Travel Like Bear Grylls — Offbeat Destinations for Survival Fans

British-born Bear Grylls is a survival expert who heads into the wild and shows how to stay alive in extreme conditions. From starting a fire to building a trap out of shoelaces, his survival skills seem like just the thing you might need at these destinations.

Words Hur Taewoo

At 5,000 Meters, the World’s Highest Bakery

☝🏻 A bakery café (World Highest Bakery 5000m) in Lobuche in the Nepal Himalayas.
☝🏻 At an elevation of about 4,930 meters, it sits in the mountain village of Lobuche, where a handful of lodges cluster together.
☝🏻 Run by a local Sherpa family, it bakes bread, pies, and cookies from locally produced ingredients and pulls espresso shots from organic coffee.
☝🏻 Its main customers are trekkers heading to Everest Base Camp (EBC). It takes two days to walk from the café to EBC.
☝🏻 You can take in stunning views of Lobuche and the surrounding Himalayan range.
☝🏻 Keep in mind that the air pressure is only half that of flat land, so breathing isn’t easy.
☝🏻 Address: Laubuche 56000, Nepal.

The World’s Clearest Natural Freshwater Lake

☝🏻 Blue Lake in Nelson Lakes National Park, New Zealand, also known as Rotomairewhenua.
☝🏻 A 2011 study found underwater visibility of up to about 80 meters, making it the clearest natural freshwater lake in the world.
☝🏻 The lake covers 24,500 square meters, with an average depth of about 7 meters.
☝🏻 True to its name, the water is a transparent, pure blue. Clean water from nearby Lake Constance, a glacial lake, is filtered once before flowing into this lake.
☝🏻 The local Maori consider Rotomairewhenua a sacred place. In the past, it was the site of a ceremony in which the bones of the dead were cleansed and their spirits released.
☝🏻 Since 2014, ‘Rotomairewhenua/Blue Lake’ has been its official name. Rotomairewhenua means “land of peaceful waters.”
☝🏻 Reaching the lake takes some leg work. Hiking the Travers-Sabine trail in Nelson Lakes National Park takes about four days; with a water taxi for part of the route, it takes two days and one night.

Tristan da Cunha, the World’s Most Remote Island

☝🏻 Tristan da Cunha is the most remote inhabited island in the world.
☝🏻 It was discovered in 1506 by the Portuguese admiral Tristão da Cunha. Today it is a British overseas territory with a population of about 250.
☝🏻 It lies about 2,787 kilometers from Cape Town, South Africa, and about 3,949 kilometers from Mar del Plata, Argentina, in South America. The boat trip from Cape Town to Tristan da Cunha takes a week.
☝🏻 During World War I, ship service was cut off and the islanders had no news from the outside world, so they reportedly went about their lives without knowing a war had broken out.
☝🏻 It rains a lot throughout the year, and clouds hang over Queen Mary’s Peak, the volcano at the center of the island, almost every day.
☝🏻 The island’s main specialty is lobster. The lobster processing plant is the largest building on the island.
☝🏻 There is only one pub, and visitors can stay at homestays or guesthouses.
☝🏻 Ships leave Cape Town 10 times a year. Schedules are available on the Tristan da Cunha website.

The World’s Highest Margherita

☝🏻 Margherita Hut is a mountain refuge atop Punta Gnifetti in the Alps, on the border between Italy and Switzerland.
☝🏻 It stands at 4,554 meters above sea level. The Italian Alpine Club built it in 1893 and still owns it today.
☝🏻 In theory, it is the highest building in Europe.
☝🏻 The hut is named in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoy, as is the Margherita pizza.
☝🏻 It opens only for the summer season, from June to September, and can accommodate up to 70 people.
☝🏻 The hut can be reached only on foot. From Alagna Valsesia, the nearest mountain village, it takes about two days.
☝🏻 The route passes through glacier terrain and steep ridges, so it requires professional mountaineering skills.
☝🏻 Half board (dinner and breakfast included) costs 120 euros. Wi-Fi is available. Bringing your own utensils and bedding is recommended.
☝🏻 GPS coordinates: 45° 55′ 38