74 People Reveal What Underrated Travel Destinations They Couldn’t Recommend More
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Tasmania. When people travel to Australia they think of beaches and reefs. Tas has MASSIVE rain forests, beautiful scenic islands, and one of the largest Antarctic ports on the planet in Hobart.
Poland beyond Krakow. It was never on my radar before I moved to Germany and started traveling there all the time since it’s next door, but WOW. Poland has everything. Cool cities, great food, beautiful castles and countryside, fascinating history. It really doesn’t get the tourism it deserves, although I do like that the major sights aren’t crowded with other tourists.
Not surprisingly it’s a bit more popular with Europeans, but Malta is practically unheard of among Americans and a fantastic place to visit. Cheap, stunningly beautiful, pretty good weather year round. I was there last month and there were a fair number of tourists around the main sites in Valetta, but literally almost no one once you went even slightly off the beaten path.
Western Sichuan, China. People flock to Tibet every year, they shovel out money for special Tibet Visas and they need to travel there in tour groups. Worst of all, all this money goes towards funding the Government or its supported tourism industry.
Sichuan province borders Tibet, and its western regions are steeped in thousands of years of history. It’s culturally Tibetan, and in the Himalayan foothills. Best of all: no permits, freedom to roam, and your money goes to the support of local people.
I have been to over 60 countries on 6 continents. One that comes to mind to me is Namibia, just above South Africa. Ever see pictures of amazing giant sand dunes in the desert [like this one](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sossusvlei)? I always thought that was somewhere up in the Sahara, but no, it’s Namibia. It’s the most isolated country in the world after Mongolia in terms of people (example: Michael Jackson died while we were there, and we didn’t hear about it for days until pulling up to a gas station where it was written on a chalkboard), so a whole lot of beautiful nothing for the most part and all very safe. And you will never see the stars burn as deep and bright as you will in the Namib desert.
Also, they still have all the great safari animal type stuff you get elsewhere in Africa at Etosha National Park- we stayed at a campground that was part of a five star resort with a waterhole at the edge of the park, and one of the amazing things in my life was sitting there in the dark with a drink, watching the wildebeest and hyenas and elephants coming to drink water at night. (Oh, and I also [pet a cheetah in Namibia](http://whereisyvette.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/image1811.jpg), but that’s another story.)
Oh, and if you want unusual culture beyond the typical African fare, there’s a crazy German town on the coast where you can have Black Forest cake and great beer while watching ethnic Germans wear anti-Israel shirts. (Only place I’ve ever seen Germans seriously do that, and I felt like some escaped Nazis surely settled there.) Yes, it was weird, but certainly memorable. And memorable travel is made of interesting places where you won’t be bored, one thing you won’t be is bored in Namibia.
I’m gonna say Alaska, but not via cruise. I stayed in a small town 3 hours from Anchorage and had the time of my life. It’s untouched wilderness. It was mind blowing. Moose would walk along the river bank while we fished and orcas swam next to our boat when we went to Kenai Fjords.
As I’ve said countless times on reddit.
Oman
It’s not a party destination but if you like the outdoors it’s got it.
Hiking? Check
Camping? Check
Dune bashing? Check
Miles and miles of untouched coastline? Check
Hidden Oasis’? Check
Hell, they even have lush rain forests.
The people are some of the nicest in the world and the food is good. It’s still an under the radar destination and people are scared to go because it’s in the middle east but it’s completely safe. Omanis don’t buy into that extremist s**t so it hasn’t spread there.
Great f****n place it is.
Riga, Latvia. Great people and culture, lots of cool streets and buildings to explore. You can rent a car and drive out to a Bobsleigh track or get a train to the beach. If you’re in Europe you can get a very cheap Ryanair flight out there. I recommend going during the Baltic beer festival.
Bologna, Italy. Arguably the best food city in arguably the best food country. I will never forget the tortellini al brodo, tagliatelle al ragù, and panna cotta I had there. I also loved walking up to the Madonna di San Luca and seeing the amazing view
Bhutan is criminally underrated. The government has a brilliant system in which to travel in the country you need to pay a daily fee. It very easily solves the overtourism problem that plagues countries like Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The fee means Bhutan isn’t affordable for backpackers and your average gap year kid. The country is pristine, the vistas are magical, and the people are so nice. I did a 12-night journey and had a guide the whole time, which allowed me to forget about logistics and spend my time in awe. Tigers Nest (probably the most famous tourist attraction in Bhutan) was just spectacular. The whole trip was great for disconnecting, too.
Sri Lanka! Pearl of the indian ocean with natural beauty and history.
Friendly people with tasty and organic spicy foods.
Sandy beaches with coconut palm trees. Wild life with elephants.
Northern Spain. Incredible beauty at a fraction of the cost of many similar places in Europe. You could spend a couple of months exploring the Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria, and Galicia alone. Driving around the Picos de Europa is a great experience, and you can drive between rural mountain towns to quaint beach towns in less than an hour. Great public transportation to rural places in the Basque Country too.
Belize.
Beside Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker it’s not super touristy. There’s everything from the second largest barrier reef in the world to lush rainforests. It’s cheap, people are very friendly, and it’s relatively safe. I lived in Belize for a period of time and loved it.
Albania! Greece’s less famous neighbour. Beautiful beaches, tasty and quite cheap food, lots of gems to explore. The downsides: speaking English is kinda not their thing, so maybe brush up on some Italian or here are few useful words I learned 🙂
I was pleasantly surprised by Busan and South Korea in general. Bizarre juxtaposition of ancient/super modern and chaos/organized. I’m not sure how it functions but it does and seemingly way better than other large cities. The scenery, the food, and the people are fantastic.
My wife and I went to Puerto Rico last year on our honeymoon. It was so easy to get there — it felt like cheating. Old San Juan was gorgeous and we also spent time on the islands to the east, Culebra and Vieques. I’d love to go back and spend more time on Culebra. It was very laid back and there was great snorkeling right off the beach.
If you are an outdoorsy person, you’ll find heaven in Baños, Ecuador. There is easy access to biking, whitewater rafting, bridge jumping, canyoning, zip lining, amazing waterfalls, and viewpoints. And there’s even pretty good nightlife. I would also recommend Mindo, located in Ecuador’s cloud forest. Ecuador is on the US dollar and everything is extremely cheap.
St John USVI is the best place I have ever been.
it is not cheap, and certainly not “overlooked” but most of the island is national forest, so only 1/4 of the island is built on. my wife and I had multiple days where it would just be us and maybe a few other couples on large beautiful beaches.
Taiwan is a really nice place to travel! It a place where the people are genuinely nice. Japan is polite. But not hospital. It’s cheap to travel, yet very modern and safe. Has nightclubs and also beautiful mountains. And the food is also a mix of the best of China Japan and Korean style.
Go to Lebanon for the amazing food, nice people, the nightlife, and beautiful scenery throughout the country. Also the food! I’ve been to Israel, which was amazing in itself, but I enjoyed Lebanon even more.
Laos is one of my favorite countries. Traveling by the Mekong River by cargo boat. Luang Prabang the ancient royal capital and Vientiane are great places to visit. Food is great, it is relatively unspoiled (but not like my first trip in 1996).
Bordeaux is really fantastic. The food, weather and wine are amazing and it is much cheaper and friendlier than Paris. In fact, all the “second cities” of France have pleasantly surprised me.
And I love Paris.
Istria, Croatian peninsula on the border with Italy. Northern Adriatic in general doesn’t seem to get as much love as the south.
I just spent 3 weeks in Romania. The round trip ticket from Atlanta to Budapest (the part of Romania I was visiting is closer to Hungary) was around $900. I spent about $1000 in the 3 weeks I was there. Very beautiful country. I got engaged to my girlfriend while I was here (I proposed to her at Bran castle) and plan to move here later this year. Currently sitting in the Budapest airport waiting for my flight home wondering what I’m gonna do with my 17 hour layover in London.
**POLAND**
My fiance and I just visited Poland over the Christmas holiday and had a great time. We will definitely return.
– Cracow is gorgeous. It has all the amenities of a very modern city, but beautiful old architecture, horse-drawn carriages, pedestrian streets.
– The Christmas market in Cracow was amazing. Food was great. Little tchotchkes were great. It made us feel super Christmasy.
– Loads to do. Cultural activities, museums, fun bars, amazing shopping. In Zakopane there are amusement rides, adult playgrounds, natural hot springs, ice skating. Everything!
– Food is killer. Pierogies are life. Mushroom soup is a food group.
– Awesome vodka.
– Mountains in southern Poland (around Zakopane) are gorgeous. Lots of babbling brooks, waterfalls, sweeping views of the valley.
– Really inexpensive. Maybe $60 for a fine dining experience wit multiple courses and wine. $4 for a 3-hour bus trip.
– Super nice (and attractive) people. Everyone was so kind and helpful. It was a stark difference from brusk Western Europe.
– Not super touristy. We rarely saw too many other tourists. Although many things were translated to English, we never felt like any part of the experience catered to visitors.
I consider Croatia to be under the radar because I had no idea how much beautiful it was until I got there. The Plitvice lakes, Split, Hvar, Pula, Zadar and Dubrovnik, The Pearl of the Adriatic.
Traveling down the Dalmatian coast in a sunny summer day was one of the most breathtaking views I have ever seen. Dubrovnik is simply amazing, the water is clear, there’s plenty of tourists (par-tay!) and the Old City of Dubrovnik makes me feel like I have travelled back to the Middle Ages.
Croatia surprised me in a very good way. I don’t know what the most beautiful place I’ve been in Europe is, but any list of the top three has got to include Dubrovnik.
I went there twice during my study year in Germany and I want to go back someday.
Nicaragua. Everyone thinks it is still a dangerous place to go. The truth is it’s easily the safest country in Central America. There isn’t a lot of crime because there isn’t a lot of tourism. It is also about half the price as a vacation to Costa Rica. My wife and I honeymooned there for 2 weeks and It was a great experience.
Ljubljana, Slovenia. Its beautiful and full of friendly people.
On my first night there I went out to dinner with two guys I met at our hostel and the owner of the restaurant gave us some traditional Slovenian alcohol. It was like really strong cherry brandy only strong enough that we physically struggled to get it down. After finally finishing it he would come over with a huge smile and give is a refill. This happened all night and at the end of our meal we had to leave money on the table and run away before he made us drink more. Thinking back it sounds kind of rude on our part but I think he was laughing at us and it was all in good fun.
I found Ljubljana incredibly romantic — think Paris if Paris was still a small city of 300,000 people so nobody is trying to prey on you as a tourist. There’s also a castle overlooking the city. Its beautiful.
I’d definitely recommend Giethoorn, The Netherlands. It basically is a small vilage where you can sail with a silent boat through the canals and just enjoy the view. In the summer it’s quite crowded but I love it and there are restaurants on the side where you can drink something. Definitely a must go-to if you’re in The Netherlands where not many tourists know about. [Picture](http://www.paintballgiethoorn.nl/attachments/Image/m1ezs6qaemw6_2.jpg?template=generic)
Edit: it’s also quite cheap, €15 for an hour.
Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
I’d never heard anything about it until I planned my trip, but it is probably the best place I ended up going to last summer. it’s in a beautiful area with such an interesting history both during and before the war, and the hostel I stayed in offered an amazing tour of the city and the surrounding area.
My wife and I went to Aachen, Germany on our honeymoon (much to the surprise of our German friends) and we had a great time. Compared to larger European cities, it was much less tourist-focused (it was sometimes difficult to find someone who spoke English), but the people were very nice and the city is rich with history.
Borneo (esp. Kalimantan). Lots of people visit Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, most of Java, and Bali. Not as many people head to Borneo, and of those who visit Borneo, most stay in Malaysia and very few venture into Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo). Rainforest, orangutans, leopards, and beaches, and it’s way less crowded than Bali!
Armenia. I highly recommend venturing away from the capital. As beautiful as Yerevan is, it is nothing compared to the surrounding countryside. The country is not very big, so you can easily get to all of these places in 1-5 hours of driving down dirt roads.
[Tatev Monestary 9thc.](http://i.imgur.com/r3pYgOM.jpg)
[Cliffs near Tatev Monastery](http://imgur.com/WbAEocY)
[Archaeological site of Erebuni Fortress built by Urartan King Argishti I in 782BCE](http://imgur.com/67THwBa)
[Zorats Karer or Armenian Stonehenge 6000BCE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Zorats_Karer_Menhir6.jpg) and
[Different view](http://i.imgur.com/vvt5b8c.jpg)
[Hellenistic Garni Temple 3rd century BCE](http://imgur.com/1L50F7t)
[Hiking in Artsakh or Nagorno Karabakh (contested territory part of the Republic of Armenian)](http://imgur.com/Kbbtita)
[Janapar Hiking Trail](http://imgur.com/OjNhKIY)
[Jermuk Mountain Spa (hot springs of natural mineral water)] (http://imgur.com/ShQ7Ir4)
[Dilijan National Park](http://imgur.com/SvixTz1)
[Small monastery tucked away in mountains of Dilijan, Armenia](http://imgur.com/H1NhPQf)
Edit: added more links. If you have any questions or want any advice on the best ways to travel to these places, feel free to PM.
Georgia (the country). Real cheap flights out of parts of Europe (mostly via Istanbul and Warsaw, but also through Amsterdam, Vienna, and Paris). Great mountains and landscapes, people are renown for hosting guests, and the food and drink are excellent. It claims to be the birthplace of wine, and has so many different varieties available. Lots of old churches around as well, if you want to see stuff like that. There is no issues despite the recent war with Russia, and in the major cities the young people know enough English (and Russian) that there is no issues (especially as they don’t expect foreigners to know any Georgian).
And there’s just something about the country that captivates you. I’ve lived there for parts of the past couple years, and when I talk to expats they all agree. One guy, for example, went in 2000 for some research on his PhD, and was only supposed to be there a few months. He never left. It truly is a great country, and one that most people don’t visit.
Kraków, Poland
Basically a less touristy version of Prague (which I believed was overrated). Lots of history, skiing, hiking, bars, clubs. It was never bombed during WWII so it still has most of its historical architecture
One of the things I like to do is when visiting big name places is to find small places nearby for a day trip. The great thing is that you can do that from anywhere. Some of these places can still be a bit touristy, but often they have far fewer crowds than the place you’re in. Some examples of places I really liked when I travel:
[Rye, England – a day trip from London](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rye,_East_Sussex)
It’s a very small town on the southern coast of England, with a lot of very old buildings and a small fort.
[Sounion, Greece – a day trip from Athens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounion)
There’s a temple to Poseidon right on the sea. It’s ridiculously gorgeous
[Siena, Italy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena)
Not exactly low profile, but it does get often overlooked by travelers to Florence
[Delft, Netherlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delft)
Beautiful small town not far from Amsterdam
I could go on, but the general idea should be clear 🙂 A little bit of research and a willingness to ride a bus/train for a couple of hours is well worth it
Nepal, what an amazing place. It’s like taking a vacation to 700 years ago. The people are very friendly. The food is tasty. I stayed at the Vajra. Which is in the Western part of Kathmandu. It’s at the same latitude as Atlanta, so in out winter it’s in the seventies there. The peak event was a trek,I flew into Lukla( the world’s most dangerous airport).I walked four days taking time to accmitize
in Namche Bazaar. The last day of my Northerly jaunt was to Tengboche Monastary. It is in the Kumbu Valley. The view up the valley is Ama Dablum to the right. Lhotse an Nupste are straight ahead and the peak of Everest is visible behind the Lhotse ridge. F**k, I saw the top of the world. I would return in a heartbeat. I didn’t mention the rhododendrons. I was on the second floor at the Vajra. There was a Rhodi that went past us to the third floor. It was more tropical than I imagined.
Not too off the beaten track, but one of my most pleasant surprises in recent years was the Istria region in northern Croatia. The Germans know all about it, but other than that I didn’t notice many other non Croatians.
[Rovinj](http://www.rovinj-cocaletto.com/img/rovinj.jpg) was like a fairy tale, and the interior is full of lush countryside, with interesting hill towns, like [Motovun](
http://en.istria-guide.hr/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Motovun_General_view_01.jpg).
Good place for Foodies and History Nerds, and the climate is good too.
Hokkaido. Everybody seems to go to Tokyo or Kyoto, but Hokkaido has the best food.
Two cities come to mind and I had the pleasure of visiting them on the same trip 1: Krakow Poland – Amazing central square. We went here to visit Auschwitz, and was blown away by the city. Make sure to visit the Salt Mines while you are there. Auschwitz leaves you with a really heavy depressing feeling, seeing the rest of Krakow will instantly bring you out of that feeling. 2: Budapest – honestly didn’t know what to expect, but the city is beautiful. Make sure to take an evening cruise on the Danube.
Vilnius, Lithuania – Husband was surprised by how hip, cool, and well dressed people in Vilnius were. City was very nice as well – very clean and quaint with great baroque architecture.
While not exactly under the radar, it’s surprising how many people in the US don’t realize how much simpler travel to Puerto Rico is than other Caribbean islands.
The Moravian part of the Czech Republic. Lots of castles and chateaus largely unknown to most Americans. Relatively inexpensive. Nice people. Czech beer.
Porto, Portugal.
It has been growing a lot lately, thanks to the tourists.
Here’s a few pics of what you can expect:
– [Aliados](http://imagens8.publico.pt/imagens.aspx/386048?tp=UH&db=IMAGENS)
– [Cais de Gaia](http://www.feelporto.com/wp-content/uploads/Ribeira-do-porto.jpg) (this is the place you should visit to try one of our most famous dishes, the [“Francesinha”](http://fastup.pt/restaurante-porto-francesinhas-gaia/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/dsc041232.jpg))
– [there are a lot of places like this so you can chill and appreciate the view](http://conhecer.pt/media/upload/images/porto/ribeira_do_porto.jpg)
– [Our most famous bridge, “D. Luis”](http://pplware.sapo.pt/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/porto.jpg), [another shot of the bridge](http://portoguitarra.com/content/uploads/2014/07/Porto-DLuis2.jpg)
– [you can see the “Clerigos” tower in this pic](http://static.thousandwonders.net/Porto.original.13115.jpg),
– apparently we also have the “world’s most beautiful library” [Livraria Lello](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Mnkd2bQjBw/UVyXlHCGB5I/AAAAAAAATkI/lXVAPOm-xw8/s1600/Porto,+Portugal+1e-2e+days,+03-20136.jpg)
– [Clérigos again](http://www.adventure-holidays.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/15285278.jpg)
– [S. Francisco Church](http://www.acervodigital.unesp.br/bitstream/unesp/141165/1/rj_iotsfp_001.jpg)
– [Palácio da Bolsa outside](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Palacio_da_Bolsa,_Porto.jpg)
– [Palácio da Bolsa inside](http://www.porto.pt/assets/misc/img/noticias/OUTROS/%23mno_palacio_bolsa.jpeg)
There are a lot more places you can visit here, but I can’t post them all or else you won’t get the best of the trip.
Hope you’re already booking your flight and hotel here. 😀
I don’t know how under the radar it is, but Budapest is a beautiful city and very affordable.
Historic cities in the UK that aren’t York, London or Oxford. I absolutely *loved* Lincoln when I went there for a day. One of the prettiest cities we have, I rather think.
First, let me preface that my experience has been that you can almost always find under the radar destinations for every site – super famous or otherwise. And depending on the level of snob that you are talking to, places may be less “under the radar” than others.
That being said, the top three that immediately come to mind:
1. Albania: I think that this country definitely stands out to me on this front. I remember going into the country from Greece, everybody told me to avoid it, as Albanians are known to be “shady”, “unreliable”, or “vaguely fascist” people. And it was starting off that way when I arrived in Sarande, but subsequent experiences, both in hitching rides, and traveling through the Prokletije (the “Accursed Mountains”), my perceptions have done a 180, and I often come back to my experiences in this country as a personal example of making sure to disconnect perceived traits and actual traits of a people and country.
2. Koyasan/Kii Peninsula: This is in Japan, which is a fairly well traveled place (which would be an understatement). That being said, besides Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, other sections of Japan are relatively less frequented. Koyasan and the Kii Peninsula, which is located a few hours south of Kyoto and very nearby Nara (another slightly under the radar, though increasingly less so, city), and is historically known as the mountain area/range where Shinto and Buddhism kind of melded together to form the syncretic religion present in Japan today. Koyasan, which has some beautiful temples and nature, with few foreign tourists to boot, is a definite recommendation. There’s a [beautiful guesthouse](http://koyasanguesthouse.com/) that a friend of mine opened there a few years ago, which is a reasonable accommodation with an immensely beautiful architecture.
3. The road between Ladakh and Srinagar: Ladakh in in of itself is a fairly under the radar place (though again, increasingly less so), but the high roads between Srinagar and Ladakh, as you climb higher and higher into the Himalayas, is a wonderful experience. Most people fly through here (figuratively and literally), often just taking an overnight rest at Kargil, but taking your time and slowly meandering your way into Ladakh, visiting and staying in the small towns between, is a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anybody.
Just some favorites. I tried to keep them brief, but I can go into more detail if anybody is interested.
Myanmar- in particular Bagan, its an ancient cityf rom the 9th to 13th centry with over 1000 temples and since Myanmar only opened its boarders a few years ago it barley touched.
Visited Ankor wat which was nice but far far too busy for my liking and it bit more commercial. With Bagan you can spend all day driving around on an electric scooter and see less than 5 people.
The city of Banos in Ecuador. It’s nestled at a really high altitude surrounded by mountains and a partially active volcano. Very tourist friendly. They have a massive church that is made entirely from volcanic rock that was taken from the volcanic eruption that destroted the city many years ago.
[The Ring of Kerry](http://i.imgur.com/q5bnEle.jpg) driving route in Ireland.
Very good for those who like [scenery](http://i.imgur.com/jjoJCK6.jpg), [history](http://i.imgur.com/pdDM4Wc.jpg), or if you’re up for [finding Luke](http://i.imgur.com/b40kYOb.jpg)
If you’re thinking of going to Tibet, I would recommend checking out The western region of Sichuan instead. All of the same culture, beautiful landscape, etc. But you aren’t required to get a special visa or have a guide when you travel. You get a lot more of an authentic experience, and the freedom to go where you want, while still visiting a region that is ethnically and culturally Tibetan.
Edit: Well what do you know, just saw that the top comment is now about western Sichuan. Glad to see it’s appreciated!
Iran.
I have visited around 70 countries so far. If I had to choose one that left the best and the deepest impression on me, I would pick Iran without a doubt. Georgia (the country) is close second
Malta. I live here and even though the tourism industry makes up most of put income, I would say that other than the Brits and the Italians, we aren’t that well-known.
We have anything you need;
A clubbing district
https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4006/4304167305_d816c4a270_z.jpg
the oldest free standing structures in the world
http://www.peppintransport.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/mnajdra-temples-e1285802282774.jpg
Did I mention we’re surrounded by the Mediterranean sea?
http://weddingsinmalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Weddings-in-Malta-Churches1.jpg
Visit locations where games of thrones was shot
http://www.cultureaddicthistorynerd.com/2011/08/locations-of-thrones-malta-part-1/
http://www.cultureaddicthistorynerd.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/azurewindow.jpg
Bored of Malta? Take a 30 minute boat trip to Gozo
http://www.aceenglishmalta.com/Portals/0/gozo-malta-diving_27045_990x742.jpg (the got picture doesn’t show how pretty it really is)
http://franksalt.com.mt/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/gozo_cittadella_tourist_attractions.jpg
Then we have another island between Malta and gozo, tHere really isn’t much there except for THIS GORGEOUS BLUE LAGOON
http://www.maltainsideout.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Blue-Lagoon-before-the-crowds.jpg
I could go on and on. There’s so much to see here, I personally think it’s fascinating.. Maltas got you covered no matter what you travelled here to see.
Banff It was like we were in a snow globe. It was even more beautiful then the pictures made it seem. I will be going back often
Galway, Ireland – the music, the bars & the cute town were incredible.
Dingle, Ireland was so much more than I expected. There were so many cute shops & colorful doors all around town.
Queenstown, New Zealand – I went in the fall & the scenery blew me away!
Vienna — I didn’t have much expectations but the city is just gorgeous. Much more beautiful than Paris IMHO. The cafes, the museums, the architecture, even the subway is probably the cleanest I’ve seen in Europe. Plus, during the summer, they host a free arts festival where they air some opera in a big screen with some street food and beer.
You know the Alamo? Well did you know that within 30 minutes of it there are several restored missions that *aren’t* half destroyed and surrounded by skyscrapers?
I’ve had people tell me that the US Virgin Islands are great for a lesser-known tropical vacation, and inexpensive compared to better-known destinations like the Bahamas.
The Philippines, outside of Manila and Mindanao, is gorgeous. Manila is a little dirty and choked with tourist and Mindanao has a large enough radical Muslim population to make it unappealing to tourists, but the rest of the country is super cheap and like living in a postcard.
Mexico City. I was told it would be dangerous and “nothing special” but it was absolutely gorgeous and so alive and fun. The people were some of the friendliest I’ve encountered anywhere and all the food was amazing. It remains one of my favorite cities to this day.
Detroit, MI. Downtown had things to do and was taking steps to improve it even more. Cleaner than I thought it would be too. Detroit style pizza was also good.
San Diego. I just didn’t realize that everyone would have a garden basically in front of their homes. And the whole city is basically part of a park? And the park is so cool like the cacti park section.
Stellenbosch, South Africa. It’s about a hour drive from Cape Town. It’s the wine country of South Africa. The wine vineyard I enjoyed most was Delaire Graff Estate, it is stunningly beautiful! The majestic views of the Cape Mountains, well -maintained gardens, and great ambience!
Beirut. As someone that grew up in and around NYC, this was the first city that had that same palpable energy when you stepped out on the streets. Amazing food, beautiful people.
I concur on Chicago. I was born in raised in Iowa, but have been in the Chicago area over 20 years and living in the Gold Coast for over 3 years now. I’m thoroughly convinced it’s the best city in America, especially the summer tour. And I also agree with the OP that I was pleasantly surprised by the architectural boat tour. Sounded boring to me and I wouldn’t say I’m super enthusiastic about architecture, but ultimately it was more about Chicago history than anything. It was fascinating.
Antwerp. Loved the history there, museums and architecture. Superb restaurants and cafes/bars too.
Istanbul, Turkey surprised me in a good way.
It started off rocky, getting scammed by a little girl (cost 1 lira, so not terrible), a torrential thunder storm suddenly swooped in after that, and then our hotel gave our room away to some elderly people with money, and stuck us in a bug infested room with no lights built inside the wall of the Hagia Sophia. From the next day on, all amazing.
Turkish food was absolutely amazing! Lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, and yogurt, and meat without much else besides spices. As an American I thought knew spices, but this taught me everything I knew was wrong. Which led me to the bazaars to find more. I think I spent so much on spice and tea my second day, I still have some vacuum sealed in storage 11 years later (sure it’s gone bad by now, but couldn’t finish it all). I LOVED haggling with the shop owners, but it was sooooo weird at first, because I had lived in Japan for 5 years at this point, and it doesn’t happen there typically.
The shop owners would almost always offer you apple tea or a yogurt drink just for stopping by. They seemed almost bored if you just went in and bought something without trying to haggle.
As a cat person, there were cats alllll over the city! My ex bought cat food from a store, and whenever we stopped to eat, she’d place some food down for any nearby cats. There were cats living in the Hagia Sophia that I remember saying I’d rather have their lives, living in a place like that, and having a city of people take care of them.
I’m not sure how common this is, but I loved Inverness the few times I’ve been. Something about it, as well as the beautiful surrounding views (see the Black Isle), is just brilliant to me
Just left Campeche, Mexico. The local market had the best food I’ve tasted so far in Mexico. Food is important.
Bucharest, Romania. I heard so many bad things about the city – ugly buildings, crime, dirty, etc. But I loved it! The people were so friendly, it wasn’t as ugly as I expected due to the early infatuation with French style, and the history was very interesting. I also felt very safe there and thought it was a lot cleaner than other highly rated cities in Europe (looking at you Rome). It’s moved up to one of the cities I would consider living in if I ever got the chance, along with Copenhagen and Prague.
Orvieto, Italy. I stopped there because it was a halfway point between Rome and Florence and was just blown away by the cathedral, the views from the city walls (it’s high up on a cliff), the friendly people, and the ancient Etruscan underground passageways.
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