Top 10 countries that didn’t exist 20 years ago

Jan 7, 2011 1:09:55 AM

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Turbo boost your passport by venturing to these recently minted destinations, as highlighted in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011. It’s also a good chance to increase your collection of miniature national flags.

Czech Republic

Following Czechoslovakia’s Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Czech Republic and Slovakia finally sealed their Velvet Divorce in 1993. Less than 20 years on, Prague neighbourhoods like elegant Vinohrady and energetic Žižkov are buzzing, and a country full of emerging microbreweries proves there’s more to Czech beer than Pilsner Urquell or Budvar.

Add virtue to these delicious liquid vices by cycling and hiking through the idiosyncratic landscapes of Bohemian Switzerland or the Český ráj region. Away from bustling Prague, discover quieter provincial gems like Olomouc, Telč and Loket, all still retaining the essence of Bohemian and Moravian culture.

Explore the Czech Republic’s rapidly expanding beer scene at Prague’s Czech Beer Festival or the Olomouc Beer Fest.

East Timor

The 21st-century’s newest nation finally achieved independence in 2002, 27 strife-torn and tragic years after initially declaring independence from Indonesia in 1975. Look forward to basic roads and infrastructure, but be rewarded with an intensely warm welcome from the locals.

The easygoing capital Dili is a hub for thirsty UN and NGO staff looking for new drinking buddies, and across on sleepy Atauro Island, a fledgling ecotourism scene supports hiking and diving. Explore East Timor’s Portuguese heritage amid the faded colonial architecture of Baucau, and check travel advisories on the country’s security situation before leaving home.

A 30-day travel permit (US$30) is issued to most nationalities on arrival at Dili airport. See the Immigration Department of Timor-Leste for the latest.

Eritrea

How far would you go for a really, really good coffee? What if it was a superb macchiato served in an art deco cafe in an exotic country in the Horn of Africa? An addictive combination of sleepy African vibes and an Italian colonial past also showcases cubist, expressionist and futurist architecture in the Eritrean capital of Asmara.

In nearby Massawa, centuries-old Islamic buildings linger in narrow, labyrinthine streets, and the port is the departure point to diving amid Red Sea corals in the Dahlak Archipelago.

Tensions are still rife between Eritrea and Ethiopia – and for now, the border between the two countries is closed – so be sure to check current travel advisories carefully. Visas are required by all visitors and should be obtained in advance from an Eritrean embassy or consulate before entering Asmara.

Slovakia

In a region crammed with dramatic castles, Slovakia‘s Spiš Castle trumps most with an audacious hilltop location and craggy towers and gloomy dungeons straight from a Hammer horror flick. Visit in summer for a full program of events including concerts and mock battles.

Following Slovakia’s independence in 1993, Bratislava seems in no hurry to become a bustling Central European metropolis, and the cool cafes and bars of the Slovakian capital’s beautifully preserved old town are still largely tourist free – take that Prague! Look forward also to being continuously surprised by the funky street art lurking around every corner.

Get active in the High Tatras National Park before dissolving your weary limbs into Piešťany‘s healing spa waters.

Palau

How many jellyfish is just enough? How about 10 million, especially when you’re swimming with them in Palau‘s renowned Jellyfish Lake? (Don’t worry, the local species have evolved with an absence of stingers).

With a population of just 20,000, one of the world’s newest countries is also one of the smallest. The tiny island nation of Palau showcases some of the Pacific’s best diving opportunities with more than 60 vertical drop-offs punctuating locations like Blue Corner, Shark City and Turtle Cove. In 2001, the Palau Shark Sanctuary was established to further protect Palau’s sharks from the Asian shark-fin industry.

As Palau only achieved independence from United States trusteeship in 1994, you’ll need to come equipped with US dollars.

Serbia

Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia from 1990, Serbia has been less open to travellers than neighbouring Croatia or nearby Slovenia. Now Belgrade‘s gritty cityscape and Europe’s most energetic nightlife scene are attracting a vanguard of curious expat residents and intrepid visitors. It’s probably your best chance to experience what Prague was like following the fall of communism in 1989.

Other essential musical thrills include the annual Exit Festival – recent acts have included the Chemical Brothers, Patti Smith and Kraftwerk – and the wildly frantic Guca Festival, drawing 600,000 visitors annually for the best in manic Roma (gypsy) trumpet playing.

Check out the Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club for the latest expat-informed lowdown on the Serbian capital.

Bosnia & Hercegovina

For centuries Sarajevo was on the fault line of religion, culture and history, and in today’s capital of Bosnia & Hercegovina, mosques, churches and synagogues all huddle beside each other and the Neretva River. The city has emerged from the dark days of the siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1996 as an inclusive and collaborative centre for the arts.

The annual summer festival Nights of Bascarsija showcases music, art and dance in Sarajevo’s compact Ottoman quarter, and the Sarajevo Film Festival is one of Europe’s most important. Poignant memories of the Balkan Wars include Mostar’s reconstructed bridge.

Bosnia & Hercegovina is an emerging adventure-tourism destination, with excellent whitewater rafting on the Una and Neretva rivers.

Kazakhstan

Was the inaccurate depiction of Kazakhstan by Borat a few years ago a blessing or a curse? The film certainly lifted brand awareness for the Central Asian republic made independent from Moscow in December 1991, but the planet’s ninth-largest country remains a mystery to most.

Fuelled by revenues from copious oil and gas reserves, Almaty and Astana have emerged as modern-day boomtowns from the Central Asian steppe, but Kazakhs’ nomadic roots are still celebrated with one of the world’s more…er…interesting cuisines. How does beshbarmak (an offal stew) and horsemeat sausage washed down with a shot of vodka sound?

Celebrate the coming of spring with dancing, Kazakh food and equestrian events at the festival of Nauryz in late March.

Montenegro

The denouement of the inevitable dissolution of Yugoslavia came in June 2006 when the citizens of tiny Montenegro voted to separate from the federation of Serbia & Montenegro. Despite Montenegro being the smallest piece of the Balkans jigsaw, the rugged country packs in a geography textbook of natural features and spectacles.

The country’s eponymous ‘Black Mountains’ cradle the perfect medieval town at Kotor, and the pine-scented Tara River is Europe’s deepest canyon and a growing location for river rafting. The tiny island of Sveti Stefan, irredeemably picturesque and joined to the mainland by a slender isthmus, is rapidly regaining its pre-Balkan Wars status as one of Europe’s most exclusive destinations.

Passionate twitchers (birdwatchers) should pack their high-powered binoculars for Lake Skadar, one of Europe’s most important bird sanctuaries.

Kosovo

Consider the evidence. Kosovo declared unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008, but Kosovo’s closest neighbour refuses to accept the declaration. China and Russia agree with Serbia, but almost 70 other nations including the US, Germany and the UK accept Kosovo as an independent state. Membership of the World Bank and the IMF are a given, but UN membership remains elusive due to the veto-trumping machinations of the Security Council. The presence of the UN and NGOs keeps accommodation prices relatively high, so this is definitely one for the true country collectors out there.

In the Kosovar capital of Pristina, visit Bill Clinton Blvd, complete with a giant billboard of the former US president.

Plan this year’s travel with Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011

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Comments

8 January 2011 9:32AM manonthelam Report this comment
What about Georgia? It's a stellar place to visit...
http://www.manonthelam.com
9 January 2011 1:32AM ossetian1 Report this comment
You forgot many. Like South Ossetia, (North Ossetia, is still part of the Russian Federation, but the autonomous Republic,, along with South Ossetia, hold some of the Worlds Oldest and Most Ancient People, Culture and History. Also nearby is the other area in which The Rep of Georgia, is/was a war with, Abkhazia. I recommend staying away from Georgia, and going to South and North Ossetia, along with some of the other regions of the Caucusus! Beautiful..
9 January 2011 9:57AM celticrover Report this comment
Kosovo is NOT a country.
9 January 2011 9:50PM cofkocof24 Report this comment
What about Slovenia? Beautiful green country 'under' the Alps.
http://www.slovenia.info/?lng=2
10 January 2011 3:57AM mishox Report this comment
Actually this article headline is confusing. We CZECH S did exist.
10 January 2011 2:23PM joolz2 Report this comment
Why pick on these? There are others, which may actually be of more interest. All the Baltic states for starters, and other 'stans. Uzbekistan for example is more interesting than Kazakhstan IMO.
10 January 2011 7:01PM tatia Report this comment
What About Georgia? Georgia is one of beutiful and interesting place to see.
ossetian1 - South and north Ossetia are not a Countries.
11 February 2011 5:16AM myohmaya Report this comment
Are you kidding me? Kosovo...Serbia...Bosnia...but no Slovenia or Croatia????
12 February 2011 12:23AM jan_p Report this comment
You mentioned Eritria on the Horn of Africa. Somaliland gained independence 20 years ago. Their neighbor, Djibouti gained independence from France in 1977.
I agree with joolz2, Uzbekistan is stunning!
http://travelwithjan.com
14 February 2011 1:28PM giopassarelli Report this comment
Georgia and Armenia are two of the most impressive places on Earth, wonderful landscapes, incredibly long history, impressive culture, friendliest among the friendly people and a lovely cuisine (particularly Georgia). Uzbekistan, although I haven't yet been there, sounds more obvious than Kazakhstan. Not saying that Kazakhstan doesn't have its charms, but can it really compete against the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva?
14 February 2011 1:29PM giopassarelli Report this comment
Oh, and unfortunately Somaliland is nominally independent, a working democracy, but hasn't been recognised by any other state in the World.
14 February 2011 8:24PM jeroen Report this comment
Pity you say nothing about Kosovo except boring political stuff. Whether you consider it a country or not it's a great, safe and welcoming place to travel. Other that suggested here, accommodation prices are reasonable, beds for €10 can be found, though there are no true hostels yet, and food and nightlife are very cheap and very good, as is public transport.
14 February 2011 10:32PM sergekin1 Report this comment
Since when the U. S. State Dept. website became the court of last instance?
14 February 2011 11:04PM sergekin1 Report this comment
IMHO just leave to politicians to reconize or not recognize. It's their job. Doesn't matter if a people really wants to live and is living independently. Applauding new Kosovo state, to be politically neutral the LP should include here the most recent Abkhazia and South Ossetia. It's worth visiting!
14 February 2011 11:18PM devievao Report this comment
Hello! First of all I use lonely planet since 1997 all aroud the world, so I have to say I am bit dissapointed to see what is writen here about Slovakia: 1. the link to the High Tatras is from 2007 and it says that the winter season is over...Sorry, but season finishes usualy in March - April? 2. I would reccomend this web page for example: http://www.tatry.sk/en If you need more info about Slovakia, let me know :-)
14 February 2011 11:29PM ally007 Report this comment
And you seriously didn't put Croatia on the list? oooh come one... seriously?!?!?!?!?
15 February 2011 1:31AM mjfalvella Report this comment
Ok everybody, relax. Every country that became independent in the last 20 years is amazing in it's own way. LP was probably also considering countries that are very seldom travelled, which is why Croatia and Slovenia may have been left out......and no, N & S Ossetia are not recognized as countries, nor is Abkhazia and Somaliland. They might be recognized by a few other breakaway regions that also want independence. The only obvious disagreement that I would have is Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan has far more than Kazakhstan does. I did a 10 week trip to the ex-Soviet 'stans'. Hands down, this was my favorite. I spent 3 weeks there and that was not enough.
15 February 2011 4:03AM zoe100 Report this comment
Slovenia is a hidden gem, right on the faultline between Northern and Southern Europe. A little bit of North European sophistication makes the people multilingual and friendlier than some of their FRY neighbours but the Southern sun adds warmth and emotion as well as a great summer climate. Piran is a Venetian jewel without the prices and tourists. Near the coastal area are amazing caves and the Lipanzer stud surrounded by charming, slightly ramshackle countryside, not groomed to within an inch of its life like nearby Austria. I can't wait to go back and see more.
15 February 2011 5:13AM bbbbbbbbbb Report this comment
I live in Belgium, independent since 1830. Our politicians are currently busy with the split of it into a Flemisch and a Walloon part just because of language... They are big idiots. I have several friends in Russia and they visit on a rather regular base the South of their country. Means Abchazia, N+S Ossetia and more in that region. They send me pictures of it and it's of the most beautifull I ever have seen. I hope to be there once but the problem is that I need to go alone. My Russian friends live also far away from it and it's pretty hard, read expensive, to go there and combine my and their holidays... Also Caucasus Region (GE - AR - AZ) is one of my goals but trips organised by commercial travel agencies are so incredible expensive... And South of Russia they even don't know.. So if any of you can advise me this help would be veeeeeeeery welcome !
15 February 2011 10:44PM mamerito1 Report this comment
New Sudan (Southern Sudan) which has just been created 2 weeks ago should also be recognised seriously...... Cheers to the people of New Southern Sudan
16 February 2011 3:32AM wdj Report this comment
Regarding East Timor, there is an error in your text. East Timor initially declared independence from Portugal NOT Indonesia in 1975.
2 May 2011 9:56AM phanatic_7 Report this comment
How can you leave out Slovenia, Croatia & Macedonia? I'll give it to you on Serbia, but not on the rest of the former Yugo republics you "listed"... Calling BS!
27 May 2011 5:52PM praskichka Report this comment
Thank you phanatic_7! out of more than 20 comments from these "well-traveled" people yours is the only one that mentions Macedonia, although it's smack in the middle of Eastern Europe together with Serbia, Kosovo and Montenegro.I can not understand how you would push the amazing unique cultures of the ex-soviet union and then disregard the oldest culture in the ex-Yugoslav sector. I don't think it's fair to attack LP for not mentioning Slovenia and Croatia since they have been known as tourist destinations for much longer than 20 years. In any case, if you feel life and food are good in Kosovo (which is true) but you would actually like to do some sightseeing and such, come visit Macedonia. There are 4-5th century monasteries and churches all around, remnants of the ancient roman as well as ottoman empire times. Mountains and lakes, beautiful nature...really lot's to see in this tiny NEW country that turns 20 years old this September!