5 BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL IN 2023

You can find ideas for travel everywhere you look. Where to go next is the question. Here is our yearly pick of the five best places to visit in the upcoming year—destinations rewarding for tourists of all ages, full of wonder, and supportive of local ecosystems and communities.

Our list of the five best locations to visit in 2023 includes well-known destinations worth revisiting and less-traveled, even once-forbidden, locales eager to welcome visitors. However, they are all connected by eagerly awaited new developments. Whether you're looking for spectacular excursions into ancient jungles, a burgeoning terroir-driven culinary scene, or dazzling cultural calendars crammed with top-notch music and exclusive art exhibits, there's something here for every kind of visitor. We also think that more unites than divides these locations, including the chance for more in-depth interactions with residents, slower travel, and more profound—and happier—human connections. What could express our hopes for the upcoming year more effectively?

You can find ideas for travel everywhere you look. Where to go next is the question. Here is our yearly pick of the five best places to visit in the upcoming year—destinations rewarding for tourists of all ages, full of wonder, and supportive of local ecosystems and communities. These 5 locations are undiscovered, innovative, and prepared for your exploration in 2023.

1. Morelia, Mexico

A pink stone city? Okay, sure. The town has a soft, almost dreamlike appearance because of the more than 200 old structures constructed from the area's locally quarried light pinkish stone. It's not the only peculiarity, though. It's the only colonial city in Mexico without a zocalo, or the main square, so you might notice (or not) that there isn't one. However, this does not imply that the city needs focal places. One of the most outstanding baroque cathedrals in the nation, it is lit with fireworks and floodlights on Saturdays when locals congregate to celebrate, well, to party!
The best thing to do is travel on the Trnava, a city sightseeing bus that moves from La Plaza de Armas, to acquire your bearings. You can get on and off at different locations, and you'll learn about all the city's top attractions, including the fantastic aqueduct from the 17th century with its 253 arches that still supply water to the town.

You might also reward yourself with a tasty treat. Mexico's candy center is Morelia, so visit there for tastings of some of the city's most well-known confections and manufacturing demos before visiting the Mercado de Dulces y Artesanas, a market entirely devoted to it. It's an excellent way to give a city that's already delicious a little more sweetness.

2. Prince Edward Island, Canada

Prince Edward Island, Canada's smallest province, is sometimes overlooked because of the country's wide-open plains and breathtaking mountains, which are a significant lure for adventurers from across the world. But here, you may find almost all of the country's features, including cliffs, beaches, forests, cities, villages, farmland, and, oddly enough, 27 golf courses. The 435-mile Island Walk, a trail that encircles the entire island, was opened.

Walking the entire path would take about a month, but you can hike in as many or as few sections as you like. Generally speaking, the terrain is straightforward, and daily distances of 12 to 15 miles are doable. Since the island is relatively small, you're always close to some comfort or a meal or drink. Many little towns will have inviting seaside eateries, and Charlottetown, the provincial capital, is home to several gastropubs and restaurants. Prince Edward Island can be an excellent place to start if you want to delve deeper into Canada.

3. Busan, South Korea

The second-largest city in South Korea is a bewildering maze of business, student life, noises, and odors, but it also offers mountains, beaches, woods, and temples. Busan residents adore the contrast between their city and Seoul and enthusiastically accept the controlled chaos while eagerly praising it to visitors. You'll quickly see why residents take pride in the area with its year-round festivals, delicious cuisine, and diverse nightlife that ranges from classical music to dive pubs. The smell alone will let you know when you are close to the Jagalchi Fish Market; you won't be able to miss it. You can take whatever you purchase from the ground floor and cook it upstairs. You may also buy some fried tuna from one of the vendors outdoors.

Another well-known beach is Haeundae Beach, a mile and a half of sand frequently crowded with residents. To be able to claim you've been is worth it. Additionally, there is a nightlife there on the weekends, with hip-hop-focused beach bars that stay open into the early hours. If not, look to the neighborhoods around the two universities for less expensive, friendlier entertainment. Gamcheon Culture Village, a village created for Korean War refugees that is now an artists' colony, is worth visiting during the day. Although the Haedong Yonggungsa Temple is equally lovely, you must arrive early to avoid the fiery crowd. Busan's history can be summarized as follows: people adore it. You're bold enough to do so.

4. The Pacific Northwest, US

The Pacific Northwest, as it's known, is well worth some of your time, even though it lacks the vast metropolitan activity of New York City on the east coast and the warmth and glitz of California to the south. Though its reputation for rainy weather is somewhat warranted, the cities and the beauty more than makeup for it. This gorgeous region comprises Oregon, Washington, and the southernmost portion of British Columbia in Canada.

The largest city in Oregon, Portland, is vibrant and artistic; it's not too big but big enough to be enjoyable. Access to other scenic locales like the Columbia River and the Pacific coast's beaches is also straightforward. Three hours north, in Seattle, are some well-known attractions, including Pike Place, Space Needle, and some of the top microbreweries in the nation. If you have the proper documentation to enter Canada, learn more about Vancouver. This green and pleasant city is home to many languages and cultures and has one of the best food scenes in North America.

5. Kosovo, Europe

The newest country in Europe is flourishing as a travel destination. It has been 15 years since it unilaterally proclaimed its independence from Serbia, so now is the perfect moment to travel to this lovely Balkans region. Pristina, the country's capital, is the less beautiful city in the world. Still, its vibrant atmosphere and convenient location make it the perfect setting to meet the locals, learn about the city's complex history and surrounding area from various respectable museums, and use it as a base for further exploring the country. Pristina's city center is pretty enough, and the hillsides in the area are ideal for taking in the city's towers and minarets while listening to the call to prayer float, ghost-like, up into the trees.

For those who enjoy the great outdoors, it's a beautiful nation. The Bjeshket Nemuna National Park is among the spectacular and aptly titled Accursed Mountains in the country's west. One of the national parks in the area, it is a stunningly gorgeous environment with forests, waterfalls, meadows, and lakes at the foot of steep slopes (the others being in Albania, Montenegro, and a tiny bit of Serbia). The creation of the Balkans Peace Park, a tri-state national park spanning Albania, Montenegro, and Kosovo, is planned. It would undoubtedly be a minor step in the right direction, given that the area's somewhat troubled past still engenders hatred in certain people.