TRAVEL DISCOVERY - I Visited the Most Remote Island on Earth.

I've always wondered, what's the most remote inhabited island in the world? Do people actually live there? And what is their life like? Today we're visiting three of the most remote islands on Earth, ranging from the remote to the extremely remote. Each one lies closest to a different continent. And each has its own extraordinary story. We'll start with the least isolated of the three, the Faroe Islands. The land of the Vikings. A place with more sheep than people. Tunnels carved beneath the ocean at the very edge of Europe. You can feel the isolation here, yet the world still doesn't seem too far away. But this is not a normal island! Next, we're traveling to Socotra in Yemen. An island that hardly feels like Earth at all, as if its landscape belongs to another planet entirely. It's home to some of the rarest plants on Earth, including the iconic dragon's blood tree, a symbol of biological isolation. An isolation imposed by geography and politics, not only by sea. And in the end, we head to the most remote inhabited island in the world. Saint Helena. An island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that became a natural prison. No neighboring countries, no roads leading to it, and no escape. 500 years of isolation. We begin here. In the heart of the North Atlantic, between Iceland and Norway, lie the Faroe Islands. A small archipelago of 18 islands, cut off from the wider world. Home to just about 50,000 people. Across the islands, you'll find tiny villages like this one. How many people do you think live here? Just 18. More than 70 meters beneath the ocean's surface, they built the world's first undersea roundabout. There are 25 tunnels in total, four under the sea, and the rest carved through mountains. The first tunnel was built in the 1960s, and the longest stretches nearly 11 kilometers. Faroe Islands. Hello guys, we've arrived on the island. This is the first waterfall, right next to the airport. Welcome to the Faroe Islands! She lives here, on the edge of the world. What are you doing here? I'm enjoying nature. I go hiking in the mountains every day. This is the town. Even though the Faroe Islands are small, relatively unknown and somewhat isolated, the Atlantic, they've achieved things many larger countries haven't. They built the world's first undersea roundabout inside a tunnel. We're under the water, we're going out to see the roundabout. Underwater? In the middle of the ocean, look. It splits right and left. Imagine that for only 50,000 people living on these islands, they built this large number of tunnels. We're beneath the ocean. This shows the value of citizens here, compared to the other countries in the world. These are not just road networks, they are engineering landmarks within nature. From isolated islands, to one of the most developed road networks in Europe, we have entered the Viking town. They say this is one of the oldest Viking villages in the world. The local language here is Faroese, derived from Old Norse. Their customs and way of life still carry the spirit of the Old North. Even the name Faroe means sheep islands. This is the prison, but it doesn't look like what we're used to seeing. There are no watchtowers, no barbed wire, and no high walls. Prisoners accused of serious crimes are not kept here. They're sent to Denmark. This is the largest lake in the Faroe Islands. Look at this place. A lake above the ocean. How amazing! And now we'll see how the island's residents live. Here's how a local lives in this Faroe Island. This is my place. This is a small village called Sandavagur. And this is my house over there. Traditional Faroese house. We're going this way to see my horses. Oh, you have horses? I have horses. It's Icelandic horses? It's Icelandic horses, yes. You guys living in peace, huh? Yes, we do. They call it the last paradise on earth. So you guys not very isolated, like least isolated? I think we are isolated. Kind of, huh? Kind of, but still we have an airline. We have ships going to Denmark and other places. They came to you to know you? They know me. They know my voice. Oh, okay. They come right away. Her name is Klespa. Klespa? And the other one is called Saria. Wow, so beautiful. Can I touch her? Of course. That one is very sensitive. And this one, she's very... Love you, love you. This is how they live, in the Faroe Islands. These are their homes. More than 90% of their income comes from fish. That's the reason why we're here. If we didn't have the fishing industry and salmon industry, we wouldn't be here. So you are original Faro? Yes, I am, yes. So you're an ancestor from Vikings? Vikings, that's right, yeah. From the Norwegian Vikings. Yeah. And from Celtic people in Scotland and in Ireland. So you guys were sailing around the world before, huh? 1,000 years ago. And they went to Iceland and Greenland and eventually Canada. A thousand years ago, these islands were a Viking stop on their route between the North and the West. And today they still preserve their calm and isolation. I don't have food. I like it here. I like the peace. I like the weather. I like nature. I would never go to a big city, no. You are 17? Yes, I'm 17 years old. Hey. Hey, thanks for having us in your home. You're welcome. Yeah, I think we are unique. I really like to sell people that were only 55,000 people. I think it's cool. If you tell them Faroe Island, everyone knows Faroe Island? No. When I tell people where I'm from, they always ask me, well, where is that? Okay. Even in Europe? Yeah. I really like that I know everybody. I know everybody that's young. And it's really easy to have a big friend group. Because everyone knows each other here? Yeah, everybody knows each other. Are you planning on leaving in the future? Or you want to come back and stay here forever? That's a good question in front of her mom. She will say no. I don't know. I don't know if I want to live in Faroe Island for the rest of my life. We're very isolated and can't visit Faroe Island. Yeah, it's very beautiful and so. We got the family here. This is a real Faroese family. Yeah. You are not Danish, right? No, not Danish. I'm Faroese. Even this country is part of Denmark, right? Yeah, the country is part of Denmark. But we don't feel attached to it. We're very much our own. And we have our own flag, our own language. And we also have our own national anthem song. You want to give me a little bit out of it? That's sick. This is the traditional clothing here in the Faroe Islands. Look at this. It turns out they truly have a culture they're proud of. And they truly love their language, their culture and their country. Even though they're part of Denmark, they still preserve their traditions. They wear it on special occasions, on national day and at weddings. Amazing. Yeah, there's so many layers. Make sure to keep you warm, even in a dress. Because it's always cold here. Yeah, I'm gonna move here. I make YouTube videos every single day. This is a traditional dancer showing us two steps left, one step right. And we can do this at weddings in these outfits. Look at the number of waterfalls here. Oh my god. That's a lot of waterfalls. They pay very high taxes here. But in return, education is free, healthcare is free. The roads don't have a single pothole. There are massive tunnels beneath the ocean. There is no place on the islands that's more than five kilometers away from the ocean. So wherever you go on these islands, you will always remain close to the ocean. Here, you can call the prime minister. His phone number is in the phone directory. In all of the Faroe Islands, there are only five traffic lights. Even love has become difficult and rare here. The girls leave abroad and the men stay to work in fishing for long months. Surprisingly, Filipino women comprise the largest ethnic minority here. Amid a shortage of local women. This is a family. We are in their house. Thank you. You're welcome. You said there are more men here than women? Yes, in the Faroe Islands, there are two thousand more men than women. That's why they need women on the island. So many women come from abroad? Yeah. But hundreds of Asian women are moving to these subarctic islands. Okay, so the demand is high for... For women. To look for love. Would you like to tell us how you met? We first met online. Really? Yeah. Then in Denmark and then I came here. All right. Okay. Thank you for having us. And now we'll move to the next island. An island outside of time. Socotra. It's separated geologically from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula more than six million years ago. More than 37% of Socotra's plants are extremely rare and grow nowhere else on earth. We've arrived at island number two, Socotra Island. Flights to this island are very limited. Usually one flight per week, sometimes two. We have arrived at the airport. This is Socotra, the most beautiful island in the world. Finally, the license plate carries the number one and displays the dragon's blood tree. Here is the eastern side of the island. We'll sleep here tonight by the sea. We will camp every day in a different place. On this extraordinary island from the Faroe Islands to Socotra, this island belongs to an Arab country. We've arrived in Socotra. We will spend five days on this island. Every day we will sleep in a different part of it. We will camp on the beach because services here are very limited. And isolation is part of life here. We woke up to this view in Socotra, on the sand dunes, at the top of the dunes, with the ocean in front of you. Look at this scene, white desert and blue sea. They accumulated over the action of sea waves over millions of years. People sleep here because the capital that you saw has only five hotels. This is considered the largest city on Socotra island, the capital, Hadiba. Great to have you here. This is the capital, the capital of Socotra. This island is extraordinary and has wonders and oddities and many rare things. So rare that even the locals don't realize how unique it is. If they did, they wouldn't allow tourists to come to it. Our hotel overlooks the sea. This area used to be called the Arabian Bermuda Triangle. This island used to be known as the Island of the Djinn because they believed the islanders could control wind and sink ships. Some even claim the people here are the most powerful sorcerers in the world. But the truth is, it was never magic. This is where the Arabian Sea meets the Indian Ocean. Powerful currents and violent whirlpools still challenge ships to this day. Many don't know that the coastline here is full of rocks. The magic is not here. The magic lies in the nature found on this island. Miss Mona? Yes, Miss Mona. How are you? I'm well. You said she speaks several languages? Yes, she speaks Arabic and Socotra. Is this your farm? Yes, this is my farm here in Socotra. Because many of the island's plants are endangered, Miss Mona began cultivating them on her farm. The people here speak Socotri, an ancient Semitic language, independent from Arabic. It isn't written, only spoken. Welcome, Mr. Joe. This is all traditional Socotri food, a proper Socotri feast. All fresh? All fresh. This is the traditional way dates are preserved in Socotra. They preserve them like this. Like a watermelon. Dates preserved inside a sheep's skin? Yes. Preserved like this? Socotri date inside sheep's skin? Yes, this is sheep's skin. Yeah, let's dive in. How does it taste? Amazing. Why do you preserve it this way? This is one of Socotra's old traditions. Do you mean it makes it taste better? Yes. Where are you going? Our guest, our guest from Kazakhstan. First time. This house is more than 200 years old. Hello. This is the homeowner. He hosted us. You're welcome. God bless you. Now it is time to see the rarest plants in the world. There it is. Do you see it over there? It is, it is in bloom. I gotta hug it. Scientists have been long fascinated by this island. It's called the desert rose and also the bottle tree. This tree exists only in Socotra. It is native to Socotra. Do you see this trunk? It's called the bottle because it stores water inside this large trunk. There's water inside. This is the forest of the dragon's blood tree. A tree also known as the dragon tree. This blood comes out of the tree. This is the only place in the world where this tree grows. The dragon's blood tree. The strangest and rarest in the world. We've come to Mr. Suleyman. He has a nursery here. He lives in the forest itself. Welcome. God bless you. Great to have you here. Socotri language. God bless you. You are preserving the dragon's blood tree. So it's endangered but you are protecting it. Yeah, it's endangered and I protect it. This is the dragon's blood tree that looks like an umbrella. Yes. The same one that grows into a big tree. Yeah, it grows and becomes large. This one is one year old. One year old? Yes. You just killed it. No, I did not kill it. I'll put it back. I didn't kill it. Okay, you'll put it back. Yes. This is the dragon's blood tree. It's one year old. One year old. This is how it grows. Those other trees here, how old are they? Those, I don't know their age. They were already here. Thousands of years? Yes, thousands of years. Can I plant it, for example, in Jordan or... No, it can only be planted here on the island. Only on this island? Yes. What's the reason for that? I don't know. So the biggest threat to the island is goats? Yes. Should we kill the goats? Of course not. Mr. Suleyman, despite the limited resources, why do you care so much about preserving this tree? We preserve it simply because our lives are connected to this tree. You extract the blood from it? Yes, we extract it from it. Look at the blood. It releases blood. It looks like an umbrella, doesn't it? Yes, like an umbrella. Protects from the sun? Yeah. I love it like I love my children. You love it like your children? Yes, this tree. I love you. I love this tree. I preserve it as I preserve my children and my possessions. This tree is my source of income. I live here just as our ancestors did and as my children do now. How can we support you, Mr. Suleyman? No, no need, thank you. I mean it. Thank you. Support him. Thank you. My dear people of Yemen. Thank you. It releases blood. Its red resin has been used in medicine for thousands of years. This comes from the tree, imagine. Yeah. This is Yemen's currency and on it is a picture of one of Socotra's symbols. This is Yemen. Right behind me are the two rarest trees in the world, the bottle tree and the dragon's blood tree. After we leave Socotra, we will not see this tree again even if we travel the entire world. We would have to return here to see it. The population of Socotra is about 60,000 people living in isolation amid nature unlike anywhere else on earth. But now they have Starlink and internet is available everywhere. We found a man living in a cave on this island. Hello. How are you? I'm fine. Joe Hatab? He's the most famous person on this island. How long have you lived in this cave? I do not know exactly I grew up in this cave with my family. The years passed and they told me my ancestors lived here. There were many people who lived in caves. They ate fish from the lagoon and seashells and oysters. I am now 64 years old by the grace of God. I'm lighting a fire now. It's a safe island because there are no predators. So there's no crime? No, no. Has everyone tried to steal from you at night? No. Where's the cup? This is it. A seashell? This is for me and this is for you. God bless you. Great to have you. God bless you. Is this island very isolated? I think it's isolated. I think so. You've become a landmark here. I don't know. Before social media and TikTok, nobody knew me. Every tourist who comes here must come to you. Of course. Everyone who comes camping here comes to visit me. You fish from the sea and eat? Yes. A necklace of honor. This is your everyday view. Alhamdulillah, yes. Are there bats here? No, they are high in the mountain, not here. So Kutra is not just a tourist destination. It's a time capsule that shows you how Earth might have been without human interference. And now to the farthest and most isolated island. An island located between South America and Africa. In the far South Atlantic Ocean. It used to be a stop for British ships. Goods passed through it between India and Britain before the opening of the Suez Canal. And when its role ended, it turned into a natural prison. After more than five centuries of isolation, flights to the island opened in 2017. Its isolation was broken by just one flight per week. But to this day, flights only arrive from one destination. South Africa. The airport looks strange, as if it is carved into a rock. Welcome to Saint Helena Island. We arrive here, you feel like we arrived to the moon, right? Many of the airport employees have other jobs. And they all gather here only on the day the plane arrives. This is the airport behind me. This is the runway. And now a plane is about to take off. The feeling of having an airport in Saint Helena has been amazing. It's been a long time coming. And basically, they had to create enough flat land to be able to have the runway. In 2017, the first plane struggled to land, and the airport subsequently shut down for two full years due to high winds. Most of the island's residents live in a small town called Jamestown. There it is. Do you see it? That's Jamestown right behind me. We will sleep in that town, one of the most isolated towns in the world, trapped between two mountains and located directly on the ocean. The population of Saint Helena is about 5,000 people, an island with its own currency, a currency that has no value outside the island, but the British Pound is used here normally. This is our hotel. This is the ocean. This is what Jamestown looks like. The island is empty. Anyway, they say they have a custom here, everyone greets each other. Everyone. Most of them know each other. Do you hear that sound? This town lies between two mountains. How do people live here? Where are the people anyway? Silence. Isolation. Imagine that this island was a prison. They used it as a prison to exile people to it. In that direction is South America, in the other direction is Africa, and we're in the middle. My goodness, what isolation. There's another island here that is even more isolated. Saint Helena is a British overseas territory, administered by a governor appointed by Britain. The same administration includes another island even farther away and more isolated than Saint Helena. It takes 15 days by ship to reach it, so just let me know if you want me to go there. Night has fallen in Jamestown. Listen to the sound of birds. They say they have one of the rarest and most expensive coffee beans in the world. It has been grown the same way for more than 300 years and is exported to Britain. They have this ladder behind me as a challenge for visitors. Everyone who comes to the island has to complete it. I'm getting closer. It's the place Britain chose to exile the emperor of France, the man who changed the map of Europe. Napoleon. He stayed in that room. This entire island was a prison because it's very isolated and very far from land. The British exiled him here in 1815 and chose this land for its extreme remoteness. That is his grave here, but it's empty because they moved his remains to a museum in Paris. Here Napoleon was imprisoned, the most beautiful prison in the world. This place owes its fame to Napoleon. Prisoner number one. So this is the Festival of Walking. It's organized by tourism. Festival of Walk. Every Sunday. So you like the remoteness? Yeah, I like the remoteness. I like the quietness. Then I asked her about her roots. One of my ancestors might be from Indonesia, but I have a mix of Britain, Indian, African. I'm a mix of everything. They have a championship here, but it's not football. They play cricket on this island. And when anything happens on the island, everyone knows. Definitely. So free. You don't have to rush from here to there. Just me and my family, yeah. This is a flag. This is the flag of Saint Helena. South America is here and behind us is Africa. Africa, yeah. Africa is on our left side. This is life in Saint Helena. In the middle of the ocean. Maybe the world sometimes needs to breathe away from the noise. Isolation can sometimes be a comfort. But it's not always the solution. Goodbye, Saint Helena.