Most Isolated Towns In The World

You may be shocked to find out that some people actually do live in extreme conditions which vary from punishing cold climates to locations that are so remote mail is carried by mules. Visiting will often require you surviving astronomical distances whether by land, water or air. Do you think you can live in a place with no delivery services or nothing but sand, desert or mountains for hundreds of miles?

The remotest island in the world lies 1,750 miles from South Africa and 2,088 miles from South America. The closest land mass, Saint Helena, is 1,510 miles away. The island is so remote, it had no postal code until 2005 and a lot of the mail was getting lost. Climbing and hiking volcanic rock walls is among the favorite activities. The quickest way to get there is a 6-day boat trip.

This is the most isolated town in Greenland. Dog sledding, expedition cruises and wildlife are the most sought after adventures. Just getting to the small town is quite the quest. It is almost as far as possible from any other inhabited area in Greenland. Ittoqqortoormiit is also right next to the world's largest and deepest multi-branched fjord system.

The mining town is one of the most unique places in all of Australia. It's often referred to as the country's underground town because 80 percent of the people live as a subterranean community, largely to stay out of the summer's 120-degree temperatures. The town is one of the hottest places on Earth.

The coal-mining town in Norway's Svalbard archipelago is best known for its majestic views of the Northern Lights. Often referred to as the High Arctic of the country, Longyearbyen is one of the world's largest areas of untouched nature, according to Visit Svalbard. About 2,100 people live there. The society is characterized by active people living in tough conditions in the wilderness. The dark season, during which it is continuously pitch dark, lasts for four months.

Would you live in a building where almost all of the other residents of the city live as well? About 200 people live in Whittier in the winter. Most of them reside in Begich Towers, a 14-story condominium structure tucked between the mountains. The police station and post office are on the first floor. Only one road leads to the city; and you have to drive through a tunnel that is closed at night.

It can't be easy tolive in a mining town that is located about three miles in the air. La Rinconada has earned the title of the highest city in the world. If the altitude (16,732 feet) is not a problem, then the fact that there is no running water or sewage system anywhere in town most likely are. The city is only accessible only by truck, and it takes several days of driving through winding mountain roads.

This is the most remote region of Canada. It's so far north that trees are a rarity. Not many people have heard of it. The quickest way to get there is a three-hour flight to Ottawa, which involves crossing the Hudson Strait and the sparsely populated northern regions of Quebec. The summers are very short yet still mildly warm; the winters are brutally cold and dark.

The Kalaupapa Cliffs are the world's highest sea cliffs. They soar between 3,600 and 3,900 feet above the ocean, according to GoHawaii.com. Tourists can't really drive to see them because there are no roads to take them there, but people can take a helicopter tour, a direct flight to Molokai, or go to the Kalaupapa overlook from Pala'au State Park. By law, access is strictly regulated.

One of the few places left in Asia still unspoiled by the modern world, the beautiful Motuo County remains a natural gem with a little help from Mother Nature. Motuo is the only one of China's more than 2,000 counties without a highway leading into it. Those wishing to visit must trek through part of the frozen Himalayas and over a suspension bridge just to reach the county.

It is surrounded by miles of the Sahara Desert and there is no cell phone service. The Oasis offers rugged massifs and enormous dunes. Just as imposing are the ruins of Shali and Aghurmi, labyrinthine mud-built towns that once protected the Siwans from desert raiders, according to Rough Guides.

This is one of two civilian settlements on the continent. Around 200 people, scientists and their families, live in this Chilean commune which started as an experiment in the 1980s. There are 14 homes, a post office, a small school with a total of two teachers, a gym, a church, and a modest souvenir shop, according to Atlas Obscura.

Supai Village, the home of the Havasupai tribe, is located on the bottom of Havasu Canyon, a side branch of the Grand Canyon, on the Havasupai Nation reservation, according to Amusing Planet. There is only one school. The village is about eight miles from the nearest road, but no cars can reach it. "The only way to get to it is to take a helicopter or to hike or ride a mule along the Havasupai Trail. Supai is the only place in the U.S. where mail is still carried out by mules."

This World Heritage Site is the south easternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. It draws travelers more than 2,000 miles from the coast of Chile to experience a sense of isolation unlike anything they could find on the mainland. The now-barren island was once populated by the Rapa Nui civilization (and many trees) and is home to around 6,000 permanent residents. It's famous for its 887 giant statues that were created by the Rapa Nui people. The figures are some of the strongest remaining evidence of the thriving civilization.

The charming village is so remote that it is in danger of depopulation. A tunnel was built in 2004 through the mountains to connect it to the main road network. Until then, the only two ways to get there were hiking over the mountain terrain that rises over 2,000 feet or climbing up the cliff face from a ship. Gasadalur is surrounded by lavish mountains. The nearby waterfall is the most photographed attraction.

This is one of the coldest places on Earth. Oymyakon is located along the Indigirka River. Winter temperatures in this region average -58 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 degrees Celsius). About 500 brave people live in this village northeast of the country in the Siberian tundra. In the winter, the day is as few as three hours long.

Green Bank is not isolated for the reasons you may think. This is America's quietest town where its 143 residents live without cell phones or Wi-Fi (they are illegal there). The town is home to National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which operates the world's largest radio telescope. It is extremely sensitive to electronic interference. There are also no microwave ovens, remote control toys and even garage door openers, according to a news report.