Are you the type of traveler who seeks out the most off-the-beaten-path destinations they can find or someone who just wants to keep going back to Paris?
In its annual The Cool List, the U.K. branch of National Geographic Traveler named both popular and emerging locations among its 30 picks of travel destinations that are poised to explode in popularity in the coming months.
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Not ranked from least to most but rather selected as callouts in each of the six continents (Antarctica is left out for obvious reasons), Chile's Atacama Desert and Lima in Peru were chosen as top destinations in South America. In North America, National Geographic selected Miami, Nova Scotia and New York State — while what is known as "upstate" is a scenic and obvious getaway for New Yorkers, tourists often sideline it due to time constraints and all that there is to do in the city.
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You have to visit Sierra Leone, New York State and the Galway region in Ireland
"While the eyes of the world will be on Paris in summer 2024, fans of the Olympic Games can enjoy a slice of sporting excellence at the new Lake Placid Olympic Museum, which focuses on the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics, held in the scenic upstate town," the report's authors write.
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In Europe, National Geographic gave shouts to Northern Ireland's Belfast along with the Galloway region in Scotland and the Nordland region of Norway known for its glaciers.
Those visiting Africa are encouraged to visit the Andrefana Dry Forests of Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Rwanda's Akagera National Park — in its efforts to transform what was once a razed and warn-torn piece of land into a safari experience for tourists, Rwanda successfully reintroduced lions and black rhinos to the land while the giraffes, elephants and crocodiles had never left.
Top destinations in Asia include India's Sikkim state for hiking through the Himalayas, China Xi'an region known for its spicy foods and the former Taiwanese capital of Tainan.
'Street food is a major draw too,' say travel editors
"The history is evident in the wealth of architecture, from the Old Japanese Martial Arts Academy to the Qing-era facades of Shennong Street, festooned with red lanterns," writes National Geographic. "Street food is a major draw, too: look out for prawn-rich danzai noodle soup and hollowed-out 'coffin bread,' filled with a deliciously creamy chowder."
For Australia, National Geographic recommends heading over to Victoria but not just staying in Melbourne. The travel editors recommend a long journey that includes the hot spring-rich Great Victorian Bathing Trail and the iconic limestone formations known as the Twelve Apostles.
"The 30 entries reflect an incredible range, featuring everything from exciting immersive journeys to inspirational visits that could take just a few hours," National Geographic Editor Pat Riddell said in a statement. "Whether it's culinary excellence, solar eclipses, night trains, new national parks, rewilding initiatives, ancient wonders revisited or cultural landmarks, we've curated some of the best travel destinations for the next 12 months."
SEE THE REST OF THE PLACES ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S 2023 EXCITING DESTINATIONS LIST HERE.
