What’s up guys, it is hard to believe it’s already 2024 and a new year to travel. I am currently in Chicago, just finished celebrating the holidays with my family, but it is soon time to pack my bags and head off on some new adventures, to some new countries and new experiences. I am super excited to hit the road again and hopefully you are too. If you’re new to the channel, my name is Zach or the traveling ZAM and I have spent the past 10 years traveling to over 120 countries. Last year, 2023 itself I visited over 25 countries filming travel vlogs and highlight videos starting this YouTube channel to share my journey along the way so if you like travel content and you’re not subscribed yet, make sure you do so to see the upcoming adventures. Now as you’re looking to fill your travel calendar with some new and unique destinations, I though I would share a few of my favorite locations from the past couple years to inspire some of your future journeys.
- Saudi Arabia
After decades of isolation, Saudi Arabia has been positioning itself as a top tourist destination investing heavily into new infrastructure and luxurious experiences. This is a place you definitely want to visit sooner rather than later to be in on this secret destination before it erupts on the world stage. Riyadh is emerging from the desert as an entertainment capital with vast modern infrastructure, but also exploring and securing their rich heritage by preserving some of the old towns that created the region. A trip to the beautifully blue Red Sea leads you to more heritage sites in the historic old town Al Ballad in Jeddah. Then heading north into the deep deserts of Arabia takes you to Al ula. This was one of the most magical stops with epic desert landscapes blending with a modern artistic culture, this region is quickly becoming one of the most fashionable places to visit in Saudi.
- Lebanon
About the size of the State of New Jersey, Lebanon is a very small and manageable country to visit with an outsized influence on the world. Once the Paris of the Middle East, its main city of Beirut was once a flourishing capital with state of the art architecture. War in the 1970s halted much of this prosperity leaving half built cinemas and shopping centers shredded by bullets laying as memories of the turmoil the country has been through. The cities resilience is felt though as many of these scars of war add a grit and grunge unlike anywhere you’ve been. Not from from Beirut are the largest roman ruins outside of Italy at the site of Baalbek. Heading north you can drive along the incredible mediterranean coastline on your way to Tripoli and then up into the mountains to see the famous Cedars of Lebanon that once fueled the industry of the ancient world. Not event o mention Lebanese food which in itself makes the trip to the Middle East completely worth it.
- Poland
Poland was one of the last countries I visited in Europe, and I have no idea what took me so long to get there. It’s everything you want Europe to be. Colorful old towns, with mighty castles, with open market squares, and towering church spires. Incredible food, epic mountains, modern skylines, balanced by a somber WWII history. Eastern Europe has always had a draw to me and not being on the Euro has a slightly cheaper price tag yet with the highest of European standards. All the way in the south you have Krakow, which is a picture perfect medieval walled city with a castle and gothic cathedral towering above. Far to the east of the country are the incredible Tatra Mountains and the adorable mountain town of Zakopnae. I never pictured such natural beauty in Poland. In the middle of the country is the very cosmopolitan capital, Warsaw, full of some of Europes most impressive skyscrapers alongside elegant old town streets. Then far to the north is the historic, Gdansk, a colorful old town and the site of the first attack of WWII.
- Namibia
Vast deserts, remote tribes, animal encounters, extensive coastlines, wild places. Namibia is one of the most unique places in Africa and every travel photographers dreams. Where else can you see endless sand dunes crash into the ocean, or stark dead trees sprout from the desert. Lions roar in the jungle and wild desert elephants roam. Remote tribes opening up their homes to get an authentic look into alternative ways of living. From the capital of Windhoek, it’s best to get a 4×4 vehicle that can drive you down the rugged landscape to Sossusevlei. Here you are completely surrounded by red orange sand dunes and a trek deep into the desert reveals Deadvlei, a stark landscape where dead tree jut out of the sand above the salty remains of water that had once inhabited the desert. Then out towards Swakopmund is one of the most dramatic scenes as it is one of the only places in the world to watch the blue ocean waves crash into the massive desert dunes. Heading to the North to Etosha is a completely different landscape as greenery sprouts from the land where plenty of wild animals roam, including the elusive rhino and leopard. Namibia is raw, rugged adventure and well off the beaten path and a lifetime trip that shouldn’t be missed.
- Nicaragua
With all of the negative press and news on the region, I honestly was not that excited to visit Central America, but after my trip to Nicaragua in early 2023 I am dying to go back. I couldn’t believe how good the tourism infrastructure was and how epic the adventures were. The entire pacific coast is lined with cone shaped volcanos with endless excursions possible. Leon is a quaint little town, known for its plentiful churches, and from the roof of the main cathedral you can see all of the adventures that await you. Not only can you hike most of these active volcanos and camp on the top of them, but you can sled down the ash of the world’s newest volcano! Continue south to Granada on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, a colorful village with boat excursions to countless islands teeming with wildlife. A ferry takes you to the mystical Ometeppe Island. Once thought to be the famed lost world of Atlantis, this small island is composed of two perfectly cone shaped volcanos. An amazing place to rent a scooter and zip around to all of the islands hidden hikes and beaches.
- Tokyo
Japan is a must visit destination for many reasons, but Tokyo specifically deserves its own trip. It’s the largest city in the world with countless restaurants, shops, buildings, as far as you can see. It’s an incredible futuristic city that is buzzing with life. Old historic temples with peaceful zen gardens starkly contrast bright neon streets with bustling crowds. The food is incredible with countless sushi places and little shops to duck in and grab ramen at the counter. There are so many neighborhoods with different vibes. You have the nerdy anime district, Akihabara. Street food and market area, Ueno. Traditional Asakusa women wearing kimonos and the Senso Ji Temple. Shinjuku is the lively night life district with countless neon lights lining the buildings. Then Harajuku which is home of the hipster fashion with hundreds of secondhand clothing stores behind the designer big brands. And then my personal favorite, Shibuya, home to the world’s most busy intersection, the Shibuya Scramble and narrow pedestrians that weave through an endless barrage of shops. I spent a month here and never get bored and think it’s a destination that needs to be honored with time to fully feel its pulse.
- Bhutan
Hidden deep in the Himalayas between two world super powers, China and India, is the small dragon kingdom of Bhutan. This is a journey for the hardcore travelers who want to get far off the beaten path. A $200 a day tourism fee is intentionally implemented to produce a low volume, high impact tourism experience and responsibly integrating travelers into the world of Bhutan instead of allowing tourism to ruin its unique culture. The concept allows you one of the most authentic travel experiences on the globe. I had a one on one guide lead me around the country for three days highlighting most of the major temples and historic sights and introducing me to the happiest people in the world. We hiked to the edge of Paro to the mysterious Tiger Monastery perched high on the cliffs. I also recommend checking the Bhutan festival schedule. A few times each year they host these Tsechus, cultural spiritual festivals that draw crowds from all over the country in their best traditional, colorful clothing. Watching the dancing and elaborate costumes in this mountain settings made every tourism dollar fee completely worth it.
- Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan is exactly how I always pictured the historic Silk Road. Towering minarets with exotic blue tiling. Camels on the dusty streets, surrounded by castle walls. It’s a step back in time, when silks and spices ruled the world and if you are going to go anywhere in Central Asia this is an absolute must. The Jewel of the Silk Road is Samarkand. The entire city is an open air museum to the former wealth and prosperity of the area. The density and scale of Madrassas, or Islamic Schools and mosques tell the story of the spiritual fervor that enriched the region. Intricate tiling fills the walls adding beauty and color to the dust colored bricks. In Samarkand you can pay reverence to Timur, a conqueror of the region, in one of the most beautiful mausoleums. A trip to Khiva takes you way back in time to a fortified old town, deep in the desert near the border of Turkmenistan. Old palaces are tucked away alongside market stalls, and the most royal blue minaret you will ever see composed of countless tiles. Bhukara is a third must visit stop through Uzbekistan. It rivals Samarkand in scale and beauty with incredibly tiled madrassas lining the old town streets.
- Pakistan
When most people think of the Himalayas, they picture Nepal and its stunning Everest treks, but if you want the epic mountain experience without all of the crowds, Pakistan is the place to go. It is home to k2 the worlds second tallest mountain and plenty of other top ten highest world mountains. The Karakoram region is one of the most stunning places I have ever been, full of vast beauty and the friendliest people. It’s not for the light hearted traveler though as it is full of extreme adventures. Including a jeep ride up the worlds most dangerous road, crossing sketchy rope bridges, and hitchhiking on the back of oil tankers, but all of the rugged adventure is worth it when you are face to face with the largest mountains in the world. Nanga Part is the ninth highest mountain in the world and a three day trek to Fairy Meadows takes you right to the base of the massive snow covered rock. Further up the valley towards the border of China are the Passu Cones. A wall of tower spires that border this mystical valley amidst mega glaciers. Along this legendary highway there are also traces of great civilizations at the base of Rakaposhi. In the village of Karimabad there are the remains of a few castles perched on the hills revealing the strategic positioning of this civilization along old trading routes through the mountains. Overall I spent three weeks in Pakistan and it was one of the most surprising places on my travels last year.
- Armenia
My final recommendation for 2024 is Armenia. Another small country near Central Asia, but very European in feel. Its the home of Christianity as we know it with some of the worlds oldest churches. I rented a car to drive around the stunning countryside and visit the countries remote monasteries that are built in some of the most majestic locations. Mount Ararat looms in the distance as rolling green and brown hills lead the way to one historic location after another. After a few days driving through the country side, Yerevan, the capital city is an incredible cosmopolitan city as cute as any European town I’ve been too. Tree lined streets overflowing with artful cafes and elaborate museums. Beautiful architecture and statues dot this very walkable city with a manmade cascade on the edge of town has stairs that take you up to a stunning view of the pleasant city and stunning surrounding countryside.
Watch my full video here to give you more inspiration for these unique travel destinations:
