Offbeat foreign destinations to head to in 2023
Keen to satiate your wanderlust in the New Year? YS Life lists down 10 offbeat foreign destinations to get your travel fix in 2023.
In today’s time, travel is addiction and therapy.
Millennials and Gen Z seem to have whole-heartedly committed to the work-travel-save-repeat mantra, and going places is what keeps them, well, going! However, most are now eschewing done-and-dusted destinations in favour of discovering new ones.
If you're keen to satiate your wanderlust in 2023, YS Life lists 10 offbeat destinations that you can head to for your travel fix.
York, UK
Known for its Roman, Viking, and Medieval heritage, beautiful architecture, quaint cobbled streets and the iconic York Minster, York is a huge tourist attraction. What should be on your to-do list? A visit to the York Minster (the second largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe), the Jorvik Viking Centre (an award-winning exhibition that recreates a Viking settlement), and the National Railway Museum.
Visit the Yorkshire Museum and Clifford's Tower, a stone quatrefoil keep built on top of a Norman motte which was the site of a Jewish massacre in 1190. Take a guided walk across the city and a boat trip on the River Ouse. Or stop at a bar or a heritage tavern for a drink.
Don’t miss: York Dungeon’s show that takes you to the “Burning Times” of the 16th and 17th centuries when about 200,000 people were condemned for witchcraft.
Shetland, UK
If you ever wanted to visit a land far, far away, you couldn't do better than this. Located between Norway and mainland Scotland, this archipelago is made up of around 100 different islands.
The remote islands , offer miles of beautiful coastline, fringed by towering clifftops, lovely beaches, and pristine shores. Shetland is renowned for its spectacular wildlife: seabirds, seals, otters, orcas, and the famous Shetland ponies.
The islands, as far north as St Petersburg, Russia, or Anchorage, Alaska, also offer a chance to see the Northern Lights, known locally as ‘Mirrie Dancers’, in the winter.
Don’t miss: Wandering around the small lanes of Shetland’s capital, Lerwick, made famous by Inspector Jimmy Perez in the BBC TV series.
Genoa, Italy
Navigate the narrow caruggi (a maze of alleys), stroll along the Piazza Banchi, or explore the architectural wonders. Via Garibaldi (New Streets), and the 42 striking Renaissance and Baroque palaces on the street are stunning. Stop by at Palazzo Bianco and Palazzo Rosso to look at the works of Rubens, Caravaggio, Van Dyck and Gros.
The San Lorenzo Cathedral, a Romanesque -Gothic cathedral, houses the Treasure Museum (home to the Sacro Catino, the religious object said to be the Holy Grail). Stop by Christopher Columbus' childhood home in Piazza Dante and at Palazzo Ducale. End the day by walk along the promenade to the Lanterna, a lighthouse that dates to the 16th century, and watch the sun set.
Don’t miss: Boccadasse, a colorful fishing hamlet in Genoa where many romantics exchange promises of eternal love.
Charleston, SC, US
Steeped in history and Southern hospitality, Charleston is the land of horse-drawn carriages and beautiful water-front parks. Walk along The Battery, a promenade along the shores of the Charleston peninsula, and explore the White Point Gardens.
Watch the sun set over Charleston Harbor, star gaze at the Ravenel Cooper River Bridge, and then head to one of the many Southern-style restaurants to enjoy some jazz. Take a horse-drawn carriage tour and drive along the Ashley River. Sign up for a guided walking tour in the dark through Charleston’s most haunted sites, try a wine-tasting session at Middleton Place, and visit the gorgeous Cypress Gardens.
Must-do: Learning to do the Charleston, a dance named after this harbour city in South Carolina.
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Marrakesh, Morocco
Set against the backdrop of the majestic Atlas Mountains, Marrakech, is one of Morocco’s four Imperial Cities. The cultural center of Morocco, the Red City is crowded, noisy and full of history – and known for Gnaoua trance music, the steamy hammams and multi-course feasts.
French influences persist in Marrakech - in the architecture, the boulevards, and the language.
Explore the vibrant Jemaa el Fna square, which is lined with cafés and restaurants, visit the Saadian Tombs, the Majorelle Garden and Museum of Islamic Art, El Badi Palace, and the Bahia Palace (where the Grand Vizier once lived with his four wives and 24 concubines). The soul of the city lies in the Koutoubia Mosque.
Don’t miss: A stroll in the beautiful Menara Gardens to see 30,000 olive trees set around a beautiful pool.
Victoria Falls, Zambia-Zimbabwe
The largest curtain of water in the world, the mighty Victoria Falls is often described as Mosi-oa-Tunya, the smoke that thunders. The falls – 1,708 metres wide and over a mile long - are located on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border and can be seen from either country.
The falls offer a spectacular view amid the rains – more than 500 million litres of water drops into the Zambezi River, generating spray that can be seen from 30 miles away.
The falls are part of two national parks – Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park – and are an adventure playground. Go whitewater rafting, canoeing, kayaking, bungee jumping, river boarding, abseiling, jet boating, fishing, or join an elephant back trail or a lion encounter.
Don’t miss: A river cruise (breakfast, lunch, or sunset) on the upper Zambezi.
Cologne, Germany
Located on the Rhine River, Cologne (also known as Koln) is the fourth largest city in Germany. Visit the spectacular Cathedral and the magnificent towers (the taller one goes up to 157.38 meters) that dominate Cologne’s skyline.
Explore the 12 Romanesque churches, Museum Ludwig, the Romisch-Germanisches Museum (the top draw is the old Dionysos mosaic stretching over the lower floor), and Cologne Carnival museum (depicting the history of the Carnival). Sign up for guided bus tours or a two-hour boat trip on the Rhine for a view of Cologne's Old Town.
Don’t miss: The Stollwerck chocolate factory tour, which ends at a huge chocolate fountain.
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Marseille, France
The oldest city of France has a history that goes back over 26 centuries. Standing tall over the Mediterranean, Marseille – with a 57-km coastline - is France’s chief port. Two huge forts - Fort Saint-Nicolas and Fort Saint-Jean - flank the entrance to the Old Port.
The Frioul archipelago in the Bay of Marseille comprises four islands, including If, home to Château d'If (the setting of Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo).
The city is a treasure trove of monuments and places of interest. Head for the Chateau Pastre, Eglise De La Dormition De La Mere De Dieu, Lglise De La Mission De France Saint Pie X, Eglise Des Grands Carmes and Eglise La Sainte Trinite. For water lovers, the long coastline offers fishing, football, golf, walking, climbing, sailing, sea canoeing and diving.
Don’t miss: Sampling the local cuisine – cooked with fresh produce, herbs and a variety of fish. Try the bouillabaisse (fish soup), aïoli (Provencal garlic mayonnaise), and pistou (pesto) soup.
Quebec City, Canada
This is like a little France set in North America. The Old City - declared a World Heritage Site in 1985 – is surrounded by a stone wall that once protected the city from the British Navy.
Known for its Summer Festival, Winter Carnival and the Château Frontenac, a hotel that overlooks the St Lawrence River on a cliff and was once a French Fort hotel, Quebec City has a lot to offer to the culturally inclined.
You can visit the National Assembly of Quebec, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec), and the Musée de la civilisation (Museum of Civilization). Other tourist draws are Montmorency Falls and the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré in the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré.
Don’t miss: Renting a cycle as the Québec City area offers over 400 km of bike paths and corridors.
Appenzellerland, Switzerland
This beautiful rural paradise has remained off the tourist map. The charming villages here are the best way to experience traditional music, painting, and cheese-making first hand. Keep your eyes open for the Stobede (Alpine merrymaking with Appenzell string music, yodelling and dancing), Alpaufzug/Alpabzug (the trek of the cows to Alpine pastures in May/June and down to the valley in August/ September) and the Silvesterklausen (men dressed in traditional costumes).
The Alpstein massif (situated in the eastern region of Appenzellerland) is one of the most picturesque mountain ranges in Switzerland. The region is an adventure playground - go biking, hiking, snow-shoe walking, skiing, kite sailing, paragliding, tobogganing, or play a round of golf.
Don’t miss: Visiting Maienfeld, the setting for Johanna Spry’s Heidi.
Edited by Megha Reddy