[Narrator] Throughout history, there's always been an edge to the map... a border beyond which lies the great unknown.

Braving these frontiers are the world's most remote cities.

More than distant trading posts and isolated regional hubs, these remote enclaves serve as gateways to the wild places of the Earth.

[Conversation in foreign language] [Narrator] Outliers all, they are hotspots of tradition, innovation, and self-sufficiency.

Their stories are defined by relentless exploration, acts of valor, and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Born of necessity, evolving in splendid isolation, and enduring often harsh and hostile environments, these are the world's greatest remote cities.

♪ Cut off from the rest of the world by the great expanse of the South Pacific Ocean, the isolated island metropolis of Honolulu is the most remote city on earth.

♪ Situated on the southern shore of Oahu, Honolulu lies a staggering 3,700 kilometers from San Francisco, its nearest urban neighbor.

The largest city and capital of the American state of Hawaii, Honolulu, translated as sheltered harbor, has served as an important seaport connecting Asia and the Americas for centuries.

Originally settled by Polynesian migrants in the 11th century, the United States annexed the territory of Hawaii following the demise of its royal family in 1898.

Today, America's westernmost city boasts an ethnically diverse population, with more than half of its citizens identifying as Asian American.

Despite its geographic isolation, Hawaii's unique culture and enviable lifestyle has become renowned the world over.

The busiest gateway to the Hawaiian archipelago, Honolulu, attracts several million visitors each year, contributing over $10 billion to the local economy.

Famed for its white sands and rolling waves, once the summer retreat of Hawaiian royalty, Waikiki is Honolulu's most famous beach.

It's also the birthplace of modern surfing.

A recreational pastime in the region for centuries thanks to pioneering efforts by surfer Duke Kahanamoku, the novelty was transformed into a competitive sport here in the early 1900s before exploding into a worldwide phenomenon by the mid-20th century.

Today, Waikiki plays host to novices and professionals alike.

It's perhaps fitting that the birthplace of surfing boasts some of the sport's highest achievers, Sunny Garcia, Andy Irons, and John John Florence to name just a few.

While some city beaches accommodate a variety of skill levels, others on the island most certainly don't.

The coastline of the North Shore is not for the faint-hearted.

The famed breaks of Pipeline, Waimea Bay, and Sunset Beach offer some of the best and most dangerous surfing anywhere on the planet.

As if drawn by tidal undercurrents, intrepid surfers from all over the globe undertake the odyssey to this remote enclave in search of the perfect ride.

Of course, it's not always necessary to risk life and limb to enjoy the warm tropical waters of the Hawaiian Islands.

Here, there's something for everyone.

Sometimes getting away from it all means just that.

What better way to escape the humdrum of everyday life than to travel to the world's most remote city?

Marooned on a tropical island amidst the balmy South Pacific, it's easy to see the appeal of this oasis, set worlds away from the life mundane.

Although remote, Honolulu is by no means a backwater.

Thanks to its heaving international dockyards and airports, the shopping districts here are rarely short on the finer things in life.

Cosmopolitan and eclectic, they are bustling hives of activity year-round.

A city full of charm and appeal, Honolulu also serves as a gateway to the many treasures of Hawaii's natural world.

Formed by eons of volcanic activity, the islands of Hawaii are the exposed peaks of a great underwater mountain range.

While submerged vents continue to bubble away beneath the surface, hoping to one day form an island of their own, the islands themselves play host to a number of active volcanoes.

On the island of Hawaii, Kilauea, literally translated as spewing, has been in a state of almost constant eruption since 1983.

During one of the longest volcanic events in written history, the volcano has resurfaced over 100 square kilometers of land, constantly changing the island's topography.

While a popular attraction for tourists, the ceaseless flow of lava occasionally proves an inconvenience for local commuters.

The Hawaiian archipelago boasts a number of national parks that protect areas of ecological significance on land... and the world's largest marine sanctuary, designed to preserve the incredible biodiversity of the surrounding waters... for the likes of the majestic green turtle, popular seasonal visitor.

A city defined rather than hindered by its geographical isolation, the world's most remote city has become a welcoming oasis in an otherwise sea of emptiness.

Honolulu and the surrounding islands has been blessed with a wealth of natural wonders and a name synonymous with paradise.

♪ [Man chanting in a foreign language] Encompassed by the sprawling Tibetan Plateau to the north and the formidable Himalayan Mountain range to the south, the remote city of Lhasa sits as a crown atop the roof of the world.

Bordered by some of the most rugged and inhospitable landscapes on Earth, Lhasa is not only one of the world's most isolated cities, at 3,500 meters above sea level, it's also one of the world's highest.

While the Tibetan capital is accessible by air, it's not uncommon for new arrivals to succumb to altitude sickness shortly after disembarking the aircraft.

Luckily, there are other ways to reach the charms of this secluded enclave.

Spanning 2,000 kilometers from Central China to Lhasa, the Qinghai-Tibet railway is the world's highest railway line.

Although reaching an elevation of over 5,000 meters along the way, the ascent is gradual, so the physical effects of altitude variances are less pronounced.

Just to be on the safe side, additional oxygen is pumped through the train's ventilation systems to alleviate any unpleasant side effects.

Many consider this rail journey across the remarkable Tibetan Plateau to be the trip of a lifetime.

♪ Literally meaning "place of the gods," Lhasa has served as the spiritual and administrative capital of Tibet since the 17th century.

An ethnically diverse center of trade, throughout its history, the city has long been a beacon of Tibetan Buddhism.

Constructed upon sacred ground under the guidance of the fifth Dalai Lama, the Potala Palace served the Tibetan people as both seat of government and holy temple since its completion in 1694.

Sturdily built to withstand the earthquakes that frequent the Tibetan Plateau, the palace boasts over 200,000 Buddhist statues and 10,000 shrines, housed across a thousand rooms.

Today a World Heritage-listed museum, the Potala Palace historically served as the traditional residence of the Dalai Lamas, Tibet's temporal and spiritual leaders, up until the mid-20th century.

[Newsreader] Few Cameramen have even been allowed into Tibet, and the pictures form a background to the present upheaval in this isolated land.

Ironically, the news now tells of an uprising against the Chinese, the Chinese Communists in occupation of an inoffensive country against its will.

Reports of rebellion in the mountainous northern areas have been current for some time.

[Narrator] Following the invasion of Tibet by Chinese Communists in the 1950s, the 14th and current Dalai Lama was forced to flee into exile... where he remains to this day.

With the ensuing influx of Han Chinese immigrants, the city's demographics changed dramatically.

But although now a minority in the region, Tibetan culture has proven resilient.

Today, Lhasa's streets and marketplaces abound with traditional ways of life.

In the heart of Lhasa, Barkhor Square is a busy hub of commercial activity and a popular meeting spot for locals and visitors alike.

Attracting spiritual pilgrims from all over Tibet, Jokhang Temple, has stood in the center of the square for over 1,400 years.

As they approach the sacred site, monks bow in reverence, humbly prostrating up to a thousand times in penance for perceived misdoings.

♪ Amongst the more profound examples of Tibetan Buddhist culture here is the ancient art of debate.

Celebrating a rich history of philosophical inquiry, monks regularly partake in ritualistic debate in order to create a clear path to truth.

Their elaborate hand movements represent the intersection of wisdom and correct action.

While some visitors are drawn to Lhasa seeking spiritual enlightenment, others come here in pursuit of a different, yet no less lofty, goal.

If Kathmandu is the gate to Everest, then Lhasa is the backdoor.

[Woman chanting in a foreign language] [Narrator] Once considered a final frontier at the end of the Earth, Mt.

Everest is not as hard to reach as it once was.

For better or for worse, Chinese authorities recently constructed a highway, connecting Lhasa to the North Everest base camp.

At an altitude of 5,150 meters, the camp is used as a staging point for mountaineers attempting to surmount the world's highest peak.

Assisted by porters known as Sherpas and beasts of burden such as yaks, this life-affirming conquest is solely reserved for the most intrepid of climbers.

Since first conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, only half of those who have attempted to dominate its 29,000-foot-high summit have succeeded, with more than 300 losing their lives in the pursuit.

♪ [People singing in foreign language] [Narrator] Deeply rooted in Tibetan Buddhist culture, Lhasa exists as a city on the roof of the world.

Isolated but not alone, the remote enclave continues to attract a steady stream of spiritual and intrepid pilgrims from all over the globe.

Alluring and otherworldly, it's easy to see why the original inhabitants named it the place of the gods.

♪ Remote cities don't come much more remote than this.

Smack bang in the middle of the vast island nation of Australia, Alice Springs is often referred to as the gateway to the outback.

In truth, if you make it to Alice Springs, you've already been in the outback for quite some time.

In Central Australia, the nearest cities to Alice Springs are Adelaide, around 1,500 kilometers to the south, or Darwin, 1,500 kilometers to the north.

It's precisely due to Alice Springs' remote, central positioning that there's a town here at all.

In 1872, Alice Springs began life as a repeater station on the overland telegraph, the line that connected Adelaide to Darwin and Australia to the rest of the world.

Stretching over 3,000 kilometers through some of the most inhospitable deserts on Earth, the construction of the overland telegraph was one of the great engineering feats of 19th-century Australia.

While this form of communication has long since become a relic of the past, Alice Springs has carried on.

And in splendid isolation, the town has grown to become the symbolic heart of Australia, an idiosyncratic place both at one with its harsh desert environment and totally at odds with it.

Aboriginal dreamtime mythology holds that the landscape around Alice Springs was shaped by the intersecting song lines of spiritual caterpillars.

However they were formed, modern-day Alice Springs is the launching pad to explore the natural treasures of the Australian outback.

This is a land so vast that its cattle stations are larger than European nations... and so unexpected that it's home to the biggest population of camels in the world.

♪ These wild camels are the legacy of beasts that Afghan cameleers depended upon to supply this remote region before cars took over in the 1930s.

And since the advent of cars, central Australia has become host to events like the Finke Desert Race, one of the toughest off-road motor events on the planet.

♪ The crowning glory and unofficial capital of the outback is this place, Uluru.

Rising out of nowhere to tower 350 meters above the desert floor, the vast majority of this mesmerizing stone monolith lies hidden beneath.

Uluru may be a six-hour drive from Alice Springs, but in terrain this vast, that barely rates a mention.

♪ Bearing closer resemblance to the surface of Mars than anywhere else on Earth, the Australian outback is undoubtedly an otherworldly place.

And at the center of it all, Alice Springs sits as an odd oasis, a welcoming, familiar town in an otherwise inhospitable alien land.

♪ ♪ Once a mining outpost, then a historic outlier, and now an outstanding city seeking to put its brief, yet troubled past behind it... Johannesburg is the economic center of South Africa and the gateway to the nation's natural riches.

Nearly 600 kilometers from the nearest port and with no river or harbor in sight, Johannesburg is one of the few major cities in the world not to have been built on a body of water.

Situated on South Africa's elevated inland plateau known as the Highveld, this is not the most practical position for a city.

But the reason behind Johannesburg's location is simple: there's gold in them there hills.

In 1884, the discovery of the Witwatersrand gold reef sparked one of the biggest gold rushes the world had ever seen.

♪ Johannesburg was established just two years later... and with tens of thousands continuing to rush to the area, it became one of the fastest-growing cities in history.

But with independence, South Africa's all-white government ushered in an era of legislated racism.

Known as apartheid, Afrikaans for "apartness," the widely condemned policy saw the country and its major cities grow even more remote from the global community.

[Woman singing in foreign language] [Narrator] In Johannesburg, the legacy of these dark days can be seen in Soweto.

Now a suburb of the city, this was once a segregated shantytown, set aside from the rest of Johannesburg for the black population.

Poverty and racial disparity are still issues here today but, out of adversity and isolation, Soweto has endured.

A close community has formed, and a unique and beautiful spirit has arisen.

♪ From this former shantytown, a host of significant South Africans have emerged, among them legendary human rights activists Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, their homes both located on Vilakazi Street-- a cultural landmark that is said to be the only street in the world to have produced two Nobel Peace prize recipients.

Famed for their lively spirit and infectious dancing, Soweto's shebeens began as illegal community watering holes for black South Africans, once banned from buying or selling alcohol.

Helping to sustain a vibrant African subculture during apartheid, the shebeens remain important places for discussion, for belonging, and, simply, for a good time.

♪ With the wildlife outside the city a major attraction for international tourists, Johannesburg serves as the gateway to one of the continent's largest and most well-known game reserves.

Named after the Boer Republic leader, Kruger National Park offers an unparalleled diversity of African flora and fauna.

With visitors flocking to see the more than 500 species of birds and the 147 species of large mammals, Kruger upholds its glowing reputation as one of the most magnificent wildlife destinations on Earth.

♪ The symbolic heart of South Africa, Johannesburg today is in the midst of an urban renaissance, renewing and revitalizing previously neglected areas in pursuit of a more modern and inclusive society.

With a rich history for a young city, where Johannesburg was once geographically and culturally remote, it's now reaching out, connecting with the world and all its citizens as it strides toward an equally rich and more equitable future.

♪ ♪ [Horns honking] As if falling from the pages of a Rudyard Kipling novel set against the romantic backdrop of India's Rajasthan desert, the dramatic city of Jaipur appears as a mirage on the horizon.

♪ Dominated by desert, Rajasthan, India's largest state, spans an area roughly the size of Germany.

At its arid heart lies the famed Pink City of Jaipur.

A typically chaotic Indian urban center, amidst the mayhem of its streets lies order and behind the modern facade of daily life, a culture steeped in history.

Bordering the Indus Valley, the region has supported human endeavors since the dawn of civilization.

The city of Jaipur was founded in the early 1700s by Jai Singh II, the powerful maharaja for whom the city is named.

Built around an ephemeral water supply, it's one of the few architecturally planned cities on the subcontinent.

Inspiring its nickname, the pink coloration adorning its walls was added in the 19th century in honor of a visit from the then-heir apparent to the British royal throne, Edward VII.

Amongst the better known of the city's landmarks, the Hawa Mahal palace complex stands as an architectural icon.

Constructed in 1799, the elaborate five-story-high facade is often likened to the honeycomb of a beehive.

Separated from the main castle buildings, the facade's original purpose was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the streets below, hidden away from unworthy eyes.

A fusion of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles, the structures behind the outer wall reflect the city's varied cultural heritage.

Naturally cooling the interior, a constant flow of air streams through the intricate latticework, creating a perfect summer retreat for the maharajas of bygone eras.

During his reign, with a penchant for astronomy, Jai Singh II ordered the construction of the Jantar Mantar, literally meaning "calculation instrument."

A scientific marvel of its time, the creation encompasses no less than 19 astronomical instruments used to measure time, predict eclipses, and even track stars and planets.

Today it continues to host the world's largest sundial.

[Woman chanting on soundtrack] [Narrator] Before Jaipur was linked by modern highways to other urban centers, the isolated city was required to be self-sufficient, providing not only for itself but the surrounding region.

Although often harsh and inhospitable, the Rajasthan Desert has supported communities for millennia.

Today, life in the barren expanse surrounding Jaipur continues to flourish.

As unique as it is resilient, Rajasthani culture thrives in the desert.

The vibrant colors and artistic folk culture of local villages reflect traditional ways of life.

This region is particularly noted for its elaborately designed handmade carpets, which are coveted the world over.

♪ 11 kilometers from the city center lies the Amer Fort.

[Man singing in foreign language] [Narrator] Known for its artistic Hindu style of architecture, the fort has stood watch over the surrounding villages since the late 16th century.

Thanks to its prime position on the banks of Maota Lake and opulent design, the complex is also known as the Amer Palace.

Constructed of red sandstone and marble, the palace is laid out over several levels surrounding a central courtyard.

Once home to the Rajput maharajas, today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region.

Thanks to modern infrastructure, Jaipur is no longer as remote as it once was.

By embracing the legacy of self-reliance, it has entered the 21st century with an economy based on not only tourism and luxurious folk arts but also information technology.

A fusion of ancient cultural heritage and ultramodern lifestyle, over the centuries Jaipur has built upon lessons learnt in isolation and is now taking them to the rest of world.

♪ Perth.

More than the capital of western Australia, this remote city is the hub that spins the giant mining truck wheel of a state bigger than most countries.

Closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney, Perth needed to fend for itself from the outset, and that self-sufficient mentality has defined both the city and the state ever since.

The second most isolated capital in the world after Honolulu, Perth is situated on the southwest coast of western Australia.

Spurred by rumors of a planned French annexation of western Australia, the settlement of Perth was founded by the British in 1829.

Despite the use of free labor from imported convicts and generous incentives to lure settlers to the area, the isolated colony struggled for years until a gold rush in the late 19th century brought numbers and prosperity to the region.

Perth has never looked back.

This is the heart of the massive resource-rich state of western Australia, a state so big that, if it were to form a country in its own right, would be among the top 10 largest in the world.

The wealthy capital of a huge wealthy state, Perth is also blessed with natural beauty... boasting some of the most pristine city beaches in the world.

Outside Perth, the state of western Australia has a staggering 13,000 kilometers of coastline, so there's no worries about stepping on anyone else's beach towel.

Canarvon, a surfer's paradise where the desert meets the sea, may be more than a nine-hour drive from Perth but out here, that's considered a day trip.

Drive a little further, and you'll hit the coastal town of Monkey Mia, a popular tourist destination for animal lovers.

Despite what its name suggests, Monkey Mia's main attraction is the wild bottlenose dolphins that have been visiting the shore and tourists for more than 50 years.

As well as mineral resources, the endless interior of western Australia has its own rugged beauty to offer.

But not everything in this remote expanse is about sightseeing and mining.

The Square Kilometre Array, an international project to build the world's largest and most powerful radio telescope, is underway here.

50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument, the Square Kilometre Array has found a home in the undisturbed isolation of western Australia's outback, seeking to peer into the mysterious origins of distant galaxies.

And as scientists gaze skyward, Perth's outlook is broadening too.

Ever the frontier town, this is a capital on the cusp of great change.

Aware that the wealth buried in the ground here can't last forever, Perth is modernizing, forging a new identity ready for new frontiers.

♪ The Mojave Desert.

This arid wasteland of over 30 million acres is home to the notorious Death Valley.

Mysterious petroglyphs, devastating nuclear weapons tests... and the biggest, brightest, most over-the-top remote city of them all, Vegas, baby!

In the state of Nevada, Las Vegas sits on the historic Route 66 highway, connecting L.A., Arizona, and Salt Lake City.

Las Vegas doesn't so much shimmer like an oasis in the desert, it radiates as an exuberant monument to pure indulgence.

Reputed to be the brightest city on the planet, Las Vegas's glitzy neon lights draw their power from the same place that the city draws its origins, the Hoover Dam.

Just east of Las Vegas, it was this hydroelectric power station that made the desert bloom.

Beginning in 1931, the construction of this massive concrete dam drew thousands of workers to the tiny backwater that was Las Vegas.

And local business owners as well as organized crime figures were quick to develop casinos and showgirl theaters to entertain the workforce.

When the dam was completed five years later, instead of dwindling, Las Vegas doubled down on its vices, capitalizing on Nevada's lax gambling laws to build hotel-casinos on the Vegas Strip.

The gamble paid off, and by the 1950s, the city was thriving.

Tourists flocked, and the star power of performers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr.

distracted from the famous gangsters behind the scenes, with mob money building and being laundered by ever-growing casinos.

♪ Today, this remote city is known worldwide as a mecca of gambling.

With over 100 casinos, a jackpot goes off here every five seconds, and each year, 47 million visitors leave behind approximately $10 billion in their efforts to strike it rich.

♪ While Vegas today is mostly all above board, the city still has a seedy side.

But in true Vegas style, it's well and truly on show, celebrated in the red-light district and reveled in by visitors looking to let their hair down.

There is something about the isolation of this city that emboldens partygoers to really cut loose, safe in the knowledge that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Of course, that's not always the case.

["Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn playing] Famous for its quick and often outrageous marriage ceremonies, sometimes a night out in Vegas has life-changing consequences.

Whether fulfilling a lifelong ambition to be married by Elvis or getting caught up in an impulsive YOLO moment... getting hitched in Vegas is a simple and legally binding affair.

Far from its roots in organized crime, Las Vegas in recent years has rebranded.

While not totally discarding its Sin City persona, Vegas today offers more family-friendly attractions from amusement park rides to shopping in high-end malls or factory direct outlets... and, of course, live entertainment remains a huge draw card.

The preferred venue of some of the biggest acts on the planet from circuses to magicians to musicians, living or dead, superstar performers don't just hold shows in Vegas, they take up residence for months at a time.

By offering something for everyone, this remote city, built upon greed, risk, excess, and luxury has maintained its seductive power, a power so strong that it continues to draw millions into the middle of an inhospitable desert in the hope of playing out their fantasies.

Scattered in the winds to the farthest reaches of the globe, mankind's remote cities straddle the boundaries between civilization and the world's wildest places.

Existing on the precipice, they have tamed the elements, drawn water from stone... and ridden the tides of time.

Resilient, self-sufficient, and independent, frontiers one and all, they have looked into the abyss and endured.

They are the world's greatest remote cities.

♪