It’s always good to know a bit about what kind of destinations are trending, but plenty of travellers crave a getaway which isn’t so jam-packed full of other people, or as expensive as established holiday spots.
That’s where so-called ‘destination dupes’ come in – and travel publication AFAR has just produced its list of the 25 most underrated places to travel to in 2025, selected with the help of its editors.
In the Americas, Boone, a city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina has been included thanks to its scenic walking trails and river snorkelling. North Wales was one of the destinations spotlighted in Europe, for not only its stunning scenery but as the home of a 1,500 year-old pilgrimage through the mountains.
South Africa’s Wild Coast, thanks to its dazzling marine life, was included in the list for Africa and the Middle East, Toyama, a lovely coastal city in Japan was included for Asia, and Western Australia was selected for Oceania, described as a ‘nature lover’s paradise’. You can read the full list of destinations below.
These are the best places in the world to travel in 2025, according to AFAR
The Americas
- Columbus, Ohio
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Bold Coast, Maine
- Boone, North Carolina
- Lititz, Pennsylvania
- Prince Edward County, Canada
- Costalegre, Mexico
- Patagonia Azul, Argentina
- Guyana
- St. Vincent
Europe
- Belgrade, Serbia
- North Wales
- Oxfordshire, England
- Chios, Greece
- The Danish Riviera
- Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany
Asia
- Sumba, Indonesia
- Toyama, Japan
- Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
Africa and the Middle East
- Jordan
- Republic of Benin
- Wild Coast, South Africa
Oceania
- Aotea Great Barrier Island, New Zealand
- Western Australia
- Palau
Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Booking.com and Condé Nast Traveller have all revealed their travel lists for the year ahead recently. Why not have a browse of all the best Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Travel Tuesday offers so far this year, to bag yourself a bargain?
Did you see that the ‘world’s longest flight’ is set to launch in 2026 – and link these major cities?
Plus: This beautiful country was just crowned 2025’s ‘destination of the year’ by Travel + Leisure.
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