Cultural leisure, the wildest nature or the possibility of visiting with the little ones. Whatever you are looking for on your vacation National Geographic has a perfect place to go.
The journalists and adventurers of the different international newsrooms have selected what they consider to be The best destinations to visit in 2023. The list includes a total of 23 destinations that seduce by the many attractions they hide.
“The selection revolves around destinations and travel experiences who take advantage of the benefits of tourism to strengthen their communities and local environments, both natural and cultural and ethnographic,” they write.
Classified according to what you are looking for: adventure, local community, culture, adventure or going with the family here is a selection of 14 of the trips they propose.
For those looking for local communities
Dodecanese Islands (Greece)
It is one of the Greek archipelagos in the Aegean Sea, located off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The islands include the famous Rhodes, Patmos, Kos, but also some lesser known like Astypalea or Karpathos.
12 Greek islands that “captivate whoever visits it” for its rocky beauty and its history. down this coast Romans, Ottomans and Italians passed. All of them “left their mark on every corner, from architecture to food.”
An alternative for those who want to be seduced on vacation by the paradisiacal charm of Greece while giving a break from the overwhelming tourism of the famous Mykonos and Santorini, in the Cyclades.
Milwaukee (USA)
In the words of National Geographic Among the incentives to discover the largest city in Wisconsin is the combination of his working-class past with a growing artistic creativity which is radiating beyond the Great Lakes region. Having an NBA team like the Bucks can also seduce sports lovers.
The Harley-Davidson museum or “the lively Deer district”, an old wasteland converted into a hotel area and concert halls are other highlights. He too Arts and Culture Center in Bronzeville, focused on African American art and Historic Third Ward, industrial neighborhood transformed into a creative hub.
Laos
Known for the emerald green landscapes of the Mekong“one of the most spectacular enclaves” in the country is the old imperial capital, Luang Praban, UNESCO World Heritage. It is located in a valley where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers.
You can get there in the Xang Lane Train, the old name of Laos, which means Kingdom of a Million Elephants. The new railway route originates in the city of Kunming (Chinese province of Yunnan) and ends in Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
“It is affordable, safe, fast and with an excellent panorama,” Douangdala, director of cultural Ock Pop Tok that can be visited in Luang Praban.
Ghana
The vestiges of the slave trade that devastated the coast of the country can still be traced in some parts of the country.
A strong pan-African spirit reigns in the cities, according to Melissa Buoni Elian, a National Geographic photo editor who traveled there in 2022. “Both in taxis and in grocery stores and markets sounds like reggae, American hip hop or country music”, describes. A must stop in Accra, the capital, described as “the center of fashion”.
A country on the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, among its most famous tourist attractions is the diversity of its fauna and the isolated beaches, like those of Busua.
For nature lovers
Azores Islands (Portugal)
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“A land gestated by fire that is now upholstered in greenery“. Described like this, and given its relative proximity who would resist going.
4 of its 9 islands are UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and recognized by the World Wildlife Foundation as oasis for 28 species of whales and dolphins. Focused on the protection of biodiversity, the authorities have limited the number of hikers who can ascend to the Pico volcanoroof of Portugal.
Big Bend National Park in Texas (USA)
This remote and arid part of Texas owns more cactus species than any other national park, in addition to birds such as the roadrunner and the oriole and mammals such as the peccary, describe.
“In it chihuahuan desertan extension of 3,250 km2 in which the Big Bend is located, life is hard, but also impossible to forget”, sums up Robert Draper, a contributor to National Geographic.
From the Mexican community of Ojinaga to the cowboys of Alpinethe towns located along the Rio Grande, whose course marks the border with Mexico, are other elements that make this destination stand out.
Slovenia
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This small ex-republic of the former Yugoslavia is one of the biggest leaders in sustainable tourism. The country has recently added a new proposal to the wide variety of tours eco friendly which includes its National Green Plan.
I have traveled two weeks through Slovenia and I can explain why it is one of the best destinations
It’s about the Green Gourmet Route of Sloveniaa culinary itinerary with which to cycle to 10 destinations in 11 days that includes Brda, a region known as slovenian tuscany.
Destinations for cultural holidays
Via Appia (Italy)
All roads lead to Rome and have their origin in this road built 2,300 years ago. “Nicknamed Regina Viarum, the Queen of the Streets, this Roman ‘highway’ was one of the busiest in the empire.”
It served to link the Italian capital with Brindisi, the most important commercial port with the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. And those who have been there describe it as a time travel to the time of the emperors. also like a walk through the Italian countryside without leaving Rome.
Busan (South Korea)
The second largest city in South Korea has hosted one of the Asia’s most prestigious annual festivals for almost 3 decades. Before the sessions, you can take the opportunity to have a local beer or take a walk through the Citizens Park, a US military base now transformed into an ogreen asis with more than a million trees and shrubs of almost a hundred species.
It is also a famous destination for its mountains, beaches and for the nakdong river estuarythe longest in South Korea.
Longmen Grottoes (China)
In the Chinese province of Henan, the Longmen Grottoes are a set of cavities that house about 100,000 Buddhist sculptures, ranging from 2.5 cm to 17 m tall. They were carved between the 5th and 8th centuries, during the Northern Wei dynasty and the Tang dynasty (618-907).
What makes them even more attractive is that they were excavated on the cliffs above the Yi River. The fabulous ensemble became part of the Unesco list in the year 2000.
For the more adventurous
Revillagigedo National Park (Mexico)
Wonders of Street View/Neal Agarwal
With almost 15,000,000 hectares, it is the largest protected underwater park in North America. known as the Galapagos of Mexicoits waters are home to the largest aquatic tropical megafauna sanctuary on the continent.
Divers can observe thammerhead sharks to several species of dolphins and giant manta rays or humpback whales. To preserve this life, the park office limits the daily number of visitors, so it is essential to book dives at least one year in advance.
New Zealand
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Located on the Pacific, the entire country is an explosion of wild nature. Its impressive green territories represented the mythical Middle-earth in the Lord of the Rings saga by Peter Jackson
queenstownon the shores of a lake, famous for its skiing and year-round hiking opportunities in the Remarkable Mountains, is one of National Geographic’s suggestions.
family trips
Colombia
Almost 20% of the birds on the planet live in Colombia, the country with the most ornithological diversity in the world. The Perija mountains, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the Los Flamencos wetland or the Tayrona National Parkon the Caribbean coast, are some of the treasures of biodiversity that this country hosts.
“The Ornithological Route of Northern Colombia allows all kinds of fans to enjoy this rich birdlife, including families with children,” they point out from National Geographic. Travelers can see species such as the black-tailed quetzal, the Santa Marta parrot, the maraquera or squeaky guan or the sword-billed hummingbird.
Manchester, United Kingdom)
Manchester, Britain’s second largest city, famous the world over for its football team and music scene.
In 2023, a series of attractions will be added, such as the opening of the Factory, a new cultural space in the center of the city. It will become the permanent headquarters of the Manchester International Festivala biannual event that will showcase the best of theater, opera and music at all ages.
The other novelty of the year is the reopening of the Manchester Museum. The center also houses the Belonging Gallerya room designed for families that shows the coexistence and interaction of humans, plants and animals on the planet.
You can check the complete list here of destinations recommended by National Geographic.
