Qing Zang Gaoyuan

Now here’s a perfect example of how even a very touristed country – in this case, China – hides unending hidden treasures. Dodge the tourist crowds of eastern China, where all its most famous attractions and families of cuddly pandas are found, and head west instead into the endless horizons of the Qinghai Province. Here, you can indulge in an unforgettable experience crossing the Roof of the World, otherwise known as the Tibetan Plateau, with merely a few fellow souls in sight. Very few foreigners ever make it to this side of the plateau. The moment you experience the exquisite harshness of this high-altitude plateau, and its distinct lack of tourist infrastructure, you’ll understand the reluctance. Life is hard and basic, this high up, but it is also astonishingly beautiful. Whilst the Tibetan side of the plateau is easier to reach and, consequently, more visited, the Qinghai side is simply not. You get those awe-inspiring peaks, those astounding passes littered with prayer flags and all that startling visual feasting, minus the hordes of crowds you’d normally see elsewhere in the country. One of China’s most sparsely populated regions, Qinghai is a stupendous off the beaten path travel destination for anyone who wants to stand on top of the world – and feel like they have the planet to themselves.