams, deep, tranquil fjords, and mountains and inlets where the Arctic fox roams.The birdcliff Látrabjarg, on the west side of the Westfjords, hosts nearly half of the world's population of some bird species and is also the westernmost point of Europe. The spectacular Dynjandi, a set of waterfalls with an accumulated height of more than 328 feet, is also a must-see for adventurous explorers.

The Westfjords — sometimes known as the "most famous unknown place in Iceland" — is also an amazing site to see the Northern lights in the winter and enjoy the midnight sun in the summer.

NEXT: Where lake and mountain meet

Hallstatt, Austria

Many travelers overlook the Alpine villageHallstattfor Austria's other picturesque destinations, but that would be a mistake. Located in the Salzkammergut region, Hallstatt is a magical place where lake and mountain meet.

In 1997, Hallstatt was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. This culturally historic region is now known as the Dachstein Salzkammergut-region and its "treasures" include the World Cultural Heritage Museum, the archeological excavations, the Catholic church with its mountain grave yard and "Charnel House," according to Hallstatt.net. Hallstatt was the site of an early Iron Age culture from 800 to 400 BC, which is known as the Hallstatt Era, and is considered to be the oldest still-inhabited village in Europe.But it's most visited for its breathtaking scenery of a tiny village tucked between mountains and water. Called one of the most beautiful places on earth, it's commonly referred to as "the pearl of Austria."

NEXT: An ancient city of 2200 temples

Bagan, Myanmar

The ancient city of Bagan in the Mandalay region of Myanmar is home to over 2500 Buddhist monuments built between the 10th and 14th centuries AD. (VOISHMEL/AFP/Getty Images)

A walled, ancient city with thousands of temples dotting its otherworldly landscape, Bagan in central Myanmar is one of the world's greatest archaeological sites. It is home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries. Bagan became a central powerbase in the mid 9th century under King Anawratha, who unified Burma under Theravada Buddhism. It is estimated that as many as 13,000 temples and stupas once stood on this 42 sq km plain in central Myanmar, and Marco Polo once described Bagan as a "gilded city alive with tinkling bells and the swishing sounds of monks' robes". Approximately 2200 remain today.

Most of the temples are well-preserved or have been restored by UNESCO, and only a handful are regularly visited, according to the Telegraph. And although tourist numbers are increasing this is still, by the standards of sites of a similar beauty and stature, a gloriously unsullied destination, says the publication.

NEXT: An island of volcanoes

Salina, Italy

A part of the Aeolian Islands, a set of small islands off the coast of Sicily, Italy, Salina stands out from the rest of the islands (characterized by volcanic terrain) with its lush, green landscape. The island is home to numerous fresh-water springs and six volcanoes, includingMonte Fossa Delli Fecci and Monte dei Porri, the two highest peaks in the Aeolians.

Film lovers might recognize Salina, which was a setting in the 1994 movie "Il Postino." But even with this starring role, its swimming coves and picturesque views, the island is still quite untouched by tourism, according to LifeinItaly.com.The island is made up of three small towns and some villages and it has a population of approximately 4000.

NEXT: Idyllic Caribbean paradise

Caye Caulker, Belize

A small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea,CayeCaulker is accessible by high-speed water taxi or small plane. It's particularly known for its unique, laid-back atmosphere. According toLonely Planet,onCayeCaulker, "there areno cars, no fumes and no hassles, just white sandy beaches, balmy breezes, fresh seafood, azure waters and a fantastic barrier reef at its doorstep."

A narrow waterway known as the Split divides the island in two. Some people say the Split was created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 which devastated Belize City, however that is a myth. Villagers who actually hand dredged it maintain that it is largely a man-made feature. And while the island is becoming popular with backpackers (it's an ideal base for snorkeling and diving), and fast becoming a center for artists and musicians,CayeCaulker maintains its reputation as an idyllic paradise — for now.

Dong Van, Vietnam

Perhaps the reason Dong Van Highlands is considered one of Vietnam's "hidden gems," has something to do with the fact that before 2013, visitors had to procure difficult-to-get permits just to travel to this mountainous, northeastern region, also called Vietnam's "hidden Himalayas." Fortunately, more people will be able to experience the area's majestic landscapes, characterized by mountains and rice terraces astours of the region are now available.

The area is also home toDong Van Karst Plateau Global Geopark, the firstGeopark in Vietnam and the second one in Southeast Asia. The geopark has two natural conservation areas rich in fauna and flora species such as conifers, Asian black bear, Southern serow (a solitary mountain goat) and many species of bird. Moreover, the unusual and mysterious Tonkin snub-nosed monkey is one of the 25 most endangered species of primate in the world. It is only found in Ha Giang province and was believed extinct until its rediscovery in the early 1990s, according to UNESCO.

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Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland

A man walks along the famous Dark Hedges avenue of trees in Antrim, Northern Ireland. This famous tunnel-liked avenue of intertwined beech trees was planted in the 18th-century. (Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)