Skip the crowds: 5 emerging destinations to visit in 2027 before everyone else does

You've spent months counting down to your dream holiday, only to step off the plane and straight into an endless sea of selfie sticks, two-hour queues and extortionate tourist prices.

Talk about a buzzkill.

But what if you could trade the suffocating crowds for pristine beaches, quiet mountain trails and authentic cultural moments - and you're practically the only visitor in sight?

Here are five emerging destinations to put on your 2027 radar - before everyone else does.

There's nothing like a short-haul flight to a tropical country to make you feel like you're really getting away - but without the jetlag.

Dili in Timor-Leste is only a one-hour-and-20-minute flight from Darwin, and when you get there, it's like you've stepped back in time.

This unspoiled frontier of south-east Asia is defined by a slow-paced local rhythm, marine life and dramatic landscapes.

Go here for the world-class dining, magical marine life, misty mountain treks, coffee highlands, Portuguese architecture and sacred islands with white-sand beaches.

Dili is on Intrepid Travel's Not Hot List, which spotlights lesser-known destinations that are not over-touristed, and are ready to welcome more visitors in 2027.

Anas Madeira, an Intrepid Travel tour leader in Timor-Leste, says tourism is still young in the region.

"We are not a destination where everything has been built or polished for tourists, and I think that is one of our biggest strengths. You need to come with an open mind and a heart for adventure - but that is also where some of the best experiences come from," Madeira says.

Australian passport holders can obtain a visa on arrival at Dili Airport for around $40 or pre-apply online for an e-visa.

The best time to travel is during the dry season from May to October.

Toyama is only a couple of hours from Tokyo by bullet train, yet most international visitors pass it by.

Listed as one of five under-touristed areas of Japan by Inside Travel's 2025 Impact Report, this scenic, low-crowd alternative to Tokyo and Kyoto is set between mountains and a deep bay.

The region offers the ideal holiday stop for modern design enthusiasts, foodies and outdoor lovers.

Key sights include the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, famous for its 15-metre-tall Snow Walls, the Kurobe Gorge open-air trolley train, and UNESCO-protected Gokayama thatched-roof villages.

Enjoy world-class seafood dishes including white shrimp and firefly squid, as well as trout sushi, and pick up some glassblowing craft souvenirs.

Flights leave direct from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to Tokyo, then travellers can take the Shinkansen bullet train straight to Toyama which takes two hours.

Aussie holidaymakers can visit Japan visa-free for up to 90 days.

Looking for a crowd-free Mediterranean alternative? Go no further than Alonnisos, Greece, a peaceful, eco-conscious sanctuary in the Northern Sporades.

It has no airport - you'll fly via Athens and then take a domestic flight to Skiathos and a short ferry to Alonnisos.

Alonnisos sits in the middle of Europe's largest protected marine park, a sanctuary for seabirds, dolphins and the rare Mediterranean monk seal.

Once there, you can spend weeks relaxing and exploring the dense pine forests on hikes that take you past hilltop chapels and down to secluded coves.

At night, peruse the intimate restaurants along narrow, stone-paved alleys in Chora, the Old Village, then sip on ouzo and snack on meze while enjoying panoramic Aegean views and warm sea breezes.

Aussie tourists enjoy visa-free entry for up to 90 days and will need to register their details at the border for the new European Entry/Exit system, which is free.

Visit during the shoulder season, in May-June and September-October for fewer tourists and warm weather.

Alonnisos is also on Intrepid's Not Hot List.

It's right on our doorstep. Lord Howe Island is only a two-hour flight from Sydney but a world away.

It's been named among the five quietest islands in the world by BookRetreats.com's Unspoilt Index, partly because it caps arrivals at 400 visitors at any one time.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed island is ideal for nature-lovers, hikers, divers and active road-trippers looking for off-grid luxury and escape without leaving Australia.

For an affordable cultural and trekking escape, you can't go past the Central Highlands in Sri Lanka.

Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella are three primary stops along the Pekoe Trail, a 300km-plus long-distance walking trail through Sri Lanka's Central Highlands that follows the 19^th-century route created by British tea planters.

Visit the Nine Arches Bridge, tea estates and Sri Lanka's most revered Buddhist shrine, Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

The Pekoe Trail is another inclusion on Intrepid's Not Hot List.

Poornaka Delpachitra, Intrepid Travel general manager for Sri Lanka, says as Sri Lanka's tourism boom continues, most visitors remain concentrated along the coast, but there's so much more to see.

"We need to better disperse tourists, and a trip through Sri Lanka's tea country is the perfect place to start," he says.

Fly about 11 hours from Sydney or Melbourne directly to Colombo and take a scenic rail journey or private car to the Central Highlands.

Aussies will need to apply for a 30-day electronic travel authorisation before travel, which is free.

The best time to visit is between December and April which avoids the main monsoon rains.