Tired of hitting the same tourist hot spots and want to try something new? Then these five top emerging tourist spots are sure to give you the trip you’re looking for.
Bagan, Burma (Myammar)
In a short amount of time, this formerly quiet town became a bustling tourist attraction last year. In Bagan, you can expect to see a ton of gorgeous and truly one of a kind sights. The area is full of gorgeous Buddhist temples, stupas, unique pagodas and ancient ruins that allow you to reflect on the rich history of the area. Just make sure that you make your hotel reservations well in advance, as the few hundred hotels in the areas are always fully booked up months in advance.
Muscat, Oman
There’s a good reason why the Lonely Planet named Muscat the second best city to go and visit in 2012. There are just so many things to do in this country, from soaking up the sun on beautiful beaches to kite surfing to venturing out on desert safaris and caving. A good sign that Muscat is moving up in the tourism world is its recent inclusion in the Travelex Empire. When one of the currency exchange world leaders moves to your country, you know you’re moving up in the world. If you’re over there and need to exchange some money, you can book ahead on the site here. As the Omani Souqs have some of the most beautiful handicrafts and other ornate pieces that you won’t be able to find elsewhere, it’s definitely worth a look.
Castro, Chile
Over in South America, there’s a nice little island called Chiloe Island that’s becoming one of the most popular travel destinations this year. Thanks to improved roads and a new ferry system, travelers can now visit and enjoy the special sights that this island offers. The Visit Chile site has a section about traveling by ferry in Chile and it’s worth a look – so here it is. The stilt houses right over the water and old wooden churches set the stage for this quite island town, and the locals are always a delight.
Tbilisi, Georgia
If you’re a wine lover, then Tbilisi needs to be on your travel bucket list. Being touted as the area where wine was first discovered, this country’s 8000 year rich history in viticulture makes almost any and all of their wines boast-worthy. Many food lovers are gravitating to this lovely country to enjoy its interesting Middle Eastern and Eastern European fusion cuisine.
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand
For those who are looking to soak up some sun, then the volcanic town of Mount Maunganui is the place to be. This area made headlines last year when the MV Rena, a green cargo ship, happened to unfortunately run aground offshore on the Astrolabe Reef. This scared off tourists initially, but the travel and tourism industry is beginning to pick back up in the area as the beaches are now all cleaned up and the waters are back to their brilliant aquamarine blue.
There you have it. I hope this has gotten your travel brains ticking over and that you have fun wherever you end up this year.
