The Cool List: celebrating the reasons to travel in 2020
Plotting your travels for the year ahead? Then look no further. Reflecting a growing appetite for responsible and authentic travel, our Cool List is replete with reasons to travel and with nations bouncing back from trying times, cities launching new cultural attractions, and pioneering destinations throwing open the doors of innovative hotels.
MOST POPULAR
Travel's new philanthropists
These days, luxury travel is as much about hands-on engagement with a destination as it is opulent escapism, and increasingly that means conservation and community.
What they're eating in Beirut
Topped flatbreads, heritage grains and Armenian cuisine are all on the menu in the Lebanese capital.
Stories from the Arctic Coast Way, Iceland's epic new road trip
Trace the very edge of the world on a new road trip around Iceland’s northernmost reaches. Here, long summer days spent exploring element-blasted peninsulas and fjords rich in marine life are teamed with stays in cosy fishing towns swirling with stories.
Into the Okavango Delta: a portrait of Africa’s wildest conservation destination
Recent droughts in Botswana's 100-mile-wide alluvial fan have brought together conservationists, local people and new safari concessions in fresh efforts to help protect its life giving headwaters
Travel's new philanthropists
These days, luxury travel is as much about hands-on engagement with a destination as it is opulent escapism, and increasingly that means conservation and community.
WHAT'S NEW
A neighbourhood guide to San Diego
The beaches might be the biggest draw but the Southern Californian city’s diverse ’hoods are equally alluring, with hippy hangouts, activist culture and Mexican-inspired cuisine waiting to be discovered.
Vienna: how to experience the Capital of Music in 2020
The Austrian capital is hitting all the right notes as it gears up for a year of tuneful celebrations.
Where to mark 100 years since Prohibition
A century after the nationwide booze ban, there are still plenty of ways to discover the illicit allure of the Prohibition era.
Is your travel photography ethical?
Fines are now being issued to tourists in Kyoto who photograph Geishas without their consent. Are we entering an era where common sense must be enforced?
destinations
Food
Sour, salty, sweet: getting a taste for Filipino cuisine
From spit-roasted lechon pork to vinegar-soaked adobo stew, the stars of Filipino food are beginning to make their mark on big-city menus the world over. And the best way to get to know this cuisine is by exploring the capital, Manila.
Where to eat the world's best tiramisu
Whether you’re after a classic tiramisu or a daring interpretation, these are the top spots to try it in Italy and the UK.
Sami specials and succulent elk fillets: a taste of Swedish Lapland
In Sweden’s northernmost province, meals are fresh, hearty and ultra-local, whether you’re dining by an open fire or at a chef’s table.
National Geographic Traveller (UK)
The Cool List: celebrating the reasons to travel in 2020
Reflecting a growing appetite for responsible and authentic travel, our Cool List is replete with nations bouncing back from trying times, cities launching inspired new attractions, and pioneering destinations throwing open the doors of innovative hotels.
Photograph by Getty Images
In this issue,we see the return of the annual Cool List: 20 destinations that are making a name for themselves this year. From Cumbria to Panama, Brisbane and Pakistan, we’ve scoured the globe for 2020’s most interesting destinations.
From hiking trails and emerging culinary hubs to luxury lodges and landmark attractions, it’s a list that gives you plenty of inspiration close to home, as well as further afield. Reflecting a growing appetite for responsible and authentic travel, the Cool List is replete with nations bouncing back from trying times, cities launching inspired new cultural attractions, and pioneering destinations throwing open the doors of innovative hotels.
Plus, go off-grid in the lush jungles of Guyana; discover the majesty of Sri Lanka’s elephants; explore rock churches in Ethiopia’s dramatic Gheralta Mountains; and spend a long weekend in Bergen.
Read more in the March 2020 issue — SUBSCRIBE TODAY
_______________
Read more in the March 2020 issue
Photograph by
What's on
The National Geographic Traveller Food Festival 2020
Experience the world through food and travel.
Travel Geeks: Italy food and drink — 27 February 2020
From cacciatore to cannoli, get the lowdown on Italian cuisine for your next gourmet getaway from our expert panel.
Travel Geeks: natural Japan — 12 March 2020
A country of islands, mountains and diverse climates, Japan offers a wealth of natural wonders. Join us as we discuss where to go and how to do it.
Photography
National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition 2020
The prestigious annual competition is back and open for entries. Have you got what it takes to win?
The real city that never sleeps: discovering nightlife in Madrid
From dancing ’til dawn at megaclubs to catching a film at a revamped cinema, the only way to really discover the Spanish capital is to stay up late.
Sri Lanka: the secrets behind Asia's mightiest elephant migration
In every dry season, elephants gather in Minneriya National Park in their hundreds, creating one of the planet’s greatest natural spectacles.
The surprising science behind in-flight meals
Malaysia-based airline AirAsia has opened a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur that sells its in-flight meals. But why does food often taste so different in the skies?
Newfoundland and Labrador: Where Cosmopolitan Meets Ancient History
Explore the 565-million-year-old mysteries of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Unique ways to experience Canada in the spring
There are many experiences that you can only have in Canada in the springtime, from encounters with puffins against a backdrop of shimmering icebergs, to urban festivals celebrating tulips or outine, to glorious hot springs in the Rocky Mountains.
Ultimate hotel guide: where to stay in São Paulo
Brazil’s biggest city has accommodation to suit all tastes and budgets, from arty work-live lodgings to architecturally impressive design dens with rooftop pools overlooking the city’s expanses of green.
Should volcano tourism be banned?
Following the catastrophic eruption of New Zealand’s Whakaari, volcano tourism is under the spotlight and we’re asking — is it ever safe?
Peru’s top four unmissable destinations
From the world-renowned Machu Picchu to the red-tiled roofs of Cusco, Peru has countless wonders to witness. See this pick of the country's best sites, plus three beautiful hotels to come back to after a hard day exploring.
Prince Edward Island’s best road trip: Red Cliffs & Green Gables
Take an idyllic coastal drive to see stunning red-rock backdrops by land and by sea.
New Brunswick’s best road trip: wonders of highest tides
Embark on an action-packed adventure along New Brunswick’s stunningly scenic Bay of Fundy Coast.
Five ways to discover the beauty of Sri Lanka’s highlands
The nation's central region, which spans mountains, waterfalls, tea plantations and colonial-era bungalows, offers a wide range of adventures.
What to do in San Juan, Puerto Rico's colourful capital
San Juan — the oldest city in the US and its territories — sits proudly on the island’s Atlantic coast and abounds with places to see, eat and salsa into the early hours.
Canada beyond the slopes
When temperatures fall, there’s a wealth of activities to enjoy that can only happen in winter, and from coast to coast to coast Canadians look forward to the crisp days and the adventures that they bring.
Why travel in 2020? To discover how the places we love are reinventing themselves
An exciting new lineup of innovations, openings and initiatives mean we’re viewing these five old favourites with a fresh outlook in 2020.
Why travel in 2020? To reconnect with nature in an increasingly urbanised world
Hikers, bikers and nature-lovers should head to these three destinations in 2020 — each is set to unveil a range of new trails and attractions designed to make the most of the great outdoors.
Why travel in 2020? To get closer the culture and history of a place
These five destinations have a unique story to tell, from the lost legends surrounding the life of Tutankhamun to tales of Hollywood's iconic motion pictures.
Win a two-night break to Amsterdam
National Geographic Traveller (UK) has teamed up with Eurostar and Pulitzer Amsterdam to offer a two-night stay for two in the Dutch capital.
Experiencing another kind of life in the Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert stretches across Chile in a staggering diversity of discrete landscapes — the fabled craggy contours of the Andes; simmering volcanoes; vast salt flats; and verdant oases. While it can be a challenging place to call home, it is a playground of adventure for intrepid visitors.
