The world’s hardest (but most rewarding) places to get to

Our planet was meant to be explored. Since the dawn of mankind, the yearning to discover the most remote places in the world. It’s the premise in which our co-founders created Black Tomato.

Over a decade later, we’ve seen a lot of the world.

We’ve crossed the deserts, swam the oceans and turned as many stones as possible in search of the hardest to reach and most unique travel experiences. Along the way, we’ve found ourselves in some of the most remote, untouched and truly magical destinations on earth.

This obsession of ours will never end, and we’d love nothing more than to share it with you. Feel like journeying to a new, faraway land? Enquire with one of our regional travel experts and discover your next adventure.

The Independence Mountains, Antarctica

Reaching the Independence Mountains combines all the extremes of polar exploration on the planet’s least explored continent. Visiting the unexplored range of Antarctica certainly isn’t a voyage for the faint of heart (or lung capacity).

It requires three flights, (Patagonia to the permanently frozen runway at Patriot Hills and then on to Pirit Hills, located at 80 degrees south). Once on the ground, the journey consists of a combination of long range cross-country skiing, sledding in the endless expanse of of the arctic and camping amongst the solitude of the tundra.

All sounds a little extreme, but trust us the reward is more than worth the effort.

Read more: Journey to the edge of the world, join our Expedition Team and visit the iconic Paulet Island.

Dogon Country, Mali

Located on a stunning plateau with a 200km escarpment dropping down into a remote sandy plain, Dogon country is an incredible, otherworldly destination in a truly remarkable part of the world.

The journey starts in Bamako, where you’ll take a short flight to Mopti and meet your local guide. Reaching the enchanting Dogon Region means forging the tumultuous Bani River and trekking deep through the extreme wilderness, a feat which is impossible without the accompaniment of a knowledgeable local guide.

After the intricate trek, you’ll be greeted with clusters of traditional villages that settle amongst sharp escarpments and rolling arid landscapes – a fittingly traditional and breathtaking end to your journey to one of the world’s hardest to reach places.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, Bhutan

In the valley of Paro, protected by the imposing shadow of Mt. Chomolhari, is a shrine like no other in the world. Celebrate the Buddhists’ most sacred site – the Taktsang Monastery, or more affectionately known as the Tiger’s Nest as our local expert guide, Dorji, takes you to see this breathtaking holy site.

During your spectacular trip to Bhutan, raft down Mo Chhu river and enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the famous riverbank Dzong. After lunch, continue your adventure by visiting a fertility temple where you’ll be able to meet the local incense maker and join him for a walk to gather ingredients to make the incense for the temple.

Explore the hilltop villages of Laya and Gasa and meet the village elders before indulging in the intensely relaxing hot springs. An utterly blissful experience.

Read more: At an altitude of 2,800 metres, visit the Gangtey Monastery and explore unseen parts of the temple.

Have we inspired you?

We thought so. If you’re still looking for inspiration then take a look on our trip finder to find the perfect destination and begin planning your bespoke getaway.

TAKE ME THERE

The Amazon and Rupununi Savannah, Guyana

From mist-shrouded jungle and mighty thundering waterfalls to rolling savannahs, Guyana is a truly untouched land of wilderness. And nowhere in the country epitomises this beauty that the Rupununi Savannah.

Flying into the remote Amazonian village of Surama, your adventure to reach the Savannah means traversing the dense jungle on foot, in a dug-out canoe and a specially adapted 4×4 vehicle, all while wild camping amongst the dense foliage.

The technical nature of the terrain and importance of utilising survival skills makes this one of the hardest places to reach on earth, but one of the most rewarding when you arrive.

The Great Dune Sea, Sahara Desert

An area of the Sahara that is so inaccessible and inhospitable it is yet to be fully explored, this trip demands the utmost respect for your surroundings.

Travelling by desert-adapted 4×4, you’ll battle across the endless landscapes of the Great Dune Sea on a journey that will take you to areas that virtually no-one other than nomadic Bedouin people have ever visited.

Starting in Cairo, you’ll take off in your desert-adapted vehicle, driving hundreds of miles into the Sahara, passing natural hot springs, local Bedouin tribes and vast swathes of desert that few have every laid eyes on. Welcome to one of the most remote places on Earth.

Baliem Valley, West Papua

The Baliem Valley in central West Papua offers the opportunity to travel back to a simpler time. The landscapes are untouched, the locals are loyal to ancient tribal ways of the region and the feeling is of complete, uncharted exploration.

This trek transports you between the traditional villages of the Dani tribe via swinging rope bridges and offers the chance to live amongst the local communities, gaining a unique insight into tribal rituals and an ancient way of life that few on earth have had the opportunity to experience.

Mt. Bisoke, Rwanda

One of the most stunning active volcanoes on earth, Mount Bisoke boasts a stunning glass-like crater lake and neighbouring expanse of surrounding volcano ranges, expect visuals like nowhere else on earth.

After touching down in Rwanda, a private helicopter journey takes you to your camp for the evening where you will learn some essential skills that will be utilised during your accent.

You’ll then be resting up in the shadow of the volcano, rising early to begin the climb to the 3700 metre summit through furrowing bamboo and senecio forests, a physically demanding climb that offers the ultimate test of mental and psychical endurance.

Read more: Experience the majestic wildlife of Rwanda, as you ‘re introduced to golden monkeys and playful gorilla families.

Forbidden Valley, Nepal

This is a truly unique trek into a secret part of Nepal that time has forgotten. After a combination of scheduled and specially chartered flights, you will stop off in Kathmandu before continuing to Pokhara, where the real journey begins.

The nature of the trek means that the only accommodation will be wild camps in central-northern Nepal that very few outsiders have had the privilege of visiting.

Journeying through deep valleys, narrow paths and towering gorges, this 11 day trek promises awesome vistas across the infamous Annapurna Massif; one of the most postcard worthy mountain ranges on the planet.

Read more: Fly to the Everest Base Camp, touch down and enjoy a delicious gourmet breakfast with jaw-dropping views.