Popular online booking site Booking.com has revealed its top 10 emerging travel destinations for 2019. From the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan and the Kasbahs in Ouarzazate , Morocco , to the lake in Bacalar, Mexico and the exotic island of Nusa Penida in Indonesia , users appear to be choosing more “ daring ” destinations than in 2018.
In fact, according to the results of the online survey, almost half of travelers worldwide say they are ready to take a trip ” to the other side of the world “, with the percentage of those packing their bags for an exotic destination in 2019 reaching 45%!
The data also shows that 60% of ” daring ” excursionists are willing to spend even more days of their annual leave this year to wander to a far-flung travel destination.
Wadi Rum, Jordan
The “Martian” landscape of the Wadi Rum region in Jordan is best known through the descriptions of Thomas Edward Lawrence in his book “The Seven Gates of Wisdom” as a place of sand and stone, dotted with tall red cliffs. Starting from Bedouin camps, travelers set off to spend the night under the stars in the surreal desert valley of Wadi Rum, which was one of the main caravan routes in the time of the Nabataeans. The rocks still bear images carved 2,500 years ago and “road markings” for the caravans. Wadi Rum has even been the filming location for successful films, including “The Martian” and “Prometheus.”
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Samarkand is one of the oldest cities in the world, located in southeastern Uzbekistan. Known for its historical and cultural importance due to its central location on the “Silk Road” between China and the West, Samarkand is home to one of the most impressive architectural complexes in Central Asia, the Registan. This is the center of the medieval city, consisting of three huge religious schools, known as the Ulugbek, Serdar, and Tilla-Kari madrasas. Among the other attractions of Samarkand are the Bibi-Khanim Mosque, the “Tomb of the Living King” Shah-i-Zinda, the Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, the ruins of Afrasiab, as well as the central market and the 15th-century observatory!
Bacalar, Mexico
The turquoise waters of Lake Bacalar in Mexico rival—if not surpass—the beauty of those surrounding Southeast Asia, the eastern Caribbean, and even Greece! Although the country is famous for its lagoons, Bacalar is not one of the most popular. Also known as the “Lake of Seven Colors” on the Yucatan Peninsula, its waters create a feast of different shades of blue, due to the high amounts of limestone present at its bottom.
Ouarzazate, Morocco
Ouarzazate in Morocco, also known as the “gate of the desert”, has two of the most beautiful Islamic fortresses – kasbahs: Taurit, former residence of Pasha Glaoui, and Ait Benhaddou. Ouarzazate, which extends in the center of a desert plateau, has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, but due to its location and picturesqueness, it has also been used as a film set.
Mestia, Georgia
Mestia is a small mountain town in northwestern Georgia, 456 kilometers from the country’s capital Tbilisi, at an altitude of 1,500 meters in the Caucasus Mountains. It is considered an ideal location for exploring the ice stalactites at the foot of Mount Usba or for horseback riding in the alpine meadows of the region. The ski resorts of Khachvali and Tetnuldi are a magnet for winter sports enthusiasts, while tourists seeking religious attractions can enjoy medieval iconography in the churches around Mestia. The Church of Saint George has some well-preserved crosses, as well as icons from the 12th century, as does the Pushdi Church, which houses 13th-century frescoes.
Palomino, Colombia
Palomino is a tropical village on the northern Colombian coastline. It is an exotic destination, bathed in the waters of the Caribbean Sea and filled with small, coastal, wooden bamboo houses. Palomino’s beaches are characterized by coconut palms, but also by vast stretches of volcanic sand. Although Colombia is not famous for its beaches, Palomino proves the opposite, as it is an ideal destination for sunbathing and surfing.
Kigali, Rwanda
Perhaps one of the most emerging alternative travel destinations for 2019 is the capital of Rwanda, Kigali. It is one of the cleanest cities in central and southern Africa, since the use of plastic has been banned, as well as one of the most well-organized and urbanized areas of the country. Among the attractions that attract tourists are the genocide monument, the Kimironko open-air market, the Presidential Palace in the city center, but also the surrounding areas with coffee trees and the Volcanoes Park, which is also home to the endangered mountain gorilla.
Leeuwarden, Netherlands
It became particularly well-known last year, when it was chosen by the European Union to be one of the cultural capitals of Europe for 2018. The city of Leeuwarden is the capital of the Dutch province of Friesland, a purely rural region, which seems to have seized the opportunity given to it and managed to highlight its cultural heritage. Its existence dates back to the 2nd century AD and despite its small size, it “hides” several points of tourist interest. The most famous buildings in the city center are the former Chancellery Cancellara, the Stadthunderlake Hof, which was one of the residences of the Dutch royal family until 1971, the old shopping center of the city “Waag”, the Church of St. Boniface, the leaning tower of Oldehofe and the Fries Museum. In addition, the rural city of Leeuwarden is also the starting and finishing point of the traditional Elfstedt skating race, also known as the “Round of the Seven Cities”, which follows the city’s frozen canals, a total length of 200 kilometers!
Ksamil, Albania
Ksamil or Ksamilija is a village in southern Albania, located very close to the border with Greece. It belongs to the Saranda district in the Vlora Prefecture and is built, as travel guides describe, on a narrow strip of land on the Albanian Riviera. Ksamil was rebuilt mainly after 1991 and the fall of the communist regime in Albania, as previously in its place there were some apartment buildings for imprisoned soldiers and the summer residence of the country’s leader Enver Hoxha. In recent years, Ksamil has experienced great tourist development, taking advantage of both its blue-green beaches and the rich vegetation of the area, as well as the very important archaeological site of Butrint, about 20 minutes away, which has been classified by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage monument.
Nusa Penida, Indonesia
The ultimate diving destination and one of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia. Nusa Penida, the largest of the three islands of the Nusa cluster, east of Bali, is an earthly paradise. Together with Nusa Lembongan and Keningan, this island “triangle of the gods” is the most exotic emerging travel destination on Booking.com’s list, as it stands out for its dreamy beaches and crystal clear waters, rich nature and of course its impressive seabed with rare coral reefs. It is no coincidence that this island region is known as the most beautiful tourist destination in Asia, attracting more than 1,000,000 visitors a year from all over the world.