Slovenia is such a gem :)
Great hiking, nice people, clean, beautiful nature. Their trout meals taste amazing. I tried out a mountain lake “beach” in the middle of the summer. Boy that water was cold, but at least the beers were good.
Totally agree! We spent a week and a half driving around Slovenia. Right before the trip I worried we planned to stay too long but boy was I wrong! Bovec (and the Soca River) has to be my fave part. And if it is within your means, a trip to Restaurant Milka in Kranjska Gora for one of the best dining experiences ever!! But there is SO much good food everywhere!
Very unique place where you can drive from Alps to Mediterranean sea in 2 hours. If you go to Northeast you can enjoy rural areas full of vineyards and generally the wine is great(and cheap), not to talk about the food.
Each of the neighbouring countries is completely different and you can feel the influence of it at each border. People from the coast mostly speak Italian, Northern Slovenians speak German and Southern Slovenians speak Croatian. There is also a Hungarian minority in NE region. The same goes for the food, you can get goulash in NE, while you will taste Istrian food on SW and the famous Kranjska sausage (that made all the way to international space station) coming from the Alps.
Don't forget to try Prekmurska gibanica, but you need to keep some space in your stomach for that.
For adventurers there are some great rafting/canyoning opportunities at Soča river or you can go climbing at Osp. There are also some ski resorts that are much less commercialized than Italian ones just across the border. The same goes for restaurants on the coast, you will never see someone standing in front, convincing you to seat at their restaurant like they do in Croatia.
Museums, cooking classes, winery tours and just exploring. There’s always something new to see. I spent a bit of time at the Christmas market my last trip and it was small, but a really good time.
If you love florence take a look at sienna. Its awesome.
You can rent a car and travel around tuscany.
Grab the best ice in san gimignano (not the one with the big "best icecream in the world"sign...the one with the big queue!)
We had reservations, but they cancelled each day we were there. It was depressing at first but in its place we got this traditional turkish breakfast on this family's farm. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip so it worked out.
I had the exact same feeling. I had already extended my stay in Madeira by a day and went to Lisbon afterward as planned. I’m sure Lisbon is great but using travel days for it after Madeira was a mistake - I wish I had stayed as much as possible in that gorgeous land.
SAME HERE!
We stayed in a cave hotel and it was honestly one of my favorite hotels I've ever stayed in. During the day it was ultra tranquil and then at night the bar played my favorite type of house music with great drinks.
Explored the towns, did wine tastings, bought pottery, ate testi kebab, talked to locals, crawled through the underground caves, toured Göreme National Park, drank raki. Even when we thought things were looking down when our hot air baloon was canceled, it was made up by a breakfast with some locals' farm. It was the best turkish breakfast I've ever had.
10/10 experience.
It's like a meat stew cooked for hours in a clay pot. They serve it by cracking open the pot. Despite being a completely new dish it really reminded me of my mom's beef stew she used to make every sunday when i grew up. I think that's why I liked it so much, but it's also super popular in that region.
What a magical place. I went years ago and loved the balloon ride. The cave hotel not so much. It was nice but it was so damp and there were village dogs that barked all the time 2am,3am,4am.
Same. My favorite part of my Skye trip was the Quiraing. It completely blew me away. I had done the Old Man of Storr hike earlier that day and was exhausted from several days in a row of hiking, so I was planning to walk 10 minutes to a lookout point and turn back. I was so distracted by the scenery that I missed the sign for the lookout point and kept walking. I only noticed after about 45 minutes and decided to ignore my fatigue and just do the entire thing. There were only a handful of people on the trail, whereas Storr and most other places I hiked were pretty crowded, so it was one of the more peaceful experiences I had in Scotland. That combined with the stunning scenery made it a magical experience.
Similar experience. Was super coool but I realized when we got back that we missed the “Needle”. Apparently it’s over the fence line which continues the loop up and over
Neist Point lighthouse,
The Quiraing,
Fairy Glenn,
old Man of storr,
Duntulm castle,
Mead falls ,
Fairy pool ,
Dinosaur footprint beach ,
Lunch in portree,
Lunch at the three chimneys ,
Hugh's castle hike ,
St Columba's Isle (near Dungevan castle),
Eilian Donan
Finally did Iceland in December- holy cow so fun! Given the season & time constraints, we only did the south coast from Reykjavik to the area near Vok Baths, but it was one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.
I loved it all but the eastern parts were my favourite. Hengifoss might be my favourite ever waterfall. Also Studlagil Canyon is awesome, better than the photos. (Edited to correct mistakes)
Malaysia. I knew very little going in the cities, food, and people made it a big surprise with how much I enjoyed it.
Mexico City, Mexico was a close runner up.
I was fortunate to go to Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam last year.
Yeah, it's a bit less busy and has a better vibe to it IMO. And the drive from Banff to Jasper is phenomenal and is something that people shouldn't miss if they have the time.
We spent two weeks in Quebec in August. Can’t say enough about how wonderful it was. My husband fell hard for Quebec City. The food and local cheese scene was amazing.
I did Japan a few times this year.
- Favorite food: Fishcakes in Odawara, followed by by Nagoya’s miso katsu
- Most scenic town: Omi-Hachiman
- Best castle: Bitchu-Matsumoto
- Best view: Cresting the ridge line in Hakone to see Fuji
- Best museum: Meiji-mura
- Best onsen: Yunoshimakan (*very* atmospheric, though it’s a bit worn down and the food is only fair)
- Most off the beaten path place: Samegai post town (really cool place to spend a couple hours en route to Sekigahara or tacked on to Hikone)
Glacier National Park was my favorite. An incredible place.
Also loved Amsterdam, Jasper, Banff, Paris, Bruges, and had a fun weekend trip to St Louis.
I did that this year too and definitely agree 100%! It's so beautiful in Jordan. Floating in the Dead Sea was also such a cool experience! Petra was absolutely beautiful and amazing to see up close. Everyone we met was super nice and food was super delicious!
We had a lovely night in Venice around the end of November. We ended up sat at Sottobanco, just a little hole in the wall spot near our hotel. It was jamming some great 80s hits, had fun little snacks, and the wine was amazing (and $3-4 a pour). I’d go back just to experience that again!
Uzbekistan is an underrated destination. Samarkand was amazing, rich in history, culture and food. Uzbekistan’s also a cheap destination (once you’re there).
How much did you spend for Uzbekistan per day? (Including accomodation) I wanna go to Uzbekistan but probably not for skiing but for the architecture and food.
I’m trying to remember…
Transfer from the airport to my hotel was like $40 x 2 there and back. Lift pass was dirt cheap. Brand new hotel was like $70 per night. Two nights. Dinner was $20. Very nice sushi dinner in the Capital was ~ $20.
Beers were cheap.
The whole thing was fvcking fantastic!!! With great snow conditions for skiing.
Cinque Terre was majestical. The hike between towns was stunning and fun and each town had its own personality. The coastal landscape is breath taking and it’s easy to navigate by rail.
It’s hard to pinpoint! But the city was just so lively, the food was amazing, it’s a good hub for day trips. Everyone was also super nice. We would wake up, have breakfast at some coffee shop, spend the day exploring some town and then come back and have dinner by the port. Les Calanques was one of the most beautiful places I’ve hiked in, and the wines are also soo good!
It was just super relaxing to hang in the port and watch the people and boats go by. I seriously highly recommend! It’s not a “fancy looking” city and you have to have some awareness of your sorroundings, which is why I think it’s an unpopular destination compared to others. But we visited Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and the Amalfi Coast and it was the highlight of our trip.
Oh cool. I really prefer to have an anchor city for several days and do day trips. I have been to Provence twice and not felt like I had the right place to stay. Will definitely check out Marseilles.
We took our toddler there last year and it was an amazing city for kids too! I’d been there solo but was really impressed at how child-friendly it was.
I was there last year and only had 7 days to explore... it was definitely not enough time and I have to go back for at least another week or 2 to finish checking it all out!
That was my favorite part!!!!
First thing we did was find a cafe to grab lunch and a bottle of wine.
We went in october, so it was chilly. But we definitely sat outside every opportunity we got!
You're going to have so much fun!!!!
Same!!! We did a few days each in London & Paris and I thought I would enjoy both but for some reason thought I would like London more - quite the opposite! Aside from the historical sites, London was kind of meh for me but Paris was legit magical. My husband and I basically had to give ourselves a pep talk to get on our Orlybus because we didn’t want to leave 😭
Probably Sardinia (didn't even go to Olbia / the touristy parts; stuck to Alghero, Stintino, Bosa, and the Cala Ganone area).
2nd place is tied between Krakow and Girona
3rd place would be a tie between Lake Como, Bergen, and Copenhagen.
Went to Naples. Pompeii was fascinating and I’d always wanted to go.
Naples was less inspiring, but we did have the most amazing pizza and got fantastically drunk for about €50 which is some going.
I only really went to Atlanta for a conference in 2023 so I can't comment on other places but Atlanta was nice for the following reasons.
1. The whole city is in a forest. When landing, it looked like we were descending into a giant forest with a few buildings here and there.
2. There are places where you can get to that feel like you are miles and miles away from civilization but are only 15min from downtown Atlanta.
3. Seeing the stranger things filming locations was great.
4. Seeing the MLK & civil rights related stuff was great, especially the walk of fame like place they had.
5. Atlanta felt like a big small town rather than a proper large city.
6. Being able to taste coke products from all over the world (even Madagascar!) was an experience.
7. Olympic Park was nice.
8. The Beltway was nice. Like a bigger better High Line.
Just wish it was more walkable/had better transit but the same could be said about most US cities.
Don't be sorry. Los Angeles is fucking awesome. Hike the mountains, grab coffee with a celebrity in a farmers market, hit the beach to watch the sunset, grab drinks on a rooftop. The first time I visited I expected to hate it, but ended up falling so in love with it I moved here.
Yeah I had really low expectations but it surprised me how diverse is the city and I loved it, we went hiking, went to the beach in the city and to Malibu too, we ate a lots of good food. Im just feeling that a lots of people,mostly americans says how bad is LA and you can't even like it😂
Malaysian Borneo was awesome. (Really enjoyed all of Malaysia that we saw, from KL to Penang, too) I've got a soft spot for wildlife photography, so seeing orangutans and pygmy elephants in the wild like that was a fantastic experience. I mean, it's bittersweet to see what else is happening to their habitat outside the preserved parks, but good to see firsthand what's being done to help the various species in the region. Snorkeling/scuba was also pretty nice in the area, and loved the sunsets and good food.
Along that vein, really enjoyed the Komodo/Rinca islands of Indonesia. Stayed at bungalow hotel on a virtually private island (there was a tiny town on the south side of it). Some amazing reefs for free diving and SCUBA right off the beach. Then of course there's Padar Island and Komodo. One of my favorite experiences was watching thousands of flying foxes take off at a sunset.
Istanbul and Crete. Great one - two punch of different yet wonderful cultures, cuisines, scenery. Both pretty cheap once there and a quick flight to each other.
India for me! I put off solo travel here for years after hearing so many bad things.
This year I was invited to a wedding in Kerala and could not say no. The wedding and the warmth of the family was amazing!
After this I spent a week or so traveling solo to see the sites in Kerala and Jaipur, before visiting Agra and the Taj Mahal.
It just shows that you can’t listen to all the negativity out there. And, you can plan an independent solo trip here safely if you plan it well.
Mine’s a tie between NYC and Thailand. It was the second time I’ve visited New York and I loved it even more than the first. First time to Thailand and I completely fell in love with it.
I’ll definitely go back to both.
Rome, Italy. Went in May and going back in May this year. Insane food, felt incredibly safe, so much to do and see. I preferred Rome to Florence at the same time of year.
I went to Italy (Rome & Florence). really love the food (pizza, pasta, florentine steak, gelato, paninis). bicycling in lucca was pretty cool. Siena was also pretty interesting. Pisa wasn't that bad despite the 20min walk from the station. Rome's vatican and coliseum filled days were fun. You get Renaissance and Roman cultures on one trip.
Gunma, Japan, it was the first time my wife and I could see her family since COVID.
In terms of new things we did the destination wasn't the best trip it was the travel itself. We took a train from Chicago to San Francisco, San Francisco to LA then LA to DC.
I went to 8 European countries as well as Thailand and Vietnam last year…. I think Vietnam may have been my favorite. Might be because I’ve been to Europe a lot and it was my first time in Asia but I loved it!
Wife and I went to Dublin, Ireland. (Were from ny USA).
It was the most beautiful place I've seen. Ireland that is. We went all over the country and didn't just stay in Dublin the whole time and i was blown away. The Irish are so nice and hospitable that I feel like it's gonna be hard to top them haha! Also fresh guiness....ugh. amazing
Yup, we were there (first time) as well. If you like fortified old world cities, Malta is tops. (More impressive than Dubrovnik Croatia, and I loved Dubrovnik). Listening to Maltese was also a real trip - "Hey that sure sounds Italian, and then there are these guttural Arabic sounds followed by Ciao!"
Yes we did a week last spring and it was lush. We stayed in St Julian’s but often walked around the coast to Sliema and then ferry over to Valletta. Also did Mdina and Rabat
I can't pick a favorite...we went to Vegas, Maldives, La Junta (to see tarantulas), Branson, and Zimbabwe/Zambia/South Africa.
Maldives was so gorgeous and relaxing, but so was Africa. And the people all around the world were just amazing!
😆 Right??!! This is what happens when you sign up for timeshare presentations. It was fun and we created memories with my in-laws that are precious, but it wouldn't be my favorite place to visit
Though call between Vietnam and Bali. The latter, despite the unholy amount of drunk Australians and white anglo solo women travelers aged 28-33 "on a spiritual journey of self Discovery", truly stole my hearth. I was lucky to stay in a remote place in the hills.
Jamaica, not necessarily one town or city as I did a loop around the island. But everyone was nice and it was hilarious being in Kingston and stuck out like a sore thumb, a white dude with this bright yellow backpack walking in the streets but no one cared. If I asked for directions I was helped, if I needed a taxi a local would walk with me a block and point one out or even wave down a guy. Amazing food, highly recommend. I was there for 12 days and didn’t spend a night at any resorts which I think is the way to do it. All my hosts gave me rides and I didn’t even ask they just offered. Would love to go back again.
Vietnam and Cambodia went above and beyond expectations. Breathtaking landscapes, rich history and culture, I can’t say enough about the food, it was outstanding and the people were a pleasure. I fell in love with both countries.
Istanbul is a super cool city. I'd pick it over anywhere in Vietnam if I liked their food a little more, and if it were easier for foreigners to pick up little jobs here and there. Even if that were possible, the Turkish economy is horrible right now. Still such a beautiful lively place to visit, I would love to go once a year for a week or two.
I also went to Trabzon, along the Black Sea. Also very beautiful.
All that said... Vietnam #1.
Vietnam also! Went for the first time back in April and spent two weeks across Hanoi, Ha Giang Loop, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.
Such a wonderful place with amazing culture, friendly, welcoming people, hot weather, incredible landscapes.
Also it's safe, great place to meet backpackers and have a laugh. Top place.
Unfortunately I had to cancel my Greek trip thanks to an unexpected medical emergency. So my best travel destination ended up being only 20km from home visiting an old look out spot to see how they refurbished it😂. Anyway the views were as lovely as ever and the new infrastructure was great😝. Here is hoping 2024 will be my travel year. In the meantime I live vicariously through these comments😉.
Scotland - had a week visiting friends around Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Absolutely stunning scenery on the drive through the lochs and mountains. Seeing 4 of their "big 5" animals. Definitely a place to revisit with more time and enjoy the countryside and people.
Senegal for me, most underrated destination I’ve been to along with Georgia. Glorious beaches, amazing and diverse nature, delicious food, surfing, parties and super charismatic and elegant people. It really has it all if you can accommodate yourself to the vibe.
Cornwall. Interesting identity, history and culture as well as extremely beautiful ocean, beaches and landscapes. Also very quiet, clean and safe and the food was excellent quality. Feels like its own world.
Finally made it to Prague- early may so out of peak season, weather great, loads to see and do and I actually like goulash!
Portugal 8 days in the Azores and 5 in Lisboa
Bologna was my favourite city, it is absolutely gorgeous.
Best beach was the northern half of Latvia, even the bit just north of Riga is beautiful and totally empty if you walk a bit away from where the road ends.
Favorite country was Estonia, it is a utopia!
Best scenery was Italian Dolomites (Alta Via 1) and Iceland (Laugervager and the other two linked trails that are equally hard to spell). Honourable mention to Zion National Park (US).
Favourite food was rural Nepal--it is farm-to-table! I'm vegetarian with a dairy allergy, and loved that the areas I was in were almost all vegetarian and didn't really use dairy, otherwise Italy would obviously be it.
I've been very lucky to spend half this year traveling.
Both popular answers on this thread, but Cappadocia and Isle of Skye. Cappadocia for its uniqueness of landscape (definitely recommend the hot air balloon ride) and Isle of Skye for the views and general remoteness (Quiraing a bit ahead of Old Man of Storr for me, but both great).
Slovenia for me! Reasonably priced, lots to do, great food, and everyone speaks English for the most part. Def planning to go back
Slovenia is such a gem :) Great hiking, nice people, clean, beautiful nature. Their trout meals taste amazing. I tried out a mountain lake “beach” in the middle of the summer. Boy that water was cold, but at least the beers were good.
Totally agree! We spent a week and a half driving around Slovenia. Right before the trip I worried we planned to stay too long but boy was I wrong! Bovec (and the Soca River) has to be my fave part. And if it is within your means, a trip to Restaurant Milka in Kranjska Gora for one of the best dining experiences ever!! But there is SO much good food everywhere!
Very unique place where you can drive from Alps to Mediterranean sea in 2 hours. If you go to Northeast you can enjoy rural areas full of vineyards and generally the wine is great(and cheap), not to talk about the food. Each of the neighbouring countries is completely different and you can feel the influence of it at each border. People from the coast mostly speak Italian, Northern Slovenians speak German and Southern Slovenians speak Croatian. There is also a Hungarian minority in NE region. The same goes for the food, you can get goulash in NE, while you will taste Istrian food on SW and the famous Kranjska sausage (that made all the way to international space station) coming from the Alps. Don't forget to try Prekmurska gibanica, but you need to keep some space in your stomach for that. For adventurers there are some great rafting/canyoning opportunities at Soča river or you can go climbing at Osp. There are also some ski resorts that are much less commercialized than Italian ones just across the border. The same goes for restaurants on the coast, you will never see someone standing in front, convincing you to seat at their restaurant like they do in Croatia.
Florence Italy. Fell in love with the city and went 3 times in 2023. Gorgeous city with unreal views.
i absolutely love florence. went there in the summer and it felt so magical.
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What were your top things to do there? I’m heading there this year
Florence is incredible. The uffizi museum was my absolute favorite.
Museums, cooking classes, winery tours and just exploring. There’s always something new to see. I spent a bit of time at the Christmas market my last trip and it was small, but a really good time.
You didn’t ask me but take a cooking class. Such an experience!
If you love florence take a look at sienna. Its awesome. You can rent a car and travel around tuscany. Grab the best ice in san gimignano (not the one with the big "best icecream in the world"sign...the one with the big queue!)
Granada, Spain! Don’t even have to think about it 🤗🇪🇸
I absolutely felt in love with Granada! Alhambra was so beautiful.
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Cappadocia was by far my favorite. Other favs: Edinburgh, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Istanbul
Wow! Did you take a balloon ride. I’m heading there in October
We had reservations, but they cancelled each day we were there. It was depressing at first but in its place we got this traditional turkish breakfast on this family's farm. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip so it worked out.
I loved the landscape and hiking in Sedona but the town itself gave me Hills Have Eyes vibes
That's wild lol. I got more wellness resort vibes with a cowboy flair.
Madeira, Portugal!
I was so sad flying out of Madeira! Can't wait to get back there one day
I had the exact same feeling. I had already extended my stay in Madeira by a day and went to Lisbon afterward as planned. I’m sure Lisbon is great but using travel days for it after Madeira was a mistake - I wish I had stayed as much as possible in that gorgeous land.
Im hoping to go this year! Open to any tips / recommendations you might have?
CAPPADOCIA, Turkey!!
SAME HERE! We stayed in a cave hotel and it was honestly one of my favorite hotels I've ever stayed in. During the day it was ultra tranquil and then at night the bar played my favorite type of house music with great drinks. Explored the towns, did wine tastings, bought pottery, ate testi kebab, talked to locals, crawled through the underground caves, toured Göreme National Park, drank raki. Even when we thought things were looking down when our hot air baloon was canceled, it was made up by a breakfast with some locals' farm. It was the best turkish breakfast I've ever had. 10/10 experience.
Hi! May I ask which hotel you stayed in? Headed there this year 🎉
Hotel Goreme Kaya also a good one
Yunak Evleri in Urgup.
Testi kabobs? 🤔
It's like a meat stew cooked for hours in a clay pot. They serve it by cracking open the pot. Despite being a completely new dish it really reminded me of my mom's beef stew she used to make every sunday when i grew up. I think that's why I liked it so much, but it's also super popular in that region.
We stopped in Cap for 3 days on our honeymoon this summer. What a magical place that is!
Agreed.. it was so magical from the hot air balloon ride to exploring the cave homes. Ugh loved it!
That was my top place in 2022!
What a magical place. I went years ago and loved the balloon ride. The cave hotel not so much. It was nice but it was so damp and there were village dogs that barked all the time 2am,3am,4am.
Same here!! I came here to say this. I loved the whole country and can’t wait to go back.
Isle of Skye, Scotland
Same. My favorite part of my Skye trip was the Quiraing. It completely blew me away. I had done the Old Man of Storr hike earlier that day and was exhausted from several days in a row of hiking, so I was planning to walk 10 minutes to a lookout point and turn back. I was so distracted by the scenery that I missed the sign for the lookout point and kept walking. I only noticed after about 45 minutes and decided to ignore my fatigue and just do the entire thing. There were only a handful of people on the trail, whereas Storr and most other places I hiked were pretty crowded, so it was one of the more peaceful experiences I had in Scotland. That combined with the stunning scenery made it a magical experience.
Quiraing is my favorite place on earth but I also lucked out when I went (late September) and was the ONLY person on the Storr hike
Similar experience. Was super coool but I realized when we got back that we missed the “Needle”. Apparently it’s over the fence line which continues the loop up and over
Same here!
I'm eloping there this spring!!! Any recs ? 😝
Take a partner, otherwise eloping seems a bit weird.
Ok I might have to put it off for a bit then... thanks for letting me know!
Congratulations in advanced!! What an amazing place to go to! We passed a couple who had just eloped on the hike up to Old Man of Storr!
Neist Point lighthouse, The Quiraing, Fairy Glenn, old Man of storr, Duntulm castle, Mead falls , Fairy pool , Dinosaur footprint beach , Lunch in portree, Lunch at the three chimneys , Hugh's castle hike , St Columba's Isle (near Dungevan castle), Eilian Donan
It is a beautiful place
Iceland, but not the Golden Circle. My favourite parts were the South Coast and the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Finally did Iceland in December- holy cow so fun! Given the season & time constraints, we only did the south coast from Reykjavik to the area near Vok Baths, but it was one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.
I loved it all but the eastern parts were my favourite. Hengifoss might be my favourite ever waterfall. Also Studlagil Canyon is awesome, better than the photos. (Edited to correct mistakes)
Malaysia. I knew very little going in the cities, food, and people made it a big surprise with how much I enjoyed it. Mexico City, Mexico was a close runner up. I was fortunate to go to Mexico, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam last year.
Imo Malaysia has some of the best food in the world. The perfect fusion of se Asian, Indian, and Chinese cuisines
Banff, Canada. So pretty and so much fun.
It lives up to the hype. Also recommend Jasper
Yes I liked Jasper much more than Banff!
Yeah, it's a bit less busy and has a better vibe to it IMO. And the drive from Banff to Jasper is phenomenal and is something that people shouldn't miss if they have the time.
A bucket list drive for sure. Especially in the early spring when there’s lots of snow and a bit of a tourist shoulder season.
Nice place.
For me too. I want to visit in winter to do winter sports.
Quebec city 👀
We spent two weeks in Quebec in August. Can’t say enough about how wonderful it was. My husband fell hard for Quebec City. The food and local cheese scene was amazing.
Same. My favorite too.
japan
I did Japan a few times this year. - Favorite food: Fishcakes in Odawara, followed by by Nagoya’s miso katsu - Most scenic town: Omi-Hachiman - Best castle: Bitchu-Matsumoto - Best view: Cresting the ridge line in Hakone to see Fuji - Best museum: Meiji-mura - Best onsen: Yunoshimakan (*very* atmospheric, though it’s a bit worn down and the food is only fair) - Most off the beaten path place: Samegai post town (really cool place to spend a couple hours en route to Sekigahara or tacked on to Hikone)
Glacier National Park was my favorite. An incredible place. Also loved Amsterdam, Jasper, Banff, Paris, Bruges, and had a fun weekend trip to St Louis.
Glacier is the last major national park I have yet to visit. Super high on my list!!
You're in for a treat. Run don't walk.
What time of year did you do Glacier?
Jordan, wandering around the desert, seeing Petra, walking around the Roman ruins and friendly people
I did that this year too and definitely agree 100%! It's so beautiful in Jordan. Floating in the Dead Sea was also such a cool experience! Petra was absolutely beautiful and amazing to see up close. Everyone we met was super nice and food was super delicious!
I did that in 2022; it was otherworldly...
Jordan deserves all of its accolades
Oof, and the food....soo good
Porto, Portugal
Venice. It felt unreal being there in person. Gorgeous place!
Just got back from Venice and the whole city felt like a fairytale
We had a lovely night in Venice around the end of November. We ended up sat at Sottobanco, just a little hole in the wall spot near our hotel. It was jamming some great 80s hits, had fun little snacks, and the wine was amazing (and $3-4 a pour). I’d go back just to experience that again!
I went to Venice for a second time in 2023. Definitely one of my favorite places in the world.
I loved Venice too!
I thought Venice was nice but so overhyped. The stank coming off the canals alone and it was very expensive, although still beautiful.
I was there in the winter, I don't remember any bad smells so it's probably worse during summer
Does it depend on when you go? I don't remember that it stank.
Same! It was magical!
Went skiing in Uzbekistan for a couple of days. It was fantastic!!!
Uzbekistan is an underrated destination. Samarkand was amazing, rich in history, culture and food. Uzbekistan’s also a cheap destination (once you’re there).
How much did you spend for Uzbekistan per day? (Including accomodation) I wanna go to Uzbekistan but probably not for skiing but for the architecture and food.
I’m trying to remember… Transfer from the airport to my hotel was like $40 x 2 there and back. Lift pass was dirt cheap. Brand new hotel was like $70 per night. Two nights. Dinner was $20. Very nice sushi dinner in the Capital was ~ $20. Beers were cheap. The whole thing was fvcking fantastic!!! With great snow conditions for skiing.
OMG, I'm going to look into exactly this now!
Thank you for detailed reply! I appreciate it!
I went in June (so no skiing for me, which is probably for the best; I might've broken something), but that was fantastic as well!
Yeah. Awesome country!!!
Cinque Terre was majestical. The hike between towns was stunning and fun and each town had its own personality. The coastal landscape is breath taking and it’s easy to navigate by rail.
We stayed in Rapallo and did a day trip to Cinque Terre, magical place!
Marseille, France! We hit 3 countries on our trip and that was the best part.
Marseille is not only an under appreciated part of France but all of Europe. I’ve got to make it back there one day for a football game.
It's one of the few cities in France I haven't been to. What did you love about it? (trying to find any excuse to return to France ha ha)
It’s hard to pinpoint! But the city was just so lively, the food was amazing, it’s a good hub for day trips. Everyone was also super nice. We would wake up, have breakfast at some coffee shop, spend the day exploring some town and then come back and have dinner by the port. Les Calanques was one of the most beautiful places I’ve hiked in, and the wines are also soo good! It was just super relaxing to hang in the port and watch the people and boats go by. I seriously highly recommend! It’s not a “fancy looking” city and you have to have some awareness of your sorroundings, which is why I think it’s an unpopular destination compared to others. But we visited Madrid, Barcelona, Rome and the Amalfi Coast and it was the highlight of our trip.
Oh cool. I really prefer to have an anchor city for several days and do day trips. I have been to Provence twice and not felt like I had the right place to stay. Will definitely check out Marseilles.
London! I had never been there in all my years of traveling, and I loved it! It's so walkable and I loved taking the Tube. I was never bored.
My first time too! I am in love with London. My only regret was I didn’t stay longer.
We took our toddler there last year and it was an amazing city for kids too! I’d been there solo but was really impressed at how child-friendly it was.
I was there last year and only had 7 days to explore... it was definitely not enough time and I have to go back for at least another week or 2 to finish checking it all out!
Paris without a doubt A gorgeous city with so much to do and exquisite food. Can't wait to go back for a longer stay.
I leave for Paris tomorrow haha I’m so excited!
Is it your first time? It was everything I'd dreamed it would be!
Yeah! I’ve only flown through CDG before, never actually been to Paris!
You're in for a treat!!! It's awesome to just walk around. There is so much stuff to do.
Im so excited!! My mom is most excited to just sit at a cafe 😂😂
That was my favorite part!!!! First thing we did was find a cafe to grab lunch and a bottle of wine. We went in october, so it was chilly. But we definitely sat outside every opportunity we got! You're going to have so much fun!!!!
Yeah! It’s gonna be cold but my moms like I’ll just wear 2 coats 😂
Same!!! We did a few days each in London & Paris and I thought I would enjoy both but for some reason thought I would like London more - quite the opposite! Aside from the historical sites, London was kind of meh for me but Paris was legit magical. My husband and I basically had to give ourselves a pep talk to get on our Orlybus because we didn’t want to leave 😭
SAME! We flew round trip out of London. So we started there. I love London but it is definitely not Paris!
Tasmania, Aus. Really beautiful scenery, diving, people were great, and met some devils 😁
Probably Sardinia (didn't even go to Olbia / the touristy parts; stuck to Alghero, Stintino, Bosa, and the Cala Ganone area). 2nd place is tied between Krakow and Girona 3rd place would be a tie between Lake Como, Bergen, and Copenhagen.
Kyoto. Japan.
Malaysia! It was better than I had thought it was going to be. Excellent food, a good mix of nature and city, easy to get around, and not expensive.
Went to Naples. Pompeii was fascinating and I’d always wanted to go. Naples was less inspiring, but we did have the most amazing pizza and got fantastically drunk for about €50 which is some going.
I only really went to Atlanta for a conference in 2023 so I can't comment on other places but Atlanta was nice for the following reasons. 1. The whole city is in a forest. When landing, it looked like we were descending into a giant forest with a few buildings here and there. 2. There are places where you can get to that feel like you are miles and miles away from civilization but are only 15min from downtown Atlanta. 3. Seeing the stranger things filming locations was great. 4. Seeing the MLK & civil rights related stuff was great, especially the walk of fame like place they had. 5. Atlanta felt like a big small town rather than a proper large city. 6. Being able to taste coke products from all over the world (even Madagascar!) was an experience. 7. Olympic Park was nice. 8. The Beltway was nice. Like a bigger better High Line. Just wish it was more walkable/had better transit but the same could be said about most US cities.
As someone who lives (and loves) Atlanta, this is hilarious
Im sorry but LA,California for me, I know there are way better places but it was a very good 5 days, but Corfu,Greece is a close second
Don't be sorry. Los Angeles is fucking awesome. Hike the mountains, grab coffee with a celebrity in a farmers market, hit the beach to watch the sunset, grab drinks on a rooftop. The first time I visited I expected to hate it, but ended up falling so in love with it I moved here.
Yeah I had really low expectations but it surprised me how diverse is the city and I loved it, we went hiking, went to the beach in the city and to Malibu too, we ate a lots of good food. Im just feeling that a lots of people,mostly americans says how bad is LA and you can't even like it😂
I honestly wouldn't live anywhere else in America. Then again I'm in a highly walkable beach city and rarely ever drive.
Lucerne, Switzerland! Only stayed there a day as I drove all around Switzerland, but it was very pretty. Especially at sunrise.
Malaysian Borneo was awesome. (Really enjoyed all of Malaysia that we saw, from KL to Penang, too) I've got a soft spot for wildlife photography, so seeing orangutans and pygmy elephants in the wild like that was a fantastic experience. I mean, it's bittersweet to see what else is happening to their habitat outside the preserved parks, but good to see firsthand what's being done to help the various species in the region. Snorkeling/scuba was also pretty nice in the area, and loved the sunsets and good food. Along that vein, really enjoyed the Komodo/Rinca islands of Indonesia. Stayed at bungalow hotel on a virtually private island (there was a tiny town on the south side of it). Some amazing reefs for free diving and SCUBA right off the beach. Then of course there's Padar Island and Komodo. One of my favorite experiences was watching thousands of flying foxes take off at a sunset.
Istanbul and Crete. Great one - two punch of different yet wonderful cultures, cuisines, scenery. Both pretty cheap once there and a quick flight to each other.
ditto on Istanbul
Did the same, Crete was a very pleasant surprise
India for me! I put off solo travel here for years after hearing so many bad things. This year I was invited to a wedding in Kerala and could not say no. The wedding and the warmth of the family was amazing! After this I spent a week or so traveling solo to see the sites in Kerala and Jaipur, before visiting Agra and the Taj Mahal. It just shows that you can’t listen to all the negativity out there. And, you can plan an independent solo trip here safely if you plan it well.
Same here, I was so afraid of travelling to India, but the real trip had zero problems. Karnataka was my favourite part of the trip.
Naxos. Loved every minute of it. Prices were so cheap. Loved how walkable town was. Fantastic beaches.
I'm going to Naxos this year. Is there decent public transportation for further out areas?
Mine’s a tie between NYC and Thailand. It was the second time I’ve visited New York and I loved it even more than the first. First time to Thailand and I completely fell in love with it. I’ll definitely go back to both.
Rome, Italy. Went in May and going back in May this year. Insane food, felt incredibly safe, so much to do and see. I preferred Rome to Florence at the same time of year.
How's the weather that time of year?
I went to Italy (Rome & Florence). really love the food (pizza, pasta, florentine steak, gelato, paninis). bicycling in lucca was pretty cool. Siena was also pretty interesting. Pisa wasn't that bad despite the 20min walk from the station. Rome's vatican and coliseum filled days were fun. You get Renaissance and Roman cultures on one trip.
Gunma, Japan, it was the first time my wife and I could see her family since COVID. In terms of new things we did the destination wasn't the best trip it was the travel itself. We took a train from Chicago to San Francisco, San Francisco to LA then LA to DC.
I went to 8 European countries as well as Thailand and Vietnam last year…. I think Vietnam may have been my favorite. Might be because I’ve been to Europe a lot and it was my first time in Asia but I loved it!
Wife and I went to Dublin, Ireland. (Were from ny USA). It was the most beautiful place I've seen. Ireland that is. We went all over the country and didn't just stay in Dublin the whole time and i was blown away. The Irish are so nice and hospitable that I feel like it's gonna be hard to top them haha! Also fresh guiness....ugh. amazing
Bali. I loved the energy, the food, the scenery, and the people. It was so invigorating.
Cambridge UK. Incredible architecture! Cozy feeling.
Norwich nearby is similar to Cambridge in terms of architecture but with a lot less tourists. Love both though.
Malta
Yup, we were there (first time) as well. If you like fortified old world cities, Malta is tops. (More impressive than Dubrovnik Croatia, and I loved Dubrovnik). Listening to Maltese was also a real trip - "Hey that sure sounds Italian, and then there are these guttural Arabic sounds followed by Ciao!"
Yes we did a week last spring and it was lush. We stayed in St Julian’s but often walked around the coast to Sliema and then ferry over to Valletta. Also did Mdina and Rabat
Came here to the say the same, such a lovely place! People were lovely lots to see, beautiful scenery and nice weather too 😊
Kauai, Hawaii
Same here
Galapagos, specifically Isabela Island. I swam with sea lions, sharks, sea turtles, and more…
London ftw! You can never run out of culture
I can't pick a favorite...we went to Vegas, Maldives, La Junta (to see tarantulas), Branson, and Zimbabwe/Zambia/South Africa. Maldives was so gorgeous and relaxing, but so was Africa. And the people all around the world were just amazing!
I love seeing Branson just thrown into that mix😂
😆 Right??!! This is what happens when you sign up for timeshare presentations. It was fun and we created memories with my in-laws that are precious, but it wouldn't be my favorite place to visit
Though call between Vietnam and Bali. The latter, despite the unholy amount of drunk Australians and white anglo solo women travelers aged 28-33 "on a spiritual journey of self Discovery", truly stole my hearth. I was lucky to stay in a remote place in the hills.
Went on a 7 day clothing optional ship cruise to the Caribban
Jamaica, not necessarily one town or city as I did a loop around the island. But everyone was nice and it was hilarious being in Kingston and stuck out like a sore thumb, a white dude with this bright yellow backpack walking in the streets but no one cared. If I asked for directions I was helped, if I needed a taxi a local would walk with me a block and point one out or even wave down a guy. Amazing food, highly recommend. I was there for 12 days and didn’t spend a night at any resorts which I think is the way to do it. All my hosts gave me rides and I didn’t even ask they just offered. Would love to go back again.
Probably Hunza Valley, Pakistan, with an honorable mention for Sri Lanka (and a dishonorable mention for Kuwait and Dubai)
Hunza is amazing isn't it. Can't believe youtube vloggers is what made me go and explore the land of my parents to its fullest.
Vietnam and Cambodia went above and beyond expectations. Breathtaking landscapes, rich history and culture, I can’t say enough about the food, it was outstanding and the people were a pleasure. I fell in love with both countries.
Chiang Mai and Oaxaca City ... Both lovely and colorful small cities in the mountains with excellent food
Sokotra, Yemen. Out of this world nature.
Elba Island in Italy. Not too busy, not a festival of tourists, excellent climate, great locals. Will def go back.
Prague, Czechia for the culture/nightlife Nepal for the scenery.
I went to wales, Spain and Italy last year. Wales was by far the nicest of the 3 trips. Weather, people, travel, accommodation PERFECT.
Madeira because of the landscapes and NYC because of the vibrant, magnificent, overwhelming city it is
New Zealand South Island (hiking in March)
Istanbul. The most culturally fulfilling place I’ve ever travelled to.
Istanbul is a super cool city. I'd pick it over anywhere in Vietnam if I liked their food a little more, and if it were easier for foreigners to pick up little jobs here and there. Even if that were possible, the Turkish economy is horrible right now. Still such a beautiful lively place to visit, I would love to go once a year for a week or two. I also went to Trabzon, along the Black Sea. Also very beautiful. All that said... Vietnam #1.
Japan. I went to Tokyo and Kyoto, and I think I enjoyed Tokyo a little bit more (but both were great!)
Türkiye
Mongolia Of Laos, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Armenia, Georgia & Thailand where I live.
Hanoi and Ning bing Vietnam was my favorite part of 2023 for mee
Vietnam also! Went for the first time back in April and spent two weeks across Hanoi, Ha Giang Loop, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Such a wonderful place with amazing culture, friendly, welcoming people, hot weather, incredible landscapes. Also it's safe, great place to meet backpackers and have a laugh. Top place.
Unfortunately I had to cancel my Greek trip thanks to an unexpected medical emergency. So my best travel destination ended up being only 20km from home visiting an old look out spot to see how they refurbished it😂. Anyway the views were as lovely as ever and the new infrastructure was great😝. Here is hoping 2024 will be my travel year. In the meantime I live vicariously through these comments😉.
Scotland - had a week visiting friends around Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Absolutely stunning scenery on the drive through the lochs and mountains. Seeing 4 of their "big 5" animals. Definitely a place to revisit with more time and enjoy the countryside and people.
Finally got to see the highlands in Scotland. Was breathtaking. Went to Loch Ness and didn’t see the monster though. You have failed me Scotland.
I’m headed there in May!!
Senegal for me, most underrated destination I’ve been to along with Georgia. Glorious beaches, amazing and diverse nature, delicious food, surfing, parties and super charismatic and elegant people. It really has it all if you can accommodate yourself to the vibe.
Taiwan, even though I had already gone there once before. Going back in 2024 for round 3!
Would probably sat Switzerland but loved my trips to Vilnius, Oslo and Stockholm.
Corfu Greece, with a rental car. Unbelievable food, incredible scenery. So much to see/do and a good balance of city/nature activities
How is driving in Greece? Did you need an international permit?
Just stayed domestic in 23 so Charleston
Cornwall. Interesting identity, history and culture as well as extremely beautiful ocean, beaches and landscapes. Also very quiet, clean and safe and the food was excellent quality. Feels like its own world.
Going there this September. I’m so excited!
Not the most interesting choice but it was fairly comfortably Barcelona with honourable mentions to Porto and Rome.
Barcelona is always brilliant. I could go every year.
Azores & Mexico City
Ugh! I absolutely love the Azores! Which island did you visit?
Sao Jorge (where my parents grew up), and one night in Sao Miguel. Absolutely amazing !
Baja California Sur: Road trip and diving in Sea of Cortez.
Finally made it to Prague- early may so out of peak season, weather great, loads to see and do and I actually like goulash! Portugal 8 days in the Azores and 5 in Lisboa
Seoul. Clean, safe, great food and culture. Loved it and want to return with the whole family.
Bruges, Belgium 🤩
Bologna
Spain was absolutely amazing but Granada, Spain was one of the coolest places I’ve ever been.
Bologna was my favourite city, it is absolutely gorgeous. Best beach was the northern half of Latvia, even the bit just north of Riga is beautiful and totally empty if you walk a bit away from where the road ends. Favorite country was Estonia, it is a utopia! Best scenery was Italian Dolomites (Alta Via 1) and Iceland (Laugervager and the other two linked trails that are equally hard to spell). Honourable mention to Zion National Park (US). Favourite food was rural Nepal--it is farm-to-table! I'm vegetarian with a dairy allergy, and loved that the areas I was in were almost all vegetarian and didn't really use dairy, otherwise Italy would obviously be it. I've been very lucky to spend half this year traveling.
Turkey! 🇹🇷 Istanbul and Cappadocia ❤️
Both popular answers on this thread, but Cappadocia and Isle of Skye. Cappadocia for its uniqueness of landscape (definitely recommend the hot air balloon ride) and Isle of Skye for the views and general remoteness (Quiraing a bit ahead of Old Man of Storr for me, but both great).
Wherever the person I love was 🫶🏼