Best Value Destinations For 2014: Bulgaria
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: It's still
unbelievably underrated. Head to the capital, Sofia, for reasonably
priced hotels, transport and sites. Check out Plovdiv and Varna (though
don't head here in summer, it's part of the Black Sea Riviera).
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Ethiopia
Lonely Planet
Why It's A Value: Travel the
country's Historic Route--which includes the monasteries of Lake Tana
and the Blue Nile Falls--via plane to save time and money.
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Portugal
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Head in
summer to the Algarve for a cheap family holiday; Lisbon has great food
and cheap transport; European surfers love it due to its proximity.
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Nicaragua
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: It's still
possible to travel on $20 a day (just don't try to get to the Corn
Islands since it's a costly trip from the mainland).
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Greek Islands
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Greece has
had a hard few years. Tourism is down, which means that prices have come
down, too, to try to win them back. Ancient sites + fewer tourists = a
total win all around.
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Italy's Heel
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Sure, you can
go to Venice and the Amalfi Coast and spend a ton of money; or you can
head to Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria for more budget-friendly
options, equally delicious eats and a relaxed pace.
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Best Value Destinations For 2014: Palawan, The Philippines
Lonely Planet
Why It's A Value: The
combination of great beaches and stunning natural sites like the Bacuit
Archipelago make it a great pick for those new to the region and old
hands.
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Best Cities For 2014: Cape Town, South Africa
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: The long-time tourist draw takes on the the title of World Design Capital in 2014.
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Best Cities For 2014: Auckland, New Zealand
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: New Zealand's biggest city has a rich (and growing) culinary and cultural scene, not to mention insane coastal views.
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Best Cities For 2014: Zurich, Switzerland
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: 1) The European Athletics Championships in August; 2) a renewed nightlife; 3) hipsters!
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Best Cities For 2014: Vancouver, Canada
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Get outdoors
and enjoy all the surrounding nature has to offer, from nearby skiing,
hiking and biking; or head to the many shops and restaurants sprinkled
around town.
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Best Cities For 2014: Shanghai
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Shanghai's
running on turbopower. The metro system will open a high-speed line in
2014 (making it the third longest network in the world), the Shanghai
Tower will be the tallest building in China (the second tallest in the
world) with the world's highest hotel.
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Best Cities For 2014: Adelaide, Australia
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: The
often-overlooked Adelaide should have a big 2014. The city has just
completed a multimillion dollar refurbishment of the "Oval", which links
the center of the city with the more historic parts farther north. Add
new boutiques and eateries and Adelaide is ready to take front and
center in Australia.
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Best Cities For 2014: Riga, Latvia
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Now a
European Capital of Culture, the Baltic city will play host to cultural
celebrations all year long. A perfect excuse for those who want to try
out the city's burgeoning culinary scene.
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Best Cities For 2014: Chicago
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Wrigley Field turns 100 years old in 2014. Otherwise, head here because it's awesome.
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Best Cities For 2014: Trinidad, Cuba
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: 2014 marks
500 years since this tiny town stuck in the foothills of the Escambray
Mountains and the Caribbean Sea was founded. Think 19th century sugar
boom architecture and rich history.
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Best Cities For 2014: Paris, France
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Ok it's
Paris, so you'll always want to go. But now you have even more reason:
the city is getting de-clogged thanks to a change in traffic patterns,
specifically along the city's storied riverbanks.
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Best Countries For 2014: Malaysia
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: The
government has big plans for the country in 2014, with the construction
of Southeast Asia's largest bird park, a Legoland and a Hello Kitty
Land, plus a slew of hotels will open next year.
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Best Countries For 2014: Belgium
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: 2014 marks
the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I and Belgium is
hosting a four-year-long festival of remembrance. For non-history buffs,
the towns of Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent might be old, but the food and
drink is surprisingly new.
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Best Countries For 2014: Brazil
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: It's amazing
what the pressure of hosting two major world events (the FIFA World Cup
in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016) will do to a country. Rio is
cracking down on crime and the entire country is improving
infrastructure. Of course, the many beaches and mountains are quite the
draw, too.
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Best Countries For 2014: Macedonia
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go:
Revitalization is the name of the game across the country, as the
capital, Skopje, has just completed a massive urban renewal project and
the country's other hotspots, like Berovo, are angling to become spa
capitals in their own right.
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Best Countries For 2014: Scotland
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Glasgow's
hosting the XX Commonwealth Games this summer; as such, the city has
gotten a facelift. Plus, 2014 is the "year of the homecoming," which
urges the Scottish diaspora to come back to the mother land by
celebrating its culture and history. Edinburgh (seen here) will also
host an
International Festival next summer.
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Best Countries For 2014: Seychelles
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Long known as
a spot for more well-off travelers, now more economical options are
popping up, thanks to more airline competition and budget-friendly
hotels. Believe the hype: the Seychelles' 115 islands are awesome.
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Best Countries For 2014: Sweden
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Sweden is no
longer ABBA and Ikea. Stockholm now has 8 Michelin-starred restaurants
and northern Sweden's largest city, Umea, is the European Capital of
Culture for the year.
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Best Countries For 2014: Mexico
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Mexico has
rebounded big time in the past few years and between the plethora of
hotels, beaches, and cultural sites there are a myriad of reasons to
visit our neighbor to the south.
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Best Countries For 2014: Malawi
Lonely Planet
Why You Should Go: Once
under-the-radar, the draw of safaris, beaches and mountain hikes is
grabbing the spotlight away from the usual haunts of Kenya, Tanzania and
Zambia.
