2025 Best in Travel countries
Cameroon
country|Africa
Cameroon celebrates the 65th anniversary of its independence in 2025 bringing overdue, well-deserved attention to the African nation’s extraordinary offerings. Pristine, unspoiled beaches of Kribi are more Castaway than Cancún, while cities Douala and Yaoundé pulse with an eclectic soundtrack drawn from the dance-heavy rumba rhythms of Central Africa.
Highlights
01
Enjoy Kribi and its beautiful palm trees, waterfalls, white sands and fishing villages.
02
Head to capital Yaoundé to check out Art Deco and African Modernist architecture.
03
Go looking for mandrills, gorillas and forest elephants in Parc National de Campo-Ma’an.
"You can’t be sad in Yaoundé, where the music never stops. And with music, there’s always dancing. Take a tour, make a friend, then get them to show you the Yaoundé night."
Samuel Harouna, tour guide
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Lithuania
country|Europe
In a world that commodifies the terms "conservation" and "sustainability", Lithuania epitomizes both. Named the European Green Capital of 2025, there’s never been a better time to explore its protected forests, lakes and sandy dunes along the Baltic Sea. Green spaces cover 61% of its capital, Vilnius, with unmissable attractions like the recently restored Sapieha Palace.
Highlights
01
Toast Vilnius after dark with craft cocktails at Champaneria, followed by live music and dancing at Bardakas.
02
Follow pilgrims to the emotive Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai, a powerful remembrance site made up of 100,000-plus crosses.
03
Get lost in ancient oak forests and a labyrinth of wild boating lakes in the untouched Aukštaitija National Park.
"Vilnius rocks with creativity, be it fine art galleries, trees dressed in knitting, local crafts or street musicians."
Eglė Nutautaitė, Lithuanian novelist
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Fiji
country|Oceania
Visiting Fiji is a transformative experience. This 330-island archipelago, surrounded by 1.3 million sq miles of cerulean waters, has 460 protected marine areas brimming with life. Protecting this delicate and fragile ecosystem, its heritage and natural resources, is at the heart of a new initiative that encourages preservation through activities like planting coral and mangroves.
Highlights
01
Scuba dive or snorkel Fiji’s protected marine areas to explore its coral reefs.
02
Enjoy Fijian hospitality through a cultural experience such as those offered by the sustainable tourism collective Duavata.
03
Head to the country’s highlands and waterfalls for an authentic jungle and nature encounter.
"Throughout Fiji, its culture, food and people epitomize the saying 'Fiji is the way the world should be.'"
Kitty Weatherall, manager, Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort
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Laos
country|Asia
Take a ride on Laos newly-launched, high-speed international rail connecting its sedate mountainous plains with China’s bustling southwestern Yunnan Province. Travelers now have an affordable, efficient and sustainable way to traverse the region's best, yet relatively unseen, cultural and natural wonders and ancient cities. This is a quieter side of Asia less visited by foreign tourists.
Highlights
01
Pick your favorite adrenaline-fueled adventure amongst the picturesque rivers and mountains of Vang Vieng where biking, ziplining, tubing, rock climbing and trekking await.
02
Visit Vientiane’s Pha That Luang temple and Patuxai, a recreation of France’s Arc de Triomphe.
03
Disembark at Luang Prabang for day trips to Kuang Si Waterfall and the Old Quarter, and to join a sunrise alms-giving ceremony.
"Before the train, buses between the main towns could take all day. Now it’s an hour or less, which means more time to explore."
Chris Schalkx, Journalist
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Kazakhstan
country|Asia
Kazakhstan is an immersive destination for travelers in search of an unspoiled adventure awash in natural beauty, history and culture. Hikers will love the many trails in Sairam-Ugam National Park, uncrowded by tourists. Visit Shymkent, known for some of the country’s best food, or see Almaty, the old capital, for Kazakhstan’s Soviet heritage.
Highlights
01
Dine at Auyl, outside Almaty, where design, history and neo-nomad cuisine meet.
02
Visit the singing dunes in Altyn-Emel National Park and hear the organ-like hum emitted from the sands and the wind.
03
Try beshbarmak, a celebratory dish made with horse or mutton at restaurant Bozjyra in Shymkent.
"Almaty to me means mountain peaks that surround the city. Surrounded by Tian Shan spruce trees, on horseback or on foot, there is nowhere else I feel like going any time of year."
Anely Nazarbek, outdoors enthusiast
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Paraguay
country|South America
In the heart of South America, uncrowded Paraguay teems with life of all sorts and has a laid-back, welcoming vibe. There’s plenty to see. Visit the spiky Chaco forest (with jaguars and giant anteaters roaming around) or go to picturesque pueblos and plunging waterfalls. Be sure to tour the eclectic architecture of the charming capital, Asunción.
Highlights
01
Sunbathe on the golden beaches of Carmen del Paraná.
02
Voyage upriver to the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, aboard the Siete Cabrillas floating hotel from Concepción.
03
Pogo with chanting football fans at the Superclásico showdown between top clubs Olimpia and Cerro Porteño.
"Paraguay is like a village stopped in time, where we still preserve a sense of communal living. La Chacarita is the essence, the genesis of Paraguay: everything started there."
Christian Nuñez, founder, Chacatours
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Trinidad & Tobago
country|Caribbean
This twin-island Caribbean nation's food scene is a panoply of flavors with African, East Asian, French, Spanish, English, Dutch, Chinese and Indigenous influences. Trinidad and Tobago's headliner, though, is Carnival. This months-long extravaganza, which features steelpan competitions, stick-fighting battles and calypso showdowns, culminates in vibrant costume parades that take place on March 3 and 4, 2025.
Highlights
01
Go birding, hiking and turtle-watching at the Hadco Experiences Asa Wright Nature Centre.
02
Enjoy Tobago’s water sports and popular food spots at Pigeon Point Beach. Try the delectable curried crab and dumpling at nearby Miss Trim’s.
03
Check out the sacred Hindu pantheon, Temple in the Sea, a colorful, octagonal-shaped structure that sits on a causeway in the Gulf of Paria.
"In T&T, we have the biggest melting pot of cultures, resulting in the most amazing food. From fancy restaurants to street food, it’s all a celebration of who we are."
Brigette Joseph, culinary and hospitality consultant
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Vanuatu
country|Oceania
With fewer than 45,000 tourists a year, Vanuatu is a largely untouched island escape, swathed in jungle, fringed by deserted beaches, dotted with volcanoes and laced with scenic trails. But the best reason to visit is to experience the rich heritage and diverse cultures of the Ni-Vanuatu (Melanesian people of Vanuatu, also known as Ni-Van).
Highlights
01
Stand on the rim of Tanna Island’s Yasur volcano as lava spurts into the air.
02
Sample Vanuatu’s signature beverage, kava, at a local bar on any island.
03
Scuba dive famous wrecks and coral reefs, or splash around in Efate Island’s idyllic Blue Lagoon and Mele Cascades.
"I love shopping for fruits and vegetables at Port Vila Market, as they’re organically grown and so fresh. I also often buy some manioc rolls (cassava dough stuffed with meat); they’re my favorite!"
Beverly Teahiu, local tour guide
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Slovakia
country|Europe
Now is the time to visit Slovakia, thanks to a focus on outdoor adventures, ecotourism and multiple ongoing restoration projects in the capital and beyond. Take in the cultural riches and history in Bratislava, traverse the beech forests and wildflower meadows that cascade down the flanks of the Carpathian Mountains or hop aboard the Tatra Electric Railway.
Highlights
01
Admire Brutalist architecture with Bratislava’s topsy-turvy Slovak National Radio Building or Banská Bystrica’s sci-fi domed Museum of the Slovak National Uprising.
02
Go snow-shoeing in the High Tatras or scale ladders above thrashing waterfalls in Slovenský Raj National Park.
03
See underground wonders including Europe’s largest stalagmite inside Krásnohorská Cave and explore the shimmering perma-freeze of Dobšinská Ice Cave.
"During the ’70s, there were a lot of utopian projects, most of which were never finished. Architecture like Bratislava’s UFO building marks the space-race era, where everything was supposed to be possible."
Brano Chrenka, co-founder, Authentic Slovakia tours
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Armenia
country|Europe
From a mass tourism perspective, Armenia remains relatively undiscovered – for now. This is the time to visit, before everyone else gets wise. See the South Caucasus, stunning monasteries, the new Armenian National Trail or simply savor a glass of Areni Noir in a vineyard – Armenia's wine scene is on par with any in the world.
Highlights
01
Visit UNESCO-recognized monasteries Geghard, Haghpat and Sanahin, as well as 2000-year-old Garni Temple.
02
Feast on traditional dishes like tolma (beef-stuffed vine leaves), ghapama (stuffed pumpkin), lavash (flatbread) and khorovats (grilled meat) at Lavash in Yerevan.
03
Stroll through wildflowers in springtime and visit the finely restored Haghartsin Monastery on hikes around Dilijan.
"Living in Armenia is a joy thanks to its vibrant culture and breathtaking landscapes. When visiting, eat delicious tolma, explore ancient monasteries and enjoy Yerevan’s fun and safe nightlife."
Simela Namavar, jazz singer
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