Travelers tell us about their favorite unexpected destinations
When you visit a new place, you probably go into it with an idea in your mind of what to expect. And there’s nothing like traveling somewhere and having your expectations blown away. So I asked the BuzzFeed community to tell me about a destination they loved more than they expected. Here’s what they had to say, along with some responses from travel-loving redditors.
1. “Moab, Utah. We stayed for a week. Each day was a spectacular day road trip. The scenery in Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park was beyond anything I’ve ever seen.” We saw petroglyphs, dinosaur tracks, and fossils, as well as short and long hikes with stunning views, as well as 4×4 tours and Colorado River rafting, just a few of the outdoor activities you can take part in. The colors of the nearby mountains were mesmerizing. Make sure to visit Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly when you’re in the area.
2. “Sintra, Portugal. When I travel, I like to avoid big cities. Instead, I often rent a car and see small towns. Sintra, a beautiful town 20 minutes from Lisbon, is one of them. It’s one of those places.” We only planned for one day, but it turned out to be a magical villa/hotel in the heart of the city, with colorful castles, ancient forts, and stunning views all around. Spend the afternoon swimming and relaxing among the flowers. ”
3. “I highly recommend the Seto Inland Sea between Hiroshima, Beppu, and Kure. There are many islands of all sizes. It’s a great place for fishing, beaches, mountains, hot springs, hiking, gourmet food, and nature. Very It feels untouched.”
4. “Budapest. I’ve traveled 6 times now. Many people visit Prague instead of Budapest, but that’s wrong, IMO. Like Prague, this city is spread out on both sides of the river. , one is old and the other is new. But Budapest is much larger.” Even more interesting are castles, underground labyrinths, bunkers and hospitals built into the rock, hot springs, the beautiful parliament building, And there are many art galleries. The food is delicious in summer, so what’s not to like? ”
5. “Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This city feels like a fairy tale, and it’s simply beautiful. And it’s steeped in history, much of it shocking and surprisingly recent.”
6. “Siem Reap, Cambodia. I didn’t have high expectations, but it quickly became the highlight of my Asia trip. Great food options at affordable prices, lots of cultural experiences, and overall… It was a really comfortable and safe environment.” I really enjoyed exploring the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat. ”
7. “Romania! We drove around for two weeks. It’s an amazing country, full of UNESCO heritage sites, beautiful farmland, amazing mountains, and incredibly friendly people.”
8. “The Hague. Similar to Amsterdam, but with a more relaxed atmosphere. I liked coffee shops in The Hague better than coffee shops anywhere else in the Netherlands. A really beautiful city with a beautiful main square. The Mauritshuis there houses Vermeer’s famous work, “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” ”
9. “Taipei, Taiwan. Although Taipei is already a very popular destination in Asia, it is less well-known than other international cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Osaka, Beijing, Seoul, and Singapore. I’ve already been to a few of these major cities, but I’ve never been to Taipei, and I wasn’t expecting to be very impressed, but (to my delight) I’ve been to Taipei. Taiwan has become my favorite place in Asia. The food is simply heavenly and surprisingly affordable. The famous night market is truly worth the hype…”
10. “Vietnam in general, but Hoi An in particular. We came with very high expectations, but Hoi An still blew them away. The locals are incredibly hospitable and friendly, and the architecture… The scenery was beautiful and the coffee was amazing (and the food was surprisingly cheap).I spent three weeks in Vietnam about two years ago and I still think about this trip every day.
11. “Salvador, Brazil. This city is well known in Brazil and to some extent in Latin America, but is often mentioned by international travelers in the same way as Rio, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Medellin, and Mexico City.” There are very few, and even fewer in major European cities.”
12. “Aveiro, a small town in Portugal. On my way to Porto I decided to stop in Coimbra and somehow ended up in Aveiro. It’s a quaint little town with canals and everything is so beautiful from the fun side. From the design to the colorful boats on the canal, I was just mesmerized by walking around and seeing everything.”
13. “Rovinj, Croatia. I spent 3 nights in Rovinj and Istria, Croatia as part of a 3-week trip to Europe. In hindsight, I wish I had spent at least a week there. Couldn’t have been more romantic. The food (fresh seafood and truffles), the scenery (amazing land and sea views), the fascinating history, the very hospitable people, and almost everyone speaks English fluently. Between the facts, Rovinj blew away our expectations. ”
14. “I was blown away by the food and scenery in Grenoble, France. I thought it would be beautiful since it’s so close to the Alps, but the reality was I wasn’t ready for it yet.”
15. “Tallinn, Estonia. I went there last year because I wanted to take a vacation in Europe, but I didn’t want to be surrounded by so many people. Tallinn is a lovely city with a wonderful historic old town. Food I was pleasantly surprised, especially the bread, which was the best I’ve ever had.The whole city is very walkable and the locals are charming and friendly. I will go again this year.”
16. “Saint-Jean-de-Luz, France. Located in the Basque Country on France’s west coast. Imagine the perfect beach town without the overwhelming crowds of Nice or Marseille. Plus, just a short distance from Saint-Jean-de-Luz. It’s just a short drive away. Sebastian in Spain also has great food, architecture, and culture, and is very different from other parts of France.
17. “Zermatt, Switzerland. I visited on my first trip to Europe. Everything about Europe amazed me, especially Zermatt. It’s a small mountain town at the foot of the Matterhorn and the scenery is breathtaking. We went on an amazing trip, hiked, ziplined, rode gondolas and trains to the Alps, and took in even more amazing views, but my favorite part was is a mountain biker who came across an adorable flock of sheep on the way to Zermatt. Although the prices were high, it was a very cute town. Recommended out of 10. ”
18. “Gdańsk, Poland. The old town was like a movie set. It has great architecture and history, and it’s not as touristy as other European cities. I also met some of the nicest people in Gdańsk. .”
19. “Ecuador is a place that really surprised me. I had a few weeks off before starting a new job and went on a last-minute adventure cruise around the Galapagos Islands with friends. It was truly amazing, unspoiled and wonderful, exploring a new island every day. But mainland Ecuador really surprised me, as it was just a transit stop on the way to the Galapagos. It was a surprise.”
20. “Heidelberg, Germany. We visited larger cities on the same trip, but we didn’t know much about Heidelberg before visiting. But we found it to be a beautiful city with great architecture and great food. I spent two weeks in Heidelberg and some of the best food I ate there was absolutely stunning. It was a very charming city. It was just as nice as the other big cities we had visited, but smaller, cleaner, and more welcoming.”
21. “Perugia, Italy. It is a city about 2 hours by train from Florence. It is a city surrounded by walls with a medieval townscape. All the food I ate there was very delicious. If you are interested, please go. If you’re doing archeology research or just looking for a beautiful place, you’d only have planned to stay one night, but ended up staying two extra days. ”
22. “Santiago, Chile. The weather is nice, the city boasts great views of snow-capped mountains, public transportation is good, and Plaza de Armas is very cool. This city is one of the most livable.” I think so” in Latin America. ”
23. “Essaouira, Morocco. A really beautiful coastal town with lots of great scenery, very clean and easy to walk around. We stopped here on our trip from Marrakech to Rabat and really enjoyed it!”
24. “Bournemouth, England. I went in September and it was sunny all day. This resort town, two and a half hours from London, has a beach and a gorgeous pier overlooking the ocean. There’s so much to do: the Russell Coates Museum is a wonderful hidden gem, and the peaceful memorial graves of Percy B. Shelley and Mary Shelley are so peaceful that there are goats on the seaside cliffs. There were some cute shops and we ended the day collecting seashells on the beach and drinking champagne by the sea. It was so perfect and worth a day trip.”
25. “Dijon, France. A city in Burgundy with great wine, cheese, and a UNESCO-listed medieval old town.”
26. “Laos. The trip down the Mekong River was amazing. The scenery was beautiful, the people were so hospitable, and the cities were magical.”
27. “Kerala, India. The landscape is so beautiful and lush. The locals are all so friendly and everyone treated us like family. Every place we visited was full of tradition and It felt like the perfect blend of modernity and I highly recommend a visit, a must do.” Take a houseboat ride and visit the many historic castle forts and palaces. . ”
28. “Savannah, Georgia. I won a free hotel stay there, so I went into the trip with no expectations. But I ended up loving it. Savannah has a lot of history and character. It’s a very cute city with great museums, restaurants, and tours.
29. “Edinburgh really blew me away. In 2019 my best friend and I were on a trip across the UK. We had already seen London with its huge old buildings, but Edinburgh’s amazing views… Nothing could have prepared me for that moment.As we walked out of the station, we stood in the middle of the road looking at the architecture. I definitely want to visit this city again.”
30. “Ottawa is a very underrated city in Canada. It’s a beautiful city with lots of greenery. It’s an interesting mix of English and French culture and language. When you walk into a restaurant, you’re greeted with a ‘Bonjour’. You may forget where you are. All my acquaintances who have been there have come back impressed by its beauty. ”
What destinations would you like to add to this list? What place exceeds your expectations and makes you want to spend more time there? Let us know in the comments or this Google Form.
