With the world so full of opportunities and attractions just begging to be explored, we see how picking the location of your next trip can be overwhelming. To help make matters easier for you, we’ve collated our top forty destinations worth booking your travel around in 2025.
If you’ve already got a trip overseas booked, have a scan and see if any of these destinations are near your plans. If so, they’re 100 per cent worth adding to your itinerary!
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Don’t have the time to scroll through the whole list right now? Click the links below to jump to each of the different categories.
- The top 10 best beaches
- The top 10 best markets
- The top 10 underrated national parks
- The top 10 avian species
The top 10 best beaches
It’s nearly impossible to whittle a list of top beaches down to 10. These are the shining stars – the most magical, don’t-miss-out, popular-for-a-reason stretches of sand from around the globe.
1. Whitehaven Beach, Queensland, Australia
The swirling pattern of aquamarine water and snow-white sandbars at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach is otherworldly – and the average water temperature is 26°C year-round, so there’s no excuse for not getting wet.
2. Squeaky Beach, Victoria, Australia
A standout in Wilsons Promontory, this protected slice of wilderness is fringed by Victoria’s largest marine national park. The quartz sand compresses under your feet, creating a high-pitched squeak, and if you get tired of that, you can splash in hidden rock pools or dive into the crystalline ocean.
3. Anse Source d’Argent, La Digue, Seychelles
This place lives up to the hype. Its dazzling white sands are lapped by shallow turquoise waters and backed by beautiful granite boulders spilling onto the beach like a work of art. It’s heaven on Earth.

4. Sunset Beach, Trang, Thailand
The prettiest beach among the jaunty rock formations, emerald waters and jungle-shrouded hills in the Trang Islands of Thailand’s far southern Andaman Coast. It’s a worthwhile short hike or longtail boat ride to watch the namesake sunset.
5. Haukland Beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway
Watching the northern lights reflecting off snow-white sands feels like pure magic. Haukland is one of the most unbelievably beautiful beaches among Norway’s thousands and during the summer, the midnight sun bathes the whole place in an eerie glow that’s entrancing.
6. Sarakiniko Beach, Milos, Greece
There’s no sand at Sarakiniko. Instead, you find a surreal volcanic landscape that folds into the deep, blue-green Aegean, and stone arches, alabaster cliffs, disused mining tunnels and dimly lit caves that create a mesmerising contrast with the endless sea.

7. Playa Balandra, Baja California Sur, Mexico
The stunning Playa Balandra is an enclosed cove with shallow turquoise water perfect for kids. Rent kayaks or stand-up paddleboards, explore tide pools, hike to neighbouring coves and gaze at the surreal rock formations of Espíritu Santo across the sparkling water.
8. Pfeiffer Beach, California, USA
In late December, the setting sun illuminates Pfeiffer’s Keyhole Arch and a sliver of coast with a golden light – an unparalleled work of nature along the Big Sur shoreline. And after rainstorms, the beach can turn purple from manganese garnet in the bluffs.
9. Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, USA
The last place on Earth or a doorstep to the heavens? The difference hardly matters when admiring Kaua’i’s Hanalei Bay. It’s a 3.2km crescent of golden sand carved from the northern edge of the northern-most island in the Hawaiian archipelago that offers peace to visitors.
10. Platja de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain
From the clear blue waters to the carefree Mediterranean-island vibe, there’s nowhere quite like barefoot, salty-aired Formentera, where Platja de Ses Illetes evokes all that’s magical about this beach paradise.
The top 10 best markets
Shopping at a local market is a satisfying way to get to know a place and its people. Wake up early and experience first-hand local customs, delicacies and wares.
1. Marché Atwater, Montréal, Canada
Housed in a 1933 brick hall off the Canal de Lachine, this market has it all – fresh produce from local farms, excellent wines, crusty bread and more, best devoured picnic-style on the grassy banks near the water.
2. Queens Night Market, New York City, USA
The scene at this seasonal night market is an olfactory bonanza, befitting an NYC venue that celebrates innovation. Here, young up-and-coming cooks ply their trade, turning out a plethora of cuisines and infusions at a mercifully low price.
3. Tha Kha Floating Market, Bangkok, Thailand
Tha Kha may not be the most famous, but it’s a local favourite, known for homemade cooking, sellers showcasing produce grown in their own gardens and the requisite rowboats. Arrive early in the morning or visit at night when the fireflies come out and light up the trees.

4. Marché des Lices, Rennes, France
Every Saturday, France’s second-largest market comes alive. For 400 years, shoppers have been procuring Brittany’s best fish, meat, produce, cheese and much more from an array of indoor and outdoor stalls and food trucks.
5. Neighbourgoods Market, Cape Town, South Africa
On weekends, locals and visitors congregate to see and taste the region’s freshest produce, oysters, wine and coffee, along with global dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Communal tables up the feeling of camaraderie.
6. Nishiki kōji Ichiba, Kyoto, Japan
Nishiki Market is a wonder for anyone with a passion for cooking and eating. Known locally as Kyoto’s kitchen, high-end restaurateurs shop for ingredients here, while visitors can ogle the unusual foods that go into the city’s traditional cuisine.
7. Pike Place, Seattle, USA
You haven’t lived until you’ve witnessed the fish fly at this Seattle hotspot. If taking a whole salmon home isn’t an option, pick up treats from any of its speciality food stores, offering everything from momos (Nepalese dumplings) to doughnuts.

8. Farm Gate Market, Hobart/Nipaluna, Tasmania
When Sunday morning rolls around, Farm Gate (aka Farmy) comes alive with local purveyors hawking their bounty of locally produced items – fruit and veg, baked goods and spirits. Before perusing, fill your belly with breakfast from the food trucks at Farmy’s Grub Hub.
9. Mercado San Pedro, Cuzco, Peru
The food on offer at vibrant San Pedro Market – designed by Gustave Eiffel, of “tower” fame – runs the gamut from fresh fruit and smoothies to fall-off-the-bone beef ribs and river fish. This place is a feast for the senses – though the aromas are the most alluring.
10. Khari Baoli, Old Delhi, India
This famous labyrinth of spice and colour feels frozen in time. There’s a throat-tickling pungency hanging in the air, and mountains of lentils and rice, enormous jars of chutneys, nuts and teas at every turn. Your clothes will smell delicious for days.
The top 10 underrated national parks
The most popular national parks can mean long lines, crowds and high prices. But there are thousands of others around the world, much less visited but equally deserving of their NP status, and all offering beauty, splendour and wonder.
1. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA
Some 40 percent of Voyageurs is fresh water, making it a wetland wonderland, where you can canoe and camp to your heart’s content. There’s zero light pollution too, so the sky at night is dazzling.
2. Nuuksio National Park, Espoo, Finland
Immerse yourself in Finnish nature and spot wildlife on a day trip from Helsinki to Nuuksio. Go in the winter when you can cross-country ski through wooded Ice Age-chiselled valleys.
3. Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, Canada
Waterton Lakes’ appeal lies in its rugged high-alpine environments swathed in wildflowers. Take the Red Rock Canyon hike to see two rushing waterfalls, then recharge with scones and tea at the Prince of Wales hotel.

4. Bannau Brycheiniog/Brecon Beacons National Park, Powys, Wales
Simultaneously bleak and beautiful, Brecon Beacons is ideal for an atmospheric wander. Walk the 159km, eight-day Beacons Way Trail, and you’ll see all the park’s highest summits and beautiful moors.
5. Parque Nacional De Ordesa y Monte Perdido, Huesca, Spain
Ordesa y Monte Perdido is Pyrenees high country at its most spectacular. The hikes here are challenging, so choose the Faja de Pelay route, which has the added benefit of being the most breathtaking.
6. Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA
Hiking takes on a new meaning in Canyonlands when you’re scrambling up and down cliffs. Trek the Slick-rock Trail for 360-degree views and incredible rock formations.

7. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Stann Creek District, Belize
A protected park in Belize where jaguars roam free. Maybe you’ll spot one if you stay the night, listening to the jungle noises as you take a guided after-dark.
8. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, India
The best place to spot wild tigers in Rajasthan, Ranthambore also features crocodile-filled lakes and ancient temples. Book two or three safaris into the jungle to give you ample opportunity to see a tiger.

9. Tsavo West National Park, Coast Province, Kenya
Covering a huge variety of landscapes, from swamps to volcanic cones, Tsavo is true African wilderness. Make your way to Rhino Valley for lions, elephants, giraffes and possibly a black rhino.
10. Great Sandy National Park, Queensland, Australia
Possibilities for adventure are dizzying in Great Sandy – and most of them involve its namesake feature. Take a 4WD through stunning scenery along the beach from Noosa North Shore to Double Island Point.
The top 10 avian species
It takes a bad-ass bird to thrive in some of the world’s most extraordinary environments. Discover 10 of the most remarkable feathered friends and the places they call home.
1. Andean condor, Peru
Peru’s Colca Canyon is almost twice as deep as the US’s Grand Canyon. On its thermals soar Andean condors with their three-metre wingspans. Slow to reproduce, only 7000 remain.
2. Cassowary, Australia
If birds were bands, the cassowary would be Black Sabbath! Up to two-metres tall, clad in shaggy, black plumage and sporting a heavy-duty helmet, this beast patrols Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest.

3. Capercaillie, Scotland
That glugging sound you might hear in a Scottish pine forest could be a courting capercaillie, the stoutest of the grouse. Start your capercaillie quest in the Cairngorms National Park.
4. Puffin, Iceland
Puffins may have a comical demeanour, but their daily life is no joke. Setting out to sea, they fly up to 50km to collect fish for their families.

5. Peregrine falcon, England
Described by J.A. Baker in The Peregrine as falling “like a heart in flames” upon its prey, today the world’s fastest falcons spy their next meals from London’s high-rises.
6. Golden eagle, Mongolia
Trained golden eagles grip the forearms of traditional Kazakh hunters on horseback in western Mongolia as bird and human survey the Altai Mountains.

7. Starling, Italy
Swirling over Rome’s skyline, flocks of starlings ebb and flow in a shape-shifting display at dusk in the Eternal City. The best months for witnessing a murmuration are December and January.
4. Red-crowned crane, Japan
In late winter, on Hokkaido’s snowy stage, pairs of red-crowned cranes perform mesmerising courtship dances. With synchronised steps and twirls, these elegant birds reaffirm lifelong commitments to each other.

9. Takahē, New Zealand
Thought extinct until rediscovered in the South Island’s Fiordland in 1948, the rotund takahē is the largest of New Zealand’s flightless birds. Just 500 survive, but several chicks hatched in 2023.

8. Great horned owl, USA
If looks could kill, the great horned owl would be America’s deadliest avian predator. Their range covers most of the US, ruling wild places such as Yellowstone National Park.
