Travel presenter Samantha Brown shares her favourite underrated travel destinations. Bkamprath/Getty Images, Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Samantha Brown shares three lesser known travel destinations to avoid the crowds.
Brown has visited more than 90 countries during her 20-year career as a veteran travel host.
She said Australia and Canada offer unique experiences.
Samantha Brown has visited over 90 countries around the world, from Europe and Asia to South America and Australia.
PBS program “Samantha Brown's Lovely Place” invites audiences from all over the world to share what it’s like to experience different cultures.
She has been a travel show host on various networks for 25 years. “Amazing Vacation Homes” on the Travel Channel.
In a recent conversation with Business Insider, Brown outlined three underrated destinations that offer impressive results without the crowds.
Darwin is an underrated tourist destination in Australia.
Darwin is located in the northernmost part of Australia's Northern Territory. Google Maps
Darwin is located in the northernmost part of Australia's Northern Territory.
“It's closer to Asia than Melbourne or Sydney,” Brown said. According to Google Maps, Singapore is about 300 miles closer than Melbourne.
It takes about four hours of flying time between Darwin and these popular Australian destinations, but Brown says the unique scenery of the two neighbouring national parks, Mary River National Park and Litchfield National Park, make them hidden gems worth visiting.
The surrounding national parks may make you feel like you're on another planet.
The striking landscapes of Mary River and Litchfield National Parks. Ted Mead/Getty Images, Manfred Gottschalk/Getty Images
Brown will travel to Darwin to see the waterfalls, ponds and unique landscapes of Mary River and Litchfield National Parks.
“You're in a landscape that's completely different to the outback. Darwin feels like not just a new country, but a new planet,” she says. “It's something I've never seen before, and I think it's something you should see if you travel that far.”
If you enjoy rail travel, take the Ghan from Darwin to Adelaide, known as one of the most beautiful railways in the world, offering dramatic scenery unmatched by any other form of transport.
If you can't make it to Europe, take a trip to Montreal.
Montreal is in southern Quebec. Google Maps
“If Europe is too expensive, go to Montreal,” Brown said.
Located in the eastern Canadian province of Quebec, the city is just a 90-minute flight from New York City.
Brown said the French-Canadian town has a Parisian feel.
Montreal historic buildings. Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The French-Canadian city reminds Brown of Paris, with its historic architecture, cobblestone streets and French culture.
Most of Montreal's residents speak French and have a European aesthetic, so it's no surprise that Brown sees Montreal as a comparable destination.
“Montreal is one of the best cities in the world,” she says. “It's a 400-year-old city that gives you that European feel at half the cost.”
She's especially a fan of public art: According to the city's website, there are more than 1,000 pieces on display across Montreal that are free to view.
Brown recommends taking a free tour: From the streets to the metro stations, Montreal is filled with art.
“I love public art and I love places where you're allowed to live without having to pay for it,” Brown said.
A great place to start is Place Jacques Cartier, a public square bustling with street artists and vendors, as BI previously reported.
Costa Rica may not seem like a hidden gem, but in the rainy season it is.
Costa Rica is in Central America. Google Maps
Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination in Central America, where travelers can experience a variety of things in one trip, from beaches and jungles to volcanoes and cloud forests.
However, Costa Rica's rainy season begins in late May and lasts for six months, meaning fewer tourists visit in the summer.
Many tourists don't realize that the rains don't stop until mid-July.
Sunset on the coast of Costa Rica. Bkamprath/Getty Images
Brown told BI that the rains will stop in July, which is the height of the rainy season in Costa Rica.
“This only happens every July,” she added.
Many travelers assume that Costa Rica will have rain all summer, which lowers airfare and hotel prices.
“You can go to the Caribbean coast with all the resorts, or you can go inland with the volcanoes and the rainforests,” Brown says. “You go to places that everyone wants to go to. The biodiversity is incredible. But you go at a time when no one wants to go.”
For more ideas on where to travel this summer, Brown shared his ultimate itinerary. Summer Travel Trend Report In collaboration with Klarna.
