10 Dream Destinations on Our 2024 Wish List
A new year means new travel plans. At Charitable Traveller, we’re always seeking out the less obvious and more unusual so here, with help from some of our favourite travel writers, we present our dream destinations for 2024.
This is a feature from Issue 20 of Charitable Traveller.
Tenerife, Spain
February in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife is a joy – the weather is generally balmy and it’s much quieter than over the summer months. Time your visit to coincide with the Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival (this year running from 20 January to 18 February). When I was there last year everyone was in full carnival mode and there was a parade through the town, which was great fun to watch. The food is super fresh (go for the black paella at Bodega Julián) and there’s a luscious botanical garden too. By Rosie Buddell, @CharitableTraveller
Bosnia and Herzegovina
I’d love to return to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s a beautiful but war-scarred city famous for its Ottoman-style bridge, Stari Most, which straddles a dramatic turquoise river. From there, we caught an ancient but atmospheric train to Sarajevo. What I yearn to explore on my return though, is the mountains and lakes that we passed on our journeys to each city. They were breathtakingly beautiful and seemingly unspoilt by mass tourism. I hope this is still the case in 2024. By Laura Gelder, @GaddingGelder
Tanzania
I’d love to return to Tanzania after falling in love with the country during my six months of slow travel, connecting with incredible people, having unforgettable experiences in its diverse landscapes, and enjoying its rich food culture. It’s got a rare combination of pristine beaches, exceptional wildlife, the tallest mountain in Africa (Kilimanjaro), and a number of UNESCO heritage sites. By Joyce Oladeinde, diywithjoy.com
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
My perfect trip is one which includes plenty of time in or near the ocean, so I’m looking forward to visiting Raja Ampat, an Indonesian archipelago of 1,500 islands, off the coast of West Papua. Known as ‘the Amazon of the seas’, the coral reefs here support an abundance of marine life, making it a paradise for snorkellers and divers. I can’t wait to head beneath the waves to explore this incredible underwater realm, and meet the people who call the region’s remote islands home. By Lauren Jarvis, @laurenjarvistravels
Newfoundland, Canada
Top of my wish list is Atlantic Canada. With new flights on Westjet direct to Newfoundland starting in 2024, I can’t wait to go and see this beautiful part of the world. Incredible whale watching, lots of sustainable properties and fabulous seafood, it looks and sounds incredible. By Helen Wright, passportstamps.uk
The Azores, Portugal
I’m most excited about my trip to the Azores this year. I had to postpone our summer trip, so in May I’m heading out for whale watching, hiking lava tubes and some incredibly lush landscapes. I think a lot of people imagine the Azores to be really inaccessible yet they’re actually easy to get to, so they always fall a bit under the radar. If there aren’t any direct flights, tagging on a couple of days in Lisbon for a connecting flight will only add to the experience! By Sian Meades-Williams, @sianmeadeswilliams
Nunavut, Canada
Top of my list is Nunavut, Canada’s largest and most northernmost territory (forming much of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago), which celebrates its 25th anniversary as an official dedicated Inuit entity this year. I’ve visited twice before but not since 1999, when even in May the sea around its capital, Iqaluit, was frozen and I enjoyed local food such as raw, frozen whale blubber. I had an amazing adventure, travelling in temperatures down to -40C at night under the Northern Lights and -26C by day. That included staying on an island inside the Arctic Circle, a snowmobile that broke down next to a huge iceberg trapped in the frozen Arctic Sea, and being towed on a traditional wooden qamatiq sled with an Inuit hunter on an ice fishing trip, hunting seals. By Peter Ellegard, @peterellegard
The Peloponnese Peninsula, Greece
A couple of decades ago, a resident of the Menalon massif in the heart of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, was worried that the region was losing its centuries-old trails and the villages that they connected to. Drawing on the knowledge of local shepherds and huntsmen he created a 75-kilometre footpath, which he christened the Menalon Trail. It opened in 2015. I walked it this autumn and can’t wait to return to its silent pine forests, hilltop stone villages and upland meadows studded with threshing floors and walnut trees. I also loved its ancient monasteries, wedged into the cliffs like swallows’ nests. Try the locally made egg pasta and scrumptious skaltsounia (little socks), tiny pastry crescents filled with walnuts and honey. The good thing is that the Trail has breathed new life into the eight villages along it, as the presence of hikers has benefited everyone from taxi drivers to restaurateurs, hoteliers and shopkeepers. Go! By Clare Hargreaves, @larderloutUK
Paros, Milos, Naxos and Ios, The Greek Cyclades Islands
The Greek islands of Mykonos and Santorini may steal the show, but with one known to be pricey and the other overcrowded, this summer should see the spotlight shift to neighbouring isles. There’s already plenty of chatter about once-sleepy Paros and Milos, while Naxos is packed with history and Ios has gained luxurious hotels such as HideOut Suites. Better still, with direct flights from the UK to Mykonos and Santorini, it’s easy to ferry-hop among these sister Cyclades to discover whitewashed villages, fabulous food and truly epic sunsets – all without eye-watering costs or having to share with a cast of thousands. By James Litston, @james_litston
West Sweden
The western region of Sweden is on my list for 2024 for many reasons, but most of all for its vast spaces. Expansive countryside stretches for miles, from the Baltic coast in the west to Lake Vanern in the north, dotted with forest trails, canals and welcoming towns. And then there’s the capital of the region, Gothenburg, which is a delight to stroll around, stopping for fika and following the river to the old town. By Rebecca Miles, @CharitableTraveller
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This is a feature from Issue 20 of Charitable Traveller.
by net effect