Recommended Alternative Destinations To Top Bucket List Spots

The world is an amazing place filled with many must-see attractions. While checking well-known spots off your travel to-do list can be fun and rewarding, it’s often even better to leave the crowds behind and find a lesser known but lovely alternative.  Check out Cheapflights.com’s list of Go here, not there: 10 alternative destinations. Now is the time to discover these hidden gems as you never know - someday they may be topping bucket lists around the globe.

Below are five of our recommended alternatives to top attractions. These off-the-beaten-path places offer unforgettable memories from places not everyone has already heard of:

·         Avebury, England, instead of Stonehenge, England - In Wiltshire, England, Avebury is home to the largest stone circle in Europe and is an important site for modern Pagan and New Age worship. Built around 2600 BC, the massive monument circles the town, crossing roads and farmland. The place has a strange, magical feel to it and attracts spiritual visitors and tourists alike. Unlike Stonehenge, you can actually get right up next to, and touch, the stones.

 

·         Burano, Italy instead of Venice, Italy - Part of Venetian lagoon, the island of Burano is like a miniature, colorful version of Venice and just a 40-minute water taxi ride from Venice proper. The brightly painted houses, boat-lined watery streets, and bridges are a photographer’s and artist’s dream, and, compared to Venice and the nearby island of Murano (famous for the glass), you’ll find it much less overrun with tourists. It even has its very own “leaning tower” — the bell tower of the 15th century San Martino Church.

·         Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, instead of Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia - Known to many as the home of land-speed racing, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah are a mesmerizing natural wonder (and a great place to capture a tricky profile picture). The Salt Flats are a massive 30,000-acre wide open space on the edge of Utah’s Great Salt Lake basin and are largely made up of the same salt you put on your dinner table. Though Bonneville is dwarfed by the massive Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia in size, it is equal in beauty. Plus, as an added bonus, you could always time your trip to coincide with the racing and head to the Bonneville Speedway.

 

·         Waimea Canyon, Hawaii, instead of the Grand Canyon, Arizona - Waimea Canyon is the Pacific’s very own Grand Canyon on the Hawaiian Island of Kauaʻi. At 14 miles long, one mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep, the canyon was formed by a combination of the usual erosion and the collapse of a volcano. Clouds can sometimes interrupt the view, but if you visit on a sunny day the sight is spectacular. Though smaller and younger than the Grand Canyon, it’s a lot closer to the beach!

 

·         The Golden Mile, British Columbia, Canada instead of Napa Valley, California, United States - With 25 vineyards right on their doorstep, the 4,000 people of Oliver in British Columbia, Canada should be a happy bunch. Sitting in the only desert area of Canada, 16 miles north of the U.S., Oliver is at the heart of B.C.’s South Okanagan wine region. The Golden Mile (well, more like 12 miles) is perfectly suited for producing Merlot, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Cabernet Sauvignon. Notable vineyards include Burrowing Owl Winery, Gehringer Brothers, Blasted Church and Nk’Mip Cellars — North America’s first Aboriginal-owned and -operated winery. Aside from vineyards, the region’s mild climate makes it just right for outdoor activities and growing crops of cherries, peaches, apple trees, tomatoes, pumpkins and peppers.

 

Rounding out our list of cool alternatives to popular destinations are: Korčula, Croatia, instead of Dubrovnik, Croatia; Mývatn Nature Baths, Iceland, instead of the Blue Lagoon, Iceland; Český Krumlov, Czech Republic, instead of Prague, Czech Republic; Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, instead of Istanbul, Turkey; and Bagan, Myanmar, instead of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. To read about these spots and Cheapflights.com’s complete list of Go here, not there: 10 alternative destinations, visit www.cheapflights.com/news/go-here-not-there-10-alternative-destinations.