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2018's Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

2018 s Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

This was a year of unexpected finds, from the Florida Panhandle to the Straits of Malaysia. These are the destinations we were thrilled to discover in 2018. 

2018 s Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

Shhh! This Picture-Perfect Beach Community Is Florida's Best-Kept Secret

South Walton, Florida
Located between Panama City Beach and Pensacola, the perfectly planned communities of South Walton, Florida, deliver southern hospitality at the beach. Here's everything you need to know to make a vacation in the Hamptons of the South.

2018 s Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

Hold the Tequila! In Valle de Guadalupe, It’s All About the Vino

Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
If you don't think of Mexico as a wine country, think again. In Valle de Guadalupe, one of the world's emerging wine districts, they're producing delicious and exotic varietals. The new Sonoma? It just might be.

2018 s Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

Why 2018 Is the Year to Visit Egypt

Egypt
Aside from the Great Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Giza, there’s also the city of the living. Cairo is a thrilling mess of a city, with raucous traffic, buildings the color of desert dust, and 22 million passionate residents. These people led a revolution in 2011 that toppled a regime — and halted tourism. Today, the country is stable and ready to welcome travelers back.

2018 s Top Surprising Travel Destinations: Hidden Gems We Discovered

Old Meets New in Penang's Photogenic Capital

Penang, Malaysia
George Town, the up-and-coming Malaysian island city, has a buzzy street art scene, historic architecture, and tantalizing food that is drawing travelers from far and wide. Photographer Natasha Lee takes us on a tour of the city she once called home.

Discover More of 2018's Best

Hotels That Charmed Us
The Hidden Gems
The Best Food Stories
Travelers Who Inspired Us
How to Be a Better Traveler in 2019


Common Sense Travel
  • Polaroid of the Week: The Surprising Charm of Montevideo, Uruguay

    When we arrived at Montevideos sleek, modern airport two days ago, it felt worlds away from the rugged Patagonian landscapes we left behind that morning. Standing outside the bright, spacious new terminal with cars speeding by on the nearby highway, it almost felt like being back in North America or Europe. We anticipated a bustling capital like Santiago, complete with gleaming office towers and shopping malls.Imagine our surprise, then, when the bus entered the city outskirts and we spotted dir

  • Top Food Stories of 2018: Our Favorite Culinary Discoveries

    Its a good week for cracking open new books, reading stacks of magazines, and, of course, indulging in wanderlust. Were combing the archives and sharing some of our favorite discoveries of the year — and the ones that had our mouths watering.A Pizza-Free Guide to the Best Food in NaplesNaples, ItalyIn Naples, where pizzerias and pizza-loving tourists abound — this is the birthplace of pizza, after all — it can be easy to o

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    Holiday movies are a favorite activity during this special time of year, and a blockbuster cast will no doubt draw throngs of movie-goers to the theater. Often overlooked, but just as important as the cast, is the city a movie is set in. After all, would Home Alone be the same if it were set in Alton, Ill., instead of New York City? Just in time for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season, here’s our list of some of the best cities for holiday movies, along with some of the famou