Here are a few of the best travel ideas for 2025. How about embarking on a captivating journey through Cameroon, Trinidad & Tobago, or Laos. In Cameroon, you can celebrate its 65th independence anniversary while exploring pristine beaches, diverse wildlife, fascinating architecture, and vibrant dance culture. Or maybe Trinidad & Tobago? It offers a fusion of global flavors, the spectacular Carnival, stunning nature, delectable cuisine, and rich heritage. And then there are Laos' hidden treasures, cultural wonders, and ancient temples. Which will catch your attention?
Trinidad & Tobago, Caribbean
This twin-island Caribbean nation's food scene is a panoply of flavors with African, East Asian, French, Spanish, English, Dutch, Chinese and Indigenous influences. Trinidad and Tobago's headliner, though, is Carnival. This months-long extravaganza, which features steelpan competitions, stick-fighting battles and calypso showdowns, culminates in vibrant costume parades that take place on March 3 and 4, 2025.
Highlights
- Go birding, hiking, and turtle-watching at the Hadco Experiences Asa Wright Nature Centre.
- Enjoy Tobago’s water sports and popular food spots at Pigeon Point Beach. Try the delectable curried crab and dumpling at nearby Miss Trim’s.
- Check out the sacred Hindu pantheon, Temple in the Sea, a colorful, octagonal-shaped structure that sits on a causeway in the Gulf of Paria.
Laos, Asia
Take a ride on Laos newly-launched, high-speed international rail connecting its sedate mountainous plains with China’s bustling southwestern Yunnan Province. Travelers now have an affordable, efficient and sustainable way to traverse the region's best, yet relatively unseen, cultural and natural wonders and ancient cities. This is a quieter side of Asia less visited by foreign tourists.
Highlights
- Pick your favorite adrenaline-fueled adventure amongst the picturesque rivers and mountains of Vang Vieng where biking, ziplining, tubing, rock climbing and trekking await.
- Visit Vientiane’s Pha That Luang temple and Patuxai, a recreation of France’s Arc de Triomphe.
- Disembark at Luang Prabang for day trips to Kuang Si Waterfall and the Old Quarter, and to join a sunrise alms-giving ceremony.
Cameroon, Africa
Cameroon celebrates the 65th anniversary of its independence in 2025 bringing overdue, well-deserved attention to the African nation’s extraordinary offerings. Pristine, unspoiled beaches of Kribi are more Castaway than Cancún, while cities Douala and Yaoundé pulse with an eclectic soundtrack drawn from the dance-heavy rumba rhythms of Central Africa.
Highlights
- Enjoy Kribi and its beautiful palm trees, waterfalls, white sands, and fishing villages.
- Head to the capital Yaoundé to check out Art Deco and African Modernist architecture.
- Go looking for mandrills, gorillas, and forest elephants in Parc National de Campo-Ma’an.