NATIONAL Geographic Traveler has released its list of the best trips to take in 2020, a list that includes one of the darkest outdoor places on the planet, an elephant haven in Africa and an off-the-radar hiking path that forms part of Europe’s first long-distance trail.
Dubbed the planet’s “25 most exciting destinations for the year ahead,“ NatGeo’s picks for the best places to visit in 2020 is an editorial selection based on the recommendations of its international network of experts and magazine editions.
At the top of the list is Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which marks 25 years of peace in 2020 following the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. Though the city still bears the scars of its violent past, editors note that restoration efforts have established a relative calm in the Western Balkans, driving growth and recovery to the local area.
Editors also recommend one of China’s most isolated and undiscovered provinces, Guizhou in southwestern China, home to offices for Apple and Huawei. The presence of tech powerhouses in the mountainous region is credited for improving access to the region, including traditional villages that still practice farming and textile traditions that stretch back to the sixth century.
The Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, one of the world’s darkest places; the National Blue Trail in Hungary and the elephant havens at Zakouma National Park in Chad are also on the list.
Here are the 25 trips to take in 2020, according to NatGeo Traveler:
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Guizhou Province, China
Tohoku, Japan
National Blue Trail, Hungary
Telč, Czechia
Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada
Wales Way, United Kingdom
Abu Simbel, Egypt
Fort Kochi, India
Zakouma National Park, Chad
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Puebla, Mexico
Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA
Maldives
Tasmania, Australia
Asturias, Spain
Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
Mendoza Province, Argentina
Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
Guatemala
Parma, Italy
Canary Islands, Spain
Białowieża Forest, Belarus/Poland
Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria - AFP
