Iriomote-jima

You might not expect Japan to have a remote pocket of subtropical rain forest, but Japan is nothing if not full of the unexpected. Arguably the most secluded and unexplored region in the country, Iriomote-jima is an adventure lover's paradise. You can see plants and animals here not found anywhere else, such as the yamaneko, a lynxlike wildcat; knobby-kneed trees called sakishima suonoki; and deadly vipers called habu.

If instead of scaring you it thrills you that you to share the muck and weeds with deadly snakes and slimy leeches, then chances are Iriomote-jima is the place for you. With languid rivers winding through mangroves and vines, waterfalls that attract swimmers and butterflies alike, and jungle trails that may or may not take you to the other side of the island before night falls and the bats begin to flutter, how could an adventurer like you be disappointed? Iriomote's jungle is the kind of place you go to if you want to test your mettle before auditioning for Survivor. Just remember to pack a knife, a compass, a camera, a journal, some yen, swamp-strength bug repellent, a snake-bite and first-aid kit, salt or a flame source to fight off the leeches, and plenty of food and water.

Only about 4,000 people live on Iriomote, most along the northeast coastal road. Much of the island is a protected national park, and no roads head into the interior. The entire southwest third of the island is isolated and wild, with not even a coastal road and almost no settlements.