Hidden Corners

Destinations

Forgotten Ruins

Lesser-known destinations, researched and verified by Hidden Corners.

Illustration of arched tunnel openings glowing warmly inside a cliff beneath a hilltop town
Underground Place

Orvieto Underground

Italy · Umbria

Beneath one of Umbria's great hill towns, a labyrinth of Etruscan-born caves, wells and workshops carved over 2,500 years.

Access: Easy Visit: Half day to 1 day (underground tour about 1 hour)
Illustration of stone terraces climbing a forested mountain above a wide river plain
Forgotten Ruins

Champasak and Vat Phou

Laos · Champasak Province, Mekong Valley

A sleepy Mekong town beneath a mountainside Khmer sanctuary that predates Angkor's greatest monuments.

Access: Easy–moderate Visit: 1-2 days
Illustration of moss-toned temple towers and carved stone walls rising from forest
Forgotten Ruins

Banteay Chhmar

Cambodia · Banteay Meanchey Province

A vast Angkor-era temple complex near the Thai border, watched over by a pioneering village homestay network instead of tour buses.

Access: Moderate Visit: 1-2 days with an overnight homestay
Illustration of banded orange sandstone cliffs meeting a cold blue sea with an island ridge behind
Quiet Island

Maria Island

Australia · East Coast, Tasmania

A car-free Tasmanian national park island of convict ruins, painted sandstone cliffs and wombats with right of way.

Access: Easy–moderate Visit: 1 day, or 1-2 nights camping