If you marvelled at the Grand Canyon… try the Tara River Gorge in Montenegro

The Grand Canyon’s size and scale are unmatched – measuring 278 miles long, 18 miles across at its widest and an average of one mile deep. Its also one of the US’s most visited national parks, with nearly five million visitors last year.

But Europe’s deepest canyon, the Tara River Gorge in Montenegro, offers a similar sense of awe, without the crowds. Located in Durmitor National Park, the canyon is carved by a ribbon of turquoise-blue water, where whitewater rafters brace for roiling waves beneath sharp-sided cliffs.

“It has a powerful sense of isolation and raw beauty that will resonate with anyone who has stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon,” said Stefanie Schmudde, senior vice president of global product strategy at luxury travel specialists Abercrombie & Kent. “The scale is immense, and it offers that same visceral connection to nature in a setting that feels remote and undiscovered.”

From its famous fog to the Golden Gate Bridge, Silicon Valley and Alcatraz, San Francisco is one of the US’ most distinctive cities. It has had starring roles in films including Dirty Harry and Mrs Doubtfire, while helping to shape cultural history in the US and beyond thanks to the 1967 Summer of Love protests against the Vietnam War.

But on the other side of the globe, Cape Town in South Africa channels a similar mood – with its fog-draped coast, significant cultural history and a growing tech scene as well as its very own historic prison island.

Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was once imprisoned, is now a museum and a fair dupe for Alcatraz, both being surrounded by shark-infested waters. While you won’t meet sea lions on a Cape Town beach as you might in San Francisco, there is a colony of African penguins living at Boulder Beach.

“Cape Town is one of those places that truly has something for everyone,” said Zinzi Bobani, general manager of travel firm Intrepid‘s Southern Africa office. “It’s a foodie haven with a fusion of cuisines and stunning wineries, beautiful coastal hiking routes and cable car adventures on Table Mountain, and of course rich in history.”

Asia’s gambling hub, Macau, is a former trading port between China, India and Portugal that’s known as the casino capital of the world. If you’re looking for an alternative to the bright lights of glitzy desert city Las Vegas, the “Vegas of Asia”, as the Chinese special administrative region is often called, could be a great fit.

Just as in Vegas, visitors to Macau can experience shows and fine dining along with resort-style luxury hotels. While Macau may not have a Bellagio, it does have the world’s first Karl Lagerfeld Hotel, a five-star hotel designed by the fashion legend. At the Cotai Strip, you can find replicas of Venice’s Grand Canal and a half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. 

Andy Eastham of travel firm Wendy Wu Tours says it has the Vegas feel and then a little extra: “For fans of Vegas, there’s plenty that will feel familiar, but where Macau really stands apart is in its cultural depth. One moment you’re sipping cocktails in a sky bar, the next you’re wandering through cobbled lanes lined with pastel-coloured colonial buildings or watching dragon dancers outside a Taoist temple. It’s the only place in China where Portuguese and Chinese cultures truly intertwine.”