Get ready for some serious #travelinspo because Tripadvisor just announced its Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards for destinations!
This year, the travel site split the awards between two categories: trending and emerging.
Trending recognises traveller-love destinations that are on the rise, having seen the biggest spikes in positive reviews and ratings over the last year and emerging looks ahead to what’s next – the destinations still ahead of the curve that travel-savvy folk are already saving to their Trips on Tripadvisor.
Taking out the top spot on the trending list was Indian port city, Kochi, where sunset strolls, sampling fresh fish from seaside vendors and boat rides through the islands just offshore are all part of the charm.
While travellers to India may have traditionally prioritised trips to the nation’s mega-cities, those in the know are seeking out the smaller city of Kochi — a destination filled with cool cafes, art centres and stunning historic sites, including beautiful Portuguese-built churches and forts.
Kaliningrad, a tiny sliver of Russia trapped between the Baltic Sea, Poland and Lithuania, was ranked as the top emerging destination, thanks to a simplified e-visa process and breathtaking architecture that blends Eastern Europe and Russia together like nowhere else.
Locally, the Northern Territory’s capital, Darwin, also featured on the emerging destination list, taking out the 24th spot.
Here’s a rundown of the top 10 from each category:
Top 10 Global Trending Destinations- See full descriptions below and Top 25 here.
1. Kochi (Cochin), India
2. Luzon, Philippines
3. Porto, Portugal
4. Porto Seguro, Brazil
5. Gramado, Brazil
6. Lombok, Indonesia
7. Da Nang, Vietnam
8. Zakynthos, Greece
9. Tel Aviv, Israel
10. Krakow, Poland
Global Emerging Destinations – See full descriptions below and Top 25 here.
1. Kaliningrad, Russia
2. Saranda, Albania
3. Beirut, Lebanon
4. Luxor, Egypt
5. Naoussa, Greece
6. Rugen Island, Germany
7. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
8. Monopoli, Italy
9. La Paz, Mexico
10. Curaçao, Caribbean
Featured image credit: iStock.com/crbellette
