TRAVEL BUCKET PLACES AHEAD OF THE RUSH

One of the most beautiful joys of travel is to travel back in time, to explore ancient places, heritage sites, antiquities, and old world charms. There’s a different kind of excitement to be found when traveling to places that are just emerging, or reemerging -- places that have made such beautiful progress, they deserve your early attention.

“New” destinations are for the adventurous… You perhaps?

We first catch the scent when we see new artists emerging -- new galleries, new popups. Next come the chefs, eager to strut their stuff as they interpret legacy culinary feats with a contemporary vibe. Boutique hotels, follow. And then it’s a chain reaction of gentrification, with tourists drawn like moths to flames.

We’ve got some suggestions if you are game for experiencing the beauty of progress in places like Montenegro, Faroe Islands, Azerbaijan, Serbia, and more. Curiosity piqued??? Check it out below. And get there soon, before the word spreads too far.

SENEGAL

Senegal has a beautiful coastline -- a veritable surfer’s paradise, with world-class waves. Beautiful beaches, clear turquoise waters, and lovely weather make this country a delight.

The city of Dakar, offers a wonderful fusion of French and West African cultural, making for fabulous food, music, and nightlife. Stable politics make it one of the safest places on the African continent.

SERBIA

Memories of a painful war are still fresh enough to keep Serbia off of most tourists’ prime lists, but there has been enough progress made in this country to render it newly buzz-worthy. Its key city, Belgrade, has a pulsing art, design, and nightlight scene. Party on a splavovi houseboat. Check out the new museums and galleries, many of which are housed in converted architectural treasures. And there’s enough heritage here to give it all a beautiful sense of place.

BAKU -- AZERBAIJAN

Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, sits on the edge of the Caspian Sea. The ancient walled section of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, while its contemporary glittering skyscrapers offer contrasting punctuation, letting you straddle millennia. In between, enjoy the gorgeous Beaux-Arts buildings, the ornate mosques, and the beautiful seaside boardwalks are jarring, in a good way, next to futuristic architecture.

CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS -- GEORGIA

While Georgia has been plagued by stress and conflict with Russia over the years, it is now emerging as a beautiful tourist destination. Stepantsminda, in the Caucasus Mountains, boasts thrilling hiking trails, with incredible views of dramatic landscapes that rival the Alps.

MONGOLIA

Check out Ulaanbaatar, on the steppes of Mongolia, where you can have a luxe camping experience as you explore the dramatic landscapes of the Gobi Desert and Altai Mountains. This is the least densely populated country in the world, but there’s a cool underground music beat happening featuring hip hop, indie rock, and electronic pop.

FAROE ISLANDS

The Faroe Islands have landscape drama similar to its neighbor, Iceland, with 18 volcanic isles in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, flanked by Norway on the other side, although the archipelago is part of Denmark.

Majestic waterfalls, cliffs, fjords, will take your breath away. The music scene is complete with its own orchestra and live music festivals, with a fabulous fountain of emerging musicians, including Týr (Viking Metal), and Eivør (pop).

MONTENEGRO

This little country only just gained its sovereignty a dozen years ago when it split off from Serbia. Go for the pristine beaches and pretty coastline -- they feel like a Slavic Riviera, with a smattering of charming historic villages, old walled cities, and UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Formerly a silver mining town, Kutná Hora, in the Czech Republic, is a little jewel. Check out its medieval and Gothic roots evident in its striking architecture. The Sedlec Ossuary is a chapel decorated with (real) human skeletons.

Read more about Beautiful Progress all this week on BeautifulNow.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Ewien van Bergeijk - Kwant. “Touching the sky.” Dakar, Senegal.
2. Image: by Jeff Attaway. “Horse cart.” Dakar, Senegal.
3. Image: by Semio. “Sunset.” Senegal.
4. Image: by saebaryo. “Side Entrance.” Belgrade, Serbia.
5. Image: by Sek Keung Lo Baku, Azerbaijan.
6. Image: by Stefano Bolognini. “Azerbaijan - Baku.” Baku, Azerbaijan.
7. Image: by Francisco Anzola. “Pushing a stroller.” Baku, Azerbaijan.
8. Image: by Gilad Rom. “The Gergeti Trinity Church.” Kazbegi, Georgia.
9. Image: by Allan Beaufour. “The wedding couple.”Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
10. Image: by Jean-Marie Muggianu. “Tindhólmur, soleil couchant.” Vaga, Faroe Islands.
11. Image: by Rick Schwartz. “Village of Dobrota.” Tivat, Montenegro.
12. Image: by Sander Baars. Kutna Hora Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
13. Image: by Jonathan E. Shaw. “Visit with a Mongolian shaman.” Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
14. Image: by Mireille Muggianu. “Mykines. Vágar, Føroyar.” Faroe Islands.
15. Image: by Panegyrics of Granovetter. Stepantsminda. Caucasus Mountains, Georgia.