I have a little thing for remote places. So unsurprisingly I was captivated by a piece in New Scientist which calculates the most remote location on earth based on how long it would take to travel to a city of 50,000 people. The final call on the most remote place?

It’s official, the world’s most remote place is on the Tibetan plateau (34.7°N, 85.7°E).

From here, says Andy Nelson, a former researcher at the European Commission, it is a three-week trip to the cities of Lhasa or Korla – one day by car and the remaining 20 on foot.

Rough terrain and an altitude of 5200 metres also lend it a perfect air of “Do Not Disturb”.

The article is well worth checking out, even if you aren’t exactly aching to run off to somewhere you can’t be found. They do some interesting calculations based on transportation infrastructure, population centers, and terrain. Cool stuff, with fun maps to illustrate it all.