Niue

Niue is one of the world's smallest and quietest nations to visit, a raised coral island riddled with limestone caves, chasms, and sea tracks leading down to clear rock pools. There are no sandy beaches to speak of, but the water is exceptionally clear, and swimming with spinner dolphins or humpback whales in season is a genuine draw for the handful of travelers who make it here. With only a few thousand residents and a single weekly flight from Auckland, it stays refreshingly uncrowded.