Instagram Ban

This article was originally published in International

Places NOT to Instagram

We get it. You go somewhere amazing, somewhere tailor-made for an Insta story, the kind of place that turns you into an amateur director, barking at your friends to start doing something Boomerang-friendly…but are you, ah, actually having fun over there?

Here’s a few urban beauty spots some we’d like to keep to ourselves that's why some have no pictures!. So shun social media - just go and enjoy them.

Peggy Porschen Parlour, London

Get high off sugar, not social media validation! Where? At cakemaker Peggy Porschen’s Parlour, a millennial pink palace in Belgravia which pairs its cupcakes with glasses of rosé champagne.

When Peggy isn’t stocking her parlour with icing-and-meringue-and-syrup-clad layer cakes, she’s working on special orders. Like, really special orders. Previous commissions include a Faberge egg confection for Elton John, and a wedding cake for the ultimate social media-dodger, Kate Moss. Candy crush indeed.

Salvation Mountain, California

Look, it’s not like we’re anti-Mickey Mouse, but there are few worse things we can think of than queuing for 45 minutes to get on a ride whilst surrounded by screaming children and with “It’s A Small World After All” on the repeat in the background (*shudders*). So ditch the cliché mouse ears selfie and head instead to a hill in the Colorado Desert. Created by Leonard Night, Salvation Mountain is a technicolour treasure trove covered in over 100,000 gallons of paint and it’s a literal fantasy world. Added bonus, when exploring the mountain’s cubby holes: you can recreate some of your music vid faves as Hurts, Kesha and Coldplay have all hit it up for their go-to shoot locations. Beats Thunder Mountain hands down, right?

Lotus Lake, Tambon Chiang Haeo, Thailand

Steer clear of the “gap yah” goers and the people who are still covered in rave paint from a Full Moon Party a full three days ago, and head to one of Thailand’s hidden gems. Kept away from public eye due to super tall elephant grass, Lotus Lake is an undiscovered lake full of millions of flamingo-pink lotus flowers that only the local residents know about. So let’s keep it that way, yeah?

Playground Duperré, France

Ah, you’re in Paris? Then you should experience the basketball court of dreams – Playground Duperré, a rainbow-colored strip sandwiched between two traditional Parisian buildings. A collaboration between Paris’s Ill Studio, fashion house Pigalle and Nike, its recycled rubber floor soaks up sound so it’s easy to walk straight past it – but step in and you’ll find a secret, multicoloured spot to shoot hoops.

Lanyop Gallery, Dunedin, New Zealand

Okay, we’re going to level with you here. This one isn’t *technically* legal, so slapping it on the ‘gram probs wouldn’t be your finest mood. But moving swiftly on… Located in a tiny flat behind the Mou Bar on George Street, Lanyop Gallery is a new way to experience art. There’s no signs for the entrance so you have to be #InTheKnow, and when you get there, the exhibition is completely candle-lit while the owner soundtracks your art-viewing by playing a few tunes of the piano. Bliss.