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10 Up-and-coming destinations for 2018

Nearly half of global travelers (47%) want to take more trips in 2018, including city getaways full of history and culture (41%) to foodie havens (41%) and beach breaks (50%).

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8 years ago

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Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, announces 10 of the top emerging destinations for 2018.

Research reveals[i] that nearly half of global travelers (47%) want to take more trips in 2018, including city getaways full of history and culture (41%) to foodie havens (41%) and beach breaks (50%). Nearly half of those (45%) want to be more adventurous in their choice of destination and 60% want to do as many activities as possible, so whether a night owl, sun worshipper, foodie or culture vulture there’s something for everyone to enjoy for next year’s getaway.

The following stand out as emerging destinations for 2018:

IMAGE FROM PIXABAY.COM

Sapporo, Japan 

Many travelers visit Japan for the bustling nightlife of Tokyo or temples of Kyoto, but in 2018 travelers will switch to explore the dynamic city of Sapporo. This city is a great base for exploring the mountains and hot springs of Hokkaidoand offers great restaurants, being known best for its variety of seafood. Sapporo’s top endorsements by Booking.com travelers include food, seafood and gourmet food, and with four in ten global travelers planning on taking a food and drink trip in 2018, Sapporo is certainly a destination to consider for its thriving food scene alone.

Where to stay: Japanese style inns or ‘ryokans’ are a great place to stay to truly experience Japanese culture. Booking.com recommends Guest House Yuyu, a homely stay which offers bike hire to easily explore the city.

Nashville, USA 

Nashville may be famous for its legendary country music scene, but it’s also great for family activities and outdoor pursuits. Music fans will want to browse the museums dedicated to Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, and catch some live music in bars across the city’s vibrant neighborhoods. Nature lovers will want to explore the city’s many parks, easily accessible by foot or bike. In 2018, 17% of travelers are planning to take a music concert or festival trip, and 36% of travelers will be inspired to visit a destination having seeing it on TV. Nashville is on the rise following the success of the drama series named after it. The top endorsements for Nashville by Booking.com travelers are live music, country music, entertainment and nightlife.

Where to stay: Stay at the SoBro Guest House to check out the music scene by foot – the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is only 350 yards away. While Both Bridgestone Arena and Ryman Auditorium are less than 11 minutes’ walk away.

Bucharest, Romania 

The elegant city of Bucharest is new to the alternative city break scene and a great option because of its museums, parks, trendy cafés and mix of art nouveau and modern architecture. In the summer make sure to rent a boat in Cişmigiu Gardens and come winter, hunker down in one of the city’s many cozy coffee shops. The top endorsements for Bucharest by Booking.com travelers are architecture, food, museums and the old town. Research revealed that 41% of travelers are planning to take a city break in 2018, so make sure to include Bucharest.

Where to stay: The city is full of incredible apartments to stay – Diana’s Flat Bucharest has beautiful views of the river and a great location, being walking distance to Old Town, Palace of Parliament and Cismigiu Gardens.

Zakopane, Poland 

The stunning mountain resort of Zakopane has always been popular for ski holidays but it’s attracting more and more travellers for its summer hiking in Tatra National Park. The trend for wellness getaways isn’t slowing down for 2018, with almost double the amount of people planning to take a health and wellbeing trip in 2018 compared to 2017.  The new health and wellness trend for 2018 is set to be more about travelling on two feet with 44% of travellers saying they want to go walking in 2018 and 33% hiking. The top endorsements for Zakopane by Booking.com travellers are hiking, nature, mountain walks and scenery.

Where to stay: Villa Nova is alpine luxury at its best, offering mountain views and set in a great location, walking distance to the popular Krupówki pedestrian street with its many restaurants and shops.

Taitung City, Taiwan 

Though relatively unkknow, Taitung City, the relaxed coastal town of Taiwan, has modest charm, cultural diversity and mix of mountains, hot springs, temples and ocean activities, and is the rise for travelers in 2018. Endorsed by Booking.com travelers for nature, relaxation, seaside and clean air it’s definitely one to watch. Head to Green Island for diving, snorkeling and hiking, buy seafood from Fugang Port, relax in Jhihben hot springs and visit Taitung night market to indulge in the local delicacies.

Where to stay : Taitung City is full of cozy homestays with hosts who offer great tips for exploring, and will help plan trips.HANA Homestay offers a delicious breakfast, modern rooms and bicycles for exploring the area.

Brisbane, Australia 

When most think of Australia, it’s usually the popular cities of Sydney and Melbourne that come to mind, but for a trip down under, why not try the metropolitan city of Brisbane, an up and coming destination for 2018. Travelers will love its restaurant and bar scene, vineyards – and the fact it’s surrounded by beautiful beaches. With half of travelers planning to take a beach trip in 2018, Brisbane is a great option. Go surfing at Ocean Beach, soak up the sun at Sylvan Beach, spot dolphins at Red Beach or hang out at the beach style lagoons such as Streets Beach and Settlement Cove. As well as beach life, Brisbane is great for shopping, restaurants, relaxation and entertainment, according to endorsements from Booking.com travelers.

Where to stay: Soda Apartments is luxury accommodation on South Bank just eight minutes’ walk to the beach and offers an outdoor rooftop pool, which gives incredible 360 views of the city.

Bogotá, Colombia 

Beautiful Bogotá is on the rise for 2018, being the hectic heart of Colombia and a great base for exploring the wider country. Travelers will appreciate the new restaurant openings and boutique hotels set amongst 300 year old houses, street art murals and museums. Visitors can explore the city by railway, taking in the sights and sounds of the Colombian capital, and it’s essential to try some authentic Colombian coffee from one of the many cafes dotted around the city. Booking.com travelers endorsed it for museums, culture, food and friendly people.

Where to stay: The stylish Serie 1948 is a homely Bed & Breakfast located in a quiet neighborhood near to bars and restaurants. It offers guests bike hire, a sun terrace, garden and locally sourced coffee and food.

Portland, USA 

The fact that the city’s unofficial slogan is “keep Portland weird” should be suitably intriguing, but if that doesn’t do it Oregon’s largest city offers a buzzing nightlife, fantastic food (there’s food trucks on every corner), culture and the great outdoors. Best explored by bike, take a trip to one of the city’s many infamous breweries, and nature lovers will love Forest Park and ‘City of Roses’ at the International Rose Test Garden. Booking.com travelers’ top endorsements for Portland are beer, food, restaurants and shopping.

Where to stay: The 9th Avenue Apartment by Stay Alfred offers guests modern and stylish apartments with great views in downtown Portland, near to Portland Art Museum and Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

IMAGE FROM PIXABAY.COM

Lima, Peru 

Travelers will need high energy levels to take on Lima – from paragliding to partying, and sunbathing to surfing, where to start? The city is becoming more popular for travelers in 2018 and is a great place to spend a few days exploring thanks to the delicious food, rich history and museums. As well as culture and history, Lima is endorsed for food and gourmet food by Booking.com travelers, who love the fact Lima is known as the gastronomic capital of Latin America – so make sure to sample some local delicacies by taking one of the tasty food tours.

Where to stay: Right next to the beach, The Lot Boutique Hotel is more of a home than a hotel, and offers guests a relaxing stay with a delicious daily breakfast. Guests can spend their morning surfing or sunbathing before exploring the sights of the city.

Hannover, Germany 

The charming city of Hannover is on the up for its choice of museums, cultural sites and green spaces such as the Herrenhäuser Gärten, Lake Maschsee and Europe ‘s largest urban forest, the Eilenriede. It’s a great city break for culture vultures, so with 31% of travelers planning to take a culture and arts based trip in 2018, Hannover is one to visit. Booking.com travelers endorsed Hannover for shopping, city trip, old town and city walks.

Where to stay: After having a culture fix for the day, relax in the spa at Kastens Hotel Luisenhof, which also offers fine cuisine, fitness facilities and conveniently located walking distance to the Hanover State Opera House and a short drive from the Sprengel museum.

i. The data analysts at Booking.com [https://www.booking.com ] looked at destinations that had the highest increase in YoY bookings from September 2016 – September 2017.

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Destinations

Coffee-craving with rice meals on the side at Foam Coffee

The search for a good cup of coffee is what led us to Foam Coffee, which – it must be pointed out – is more of a resto than a café.

Published

3 days ago

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April 14, 2026

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Baguio City has always been a must-visit place for foodies, thanks to the many culinary offerings from the Cordillera region (think pinikpikan, etag and binaod, among others). But – whether you agree with us or not, particularly since you may know some venues we don’t – one of the biggest challenges we encountered was looking for good kape.

The search for a good cup of coffee is what led us to Foam Coffee, which – it must be pointed out – is more of a resto than a café.

So, how was our visit to Foam Coffee?

@outragemag Looking for #kape in #FoamCoffee in #Baguio, only to end up eating not-cheap #ricemeals ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this is easy to locate, as it’s right across the city hall of Baguio.

Ikalawa, the place itself is sterile-looking. Yep, maaliwalas siya (it’s airy), newly-furnished, is clean, and so on. But when we were there, it also felt quite impersonal, and didn’t feel like a community café or something.

Ikatlo, this is a self-service and CLAYGO (clean as you go) venue. Meaning, you won’t really engage with the staff as they’re there just to take and then give you your order, and then clean up after you if you failed to follow the CLAYGO policy. This adds to the making of this place as impersonal.

And ika-apat, how were the offerings?

So… the original intent was to grab coffee since this was repeatedly highly ranked by reviewers. Alas, the ₱120 Americano was, to start, not even that warm anymore when served. And taste-wise, it was almost like it was watered down.

The rice meals that we ended up also trying were actually not bad. The ₱230 Orange Chicken (orange-glazed chicken with rice) tasted… orangey, sweetish and yet citrusy. The ₱270 Bulgogi Tapa (thinly sliced Korean beef that’s marinated in sweet and salty soy in garlic butter, with rice and eggs), meanwhile, was sweet and savory. The rice in both dishes was good, too; flavorful so that even sans the toppings, already a meal.

For us, if there’s one issue with the rice meals, it’s the size of the servings. Particularly the ulam (viand). You will not get a lot. Which, for us, makes this place a somewhat pricey silog-like venue.

Foam Coffee has a market – e.g. check those who study while there. This is understandable even with the place’s limits. But we’re off elsewhere… perhaps in search of good coffee, as businesses should have if they use the word in their business name.

So off we go in search of more lafangan venues…

Foam Coffee is located at Upper G/F Travelite Hotel, Shuntug St., Baguio City. For more information, contact 0977 602 3750.

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Destinations

Faith, fanaticism, and everything in between in Manaoag

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, also known as the Manaoag Church, is quite popular, attracting over 5.73 million visitors in 2024 alone. We #LGBT checked while in search of faith…

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2 weeks ago

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April 5, 2026

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The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, also known as the Manaoag Church, is quite popular, attracting over 5.73 million visitors in 2024 alone. But this should not be surprising since this Roman Catholic church in Pangasinan isn’t just a religious site, but is also valuable culturally and artistically.

Here are some observations from us.

@outragemag #LGBT and looking for #faith in #manaoagchurch in #Pangasinan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, placed under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan, this place is historical. The original shrine was founded in 1600, with construction of the church started in 1882 and completed around 1911-12.

Ikalawa, there are must-check architectural features – e.g. the central retablo, completed by the Tampinco Atelier of Manila incorporates Baroque columns from the 18th-century altar.

Ikatlo, the late Pope Francis raised the shrine to the status of a Minor Basilica in 2014. This means that it has a special bond with the Pope.

Ika-apat, it is home to the statue of Our Lady of Manaoag, a 17th-century ivory and silver image of the Virgin Mary with the child Jesus. This was brought to the Philippines from Spain via the Manila galleon trade from Acapulco, Mexico by one Padre Juan de San Jacinto.

Miracles attributed to Our Lady of Manaoag are numerous – e.g. the church being saved from the Japanese attacks during World War III, rain during droughts, and so on. Some of these miracles are depicted in murals in the church.

And ika-lima, there are manifestations of the merging of pre-Christian with Roman Catholic beliefs. Outside the church, for instance, there are vendors selling the Sto. Niño with that big phallus, lucky charms along with those anting-anting, and gayuma sold in brown bottles.

No matter the appeal, this isn’t for everyone. For instance, the commercialization of faith is quite blatant (such as the selling of those merch), and it could be a real turn-off. Also, security can be O.A. tight – e.g. there may be times when this could feel unwelcoming, such as when the security guy approached us to enumerate what’s allowed or not allowed inside the establishment. Jesus himself, I’d say, could be questioned in churches like this because of how he looked and how he acted.

But if in the area, you may want to drop by. Particularly since the locality does not have much to offer touristy-wise anyway. Your search for faith can be your key to discovering this historical, artistic and… yeah, religious gem.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag is located on M. H. del Pilar Street, Manaoag, 2430 Pangasinan.

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Destinations

In an airy Baguio café via Rebel Bakehouse

When you check lists of places for foodies, many of the same venues are mentioned… and one of those is Rebel Bakehouse. We checked if it’s worth a try.

Published

4 weeks ago

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March 21, 2026

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Baguio City has become a must-visit location for those looking for good – or at least well-promoted – restaurants. But we noted that when you check lists of places for foodies, many of the same venues are mentioned… and one of those is Rebel Bakehouse.

We checked the branch right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, and… how was it for us?

@outragemag #LGBT checking #RebelBakehouse in #Baguio to ascertain if it's a good alternative to #starbucks, #CBTL ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is tricky to find… at least for non-churchgoers. We actually thought it’s in some street parallel to the church; instead, it’s actually right inside the church’s compound.

Ikalawa, if there’s a word to describe the venue, it’s maaliwalas (airy). The venue is divided into spots – e.g. there’s the upper floor, the inside, and the seats outside. Since Baguio City can still get cool, or even cold, open-air din siya, though this also means that flies from outside can (and do) enter the premises.

Ikatlo, the workers are chill. If asked, they can elaborate on what’s being offered; otherwise, if you don’t engage with them, they’re typical café staff… there but not there.

Ika-apat, how was the food? TBH, since we just came from a heavy meal, we just tried some of their breads and drinks.

  1. The Classic Pain Au Chocolat (₱150) and the Cinnamon Bun (₱180) looked pretty, easily reminding me, personally, of breads in some bakery in Paris. But… taste-wise, they’re not remarkable. We’d go as far as saying that they both tasted the same… just like croissant. The dark chocolate inside the former was, at least, good; but the cinnamon was not even apparent in the latter.
  2. The kape (₱110), served black, was so-so. I – sadly – really can’t even remember drinking it.

We’re not sure the way to beat Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is to mimic them. Which is how being in Rebel Bakehouse felt like; as if we were in one of the international coffee chains’ branches in Tagaytay. This isn’t to say this is bad… even considering our misgivings with the breads and kape. After all, this is still an okay, and local, option.

Perhaps if we visit again, if at all, we’d try their meals na. But until then, join us as we look for more lafangan venues…

Rebel Bakehouse is located right beside the Baguio Cathedral of Our Lady of Atonement, at CH6X+WM4, Upper Bonifacio St., Baguio City.

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