2015 was a year full of adventure, surprises and amazing opportunities to discover even more of great and off the beaten path places. Just like a year ago, based on my own experience (I've been to all the countries described below), I'd like to present my list of destinations to visit in 2016 (click here to see the post from 2015). As usual, it will be different than most of such lists released by meainstream travel magazines. Instead of repeating all the well known places, I'd like you to get inspired and explore new adventurous and exciting spots. It has probably never even come to your mind that you could visit some of them and you'll surely get shocked when you learn where those amazing wonders actually are located!
Things To See In The Island Of Sal, Cape Verde
Sal is one of the "islands of the sun" within the archipelago of Cape Verde, located off the Senegalese coast. It is the most touristic island where nearly 50 % of winter sun seekers who come from Europe to Cape Verde stay on vacation. Most probably, it is Sal that will be your first contact with this tiny African Country. The island boasts various types of white, sandy beaches suitable for swimming as well as surfing, kitesurfing and diving. Tourist infrastructure is very well developed with multiple hotels and resorts along the coast. If you love lazy beach holidays, you'll find it perfect. However, if you wish to experience some authentic African culture or local life, you won't get it in Sal. The whole island is solely dedicated to tourism and besides the western-style resorts, there's nothing much original there.
Zakopane - What To See in Poland's Winter Capital
Zakopane, also called Poland's winter capital due to the abundance of ski resorts in the region is becoming a popular tourist destination among foreign visitors to the country. It's probably because it's so close to the most famous attraction in Poland - the medieval city of Krakow. Contrary to Zakopane's nickname - "winter capital", although it's perfect for ski lovers, the area is also worth visiting during all other seasons - when the snow melts, you can enjoy hiking spectacular mountainous trails dotted with beautiful, crystal clear postglacial lakes. In this post, however, I will focus on the town itself and highlight what to see around - there are plenty of articles online about Zakopane, basically describing Tatra National park, but few about the actual town.
Furnas, Azores, Portugal - The Village, The Crater Lake and The Hot Springs
The village of Furnas, as well as the nearby volcanic complex of geothermal springs, is situated beside the easternmost of the three spectacular caldera lakes on the island of Sao Miguel - Lagoa das Furnas. Apart from other places in Azores, Furnas, as one of the main tourist attractions on Sao Miguel, is extremely extraordinary yet still very authentic and, comparing to mainland Portugal, visited by few. Probably due to the deficit of beaches and guaranteed sunny weather. But it has so much more to offer! It is idyllic, easily accessible and sometimes confusing, but in a very positive way: when you leave one of the cozy towns, you begin to doubt you are in Portugal and start to think you've been teleported to Iceland, Ireland and New Zealand, all blended into one.
Zlatni Rat on Brac Island - Is It Croatia's Most Beautiful Beach?
Croatia has changed beyond recognition within the last 10 years. Its Mediterranean coast, old medieval towns made of stone, beautiful beaches and superb food attract more and more visitors to this once neglected and forgotten land. In fairness, the tourist attractions in Croatia (as well as in the whole Balkan region) are not in any way less interesting than those famous spots in Italy or France. Besides the hyper popular Dubrovnik (which was featured in great productions, such as The Game of Thrones), the northern portion of Croatian coast has also a lot to offer - the beautiful Roman city of Split (read my article about it here) and dozens of spectacular little islands. When you're in Split, one of them is particularly worth seeing - I'm talking here about Brac island which boasts reputedly the most beautiful beach in Croatia (I even spotted signs saying that in the world! For me this is the most beautiful beach in the world.) But is it really true?
Annapurna Range Loop Trek To Poon Hill, Nepal - Day 2 - Trek From Ulleri To Ghorepani And Poon Hill
On the second day of the extraordinarily beautiful trek to Poon Hill, we left the cozy village of Ulleri at sunrise and headed uphill towards another village - Ghorepani. Ghorepani is located at the elevation of 2750 meters and it differs from other towns with the distinctive blue roofs and houses. It is also a gateway to the most important point of the trek - Poon Hill (around 3200 meters above sea level) which offers a spectacular, 360 degree view of the Annapurna range in the Himalayas. Especially stunning in March/April when all the wild rhododendrons blossom and cover the mountainous valleys in bright red colors.
Old Bagan, Myanmar - Best Ways To Get Around And Is It Really Worth A Visit?
Old Bagan is one of the most famous archaeological sites in South East Asia. Often compared to the Angkor Wat Complex in Cambodia, Bagan was open to the tourists relatively recently. Although Myanmar is still regarded by some as an off the beaten path destination (for example, there are not that many foreign visitors in Mandalay or at the Golden Rock Pagoda), the magnificent temples of Bagan attract hundreds of travelers every day. Nevertheless, just like Angkor Wat, the pagodas in Bagan are spread around such an enormous area that you'll still feel the uniqueness and remoteness of this extraordinary site.
Half a Day In Brussels - What Can You See During An 8-hour Stopover In The Belgian Capital
Usually, I choose to visit more exotic, unknown or off the beaten path destinations. Although there are some towns in Belgium I am planning to visit, Brussels was somehow never on my list. However, while returning from the trip to the amazing Greek Islands, the stopover between the flights in Brussels was around 8 hours. Was there a point to stay that long at the airport? We decided to take a risk and catch a bus to the city - at least to kill time, even if, seemingly, there was no possibility to get around and see everything in such a short time. As it turned out, we managed to visit almost all attractions within the historical center as well the famous Atomium Monument.
Adventure in The Amazon, Brazil - Part 4 - One Day Around Manaus
The 4th, last part of the series of articles about The Amazon will be dedicated to all those who visit the city of Manaus and don't have too much time to spend in the jungle itself (or prefer an easier way to explore the area). And even those who have experienced the amazing adventure in the rain forest will be surprised how many things you can see around Manaus during just a one day trip. We were! You'll have a chance to see a native, local tribe, houses on water, beautiful lake covered with water lilies with plenty of wild birds and curious little monkeys. But the best highlight of the trip is swimming with pink dolphins!
10 Beautiful Beaches And Coastal Towns You've Never Heard About
French Riviera, Copacabana, Miami Beach... We all know them and most of us dream to spend our vacation there. I'm not much of a beach person - but not because I don't like beaches, I do - what I dislike is lying at the swimming pools for entire two weeks in plastic resorts that basically seem to be copies of one another everywhere you go. I prefer to explore, discover some new, seemingly unattractive destinations. What can be better than a secluded, unspoiled beach surrounded by white rocks without hundreds of tightly squeezed sunbeds and drunken crowds - where you can feel as if it was your own? Or a cozy coastal town no one knows of - where you can enjoy authentic cuisine and original architecture? In this list I'd like to present beautiful, interesting and exciting beaches and towns that never or hardly ever make it to the western mainstream media.