There are now more than 8 billion people living on planet Earth, and despite a lot of the horror stories, it’s actually a good thing. It means more ideas, more inventions, more discoverings, and more opportunities.

There’s a cost though: the world’s wildernesses are shrinking. Be honest: where can you really go to get away from it all in the modern world?

The interior of South America? The Russian steppes? The Australian desert? These are all options.

If you really want to go somewhere where you are literally thousands of miles from the nearest people, the South Pacific is the place to go. When you visit the region, you feel like you’re back in prehistoric times - an early human, roving the Earth, with no interference from anyone else.

The South Pacific returns you to your natural state. There’s no social media feeds clogging up your phone or governments trying to control your behavior. Instead, it’s just you, the elements, and a few scattered islands.

You shouldn’t interpret this as meaning that there’s no civilization to be found. As travel and style blogger, Christen Dye, points out on her site, tourist areas like Bora Bora put you back in touch with civilization. But for the most part, your only communication with the outside world is via your satellite phone.

If you travel to the region, the first thing you notice is the insanely dark skies. There’s no light pollution here - none at all. So on a clear night, you can see the Milky Way in all its glory. Each individual star stands out on the perfect blackness of space.

You’ll also come across a lot of empty islands if you take a tour. Most can’t support people full time because there aren’t enough food resources, and having them brought in by ship is too expensive. It’s not like islands in the Mediterranean where ferries regularly deliver supplies. We’re talking about islands that are literally thousands of miles from the nearest major landmass.

When it comes to exploration, though, the geographical situation of the South Pacific is a godsend. When you set foot on many of these islands, you’re often the first person to do so for a long time. Often, you can find waterfalls, old paths through the forest, and

sandy coves that are pristine, untouched by anyone else.

Of course, getting to the South Pacific is a challenge. And you’ll have to spend a lot of time at sea. Some tour companies do operate in the region. But for the best experience, you’ll really want a boat of your own. Because going with a bunch of other people sort of destroys the feel of the place. You can check for boats for sale online or ask your friends for a used one too.

If you do wind up traveling to the South Pacific, be sure to check out some of the top island destinations in the region. Bora Bora is the most famous, but there are many others. Palau, for instance, is a lot of fun. Then there’s Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia and the Solomon Islands, complete with their own coral reef.

*This is a collaborative post.