12 Personal Travel Recommendations for 2023

Every year when I post my “Places to Go” List from the Travel Powers that Be, I make sure to add that those are not my personal recommendations, but an aggregate of where travel journalism is. But travel and travel choices are driven by the individual and personality as well, as well they should be.

So here are my personal recommendations for travel in 2023. (You can check out previous years’ recommendations here). I have not actually been to all of the places I’m recommending here. Some I’ve been to, some I’m planning on going this year, and many just seem really cool to check out based on all I’ve read. Finally, I try to consciously make sure my recommendations are spread across the globe. There are more places in Asia and Europe than other regions of the world, but I do make a conscientious effort to give a wide variety of locations.

Enjoy and happy and safe travels for 2023!

Japan
Finally. After nearly three years of being closed off to the rest of the world and one of the last countries to reopen, Japan is taking tourists again. Japan is always a top destination for tourists, but this year it is especially so, with all the pent-up demand plus a surprisingly weak Yen. The country has everything from metropolises like Tokyo, to the natural beauty of Hokkaido and the Japanese Alps. And of course, Japan is one of the top food destinations in the world. But if you want to go, you will not be alone. Anecdotally, I know of two people who just went in December and two other people (including myself!) going this spring. So, whether it’s for the food or the foliage, from my perspective, the top place to go this year is Japan.  

The Azores
The Azores are one of those places that when I tell people I want to visit I usually get a “huh, where is that exactly?” The nine islands are located smack in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and are a part of Portugal. Each island has its own characteristics, of course, but they are mostly know for their natural beauty, be volcanoes, waterfalls, and of course, the ocean and all that brings and their climate is subtropical. And delightfully, at least for people on the East Coast, you can get a non-stop flight to Ponta Delgada from Boston or New York, which takes barely five hours. The only downside I’ve found is that you’ll likely need to rent a car to get around. So if you’re on the East Coast and dreaming of Hawaii, I’d suggest looking to the Atlantic, and checking out the Azores. 

Uruguay
Uruguay is home to two things that I am deeply fond of: history and wine. On the history front, the heavy hitter is Colonia del Sacramento, which was founded as a colony in 1680 and is only a ferry ride away from Buenos Aires. The city’s historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, particularly for its blend of Spanish and Portuguese influences. And Uruguayan wine, while difficult to find in the United States, is slowly showing up as an emerging wine market to watch, and it particularly known for Tannat, a red grape that can also be made into a lovely rose. A final great reason to visit? Uruguay is one of the greenest countries on the planet, with 98% of its energy produced from renewable sources. 

Charleston, South Carolina
The Travel Powers the Be convinced me that its worth going to Charleston, and that 2023 is the year to do it. I’ve always been wary of visiting Charleston, despite hearing good things from many, many people, because of the whitewashing of its centuries of brutal racial history. But the establishment of the International African American Museum, which is set to open this year, has helped change my mind. The museum, including its Center for Family History, which has a focus on researching African-American genealogy, sounds just amazing and I honestly can’t wait to visit. The city itself is also beautiful, and on the coast, which is always a plus. And it’s considered one of the best food cities in the American South. So if you haven’t been, this is a good year to check out Charleston. 

Namibia
If you’re thinking of taking a trip to Southern Africa in 2023, my personal top suggestion is Namibia, Right above South Africa and just west of Botswana, the country generally best for its deserts. The county is named for the Namib Desert, which sprawls along the coast and at 80 million years is possibly the oldest desert in the world. It’s also where you can find the Skeleton Coast, home to plenty of animals including seals and hyenas, 300 ft sand dunes, and the skeletons of roughly 500 shipwrecked ships. But its not all empty desert – Etosha National Park is home to the lions, rhinos, elephants who gather at the waterholes – and there are the cities of Windhoek and Swakopmund. Finally, Namibia is an incredibly safe country, including for solo female travelers. 

France
What year isn’t a good year to go to France? The food, the history, nature, the ocean, the wine. However, this year France has something extra that makes me recommend it for 2023. It is hosting the Rugby World Cup in the fall. Rugby is one of my two favorite sports, and it is just a lot of fun to watch. Games will be happening in stadiums scattered across the country. This means that you can travel to Nice or Burgundy, or Paris while the World Cup is going on and enjoy the city of choice and a game. And if you can’t get tickets, you can enjoy the vibes of a major international sporting even going on.

Merida, Mexico
If you’re considering going to Mexico in 2023, I suggest going to Merida, the capital of the Yucatan state in Mexico. Far enough away from the crowds of Cancun, but still accessible to get to Merida is a great place on its own and as a base for the region. Merida was founded by conquistadors in 1542 over the remains of an ancient Mayan city and that mix is what the city and region are about. The city has some beautiful, and colorful colonial architecture while also home to the Gran Museo del Mundo Maya which is focused on Mayan art and artifacts. Merida is also known for its art scene and art galleries. Merida also works as a solid home base for visiting Mayan ruins, including Chichen Itza and Uxmal. 

Georgia (the Country)
While most people think of the state when they have Georgia on their mind, in 2023 I recommend heading out to the Caucuses and visiting the country of Georgia. If you like history, you’ll love this country. Tbilisi has been the capital of the country, in its various iterations, since the 5th century, making it roughly 1600 years old. Outside of Tbilisi, check out Vardiza Cave Monastery and Fortress, a huge fortress/complex carved into the side of a mountain in 1185 as a defense against the Mongolian Army. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t add that Georgia is the oldest winemaking region in the world. Most Georgian wines are made with local varietals and some wineries use traditional winemaking methods that are thousands of years old. And if you’re going to enjoy wine, you’ll definitely have to enjoy khachapuri, the delicious Georgian cheese bread. 

Melbourne, Australia
Australia is another country that reopened to tourism in 2022 after long strict border controls, making 2023 a great time to go. With such a big country to narrow down locations for, my recommendation is Melbourne. Melbourne is known for being a chill, laid-back city. Stroll through some of the city’s gardens, such as the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Fitzroy Gardens before heading to one of the city’s cafes for tea or coffee, checking out the street art along the way. Melbourne is on the coast so you can of course enjoy Australia’s beaches. Including going to St. Kilda’s pier and seeing the little penguins march across the beach to roost. Finally, Melbourne is near the Mornington Peninsula, which is known for its wineries, which often specialize in Pinot Noir.

Atlas Mountains, Morocco
While the famous cities – Marrakesh, Fez, Essaouira, etc. – get most of the focus for Morocco, for 2023 check out the Atlas Mountains. The Atlas Mountains, named for the mythological Titan who held up the world, are broken up into different sub-ranges, the most famous of which are the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The region is beautiful and known for hiking, including if you want to hike up the highest peak in North Africa. But its not just gorgeous nature and hiking (although that is definitely enough). Berbers have settled in this region for the last 4,000 years, making it an excellent place to visit Berber villages, get to know people, and learn about their culture (as always be respectful when engaging in “ethnotourism” – it’s about connection and learning not gawking). There are also historic fortified villages, such as the Kasr of Ait Ben Haddou, which dates back to the 11th century and is a UNESCO site.

Laos
Laos is one of the countries that several of the major travel publications recommend for 2023 and I wholeheartedly agree. The country is reopened to tourists, and while it is one the radar for many people backpacking or travelling through Southeast Asia, it’s not nearly as well known as neighboring Thailand, or even Vietnam and Cambodia. The most famous place, Luang Prabang, is the old imperial city, and is best known for all of its temples, as well as the natural beauty. But with the new Boten-Vientiane Railway, it’ll be much easier and faster to check out the country’s capital as well, which is known for its blend of French colonial and Laotian architecture, as well as some of the country’s most famous temples.

Vilnius, Lithuania
The Lithuanian capital snuck up on me when I read about it for the Powers that Be list, but honestly yeah, 2023 is the year to go to Vilnius. First of all, a 700-year birthday is pretty awesome for a city, especially since there is a whole year-long series of event to celebrate the occasion. The city has beautiful architecture, largely Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque but there are many other styles. Its medieval city center is a UNESCO heritage site. It’s also home to a self-declared republic Uzupis, a neighborhood with currency, a constitution and is less than a square mile. It’s also such a random choice, and an unknown city (there is a reason the official city travel website says “Amazing wherever you think it is”) that when you go, it’s not going to be overrun with other tourists. So yeah, go check out Vilnius in 2023.