The New Year started off with loads of promise and hope, but there is little doubt, not surprisingly, that it could well be another elusive year for travel. With a new COVID-19 strain shaking the world in 2021, Omicron is infecting people at a rapid rate than previously thought of travel still seems to be a distant reality! All said and done travel is slightly picking up (let’s pray it continues to do so), with many countries opening up their airports, even when COVID caseloads had doubled during the same period.
Though the hospitality industry was severely hit by COVID, many properties transformed into makeshift hotels adding new amenities and expanding outdoor spaces, adhering to the pandemic protocols. Is that just enough to welcome the new year when travellers will be craving to travel locally and internationally and rediscover destinations since the outbreak of the pandemic. Here are the best places to travel in 2022.
1. Abruzzo, Italy
About Abruzzo: Abruzzo is one of the 20 Italian regions. It is located in the central part of Italy, to the eastern side of the city of Rome on the Adriatic Sea. An overlooked destination not long ago, Abruzzo is sheer beauty with its unpolluted villages, scenic Trabocchi Coast, and awesome natural escapes making it one of the best places to visit in 2022. Some of the important cities of Abruzzo include Pescara, L’Aquila, Teramo and Montesilvano.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Abruzzo: The Gran Sasso & Monti della Laga National Park, Majella National Park, Abbey of San Giovanni in Venere, San Bartolomeo in Legio, National Museum, Stiffe caves, Calanchi di Atri Nature Reserve, Lake Scanno. Recent construction is the Via Verde dei Trabocchi, happening cycling and pedestrian path along the Adriatic that’s being laid on a derelict railway route.
2. Anguilla
About Anguilla: Considered one of the lesser Antilles island, Anguilla lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands, situated approximately 270km to the eastern end of Puerto Rico and north of the Saint Martin island in the East Caribbean. Not surprisingly, Anguilla is one of the top travel destinations in 2022, and rightly so.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Anguilla: Little Bay, Prickly Pear Cays, Shoal Bay, Rendezvous Bay Beach, Sandy Island, Barnes Bay Beach, Scrub Island, Crocus Bay Beach, Maundays Bay, GB Ferries, Captain’s Bay
Activities to do in Anguilla: Snorkeling, Reel Boat charters & tours, take Rum, sail to Prickly Pear Island, fishing, annual Anguilla Regatta fest (boat racing), golfing, meditation, spa treatments, cooking at local hotels, dining
3. Bahamas
About Bahamas: Bahamas has been a favourite with US travellers for quite long for its pristine waters, sunny and sandy beaches, some 50 miles off the Florida coast, but there are even more compelling reasons to travel to this island nation this year.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Bahamas: Elbow Cay, Treasure Cay Beach in Great Abaco Island, Andros Island, Grand Bahama Island, Harbour Island, Staniel Cay in the Exumas, Nassau, Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park, Atlantis Paradise Island, Green Turtle Cay, Biminis, Long Island, Blue Lagoon Island
Activities to do in Bahamas: Walking along the sandy beaches, swimming with dolphins, side-riding (Paradise Island Water Park), caving & beachcombing (Lucayan National Park), Shopping (Port Lucaya Marketplace), golfing & casino(Cable Beach), sip coconuts, taste fish fry (Arawak Cay), water-diving (Andros), ship-spotting (Prince George Wharf), visit John Watling’s Distillery
4. Barbados
About Barbados: An important coral island, formed of sea volcanic activity thousands of years ago. Barbados comprises some of the finest white sand extending along a blue-green sea on the West Coast. With the city of Bridgetown as its capital, Barbados lies in the easternmost part of the Caribbean Chain.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Barbados: The Beaches of Carlisle Bay, Bathsheba Bay, Animal Flower Cave, St. Nicholas Abbey, Crane Beach, Barbados Wildlife Reserve, Oistins, Farley Hill National Park, St. Lawrence Gap, Hunte’s Gardens, Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, Bottom Bay Beach, Richard Haynes Boardwalk, Andromeda Botanic Gardens, Sunbury Plantation Great House, Flower Forest, Folkestone Marine Park & Museum
Activities to do in Barbados: Swim with turtles, locate a secret beach, unravel Animal Flower Cave, sail the Caribbean Sea, check out Scotland-like beauty in the east coast of Barbados, savour seafood & fish bites, visit the rainforests of Barbados, homes and rum distilleries in St Nicholas Abbey
5. Belize
About Belize: Belize lies on the eastern side of northern Central America, which borders the Caribbean Sea in the East. It was previously called British Honduras. Belize is a tropical touring place, that is both Central American and Caribbean, ancient and modern, rainforest and reef, laidback and adventurous, friendly natives and exotic animals, and perhaps even more.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Belize: Placencia, Belize Barrier Reef System, San Pedro & Ambergris Caye, San Ignacio, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Belize Zoo, Secret Beach, Caracol, Caye Caulker, The Great Blue Hole, Hopkins, Lamanai, Xunatunich, Butterfly Falls, Corozal, Belize City, Altun Ha, Laughing Bird Caye, Silk Cayes
Activities to do in Belize: Snorkelling, scuba diving, caving, visiting Maya Temples, cave tubing, visiting nature parks, Belizean Cayes, wildlife spotting
6. Crete, Greece
Crete is the largest island in the country of Greece. Crete is popular all over the world for its diverse and vibrant culture, ancient ruins, bustling cities and awe-inspiring beaches. The best place to travel in 2022, Crete is located on the southernmost island in Greece, between the Libyan and the Aegean Sea. Having a population of about 6,30,000, Crete comprises the Cyclades Islands about it and the Dodecanese islands.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Crete: Elafonissi, Balos, Matala, Preveli beach, Voulisma beach, Palm Beach, Palace of Knossos, Agios Nikolaos, Chania, Samaria Gorge, Heraklion, Rethymnon, Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Preveli Monastery, Plakias, Matala Beach, Frangokastello
Activities to do in Crete: Safari, buggy adventure, hiking, horse-riding, mountain retreat, cruise-rise, walk along the beaches, aquariums, meditation, shore excursions
7. Doha, Qatar
The capital of Qatar, Doha, comes as a default choice for the best places to vacation in 2022. Doha is a potpourri of the old and modern, but is one of the fastest-growing cities in the Gulf, considering the money that is pumped into construction works. Doha is just a few years away when it’s all set to transform itself into one of the trendiest cities in the Gulf.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Doha: The National Museum, Doha Festival City, Khalifa International Stadium, Mall of Qatar, Katara Beach, Souq Waqif, Pearl Qatar, Qatar National Library, Doha Corniche, Villaggio Mall, Museum of Islamic Art, Katara Cultural Village, Aspire Par, MIA Park, Islamic Cultural Center, Arab Postal Stamp Museum, Mathaf (Arab Museum of Modern Art), Sealine Beach Resort Falcon Souq, Barzan Towers, Lagoona Mall
Activities to do in Doha: Visiting museums, expos, galleries and the UNESCO-listed Al Zubarah Fort, sports, shopping, desert safaris
8. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest is the historic, cultural and economic capital of Hungry. Having a population of 2 million people, it is able to clock approx. 2.7 million visitors per year. It boasts a rich culture, unique in every way, and the natives of Budapest take pride in their language, distinctly different from all other languages of Europe.
Touring Destinations to Explore in Budapest: Buda Castle & Castle Hill, St. Stephen’s Basilica, Parliament Building & Crown Jewels, Fisherman’s Bastion, Danube Promenade, Matthias Church, Gellért Hill, Central Market Hall, Museum of Fine Arts, Heroes’ Square, Millennium Monument, Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest Zoo, Botanical Garden, Rock Nuclear Bunker Museum, Kisboldogasszony-templom, Hungarian National Museum, City Park (Városliget), Margaret Island
Activities to do in Budapest: Beer sampling, wine tasting, wine walk, culinary, bike-tour, evening sightseeing, tuk-tuk tour, spa, Jewish Heritage Walking tour
We’ve listed the top destinations in 2022 to watch out for, while the best countries to visit in 2022 comprises many other destinations to enjoy. May you travel this year with high spirits and the best of health and always.
