Race Against the World winner reveals paradise destination tourists 'don't know about' - and it's only 50 minutes from a major destination
Alfie Watts, who won the 2024 series of the hit travel show with his St Albans pal Owen Wood, posted shots of azure blue ocean and swaying palms from his latest adventure.
He captioned one of the dreamy holiday images with the line: 'I cannot believe more people don't know about this place'.
Watts, who ended his triumphant reality show run by reaching Lombok in Indonesia, was back in the South East Asian country that helped shoot him to fame this week.
However, this time he was on an island that gets just 10,000 British visitors a year - small fry if you consider 17.8 million UK tourists make it to Spain.
He'd landed on Bindan Island, which has been dubbed ' Asia 's best kept secret' by those who've discovered its charms.
Sharing snaps of himself in traditional dress and jet-skiing around the island's coastline, Alfie gushed about his latest pitstop.
The backpacker said: 'From sea turtle conservation to some of the cheapest jet skiing in the world, I genuinely cannot believe more people don't know about this incredible place!'
He added that the island, which is just a 50-minute boat ride from international travel hub Singapore, 'should ABSOLUTELY be on your travel bucket list!'
Although more than three times larger in size than Singapore, around 5.4 million fewer people reside on this island, with most of its 340,000 population centred around the capital, Tanjung Pinang.
Over the last few years, Indonesia has been promoting Bintan as its next big tourist destination after Bali.
The island has beautiful beaches for bathing and lush rainforests for trekking and its capital city is a lively metropolis to explore.
Other attractions included the mangrove forests of the Sebung River, hiking in Gunung Bintan, where you can spot rare breeds such as silvered leaf monkeys.
There's also the option to take a boat to Senggarang, a Chinese fishing village with houses on stilts, which is home to a 200-year-old Banyan tree (a popular pilgrimage site for Buddhists).
Meanwhile Penyengat has old Dutch forts and palaces, and the Sultan of Riau's Grand Mosque.
One of Alfie's photos showed him spending time at a desert themed glamping resort close to Lagoi on the island
Tourists can swap Bali for Bintan, pictured, which has beautiful beaches for bathing and lush rainforests for trekking
Back in April, Alfie revealed his two favourite countries to MailOnline - Jordan and Malaysia.
The travel content creator said: 'I took my Nan to Petra because she'd wanted to see it for her whole life, so that was really nice, and the whole feeling around the trip was just really positive.
'The people in Jordan are just so friendly as well. And Malaysia is also a favourite, because it's just a cheap paradise.
'But my single favourite place in the world has to be Angel Falls in Venezuela.
'They're the tallest waterfall in the world, but they're completely off grid, and a nightmare to get to.'
When it comes to his least favourite country, Alfie finds it hard to single one out, but he admits Cambodia was the country he 'disliked the most', having stopped there during Race Across the World.
'I just didn't get along with it at all,' he says. 'I found the people quite unfriendly, and Cambodia is in southeast Asia, which obviously means that it's surrounded by Thailand and Malaysia, which are so top that I just don't think it comes close.
'But a lot of people disagree, and love Cambodia, so I think I'm objectively wrong with this opinion!'
Another place many people love, but Alfie found to be overrated is Sydney.
He says: 'Yeah, it looks all right, but it's very expensive, and I just didn't catch the hype. I was really looking forward to it, and it was just a bit average.
'Everywhere felt like it was trying too hard, and the whole hipster thing was just coming across a bit too much.
'I do need to go back and explore more of Australia though, because Sydney is the only place I've been.'
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'I CAN'T dance . . . I'm English,' I insisted in my woeful Spanish. Milandra wasn't taking no for an answer, though, and forced me to my feet. 8 8 Before I knew what was happening, she and I were locked in a tight embrace, spinning around the dance floor. I usually avoid dancing in public, but in Buenos Aires, the tango is so culturally important, I felt it would be rude not to try. So I'd paid a visit to one of the city's milongas — ramshackle dance clubs found throughout the Argentine capital — where dance enthusiasts assemble every night to cut a rug with one another. I just hoped the locals wouldn't be too offended by what was essentially an act of desecration on my part, as I clumsily stumbled around the room, trying my best to stay on my feet while not crushing Milandra's. They say it takes two to tango, but really, she was the only one contributing to our performance. I was merely there — a practice dummy, as useful and as graceful as a big sack of sugar, but still, somehow, absolutely thrilled to be a part of it. That's the overriding emotion of South America — sheer and simple joy. I walked around in persistant child-like wonder, gawping idiotically at everything I found myself immersed in. Nowhere else was that more prevalent than Iguazu Falls, the centrepiece of Intrepid's seven-day Best of Argentina and Brazil tour that starts in Buenos Aires and ends in Rio de Janeiro, via a two-day trip to the most breath-taking natural park I have ever visited. In places like this, guides will lower expectations by explaining that they 'can't promise anything' when it comes to which wildlife will make an appearance. Outside of New York City I found vineyards, breweries and a race track They needn't be so cagey in Iguazu, with the sprawling stretch of jungle that saddles the border between the two countries packed with a gloriously diverse wealth of creatures. Toucans and parrots flew overhead, capybaras relaxed in the cooling waters of the Iguazu River and mischievous coati, a relative of the raccoon, flocked to picnic areas to fight over tourists ' dropped scraps. All of this, and so much more, plays out in front of the most awe-inspiring backdrop, the falls, which were officially declared one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2011. 'Thrilling ambience' Rickety walkways offer vantage points to view most of the landmark's astounding angles, although guests can also take helicopter rides overhead, as well as a boat ride that is slightly more extreme than its name suggests. My fellow sailors and I were tossed about in our seats as our high-powered vessel first took on a barrage of rapids, before the skilled driver zipped in and out of some of the falls' more powerful sections, completely drenching each of us to the bone. I can't remember ever being quite so soaked, but the cool waters of the aggressive power shower were very refreshing in the 38C heat. It also enabled me to gain a truer appreciation of the force of nature I had been lucky enough to spend two exhilarating days exploring. Luckily, the opportunity to relax was provided at my final stop, Rio, where the locals on the famous Copacabana beach go out of their way to prevent you from having to do anything at all. After renting a chair for the day for just £2, I was approached by a steady stream of men with barbecues offering to cook enormous prawns, grilled cheeses or various meats without me ever needing to move from my spot. 8 8 Even more pleasing was the constant flow of vendors serving refreshing caipirinhas, the Brazilian's cocktail of choice — a dangerously drinkable mix of sugar, limes and cachaca, a local spirit made from fermented sugar cane that has the strength of a Long Island iced tea masked by the sweetness of a can of Lilt. They're not just found by the beach, either. In fact, they're sold from stalls throughout the city and range in price from 80p to around £3, according to the extensive research that I selflessly conducted. They're even sold at the city's tourist spots, with bars found on top of Sugarloaf Mountain, which offers stunning views over the city's beaches and coruscating favelas, as well as the Selaron Steps — 215 stairs colourfully decorated with tiles by Chilean artist Jorge Selaron that connect the city centre with the flamboyantly graffitied Santa Teresa neighbourhood. Perilous perch The main sight to see is the Christ The Redeemer statue, which has stood atop Mount Corcovado since 1931. It's an impressive monument to behold, particularly up close, where the craftsmanship that went into carving Jesus' face almost 100 years ago can be truly admired. From its perilous perch, tourists can pick out other famous sights, including the stage where most of Rio's carnival celebrations take place, and the Maracana stadium, where the Brazilian national football team and Flamengo play. South American fans are considered to be among the more rambunctious, so, keen to see what all the fuss was about, I got myself a ticket, with Intrepid's tours including matches as an optional extra. The streets surrounding the 78,000-seat arena were bursting with life from as much as two hours before kick-off, with barbecues, beer and, of course, caipirinhas all on offer, as Flamengo fans in their Dennis The Menace-esque black and red home shirts made their way to the ground. Once inside the legendary stadium, the noise and atmosphere only intensified, with samba beats being beaten loudly from drums, while pyrotechnics and giant flags enhanced the thrilling ambience. I did my best to sing along with the home fans, despite not knowing any Portuguese, and by the end I felt like an honorary member of their troop as we roared on Flamengo to a hard-fought 1-0 win. Then, as the fans filtered out afterwards, singing and dancing into the night, I ordered a final caipirinha and already began to feel a profound sense of longing for this truly magnificent part of the world before I'd even started packing for my flight home the next morning. Luckily, with trips like Intrepid's highlights tour, it's easy enough to plan another visit for the not-too-distant future. I just need to make sure I take a few tango lessons beforehand, so I can sweep Milandra off her feet next time, instead of almost standing all over them. 8 8 8 8
