Kalahari Desert makes NatGeo Traveler’s picks for best trips of 2020

National Geographic Traveler has released its list of the best trips to take in 2020, a list that includes one of the darkest outdoor places on the planet, an elephant haven in Africa and an off-the-radar hiking path that forms part of Europe’s first long-distance trail.

Dubbed the planet’s “25 most exciting destinations for the year ahead,” NatGeo’s picks for the best places to visit in 2020 is an editorial selection based on the recommendations of its international network of experts and magazine editions.

At the top of the list is Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which marks 25 years of peace in 2020 following the end of the Bosnian War in 1995. Though the city still bears the scars of its violent past, editors note that restoration efforts have established a relative calm in the Western Balkans, driving growth and recovery to the local area.

Editors also recommend one of China’s most isolated and undiscovered provinces, Guizhou in southwestern China, home to offices for Apple and Huawei. The presence of tech powerhouses in the mountainous region is credited for improving access to the region, including traditional villages that still practice farming and textile traditions that stretch back to the sixth century.

The Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, one of the world’s darkest places; the National Blue Trail in Hungary and the elephant havens at Zakouma National Park in Chad are also on the list.

Here are the 25 trips to take in 2020, according to NatGeo Traveler:

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Guizhou Province, China

Tohoku, Japan

National Blue Trail, Hungary

Telč, Czechia

Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada

Wales Way, United Kingdom

Abu Simbel, Egypt

Fort Kochi, India

Zakouma National Park, Chad

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Puebla, Mexico

Kalahari Desert, Southern Africa

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, USA

Maldives

Tasmania, Australia

Asturias, Spain

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

Mendoza Province, Argentina

Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

Guatemala

Parma, Italy

Canary Islands, Spain

Białowieża Forest, Belarus/Poland

Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria

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