What Are the Best Travel Destinations in the World?

What's going on everybody this is Island Hopper TV and today we're going to show you the 50 best travel destinations heading into 2025. I personally visited 24 countries last year and it only gets better from here. So for those of you who've got that wanderlust spirit and want to get out there and explore, let's get into it. First up Bora Bora. Located in French Polynesia here in the South Pacific. It's about 230 miles northwest of Tahiti. It's known as the Pearl of the Pacific. Famous for its turquoise blue lagoons. The volcano known as Mount Antomano which is a shield volcano. And of course the over water bungalows. Next up here we are in Cinque Terre in the Italian Riviera. Known for the five picturesque fishing villages situated along the coastline here in northwest Italy. Characterized by its colorful houses stacked on top of each other. It's a UNESCO world heritage site for the five towns. Now we're headed down to Africa. This here is Tanzania. Known for its beautiful beaches of Zanzibar. Known for the silky soft white sand and the aquamarine colored blue water. Also the wildlife safaris around Mount Kilimanjaro. They have the Serengeti. Known for the world's largest land animal migration and they have a large population of lions. In northern Tanzania you can check out the Ngoro Ngoro crater which is a beautiful wildlife habitat as well. The official language is Swahili so Jombo. Now here we are in Thailand so Sawadikap. From Rele Beach you also have the Phi Phi Islands nearby here. Many different islands in the Andaman Sea. So if you love island hopping and exploring around beautiful areas of Thailand you've got to come out here to Krabi and do some amazing exploring. You can also go down south to Koh Lanta and just so many islands out here. One of my favorites is Hong Island. Many people base camp out of Ao Nang or Krabi town. I personally prefer Ao Nang. You would need at least a week in Krabi to explore it properly. Now here we are at Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Peru. It is a 15th century Incan citadel. The way to get out here is from Cusco to Aguas Calientes. You take the train and then you can take the bus or even hike up here to Machu Picchu. The best time to visit is May to September. Try to book your tours ahead of time because it does sell out. Some people who really love hiking they end up doing the Inca Trail which was a pilgrimage path to Machu Picchu for the Inca people. The Inca Trail takes about four days and three nights to complete. Just depends on how fast you want to go. It is not recommended for beginners though. It is considered a difficult hike. Next up is one of my favorite places on planet earth. This here is the Hawaiian islands consisting of Maui, Kauai, Oahu, Big Island of Hawaii, Molokai and several other small islands. Here you can go around the Nepali cliffs. You can go to Molokai and check out those cliffs. Big Island has active volcanoes. They have Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and then they have the active one of Kilauea. Now we're headed to Europe. This here is the Swiss Alps. Out here you can base camp from Interlaken or even Lucerne. Then you can go up into Latobrunnen, Grindelwald, head up towards the Matterhorn which is Zermatt. The Swiss Alps are also known for its modern marvel with the engineering of the train through the Alps. Now here we are at the South Island of New Zealand. New Zealand is two islands North Island and South Island. The South Island is known as the Southern Alps. Here you have Queenstown. You also have Fjordlands National Park. There's an adventure waiting here in the South Island for those of you like to bungee or do adventure activities. You must come to the South Island especially in the summertime. Now here we are at Dubai. This is the most futuristic city I've ever been to and you can see when you get here just how futuristic this place really is. The downtown skyline keeps growing. Marina keeps glowing. They also have Palm Jumeirah which is another spectacular futuristic place. Now we're in Arizona. This here is the Grand Canyon. The biggest canyon in the world. When you get here it is awe-inspiring. Your jaw will literally drop when you see how big this hole is. You can actually hike to the bottom. It takes about a full day to get down there. Some people take mules. Down there you will find the Havasupai Creek, the Colorado River, and some beautiful waterfalls. Really a spectacular place to check out. Next up we're headed to Banff National Park here in Alberta, Canada. This is one of the best preserved natural areas I've been to. It's right there in the Canadian Rockies. You can also go to Banff Town. They have several beautiful lakes like Lake Louise, Lake Moraine, so definitely come out here to Banff at some point. Now here we are in Jordan. This here is ancient Petra, home to the Nabataeans as well as the Romans who were here. This is along a major trade route that connected Europe to Africa. Located nearby the desert of Wadi Rum and you'll see lots of camels out here. In fact you wonder how people survive because it is such a barren desert with scarce water. It does get quite hot out here as well. Now here we are in the far north. This here is Iceland known for fire and ice. They call it Iceland but you can also see some greenery while here including the northern lights. Best time of year to visit is probably between May until September unless you really love frozen tundra then come out here in the winter time. Famous for its waterfalls but also the Vikings Leifur Erikson and Erik the Red were out here. Now we're here in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming known for geysers and its volcanoes because they say Yellowstone sits on a super volcano. Out here you'll see bison, grizzly bears, beautiful waterfalls and just all-around spectacular scenery. I would spend three days here. All right now here we are in the Maldives with almost 1,200 coral islands. 200 of these islands are inhabited. It is known for its overwater bungalow, hotel resorts, a honeymoon destination just like Bora Bora is as well. Considered a diving paradise because of this aquamarine blue water that everyone loves so much. And now from the Maldives we're headed to Cappadocia here in Turkey. This is one of the historical areas of Turkey located in the interior and you can see they used to live in these caves inside these hills and really a spectacular place to go. Going around here in a hot air balloon seems to be one of the most famous things that people like to do but if staying on land is your thing you can you can explore much of the ancient village. Here we are now in South Africa. This here is Cape Town one of the most beautiful places in the world at the southern tip of Africa and you can see why when you get here because of the beautiful scenery and sights with the blue skies that you'll see anywhere in the world. Now here we are at Angkor Wat in Cambodia known as the Great Temple. This is one of the largest religious complexes in the world and a big part of the ancient Khmer Empire with King Suryavarman reigning over its prime years. You can arrive here through Siam Reap. Now here we are in Scotland up in the far north part of the British Isles known for its beautiful scenery, railroads from the Hogwarts Harry Potter movie as well as so much majestic scenery. Scotland truly is a beautiful place. Check out Edinburgh Castle, go the Royal Mile, Scottish Parliament and head up to the Highlands and rumor has it the Loch Ness Monster can still be found today for those of you who are lucky enough to see Old Nessie. Now here we are at the Taj Mahal built by Shah Jahan for his wife. He was originally going to build a mausoleum for himself across the river but his children ended up canceling those plans in an effort to save money for their inheritance. Up next we're in southern Utah. This here is Zion National Park. Now there are a few different national parks worth noting in southern Utah, Zion being the most famous but you can also check out Moab and Arches National Park for those of you who are coming out to Utah. If you're very brave go up to Angel's Landing. Now here we are in Japan. This here is Kyoto, the former capital of Japan and the historical heart of Japan. For those of you who are coming here definitely check out the castles and go out to Arishiyama and the bamboo forest there. You can also go to the temples. So much to see and do in Kyoto and definitely a must see while in Japan. Now here we are at Victoria Falls located along the Zambezi River here in Zimbabwe on the border with Zambia. So definitely coming out here to see this spectacular waterfall network. Now we're in Ecuador here at the Galapagos Island. This is where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution and you can come out here and see the biodiversity on these islands out here in the Pacific Ocean. This here is the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore at the Marina Bay area but all of Singapore is spectacular. Gardens by the Bay has the cloud forest, it also has the Supertree Grove, a mega hotel with an infinity pool at the top. A lot of people consider this one of the best tourist destinations in Asia. So coming on out here to Singapore and Gardens by the Bay. I have rated Singapore as the best foodie destination in the world. Now here we are at Yosemite National Park known for the giant Sequoia trees nearby in the Kings Canyon area also known for Half Dome and El Capitan. Many different waterfalls that cascade down into Yosemite Valley. Such a spectacular place right when you arrive you're going to be like wow. This here is Sirigao Island in the Philippines. One of my favorite islands I've ever been to. This place truly is a magical place. There's a couple islands in Philippines that really stand out and Sirigao is definitely one of those places. You can do island hopping out to Guyam Island, Daku Island. Also do surfing here at Cloud Nine. Go out to the port of the Supba Lagoon. Take a canoe with locals up the Meissen River. Really an awesome island and I can't wait to go back. Next up here we are at the Great Wall of China. Another one of those historical archaeological sites. It took over 2,000 years to build this wall and it extends 21,196 kilometers. It basically protected China from the northern invaders from Mongolia and beyond. This here is Croatia. It's one of the crown jewels of the Adriatic Sea and here you've got Dubrovnik from Game of Thrones. You've also got Kirka National Park which is a beautiful lagoon area and river system and you have many different islands in the Dalmatian island system. Here we are now in Mexico at the Riviera Maya. This includes Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Cancun and Tulum. Really a beautiful place to be. You've got lots of archaeological sites related to the Mayans. Plenty of hotels up in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. So if you haven't been to Riviera Maya, definitely add it to your list. And do some swimming in the underground rivers or cenotes. Here we are now at the Greek islands known for Santorini, Mykonos, Crete. So many other islands as well like Rhodes. My favorite island being Paros. Also I like Naxos. Milos is a beautiful one. So if you come out here to Greece, you got to do island hopping in the Greek islands. This here is Paris, France. The most visited city in the world known for the Eiffel Tower. Also the Arc de Triomphe. Also the Sacred Heart Church. So much to do along the riverfront. This is really one of the most spectacular cities in the world. Very romantic place for couples as well. Beautiful art museums and the Palace of Versailles. Going down into the south of France. Here we are at the French Riviera known for beautiful cities like Nice. They also have a Cote d'Azur. Such a beautiful place down here. Now we're in Palawan, Philippines. Another island here in the Philippines. You've got El Nido in the north. You've got Balabac in the south. You've got Karan, another island nearby Busuwanga in the far far north. Beautiful lagoons up here. Palawan is truly a majestic island. It is still underdeveloped unlike most of these places on this list. So you're going to get more of that raw nature adventure experience personally that I actually enjoy going to these underdeveloped areas especially in the Philippines. Such raw beautiful nature. Now here we are in Bangkok. This is one of the most visited cities in the world here in Thailand. This is a place that is really up and coming and it keeps getting better and better every time I go back. Places like Sukhumvit Road, Khao San Road. It's got a cultural experience. It's also got modern lifestyle with rooftop bars. Here we are now at Bali. This is the most famous island in Indonesia. It is known for beautiful beaches. It's volcanoes like Mount Agung. Also nature. Temples here. Rice terraces. Beautiful surfing in Uluwatu. Also island hopping and going to these the new Garuda Temple. I really like going to Bali and hanging out in the areas around Uluwatu, Nusa Dua. Also going out to Sanur Beach. Also Seminyak. So many places to go and then going up into the jungles up in Bali. Places like Ubud and Ahmed in the far north. We've done many videos on Bali on this channel. Now here we are at New York City. Known for Manhattan. You have Times Square. You have the Freedom Tower. You have the Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center. They've built a lot of new high-rises around Central Park. New York City still stands out as one of the top cities in the world. Get out there on a boat and then head out towards the Statue of Liberty around the Hudson Bay area. So definitely New York City is a place to see. Checking out the other boroughs like Bronx or Brooklyn. Queens. So much to see out here. Now here we are at the Iguazu Falls located on the border with Argentina and Brazil. This is one of the most famous waterfall systems in the world. Right up there with Victoria Falls and Niagara. But it's really beautiful right here in the jungles of southern Brazil and northern Argentina. And you can't forget the whole country of Costa Rica from the Caribbean to the Pacific side to the mountains and the volcanoes in the interior. So much to see and do here like Manuel Antonio going out to some of the national parks like La Fortuna, Arenal Volcano area. Here we are on the British Virgin Islands also known as the BVI in the Caribbean. There's so many different islands to explore in the Caribbean islands. But my favorites are going to be the Virgin Islands. British and U.S. Virgin Islands. But I really do like the island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. You can also go to Tortola, Yos Van Dyke. There's over 50 islands here to explore in the BVI and I really love it here and can't wait to go back. If you do decide to go to the U.S. Virgin Islands or back and forth from the BVI to the USVI you will need a passport. Now here we are in Italy at Florence. Florence is known for its history. You've got people like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci that came from here. You also have Galileo Galilei. Florence is truly one of the most spectacular cities I've ever been to. Rich in history and a very beautiful place. Now here we are at Bocos del Toro here in Panama on the Caribbean side. This is a very beautiful island chain archipelago area. If you've never been to Panama you should definitely come out here and check it out. They also have sand blasts to the south of here. Back in South America again we're in Patagonia. This here is in Chile. This is a very beautiful kind of snow-capped area. Beautiful mountains, streams, nature. Patagonia is one of the most famous places in the world. Back in Turkey again this here is Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople. Located along the Bosphorus Strait that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Napoleon once said that if there was a capital of the world Istanbul would be it. Such a spectacular city. Very rich in history and great food. Now here we are at Prague. One of my favorite cities in all of Europe and for good reason. Lots of history and beautiful architecture. It's like a gothic city. It feels like you're going back in time with cobblestone streets right there along the river. This is truly a city that has been encapsulated in time. Of course we're in ancient Egypt. What would a list of best destinations be without mentioning the ancient Egypt area from Aswan all the way up towards Luxor and Cairo, Alexandria and then you have all of that in between. Mostly doing it on the Nile River. Here we are in Alaska known as the final frontier and for good reason. If you haven't been up here you should definitely try to get up here. Check out Denali National Park. Go down towards Seward and then Homer. Such a beautiful drive in that whole area. That's the Kenai Peninsula and see some wildlife, moose, grizzly bears. Never know what you'll find up here. Speaking of wildlife we're at Glacier National Park here in Montana. Another beautiful place here in the United States. So many national parks in the United States to explore that are really premier destinations. Lots of wildlife, bears up here and of course here we are in ancient Rome which is now modern day Rome. You can check out Circus Maximus, the Roman Colosseum. Also learn about the history here. They have the Vatican City. Another one of my favorite Caribbean islands is here is Saint Lucia known for the Piton Mountains. That area alone is worth visiting Saint Lucia for sure and you can see the beautiful colors out here. Fresh air. Very nice place. This is another one of those honeymoon destinations. Now here we are in London famous for the royal family but also Big Ben and that whole area around Westminster. Just a really beautiful city that is actually modernizing and building a skyline now. You've got places like the Shard, Buckingham Palace and so much more. We can do a part two showing you more destinations to explore and discover around the world like Venice and we'll see you over on the next one with the most underrated countries to visit in the world. Click here next.