We held out until January, which means it's time to put aside the resolutions you won't keep and maintain the habit that will stay: traveling more.
Health and wellness experts have determined that take several vacations per year is beneficial for your overall well-being. However, to truly decompress, you'll want to go somewhere with room to breathe. The crowds were crowded Paris, Rome And Tokyoespecially during peak seasons.
To plan a trip off the beaten path, we asked industry experts for their favorite under-the-radar destinations. We also thought about our collective trips, prioritizing opportunities to observe wildlife, taste local cuisine, relax by the water and commune with nature.
Bracciano, Italy
Italy remains one of the most popular destinations for Americans, which means popular places (Rome, the Amalfi Coast, Lake Como) will remain crowded and expensive. Enter Lake Bracciano, a picturesque spot that has since disappeared from American radar Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes I got married there in 2006. “You have a really, really rich medieval and Renaissance history, but no one goes there,” said the Rome-based cookbook author and tour guide. Katie Parla. You can easily get to Bracciano from Rome in about an hour and change.
Don't miss: Viterbo, another overlooked gem, is about 30 miles north of Bracciano – or take a direct train from Rome in two hours or less. “It’s just a vast, beautiful, haunted, magical medieval town,” Parla said.
A sunny day on Lake Bracciano, near Rome.
FukuiJapan
If the last months Everything suggests that tourism in Japan could exceed pre-pandemic levels in 2024. To escape urban sprawl and discover one of the most spiritual regions of the country, head to Fukui. Naomi Mano, president and CEO of the Tokyo-based travel agency Luxurysays the city is a destination for templesonsens (hot spring baths), art and gastronomy (especially Echizen crab). With the opening of a new high-speed train line in Marchtravelers can get to Fukui from Tokyo in about three hours.
Don't miss: Mano sends visitors to Eihei-ji Temple, one of the most important sites for Zen Buddhists. “This is the temple where all the Zen monks go to train to become senior monks,” she explained.
Eiheiji Temple is an important site for Zen Buddhist monks in training.
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville has achieved the delicate balance between remaining down-to-earth while catering to refined tastes. The western North Carolina city's restaurants are regulars on the James Beard Awards circuit. Two of its breweries won medals last year World Beer Cup. Independent hotels in converted buildings, such as Dearest ZeldaTHE Radical and the Flat iron, open at a regular pace. Yet, whenever you want to return to Asheville's roots, take a stroll through the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Dhërmi, Albania
Over the past few years, Albania has become Europe's next big beach. The clear water, rugged coastline and affordable accommodations all attract tourists. And unlike some of its Balkan neighbors, “it is intact,” said Ema, the anonymous Albanian travel journalist who runs the award-winning magazine and Instagram account Ema's light. Rent a car and head to the Albanian Riviera, where you'll find a constellation of small towns with picture-perfect beaches, like Dhërmi.
Don't miss: The capital Tirana is a must-visit and worth at least two to three days of your trip for its restaurants and history, says Ema.
Dhërmi beach in Dhërmi, Albania.
Popayan, Colombia
This UNESCO City of Gastronomy is full of restaurants, open-air markets and street vendors. Two points of pride in traditional cuisine are the empanadas stuffed with pipián — a mashed potato, peanut and spice — and desamargado valluno, a dessert made from candied fruit peels. The capital of the state of Cauca is also known as “La Ciudad Blanca” because of its bone-white buildings.
Don't miss: Daniel Buitrón Jaramillo of Colombia Ecovoyage recommended Mora Castilea small café in the historic center, for classic empanaditas and champús, a drink made from pineapple, corn and tangy lulo fruit.
View of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption in Popayán, Colombia in the morning.
Orkney Islands, Scotland
THE Orkney Islands are more uninhabited than occupied, at least by humans. Of these 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland, fewer than two dozen are developed. Gray seals outnumber the inhabitants by several hundred, and seaweed-grazing herds of puffins, guillemots and sheepshead dot the rocky shores. Papa Westrayone of the smallest Orkney, has around sixty archaeological sites, and North Ronaldsay lights up at night as an island with a dark sky.
Don't miss: THE Heart of Neolithic Orkneypart of Scotland's UNESCO Trail, is a collection of ancient sites that includes a domestic settlement with stone furnishings and the Stones of Stenness, a set of standing monuments measuring almost 20 feet high.
Stenness Standing Stones, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Heart of Neolithic Orkney.
Holbox Island, Mexico
Holbox cures ailments in the Yucatán Peninsula, a popular tourist destination in Mexico. The 42 km long island, north of Cancún, is not busy due to a traffic ban, nor is there any skyscrapers due to building height restrictions. The main mode of transportation is by bicycle or golf cart on dirt roads. To cross from the mainland, visitors must take a 25-minute ferry from Chiquilá (or a private jet). Holbox, which means “Black Box” in the Mayan language, is part of the Yum Balam reserve. One of its biggest guests is the whale shark.
Don't miss: On moonless nights, head to Punta Cocos Beach to swim or paddle with bioluminescent plankton that illuminate the water like hundreds of fairy lights.
No cars are allowed on Isla Holbox in Mexico.
THEChristian villagesPortugal
Nestled on the mountainside, through picturesque valleys and meandering rivers, the Shale Villages (or Aldeias do Xisto, in Portuguese) make up a network of 27 picturesque towns. The villages, which date back to the 12th century and are named after the stone with which they were built, are particularly popular with hikers, bikers and nature lovers. You will find accommodation to suit all budgets, with luxury properties, such as the Casas do Coro in Marialva, and the Cerdeira, house of creativitya set of nine restored schist houses for rent.
Don't miss: Journalist and food researcher based in Lisbon Miguel Andrade said Talasnal is a highlight of the lush Lousã mountain region. Try one of his favorite Portuguese dishes, chanfana, a goat stew traditionally cooked with red wine in a clay pot over an open fire.
The view of the medieval schist mountain village of Piodão in Portugal.
Tairawhiti Gisborne, New Zealand
Destination: Gisborne, the largest city in the North Island Tairawhiti Gisborne region, is touted as the first place in the world to welcome the sunrise. It's no wonder so many surfers get up early to catch the best waves in the country. The East Coast region is steeped in Maori culture. The Tairawhiti Museum has an extensive collection of Aboriginal art, including stone works, textiles and painted panels. The 4km Tupapa Heritage Trail is paved with history, monuments and legends that Maori storytellers bring to life on the Tupapa application.
Don't miss: Start the day at the summit of Maunga Hikurangi, the sacred mountain of the Ngati Porou people where nine wooden sculptures of Maui and his whanau (family) bear witness to the rising sun.
Wooden sculptures of Maui and his family stand on the sacred mountain Maunga Hikurangi in Gisborne, New Zealand.
Fredericksburg, TX.
Swimming holes. Large spaces. Great cities and thriving wineries. The Texas Hill Country screams road trip. Consider Fredericksburg for its German-Texan heritage (with beer gardens and Bavarian dishes galore), says Austin-based travel journalist Pam LeBlanc. The town is known for its fisheries and National Museum of the Pacific War, as well as a multitude of shops and family restaurants. Chic Hotel Albert opens this year, or you can camp at Pedernales Falls State Park, where LeBlanc loves swimming in the cypress-lined river.
Don't miss: Enchanted Rock State Natural Area is 17 miles north of Fredericksburg, “where you can hike to the top of a huge pink granite dome or go rock climbing,” said LeBlanc in an email.
The pink dome of Enchanted Rock State Natural Area attracts hikers and climbers.
Toledo District, Belize
For a Caribbean escape from the crowds, head to Belize's southernmost district. “There is a lot to do”, Belizean ornithological guide Roni Martinez said, like exploring waterfalls, caves and large rainforest reserves, and discovering the mix of people who call Toledo home, including the Mayan and East Indian communities.
Don't miss: Since most of Toledo has rocky coastlines, Martinez recommends taking a boat trip to nearby islands, like the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, to experience “perfect” white sand beaches.
A waterfall in Rio Blanco National Park, Toledo District, Belize.
Sumba, Indonesia
Bali may be the best known of Indonesia's thousands of islands, but it is not the only one worth visiting. With new hotels and a population of wild horses galloping on the golden beaches, Sumba comes highly recommended by Catherine Heald, managing director of the Asia-focused luxury tour operator. Distant lands. Beyond Sumba's lush hills and surfable turquoise waters, the island boasts beautiful thatched roof architecture.
Don't miss: Consider a side quest to Komodo National Park, home to some 5,700 of its titular dragons as well as world-class scuba diving sites. You can fly or sail to the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An aerial view of Wainyapu village in Sumba, Indonesia.
