Five 'Bucket List' Destinations You Should Know More About

Whether it is the notion that Brits only drink tea or that all Argentineans dance tango, cultural stereotypes can overshadow a country’s true nuances.

For a more authentic take on the world, we turned to question-and-answer site Quora.com to ask locals: “What do you think every foreigner should know about your country?”Whether to correct assumptions or share a bit of homeland pride, more than 600 users chimed in on behalf of their countries.

While it was hard to narrow the responses down, we wanted to highlight some of the residents who vouched for countries that might not be on traveller’s bucket lists – but, according to the people that live there, should be.

ZambiaThough his family comes from India, Praneet Vizzapu was born and lived most of his life in Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa. First, he wanted people to know the Zambia is safe (“no, you won’t get hacked to death walking on the road”) but above all, he encouraged visitors to get to know the country’s spectacular sites.

He shared an image of the native Termitomyces titanicusmushroom, believed to be the largest edible mushroom in the world. The fungus can reach almost a metre in diameter, and grows wild at the start of Zambia’s rainy season, which lasts from December to March. Foragers can trek the Mutinondo Wilderness, in the northern part of the country, for a chance to find the fungi.

The native Termitomyces titanicus mushroom can reach almost a metre in diameter. (Herman du Plessis/Getty)

While Zambia might be most famous for its Victoria Falls – "also known as Mosi-O-tunya, which translates to ‘Smoke that Thunders’” – Vizzapu suggested travellers expand their horizons to the northeast. “South Luangwa National Park is one of Africa’s best destinations,” he said. “The concentration of wildlife that lives around the Luangwa River is one of the highest in Africa.”

• Related slideshow: Life in Zambia’s lush Luangwa Valley

An elephant crosses Zambia's Luangwa River. (Thomas Retterath/Getty)

MongoliaAmgalan Ganbat was quick to squash the stereotypes that come with Mongolia’s long history as a warrior nation founded by Genghis Khan. “We are not violent warriors anymore, like those guys who made the Chinese build the Great Wall,” he said. “Actually, Mongolians can be one of the most friendly and peaceful people.” 

Even still, Ganbat said visitors can catch a glimpse of the country’s ancient bow and arrow practices at Naadam, the country’s largest festival. Held annually in the capital city Ulaanbaatar in July, the festival showcases horse racing, archery and wresting.

• Related slideshow: Mongolia’s manly games

Traditional attire and a contortionist help celebrate Naadam. (Bruno Morandi/Getty)

The population remains connected to its traditional roots, with 10 to 15% of residents maintaining a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Even so, locals do not sacrifice modern conveniences. “Mongolians hate to be disconnected from the world,” Ganbat said. “For this reason, the internet connection speed is one of the fastest [in the world]” and those that live in the countryside still have cell phones, satellite TV and even solar panels.

GuyanaDhanishry Narine reminded readers that her country was in South America, not in Africa as many think, perhaps due in part to Guyana's yellow, red, green and black flag, or its name’s similarity to Africa’s Guinea Bissau.

• Related article: Guyana’s path to paradise

Located in the northern part of the continent, Guyana is “more culturally Caribbean than South American”, having been colonized by several nations, including England, France, Spain and the Netherlands. “We’re working on feeling more South American," Narine said. “By having roads that connect to Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil, this will change our culture again.”

The Guyanese cuisine reflects its history of so many ethnic groups. “[We have] Indian roti and curries, African meterngie (a soup with ground provisions and dumplings), European bread pudding and cheese rolls, and Chinese lowmein and chowmein,” Narine said.

A woman dries out arapaima, a South American tropical freshwater fish, in Rupununi, Guyana. (Danita Delimont/Getty)

Lucky for visitors, the Guyanese are also a food-sharing people. “If you’re ever over at one of our houses, we’ll probably have to fight the urge to feed you, and to insist that you take leftovers for your family as well.”

KazakhstanThanks to the Sasha Baron Cohen film Borat, Kazakhstan residents felt like they needed to change a few of the misperceptions the film created.

“Kazakhstan actually exists and was not made up by Borat, and it is huge,” said Berik Dossayev. As proof, Dossayev shared photos of his modern city Almaty (the country’s largest city and bidder for the 2022 Olympics), fields of poppies, and rolling meadows and lakes with towering mountains in the distance.

• Related video: Kazakhstan’s 21st-century capital

Independence Day in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Christopher Herwig/LPI/Getty)

BurmaThis southeastern Asian country, also known as Myanmar, has seen its fair share of turmoil and government corruption, said Quora user Ei Wai. “The current government has improved, but they still can’t overcome many problems from the past,” she said.

Still, Wai said she is hopeful that leaders like Daw Aung Sann Suu Kyi, a parliament politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner, can change the current situation. She also hopes the country’s history does not deter people from enjoying the hospitable culture and stunning historical sites. 

• Related slideshow: Burma’s river of spirits

“Every part of our country has beautiful places,” she said. “I hope you will enjoy your holiday there.”

Her must-see list included Bagan, “an ancient and historic city”; the Shwedagon Pagoda, “famous for the over 40 tons of gold that people donated to the pagoda”; and Kyaik Htee Yo Pagada (or Golden Rock), a rock that “seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill”.

A Buddhist monk walks around Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda. (Marjorie Lang/Getty)

• By Lindsey Galloway, www.bbc.com

Conde Nast Traveler's Top 15 Places to Go in 2015

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena, a perfectly preserved 17th-century port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, has had a rough ride over the centuries. From pirates to prostitutes (aren't they synonymous?) the city has weathered its fair share of drama—thanks to everything from Gabriel García Márquez's remarkable novels of "magical realism" to the less-than-palatable shenanigans of U.S. Secret Service agents in 2012. Tips: Don't take a carriage ride through town, and avoid very late night stumbles through San Diego and Centro. Do, however, explore the up-and-coming Getsemaní neighborhood for its raucous Wednesday-night parties and interesting graffiti art. The chic Viceroy hotel group may deliver a new bolt-hole soon in a converted convent.—David Jefferys




Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

New direct flights into Liberia, in Guanacaste (like JetBlue’s route from Boston), slash the drive time to this resort town, which has attracted the likes of Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady. In Playa Hermosa, Koji’s serves the best sushi and Japanese food in Costa Rica at wooden tables under strings of fairy lights. The ginger pork and super-fresh sushi rolls are a light alterna- tive to plantains and gallo pinto in the heat(506-2640- 0815; entrées from $20).—Alice Newell-Hanson*

Photo courtesy JTB Photos/Getty Images

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The furnaces are long gone, but this city’s on fire. Pittsburgh reinvigorates my love of art every time I visit. The Carnegie Museum of Art, The Warhol, Mattress Factory, and Wood Street Galleries have been on a curatorial tear in recent years. The restaurant scene is also alight, led by Cure and Bar Marco, but hit the old school Primanti Brothers for the best sandwich of your life.—Brent Burket

Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City has had a hard time divesting itself of a reputation for being crime-ridden, traffic congested, and highly polluted. And though traffic and air quality are ongoing problems, this sprawling metropolis of over 20 million inhabitants has successfully transformed itself into a vibrant and relatively safe place to visit with a great restaurant scene, world-class museums, and a sophistication befitting its position as one of the world's top cities. —Stephen Orr

Rwanda

I'm very interested in going to Rwanda. The horrific inter-tribal genocide of the 1990s is a thing of the past but still remains the event most identified with this country in the mind of Americans. Instead, it should be more known for its beautiful high-altitude forests, its lakes, and Kigali, its capital city. Paul Kagame, Rwanda's highly effective if controversially autocratic president, is credited with putting the country's economy on the rise. And most of all, I want to see the mountain gorillas in their home in the Virunga Mountains.—SO

Myanmar

Myanmar is like Southeast Asia's last frontier, where almost everything still feels undiscovered and off the beaten path after decades of military rule. But go now—luxury hotels are springing up in Yangon (the capital), and it probably won't be long before tourist hordes descend on temple-studded Bagan, making it feel (unfortunately) like another Angkor Wat in terms of the insane crowds. —John Wogan

Nassau, The Bahamas

The islands’ busiest airport, Lynden Pindling International, in Nassau, completed a $410 million expansion last year, and the 988-acre Baha Mar resort opens on Nassau’s Cable Beach in 2015, just in time for spring break. Of the four hotels within the complex, we’re most excited about the Rosewood(1 Baha Mar Blvd.; 242-677- 9750; bahamar.com; doubles from $800). Play croquet on is U.S.– regulation lawns, then head to the hotel’s Riva Bar for a Dark ’n’ Stormy made with Bahamian rum. —ANH

Photo courtesy Fallbrook/Getty Images

Belgrade, Serbia

The former capital of Yugoslavia has a tough reputation that belies a vibrant culture that seems both ancient and modern. Visit the Palace of Serbia and the Hotel Jugoslavija (pristine examples of mid-century modernism), check out the Nikola Tesla Museum, walk the old-town neighborhood of Skadarlija, or explore St. Sava—the world’s largest Orthodox church. The nightlife scene is also one of Europe’s most underrated. —Calder Quinn

Helsinki

Helsinki always gets outshined by Scandinavian siblings Stockholm and Copenhagen, but the Finnish capital is an underrated (and more reasonably priced) joy. From the gorgeous Helsinki Cathedral (pictured) to the Rock Church and the Seurasaari Open-Air Museum, there's no shortage of striking design. Start the day with Karelian rye pastries stuffed with hearty rice pudding and end it with long drink, a gin-and-grapefruit-soda cocktail invented specifically for the 1952 Summer Olympics and so beloved by locals that it stayed well past its temporary run.—Lilit Marcus

Berlin

The Berlin Wall came down 25 years ago, but you can still see hints of the former East and West cities as you walk through the German capital. There are tasteful, well-thought-out museums about the Stasi, the Holocaust, and the city itself, but there's also plenty of light amid the darkness. By day, have coffee and cake in a cool, design-focused coffee shop like Westberlin; by night, check out a band or DJ set at iconic live music venue Lido and dance til the wee hours atBerghain, which is so cutting-edge that there are no phones allowed.—LM

Cape Town

Industry insiders are abuzz about this vibrant South African city, where striking mountainous scenery, gorgeous beaches, and the chance to get up close to amazing marine and wildlife now competes for travelers’ attention with an elevated shopping, dining, and nightlife scene. The V&A Waterfront is a must for exploring and taking a boat ride to visit Robben Island’s rich history; adventurers shouldn’t miss taking a cable car ride up the spectacular Table Mountain or driving a rented sidecar—our favorite way to view Cape Town.

Houston

Don't get us wrong: Traveler enjoys a long weekend in Austin as much as the next guy. But if Austin is the hipster-cool college party of Texas, Houston is the adult dinner party where we prefer to be wined and dined. Is Houston the new "it" city?, we asked in September—it seems that way, with plenty of hip places to eat, stay, and play in the bustling Texas city. —Katherine Shilcutt

Cuba

Under Obama, traveling to Cuba legally from the U.S. has gotten much easier—whether on a group tour or a"people-to-people" trip. Beyond the embargo, the art scene in Cuba thrives—it's full of exciting and experimental work, and much of it is largely affordable. You can even bring artwork back with you to the States without much hassle. —Liz Dosta

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Thirteen years and six films later, Peter Jackson’s re-imagining of Tolkien’s tomes is complete. (We think.) As the stand-in for Middle-earth, New Zealand may never be the same again—but now that filming is over, the hobbit-seeking hordes might go elsewhere. Now’s the time to plan a trip to Milford Sound in the South Island, where you can hike the Routeburn or see locations that appeared in the Lord of the Rings films. (Milford Sound, for example, stood in for Fangorn Forest.) —Laura Dannen Redman

Guangzhou, China

China Southern Airlines has launched direct flights between JFK and the trading port of Guangzhou—a blessing for business travelers. Plus, Guangzhou’s arts scene is growing almost as quickly as its economy. Check out the Rem Koolhaas–designed Times Museum, then fill up on dim sum in the buzzy Taojin Lu neighborhood. —Alice Newell-Hanson

Photo courtesy Luxizeng/Getty Images

A New Generation Of Luxury River Cruises In Asia

Much of southern Asia covers largely tranquil, jungle-clad regions brimming with ruined temples, exotic wildlife, peaceful village communities and winding waterways that have served traders and fishermen for centuries. Despite tourism being firmly established, large parts remain hidden and sheltered; and the life-giving waterways invariably provide the most enjoyable – and sometimes the only – route into untrodden areas.

With authenticity now being as high, if not higher, on the agenda of luxury travellers as fine dining and first-class facilities, demand for off the beaten track experiences – that elusive sense that one has seen or done something few others have – is at a premium; and this has given rise to a new trend for river cruises on some of Asia’s most atmospheric waterways. Journeys along the Irrawaddy, Mekong, Red and Brahmaputra Rivers respectively provide the opportunity to revel in both the buzz of uncharted waters and the slower pace that river cruising necessarily involves; while being indulged with attention, excellent cuisine and superior comfort along the way.

Chindwin River, Myanmar – RV Kalay Pandaw
Launched September 2014

Though infrastructure has improved a great deal since Myanmar ‘opened up’, there are still vast swathes of the country that remain difficult to reach. The RV Kalay Pandaw is a charming colonial-style river cruiser with just five cabins – ideal for taking you to the heart of the peaceful Chin State. Travelling between Mandalay and Yangon, the voyage takes in traditional villages, pagodas, teak monasteries, forests and crumbling colonial towns; as well as providing the opportunity to visit Mawlaik – where colonial employees of the Bombay Myanmar Trading Corporation would convalesce after months extracting teak from the forests – and Sittahaung, the starting point for a troubled trek over the mountains to India for the British personnel fleeing the conflict with the Japanese in 1942.

Tonle Sap River, Cambodia – Aqua Mekong
Launched October 2014

The Tonle Sap is the lifeblood of Cambodia; without it, the magnificent Kingdom of Angkor would never have existed. Beginning in southern Vietnam, Aqua Expeditions’ five to seven day journeys are a wonderful way to cross the border into Cambodia and take in the leafy capital Phnom Penh and the sights of Angkor, with the chance to paddle through floating markets, visit silver and copper workshops, climb mountains, and explore forests bursting with birds and tropical flora. The Aqua Mekong has 20 suites split over two decks – some with daybeds from which to admire the view – as well as a river-view gym, plunge pool, spa rooms and cabanas on deck.

Brahmaputra River, India – MV Mahabaahu
Launching March 2015

Of all of India’s national parks, Kaziranga is probably the most difficult to reach – which of course makes it particularly magical; and the wonderful wildlife of Kaziranga, which includes tigers and rhinoceroses, is just one of the reasons to explore India’s little-visited Assam region. As you sail the great Brahmaputra, there’s the chance to spot eagles, kingfishers, dolphins, otters and buffalo along the riverbank, exploring by boat, jeep and elephant back. Cultural encounters include meeting the Mishing people who inhabit the world’s largest river island, as well as visiting the famous Assam tea plantations and exploring the satras (cultural centres) unique to the region.  MV Mahabaahu is a 46-berth vessel with a pool and an especially luxurious ‘spa’ deck with Jacuzzi, sauna and treatment room.

Halong Bay and Red River, Vietnam – MV Angkor Pandaw
Launching June 2015

Vietnam is a country of two halves, with both buzzing modern cities and wilderness. Pandaw’s northern Vietnamese  expedition begins by sailing around the instantly recognisable karst landscape of Halong Bay, before making its way north through emerald green rice paddies and rolling mountains to Mai Chau in the far north-west. Along the route, you can try your hand at traditional Vietnamese folk painting, hike along the riverbank into beautiful mountains, or visit villages of traditional stilt houses. The RV Angkor Pandaw has 16 spacious cabins, each finished in teak and brass, and the delicious cuisine comes courtesy of a local master chef.

Mekong River, Laos – RV Laos Pandaw
Launching November 2015

One of Pandaw’s smallest vessels, the RV Laos Pandaw has just 10 staterooms, meaning an intimate and extremely peaceful atmosphere. An 11 day voyage starting in the capital, the journey through Laos ticks off the charming UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang before winding its way into the stunning, rural north of the country, where you can head off into the jungle to meet small Khmu and Hmong communities and explore forgotten temples and trading towns. Eventually, the boat will arrive in Chiang Kong, the jumping off point for the mesmerizing and infamous Golden Triangle, where Laos meets its neighbors, Myanmar and Thailand.

The most difficult task seems to be choosing a country – but that’s all set to change: Pandaw plans to introduce a new voyage sailing the entire length of the Mekong, from China through four countries to Cambodia, making it possible to experience the nuances between various countries from the comfort of one vessel, without the need for endless flights or unpacking and repacking bags.

Contributed by Melissa Matthews, Director of Operations at Red Savannah. www.aluxurytravelblog.com

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