This underrated island country is less than two hours from Australia
Whether you're a full-time nomad or a once-a-year holidaymaker, every special travel memory begins with one essential question: where to?
Travel experts at CNN have compiled a list of the spots they reckon should be on everyone's radar.
These destinations are special all the time, but there's something new or significant happening in 2026 that you should know about.
The places to go in 2026 list includes a region that will experience a rare total solar eclipse, a city that has been crowned a capital of culture, a foodie haven that just scored a major global recognition, a beloved tourist island that is bouncing back from a brutal natural disaster, and more.
In alphabetical order, here are 20 places to add to your list.
Adelaide, Australia
Something for everyone
It may not have the star wattage of Sydney or the Great Barrier Reef, but Adelaide is like a microcosm of everything that makes Australia special: beaches, vineyards, wildlife and best-in-class food and drink.
Start at Adelaide Central Market to try some of South Australia's finest cheeses, wines and produce, then make the best of the temperate weather at the city's botanic gardens and by going on bushwalks and star tours led by members of the Aboriginal community.
Adelaide is also the gateway to the beautiful Barossa Valley wine country and to Kangaroo Island, which is welcoming visitors again after being devastated by bushfires in 2020. — Lilit Marcus
READ MORE: 'Adelaide is the best holiday spot in Australia - here's why'
Algeria
Rewards for intrepid travellers
Spend your next vacation strolling past the novelty vape shops of some overcrowded European capital if you must. Or you could lose yourself in the sandy infinity of the Sahara, in a country whose intense and silent natural landscapes have been unseen by tourists for decades. Isolated since the 1960s, Algeria began opening up to international visitors in 2023 with new 30-day visas. There are direct flights to capital Algiers from several major European cities.
Although Algeria hopes to become a major destination, it's early days and adventurous travellers can still experience epic scenery all to themselves. There are the high-plateau sandstone moonscapes of Tassili n'Ajjer National Park, home to a veritable Louvre of prehistoric art. It's best explored on a weeklong hiking trip, supported by a caravan of gear-hauling donkeys.
Yes, it's remote and overnight camp facilities are a little rough, but that cell-phone-signal-free peace is its own five-star luxury nowadays.
There's wildlife to see — desert foxes, jackals and gazelles — and ancient Roman and Ottoman cities near the coast. But the main attraction is the vast, brooding and empty expanse of the Sahara, a sea of golden sand where mountainous dunes glow before sunset, giving way to dark skies alive with stars. — Barry Neild
Arusha, Tanzania
Paying homage to a late legend
At the foot of imposing volcanic Mount Meru lies the city of Arusha, in Tanzania, in the east of Africa. Not far from the wildlife-filled Serengeti National Park and close to base camp for Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha is often a gateway to other adventures. That's despite there being plenty to enjoy in Arusha itself, including the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre, a striking gallery housing African art and celebrating Tanzanian history.
Come fall of 2026, there will be another reason to stick around Arusha — Dr Jane's Dream: The Goodall Centre for Hope is opening its doors, celebrating the legacy of late primatologist Jane Goodall.
Neighbouring the Arusha Cultural Heritage Centre, this attraction hopes to educate, inspire and wow visitors through a series of interactive exhibits exploring wildlife and how we can protect our planet's animals.
While using Arusha as a base for a Serengeti or Ngorongoro safari adventure is a good idea, Arusha National Park is slightly closer and still offers plenty of wildlife spotting: think flamingos on the alkaline Momela Lakes and giraffes wandering through greenery. — Francesca Street
READ MORE: Nine things that surprised me on my first safari holiday
Bahrain
An entry point to the Middle East
Bahrain is one of those places you've heard of — maybe you've watched its Grand Prix — but probably couldn't place on a map. About the size of Manhattan, this small island nation is often eclipsed by Gulf heavyweights such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.
Its scale is part of the appeal. The skyline glitters in capital city Manama, yet the streets around its old souq shopping area are walkable. The main island's interior offers proper desert escapes. Beaches ring the coast. And as a place where civilisation thrived 5,000 years ago, Bahrain comes with tangible history — from the Dilmun Burial Mounds to Qal'at al-Bahrain, which bears traces of Portuguese colonial times. If you want more, an oversea causeway connecting to the mainland opens up the possibility of day trips to Saudi Arabia.
This year, the country gets even easier to reach: Gulf Air now flies direct to JFK. A wave of new luxury hotels — Kempinski in 2026, followed by a Waldorf Astoria in 2028 — joins existing names like Four Seasons, Raffles and Mantis, positioning Bahrain as a getaway for travellers in search of some sun-soaked luxury. Add in a strong café culture and relaxed rules on alcohol, and the island feels somewhat more laid-back than its regional rivals. — BN
Brussels, Belgium
A cultural capital comes into its own
The "capital of Europe" has long been celebrated for its historic buildings, imposing Grand Place and delicious food (think velvety waffles, sweet Speculoos biscuits and warming stews). But there's more to Brussels than its European Union credentials, gothic architecture and sweet treats. Scratch the surface and you'll uncover an artistic hub set to come into its own in 2026.
In November, the long-awaited Kanal Centre Pompidou is opening in a former car factory, in partnership with Paris' renowned Centre Pompidou. When Kanal officially opens, expect amazing gallery space, a rooftop restaurant, and an architectural history archive, CIVA, which is moving from the other side of the city.
Brussels' artistic heritage can also be explored at the Comic Art Museum, which looks at Belgium's comic legacy from Tintin to The Smurfs; exploring the city's array of street art; and heading to annual contemporary art fair Art Brussels.
Wandering around the city, you'll also stumble upon other Brussels highlights old and new — from the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, beautiful 19th-century covered shopping arcades, to the Atomium, the centrepiece of the 1958 Brussels World's Fair and now a symbol of the city. Meanwhile, two buzzy hotel chains now have outposts in the oft-overlooked north of the city. The Standard and The Hoxton offer chic contemporary accommodation and great dining options. — FS
Chilean fjords
Experience the wonder of the ocean
Luxury cruise ship lines that serve South America are going big on the Chilean fjords in 2026, with more itineraries including the remote destination among the year's sailings.
Lesser known than the adjacent Patagonian region but equally enchanting, the Chilean fjords offer intrepid visitors a secluded water world of labyrinthine channels to navigate. Home to pristine glaciers, the region is the South American answer to the Norwegian fjords.
Cruise lines that will feature the destination as part of their lineup in 2026 include Silversea, Regent Seven Seas and Viking. Other cruise lines will be sailing there in 2027 or 2028.
Their inclusion of this stunning terra incognita gives travellers access to a landscape that can only be experienced by water — one that emerged as the glaciers began to recede millions of years ago. Wildlife sightings in this area often include dolphins, penguins and migrating humpback whales. — Jeanne Bonner
READ MORE: Why South America is becoming an increasingly popular holiday spot for Aussies
Devon, UK
Celebrate a literary queen
2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Devon's most famous daughter: writer Agatha Christie.
Christie's work is synonymous with the glamour and intrigue of the Golden Age of Railways, so after a detour for a Murder Mystery Lunch on a Belmond train, travel west by rail to her birthplace in Torquay. The town boomed as a seaside resort in the Victorian age and its well-to-do hillside neighbourhoods still have a genteel charm. It hosts an Agatha Christie Festival each September.
The other must-see spots in the region for Christie enthusiasts are her holiday home Greenway House, the stately Ugbrooke House where she met her first husband, and her writer's retreat at Burgh Island.
Try the cream teas for which England's West Country is famous, and whose popularity spread as tourists flocked into the region by rail. The Devon way is to spread clotted cream on the scone first, then top with jam. — MOH
Dominica
Find out how 'Nature Island' got its nickname
Leaning heavily into its "Nature Island" moniker, the lush Caribbean Island of Dominica is bringing the world its very first Sperm Whale Reserve. The protected area will span about 1,230 square kilometres along Dominica's western coast.
The reserve, details of which are still being finalised, will serve as a protected habitat for the resident population of sperm whales — one of the few in the world. The project will oversee the sustainable management of marine resources, regulating activities such as whale-watching and eco-tourism.
Whales aren't the only natural marvels here. Lush volcanic peaks, deep valleys and 365 rivers cover the eastern Caribbean island. In Morne Trois Pitons National Park, the world's second-largest boiling lake has long fascinated visitors. In 2026, reaching it could get a lot easier with the expected completion of a cable car. — Marnie Hunter
Timor-Leste
A young nation with its eyes on the future
For travellers who want to be the first to explore an up-and-coming destination, Asia's youngest country awaits.
East Timor (also called Timor-Leste) gained full independence from Indonesia in 2002 following years of civil war.
Sitting in the famed Coral Triangle, one of the top diving and snorkelling spots in the world, the country covers the eastern half of the island of Timor, as well as the Oecussi enclave and the islands of Atauro and Jaco in the Banda Sea.
Atauro Island is home to several dive companies and eco resorts, and there are plenty of natural and cultural sites to explore in this mountainous nation.
Direct flights are already available from Darwin, which are just 1.5 hours duration. — Karla Cripps
