Social isolation is not invented by the WHO. In any large, the world has many isolated societies. To show you that people can thrive even in isolation from the rest of the world, we will take you to the eight(8) world’s most isolated places.
Our first stop is in Australia. The underground town Coober Pedy is located 846 km north of Adelaide. The town population of 2000 people produces most of the world’s opal. Public buildings and houses, called ‘dugouts’, are said to have been built underground. All as a consequence of the high weather temperatures, with an average high of 37 degrees Celsius.
From a settlement below ground to the highest human settlement. With a population of 50 000 people, La Rinconada is the highest human settlement at 17 000 feet( 5 181.6 meters) above sea level. The town’s economy is based on producing gold from nearby mines. Workers who work at the mines are said to work for 30 days without payment. On the 31st day, they may take as much more as they can carry, as a form of payment. Whether there is any gold or not is a matter of luck. The town has no running water and no sewage system.
Some time isolation can be shared.
A coal-mining town on the west coast of Spitsbergen known for its incredible views of the Northern Lights. Many of the town’s population of 2000 people have their houses built on stilts to prevent permafrost from melting. Despite the significant polar bear problem, this would make an exciting weekend getaway.
The next pinpoint is Villa Las Estrellas. A Chilean town and research center based in President Eduardo Frei Montalva military base on King George Island. With a population of 100 people, this is one of only two civilian settlements on Antarctica. The town boasts luxuries such as a coin-operated payphone, internet, radio, television, and most recently, a mobile antenna.
Edinburg of the seven seas, Tristan Da Cunha island. A temporary territory of the United Kingdom finds itself in the South Atlantic Ocean with the nearest inhabited places being Saint Helena, 2430km away, and Cape Town a mere 2816km away. The 300 people living on this island find themselves at constant risk from the active volcano situated in the center of the island. The last eruption occurred in 1961 which forced people to evacuate to Calshot in the United Kingdom. Many have returned in 1963 to rebuild their settlement. If you wish to visit Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, just keep in mind that the trip there is almost as long as its name. A 6-day boat ride to be exact, oh and there is the trip back too.
Located 50km from the Libyan border and 560km from Cairo, Siwa Oasis is an old town, surrounded by nothing but miles of Saharan Desert. The town has a population of 23 000 people. A solar power plant was only recently built for electricity and the town still has no cellular service. Could you do it with a few days without social media?
Loneliness doesn’t have much to do with where you are.
As revealed by the latest discovery on Sentinelese Island the population didn’t have any contact with the outside world, for a very long time. Apart from the fact that the local tribal people prefer to isolate themselves from the rest of the world, very little is known about this island. This Indian territory has a population of 40 people and carries a literacy rate of 0.0%. Before deciding on a quiet holiday away from your everyday life, this might not be the best destination. In January 2006 two fishermen were killed while fishing for mud crabs and their boat drifted too close to the island. An old shipwreck that can be seen via satellite has somewhat become a landmark on this island.
Our last stop in Whittier. If you plan to visit this town you would need to do so via the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. This is a 2.6-mile one-lane tunnel that takes you in and out of the town. Most of the town’s population of 200 people live in a 14 story building in the center of town. Sightseeing tours are the town’s main offerings to visitors with choices of kayaking, canoeing, hiking, boat, and helicopter tours. Are you up for an adventure?