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White sand beaches, azure waters, minimal crowds and authentic local cultural experiences - a wish list for many when it comes to the perfect holiday and also, remarkably, just some of the features of the least popular destinations in the world. 

While France, US, Spain, China and Italy make up the top five most visited nations on the planet with tourist arrivals in the tens of millions some of the most incredible landscapes in the world were largely avoided by international tourists in the past year.

For some places, such as Palau in the Western Pacific and Niue in the South Pacific, geography is a major barrier to them being a place appreciated by millions rather than the few thousand who make the effort to grace their shores. For others, the reasons aren't so clear.

Here are the 10 destinations out of those the United Nations World Tourism Organisation's 2014 survey of international arrivals gathered information from, which attracted the least visitors last year.

10 PALAU 

2013 visitors: 105,000

Location can be the only reason this independent archipelago nation with a population of 21,000 stretched across its 250 islands in the Western Pacific Ocean is on this list. If easyJet or Ryanair flew here it would be teeming with tourists. But since they don't, to get to its most populous island, Koror, from the UK we must fly through Seoul, Taipei and/or Guam - it's instead beautifully peaceful and brimming with exotic wildlife.

Usually those who make the effort to get here do so to dive among its stunning coral reefs, wrecks, caves and more than 60 vertical drop-offs in water stacked with brightly-coloured tropical fish and sea creatures, including giant fluted clams that weigh over 500 pounds. On land, visitors encounter exotic birds, orchids aplenty, crocodiles and incredibly friendly locals. Signs instruct them to WAVE (Welcome All Visitors Enthusiastically).

Colourful coral reefs and tropical fish along with giant flute clams that weigh a massive 550 pounds can be found in the waters off Palau

With flights needing to go through locales such as Seoul, Taipei or Guam, Palau remains an isolated island paradise

These stone monoliths on Babeldaob, one of Palau's 250 islands, date back to 161AD - not quite Stonehenge but the setting sure gives Wiltshire a run for its money

9 MOLDOVA

2013 visitors: 96,000

Adventure is tough to come by these days in Eastern Europe with most destinations set up to offer these most and get the most out of tourists, but not Moldova. Between Romania and Ukraine it hasn't had the best of times since it became independent from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. It hasn't moved on much since then with civil war and financial instability putting efforts to bring in outsiders on the backburner.

But with that, for some, may come its charm. An unaffected snapshot of Soviet times in Transdniestr (which doesn't operate under Moldovan control), unspoiled if unremarkable landscapes, a unique history, impressive cave monasteries and an active wine industry, with tours available to visitors, are some of its limited attractions.

A stone cross stands out atop the Orheiul Vechi Monastery in Moldova, a small European nation between Romania and Ukraine that is largely avoided by tourists

Unspoiled landscapes and wine are among Moldova's greatest attractions that less than 100,000 visitors took advantage of in 2013

8 EAST TIMOR

2013 visitors: 78,000

East Timor is another nation on the list that's had a tumultuous time politically, but that is stunningly unspoiled in parts and is well worth seeing before it gets on the tourist radar.

Sun, sea and secluded sand are on offer along with mountains for trekking and cycling.

With all of the local government's budget dependent on oil, this nation north of Australia is slowly battling to carve its own identity since gaining independence from Indonesia in 2002. 

A small church is elevated on a hill in the midst of an incredible mountain landscape near Maubisse, East Timor

Traders sell fish in the Colmera commercial district of Dili, the capital of East Timor 

7 DOMINICA

2013 visitors: 78,000

A Caribbean paradise without the crowds can be found in Dominica, which suffers for its dearth of white sandy beaches and mass resorts. The volcanic island, not to be confused with Haiti's neighbour the Dominican Republic, is in the lesser Antilles and terrific for trekking, relaxing in sulphur springs and snorkelling.

But while the locals are beyond delighted to have you there, with tourism a big money spinner for the nation, a bare minimum take the opportunity. The catch is a lack of direct flights and a wealth of nearby alternatives better equipped to snap up the tourist dollar.

On the southern coast of the volcanic island of Dominica you'll find Soufriere village, perched on the edge of a former crater

Dominica's most popular activities are focused on the water, of course. Here are its famous volcanic air bubbles that gave inspiration for the name Champagne Beach

6 ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES

2013 visitors: 72,000

Get here, quick, as the above number will change. Saint Vincent is densely populated but the Grenadines, a series of 31 islands, are most certainly not - tranquil and beautiful with white sand and the bluest of blue water, and easily accessible via new ferries.

Other than bananas, tourism is the next biggest industry here and authorities are looking to expand the islands' appeal. For now it's an alternative to its more well-established neighbours, Saint Lucia and Barbados. Also made famous by the Pirates of the Caribbean films, which were shot here.

Azure waters and white sand is a total cliche and both are found in abundances in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where there's a host of uninhabited islands like this

A couple sunbathes on a catamaran as they float through the Grenadines

5 ANGUILLA  

2013 visitors: 69,000

While it's postcard-perfect and another of the Caribbean islands to escape the hordes, this British overseas territory to the east of Puerto Rico is not at all cheap.

A deputy of sorts to the celebrity hotspot St Bart's, it's clinging onto its authenticity for dear life as fancy new holiday homes pop up to take advantage of the pristine beaches.

In Anguilla, considered a less deluxe alternative to St Bart's, the national sport is yacht racing

A single-person yacht sails out through Anguilla's Maundays Bay

4 LIECHTENSTEIN

2013 visitors: 60,000

The sixth smallest country in the world is also the richest by GDP. Liechtenstein is an outdoor enthusiasts' playground and renowned for its incredible natural beauty and quaint villages.

Landlocked by Switzerland and Austria, the German-speaking principality is the only country in the world to be totally in the Alps. A summer haven for hiking and cycling and snow-covered skiing perfection in winter, for those who can afford it.

The village of Balzers in southern Liechtenstein, the sixth smallest country in the world and richest by GDP

The country, a tax haven, is renowned for its natural beauty and outdoor sports in both summer and winter

3 NIUE

2013 visitors: 7,000

With Tonga to the west, Samoa to the north, Cook Islands to the east and New Zealand 1,500 miles away, most people from Niue moved away from this beautiful little island due to its isolation. Just 1,400 people live here, but they're more than welcoming to the few who make the journey to visit.

Referred to as 'The Rock' (short for Rock of Polynesia) 20 per cent of the island is made up of the pristine Huvalu Forest Conservation Area, so natural beauty is the best it has to offer. And if you're sick of paying for the internet, it's free here - Niue became the world's first wifi nation in 2003.

A crystal clear sea water pool inside the Avaiki Cave near Alofi in the South Pacific island of Niue

A buttressed tree in the extensive and pristine rain forest on Niue - 20 per cent of the island is made up by the Huvalu Forest Conservation Area

2 MONTSERRAT

2013 visitors: 7,000

Once a popular holiday spot, this Lesser Antilles island has never quite recovered from a series of horrific natural disasters. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 hit 90 per cent of the island's structures and in 1995 it was battered when the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano erupted.

That destroyer is now one of its main draw cards though, along with remarkable beaches and a distinctive laid-back atmosphere. 

Montserrat is still recovering from horrific natural disasters: Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and the eruption of Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995

The two extremes of the perfect waters off Montserrat and the reminder of the pyroclastic flow of the volcano lava that so devastated the island

1 KIRIBATI 

2013 visitors: 6,000

It's in the middle of nowhere! People often use that term but Kiribati really is, with the nearest civilisation five hours north in Hawaii. Straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean, it was known as the Gilbert Islands while under British rule. With some remnants of the terrible battles here during World War II, Western influence is minimal on the islands outside the main one, Tarawa.

As they have for centuries locals live on coconuts, breadfruit and fish. Its 33 atolls, with their majestic turquoise lagoons, cover a massive 1.3million square miles of the Pacific. Once there, explore islands on bike, boat or foot, and appreciate the world's largest protected marine area.

Kiribati's 33 atolls, with their majestic turquoise lagoons, cover a massive 1.3million square miles of the Pacific Ocean

Remote island: Locals cycle on the white sand of Kiribati, which was named the world's least-visited destination

Stunning: The island, straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean, only saw 6,000 tourists visit in 2013