As the year comes to a close, more people are scrambling to find new travel destinations. It’s been a long stretch of work and school, which means it’s time to take advantage of any opportunity to escape. While everyone gets tied up in family events during the holidays, as soon as they’re over it’s time to travel. When searching for spots to explore, most travelers are faced with the same conundrum. The coolest places are already being visited by millions of tourists, which makes travelling there thinly veiled traps.
While most people end up getting funneled into the same travel destinations, some people crave something more. There’s something to be said about finding hidden travel destinations, since they provide a glimpse into a different world. Instead of catering exclusively to tourists, the locals are just living their normal lives. This provides valuable insight into different cultures, which is the prize of any journey.
The world is filled with epic places to travel, which makes finding the right spot surprisingly difficult. While being faced with so many choices, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. For this reason, we decided to do our readers a favor by compiling a list of travel destinations for 2018. Even though they aren’t international hubs, they still sport a ton of charming attractions. Beat the crowds and experience a genuine experience at these overlooked travel destinations!
Best Travel Spots of 2018
Enjoy gorgeous cities and even more beautiful natural destinations.
Travel Destination #3: Oaxaca, Mexico – When exploring this Mexican state, visitors are inundated in the local culture. From mole to mescal, there’s no shortage of local delicacies to experiment with. This area is renown for its handmade textiles that are made by indigenous Zapotecs and Mixtecs. Even though these two native groups steal the show, there are 16 officially recognized indigenous tribes.
On top of being a cultural melting pot, Oaxaca is one of the most biologically diverse states in Mexico. From the sandy beaches of Puerto Escondido to the archeological sites of Mitla, this place is packed with attractions. They have record amounts of reptiles, mammals, amphibians and plants scattered throughout the state. There are also booming cities, which allows visitors to experience the best of both worlds. The area avoided the cartel violence that rocked other parts of the country, so there’s no excuse not to visit!
See a side of nature that most people miss!
Travel Destination #2: Madagascar – For those who love nature, this island can’t be missed. This is the world’s fourth largest island, and it’s bursting at the seams with wildlife. Out of this cornucopia of natural diversity, the endangered rig-tailed lemur steals the show. There are around 100 species of lemurs on the island, which makes it the final stage for this vanishing species. Over 90% of the wildlife in Madagascar can’t be found anywhere else in the world. This biodiversity hotspot is one of a kind, so prepare to enjoy nature’s finest displays!
Explore the capital of South America’s exportation powerhouse!
Travel Destination #1: Santiago, Chile – Out of all the places to visit in South America, none are more inviting than the Chilean capital. This bustling city is the financial hub of this thriving nation. It borders the Andes Mountains and multiple vineyards, which creates spectacular views from the city. Vibrant murals cover most blank walls, which is breathtaking when combined with the Spanish architecture. Over 7 million people reside here, and create a slew of culinary and artistic facets to explore. This is one of the safest and most developed cities in South America, so enjoy their innovation!
