National Geographic Traveler magazine has announced its annual Best of the World list, featuring 20 destinations plus a bonus readers’ choice destination to visit in 2014. The list reflects what’s authentic, culturally rich, sustainable and superlative in the world of travel today. The destinations are featured in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Traveler magazine, available on newsstands Dec. 3, and online.
“Our annual Best of the World list doesn’t reflect hot spots drawn from celebrity sightings or travel statistics,” said Keith Bellows, editor in chief of National Geographic Traveler magazine. “It reflects the expertise and experience of National Geographic Travel’s huge network of global travel experts. If you want to explore places worth visiting now, this is a great place to start.”
The destinations featured in the 2014 Best of the World list are (in alphabetical order):
- Alentejo, Portugal
- Arbil, Iraq
- Bolaven Plateau, Laos
- Cacao Trail, Ecuador
- Cape Verde
- Cathar Country, France
- Córdoba, Argentina
- Derawan Islands, Indonesia (readers’ choice)
- Guyana
- John Muir Trail, Scotland
- Liechtenstein
- Nahanni National Park, Canada
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Northern Territory, Australia
- Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda
- Puglia, Italy
- Ranthambore National Park, India
- Riga, Latvia
- Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
- Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Sochi, Russia
Described as being ‘nascent and a little-known hideaway’, Cape Verde is a fast growing in popularity as a beautiful, unique travel and holiday destination – with wonderful weather to boot. According to the latest World Tourism Organisation barometer, Cape Verde has the highest tourist arrivals growth rate with 27 percent growth in sub-Saharan Africa, with Algeria (16 percent), Madagascar (15 percent), Réunion (12 percent) and the Seychelles (11 percent) all coming second, third, fourth and fifth respectively.
National Geographic Traveler magazine’s global community of writers, editors and explorers selected 20 of the destinations, and for the first time a readers’ choice submission was also included.
