5 places to go in 2022

Each year, we look at the destinations that are trending with our clients and put together our list of the places that we think will be rising to the top of everyone’s “need to go there” list. We’re not the only ones who do this, of course. Pretty much every travel magazine and newspaper travel section has their list, but most of those lists have, historically, included way too many destinations than any one traveler could expect to knock off in a calendar year.

So, our list is much more reasonable. Five destinations, which, if you’re making up for lost time, you could reasonably expect to visit each of them in 2022. Only five. So, let’s take a look!

Mexico

In the past twelve months, we’ve sent more of our clients to Mexico than any other destination, and with good reason. It’s been remarkably easy to travel to Mexico during the pandemic! Flights from the US depart regularly. Mexico is remarkably affordable. And with warm weather, it’s easy to spend time outdoors and have a very safe vacation. With so many all-inclusive resorts in Los Cabos, Riviera Nayarit and the Riviera Maya, there really is something for everyone — whether you’re looking for a fun family getaway, a big party, or a romantic beach vacation.

But if you think that your options to Mexico are limited to all-inclusive resorts, think again. During the past year, we’ve arranged for our clients to celebrate their milestone birthdays with friends in a fabulous beachfront villa. We’ve planned wellness trips in luxury resorts with private plunge pools in each casita. And we’ve planned the ultimate foodie honeymoon in Mexico City. So, you’ve got some great options for a safe, authentic, culturally immersive trip in Mexico, and we’d love to talk to you about that!

The Galápagos

When so many of us had our wings clipped in 2020 and 2021 (figuratively, of course), it’s no wonder that people want to go bigger and better in 2022. Of the bucket list destinations that we hear our clients talking about consistently, one comes up more often than any other — The Galápagos Islands. If you’re no longer willing to postpone the trip of a lifetime, now is the time to book that small ship sustainable eco vacation. And the Galápagos has been open to travelers through the pandemic!

It just so happens that Huckleberry Travel will be chartering a brand new catamaran for a small-group departure to the Galápagos Islands this May. And we still have a few spots available, if you want to travel safely with a fun group. You can even add on a trip to Machu Picchu. Our pricing for these trips (because we locked in the rates quite some time ago), are lower than you’ll find anywhere else for a comparable trip. So whaddaya say? Want to check this one off of your list?

South Africa

Some of you might be scratching your heads about this one — are they really suggesting that we visit South Africa — the birthplace of the Omicron Variant? Actually, we are. Since South African scientists were the first to learn of this variant, they’ve been ahead of the curve, and reports are that Omicron has pretty much run its course as we’re publishing this — with much less community spread and an effective response from public health officials in that country.

And, with so many of our clients looking for a vacation where social distancing is possible, we think South Africa is a no-brainer. You can spend a few days on safari in a private game reserve outside of Kruger National Park, explore the gorgeous vistas of the Panorama Route, dine on the waterfront in Cape Town or along the Garden Route, visit wineries and ostrich farms, and much, much more. Africa is such a vast continent, and there’s no better introduction ot the magnificence of all Africa has to offer than starting with a trip to South Africa.

Vienna

No doubt about it — Austria is having a moment right now. We were in Vienna in the fall, and it was our first trip to Europe in nearly two years. If you’d told us in the fall of 2019 that we’d be away from Europe for that long, we’d have told you you were nuts, but that’s the pandemic for ya. Since then, we’ve gotten lots of inquiries about Austria — from city getaways for multi-generational family groups, to requests for Danube river cruises.

Speaking of river cruises, we’re planning on a spectacular Danube Christmas Market River Cruise in 2022, and we’d love it if you’d join us. There’s still space available, and we’re planning a private pre-trip extension to Prague — which is arguably the most beautiful city in Europe. (Sorry, Paris). But while Vienna might not be the most obvious choice for a European getaway, we think its star is on the rise, so this might be a great time to plan that trip to the imperial city of Austria, with amazing history, food and culture.

The Maldives

The Maldives were one of the earliest destinations to open to US Travelers, and we’re finding that those travelers who want to go bigger and better for remote luxury resort vacations are focusing intently on this archipelago. It’s not a short hop, skip and jump, though, so you might want to build in an extension to one of the shimmering cities in the Arabian Gulf States — Dubai or Abu Dhabi in the UAE, or Doha, Qatar. After all, you’ll probably be connecting in one of those cities!

The Waldorf-Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is just one of the hotels in our Virtuoso “Best of the Best” Hotel Program.

Each resort occupies its own island in the archipelago, which is why you’ll find some of the most exceptional over-water bungalows in The Maldives. When we attended Virtuoso Travel Week last year, we met with representatives from some of the “Best of the Best” properties in the Maldives, so, we’re definitely armed with the connections to make sure that your next visit is everything you’d want out of a bucket-list trip like this.

Ready to plan your next adventure — these might be our five destinations to watch right now, but the world is opening up, and as it does, we’d love to send you on your next trip-of-a-lifetime!