Montenegro’s national parks cover about 10% of the country’s land area. Photo / 123rf
The destinations that left an imprint on NZ Herald Travel writers, where they want to go next and where they think travellers should consider in 2026.
Along the Aegean coast of Anatolia lies Izmir. This is the place for flavour – and the place to indulge in Turkish cuisine.
The city is known for its incredible street food, including boyoz (sweet, flaky pastries), cop sis (lamb skewers) and gevrek (a bagel-like snack). Try the tire shish kofte sauteed in sizzling butter. You will remember the taste for life.
Sitting beside 600km of coastline, Izmir offers incredible seafood. Travel writer Tamara Hinson suggests heading to Cesme’s Canbaba Istakoz for a delicious grilled lobster, and Alacati’s harbourside Fahri’nin Yeri restaurant also offers great seafood.
There aren’t many places where you can find a world-class travel experience that costs mere dollars.
The Ella Odyssey train journey is a dedicated tourist train whose 155km takes roughly seven hours through the central city of Kandy to the small town of Ella.
“It becomes meditative looking out at what seems endless, rolling tea fields and the maze-like patterns they create,” writes Caterina Hrysomallis.
“Emerald plantations that stretch as far as the eye can see, villages nestled within them. Rivers, ravines, waterfalls, the rainforest and its palms. It gives the globe’s other train rides a real run for their money. More broadly, you get to feel how vast Sri Lanka really is.”
A first-class ticket will cost about 7000 rupees ($40). Second-class tickets are about Rs 5000, and third-class reserved tickets are about Rs 4000.
If you want to experience Taiwan beyond the tourist trail, consider attending some of its supernatural celebrations.
Taiwan, nicknamed Ghost Island, has many of its festivities coming from mainland China. But some of them are uniquely Taiwanese.
On the mainland, Hungry Ghost Festival or Zhongyuan Jie takes place on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month (typically August or September), when the gates to the otherworld are thought to be open, writes Sinean Callery.
However, in Taiwan, they dedicate an entire month to the festival. During Ghost Month, the veil between our world and the next is thin and people are eager to appease the spirits and avoid bringing bad luck upon themselves. Expect to see people leaving out food offerings for the spirits, asking them for blessings or, in some parts of Taiwan, floating lanterns released on water to guide spirits back to the underworld.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder, just shy of 600km east of Perth, showcases the riches of Western Australia’s gold-rush era, a flourishing destination at the turn of the 20th century, writes Julia D’Orzaio.
The city – an amalgamation of former rival towns Kalgoorlie and Boulder – is peppered with some of Western Australia’s best-preserved Victorian and Edwardian buildings in its wide streets.
But between its gorgeous heritage precincts are some oddities and one-of-a-kind attractions, like the country’s oldest brothel and the largest goldmine, that make Kalgoorlie a curious place to explore.
Blame its scenic old towns, impressive amount of Unesco World Heritage sites (10 in total), or Game of Thrones, but Croatia has become something of a tourist trap over the years, writes Naomi Chadderton.
Montenegro is a place Lord Byron once called “the most beautiful encounter between land and sea”, and it’s easy to see why – where else in the Mediterranean can you step from a medieval walled town on to a yacht, sail past baroque palaces and within hours be hiking through alpine national parks?
Begin in Kotor, a Unesco World Heritage Site and the country’s best-known jewel. Its fortified walls climb steeply into the cliffs, while in the old town you’ll find cafes and wine bars lining stone squares and churches built by seafarers who once ruled its waters. Cats lounge in doorways, cared for by residents who consider them part of the city’s charm.
South Korea’s cultural highlights are usually the focus of most travellers, be it medieval palaces or modern set-jetting in the footsteps of K-dramas and K-pop music videos, writes Arundhati Hazra.
However, the country is a hidden haven for adventure seekers. Its mountains are steep and rugged, with well-maintained trails that have existed for centuries, while cycling paths criss-cross the country
On Kuata Island, home to Barefoot Kuata Island Resort, the rocky volcanic peaks loom above the milky-green sea, writes Eva de Jong. At 9pm, people are still floating on their backs in the ocean and the cliff face glows a soft pink. All sense of time is lost.
Anywhere you go in the Yasawa Islands, the sticky humidity makes for long, warm evenings when you can wear a singlet, drink a cold Fiji beer or pina colada and watch the low red sun slip below the horizon from your bure.
Island hopping in Fiji is a perfect combination of adventurous travel within the serene and relaxing landscape of the Pacific.
Lugano is one of the sunniest parts of Switzerland. It’s also a lot more relaxed than the rest of the country, thanks to its proximity to Italy.
There’s a large, lively promenade fringed with manicured palm trees and smooth sandstone paths. Lugano hugs the glittering lake in a crescent, with turquoise water on one side, a steep mountain range behind and between them, a dense web of cobblestone alleyways and arcades.
Walk through the charming shops and market stalls, petite cafes and restaurants whose tables and chairs spill on to the sunny street.
There can certainly be satisfaction in the anticipated spots and detailed itineraries, but one should always leave a little space in the margins to drift off track and be delightfully surprised at what we find.