If you love ... BRILLIANT BEACHES
Head to Australia
If blinding-white beaches take pride of place on your bucket list, then consider Australia, for your next big vaycay. Notably, the top two scorers on Lonely Planet’s “best beaches for 2025” are both on its coast. Number one is called Whitehaven, which is in the Unesco-listed Whitsunday Islands National Park, an archipelago off the coast of Queensland that is home to six national parks.
The entire area is famed for its unspoilt islands, powdery beaches and turquoise waters and Whitehaven is a 6km-long beauty with sand made from 98.9% pure silica — and it doesn’t get much more “white and sandy” than that.
The second is Squeaky Beach in the southeastern state of Victoria. Its 700m are bordered by the state’s largest marine national park, Wilsons Promontory National Park. The beach gets its name from the squeaky sound you’ll hear strolling across the quartz sand.
If you're a CULTURE VULTURE
Get to Italy, Slovenia or Germany
Once the towns of Nova Gorica in Slovenia and Gorizia in Italy were the same place. But they were split in 1947 after World War 2, with the establishment of Europe's new borders. Gorizia stayed in Italy while Nova Gorica (meaning “New Gorizia”) was born in then Yugoslavia. Though they remain in separate countries, there has been no formal border between them since Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. This year, the pair will make history as the first “borderless” European Capital of Culture, an annual title from the EU that comes with funding for special events, new infrastructure and tourism promotion.
Between two and five million visitors are expected to descend upon the towns this year for a packed calendar of events including music and dance, art exhibitions and lectures. Visitors will also have the novel experience of being able to wander at will between two countries and two markedly different cities. Italy’s Medieval Gorizia boasts a castle, cobblestoned alleys and lively cafes. Slovenia’s Nova Gorica, meanwhile, is modernist, all concrete and straight lines. Visitors can even take a photo with one foot planted in each country at the marker in Transalpine Square.
For more on the Capital of Culture programme, see here.
The other 2025 selection for European Capital of Culture is Chemnitz in eastern Germany. This former industrial hub was the richest city in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, and is known for its many industrial-age buildings and monuments, though it has developed significantly in recent years and is now known as a hub of creativity and innovation with its museums, concert halls, cafes and restaurants.
Admirers of architecture will enjoy its Kassberg neighbourhood, famed as one of the largest contiguous art-nouveau districts in Europe. But its most famous monument is probably the imposing Karl Marx bust, commissioned in 1953 when the communist government of the German Democratic Republic renamed the city Karl-Marx-Stadt on the 70th anniversary of Marx's death (it went back to the old name after reunification in 1990). More than 7m tall and 13m wide, it one of the largest busts in the world.
Other landmarks to explore include the Old Town Hall with its Renaissance portal (15th century); the castle on the site of a former monastery; and the area around the opera house and the old university. Its Museum Gunzenhauser features an impressive collection of modern and contemporary art.
Of the cultural capital programme for 2025, the town says visitors can expect a “clash between high culture and a lively indie scene, between Art Nouveau, industrial and GDR architecture and post-socialist modernism”. See here.
If you'll go far for ... GASTRONOMY
Head to Catalonia, Spain
The autonomous community in northeastern Spain is the World Region of Gastronomy for 2025, the first European region to receive the designation from the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT). It acknowledges the cultural significance of a region’s cuisine as well as its commitment to health and sustainable agriculture.
Officials have big plans to capitalise on the honour throughout the year and so position Catalonia as a benchmark for food and wine tourism, with more than 50 initiatives to be implemented at local, national and international level. Among them will be an International Week of the World Gastronomy, which will include markets, pop-up restaurants, wine tastings, cultural evenings and debates. One highlight will surely be a large public supper — with typical Catalan dishes — on the streets of Barcelona. Another notable plan for travellers is the launch of a new route, the Grand Tour of Catalonia, through which visitors can explore its culinary offerings. There will also be new walking and cycling routes to highlight local products and the landscapes from which they come.
For more on Catalonia tourism, see here.
If SPORTS hit the spot
Head to Switzerland, England or Morocco
With major events such as the Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games in our rear-view mirror, 2024 may seem hard to top — but sports lovers still have some thrills coming this year, particularly in women’s sports. Football fans can “olay olay” over the Uefa Women's Euro from July 2 to 27 2025, where 15 teams, including hosts Switzerland, will be attempting to snatch the crown from defenders England. Matches will take place in cities across the country — which is small and easy to navigate thanks to its excellent public transport system — including Basel, Geneva, Berne and Lucerne.
Springbok supporters may be keen to head to England from late August through to late September to cheer on South Africa — winners of the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup in Madagascar last year — at the women's Rugby World Cup.
South Africa supporters can wave their flags again — and perhaps take a trip to a dream African destination — from December 21 when the Africa Cup of Nations takes place in Morocco. The six host cities include Marrakesh, Tangier, Casablanca and Fez.
If you love a SKY SPECTACLE
Head to Vietnam
Da Nang in central Vietnam is on the South China Sea coast, midway between Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south. It’s risen in popularity in recent years thanks to local government efforts to attract tourists with drawcards such as its sandy beaches and interesting history as a French colonial port, as well as a base for visiting the dramatic inland Bà Nà hills.
From May 31 til July 12, it will host the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival, which organisers say will be the biggest yet since its launch in 2008. Ten teams — from Canada, China, South Korea, Finland, Poland, Portugal, Australia, Italy, and two teams from Vietnam — will compete to create the most breathtaking pyrotechnic displays at a venue with a seating capacity of 10,000. More than 50,000 fireworks are expected to light up the sky. The festival will also incorporate cultural performances, concerts, street fairs and food stalls.
See here.
If you seek REMOTE CONTROL
Head to South Korea
The rise of digital nomadism has transformed the way people work and travel, particularly in the wake of Covid-19. With remote work becoming ever more common, many professionals have leapt at the tech and the chance to explore the world while staying connected to their careers at the same time.
Recognising this shift, and with governments looking to reap the economic benefits of this skilled, educated workforce, numerous countries have introduced digital nomad visas in the past few years, making it easier for people to live and work abroad legally, and stay longer.
The latest country to launch one — on January 1 — is Taiwan. However, only nationals from visa-exempt countries are eligible and so that disqualifies SA passport holders (though if you have a UK or US passport, for instance, you're in luck).
SA-passport holders, instead, should consider South Korea. Its digital nomad visa allows remote workers to stay for up to two years, with the option to extend for another year. It's renowned for its cutting-edge technology and has among the highest internet speeds in the world. As a destination, it has much to offer from the buzzing, ultra-modern streets of Seoul (which was just named the best city in the world for solo travellers by Time Out) to the serene landscapes of Jeju Island.
Throw in traditional palaces, temples, festivals; incredible food; and its globally beloved K-pop culture and three years may not be long enough.
