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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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9 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

Enjoying the grilling at Mandaue City’s Matias BBQ

#Mandaue City’s #MatiasBBQ is worth checking as your #LGBT alternative to dining in the open in #Cebu.

Published

6 days ago

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August 12, 2026

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Seriously considering Larsian to try grilled goods in Cebu City, a friend recommended for us to try, instead, Matias BBQ. “It’s cleaner,” she said, adding: “And yummier, of course.”

So we checked… and how was the visit to Matias BBQ for us?

@outragemag #Mandaue City’s #MatiasBBQ is worth checking as your #LGBT alternative to dining in the open in #Cebu ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, the place is NOT in Cebu City. It’s in nearby Mandaue City. We didn’t check where the BBQ place is, exactly; we just took a Grab and pinned the address. We just noted that the travel took a while, and yes, the fare wasn’t cheap (LOL).

Ikalawa, this is an open-air venue, similar to Larsian, though the difference is, here, there’s just one vendor (Matias BBQ). Maarte people beware: this isn’t for you.

Ikatlo, the servers were friendly… a pleasant surprise considering the number of people they had to serve. They knew what to recommend, and quickly dealt with some concerns (e.g. replace what was deemed stale rice).

Ika-apat, how was the food naman?

  • The chicken – including the ₱85 pecho and ₱95 paa – were well-seasoned and well-cooked, remaining moist and not dry. Lasa-wise, they were smoky and sweetish.
  • The ₱16 chorizos were actually good, properly cooked so that we were still able to taste the meat and accompanying sahog of garlic and the likes. This made us realize that when deciding to cook longganisa from Cebu, consider grilling instead of frying in oil. It just tastes better that way.
  • The ₱165 balbacua (beef rind and oxtail soup) served to us was already cold, so was already greasy. The collagen-rich cuts were soft, and there were okay-tasting veggies, but the broth was already slimy from being oily.
  • The ₱12 pusô was inconsistent; some were already stale (perhaps old stocks), and the others fresh. It’s hard to ascertain which is which since you’d be served with a lot. Order freshly-cooked rice if apprehensive… though this takes away from the overall experience of eating in a place like this.

Here’s the thing: our total bill was cheaper than the fare we paid to Grab to go there.

And so, for us, if this is accessible to you, consider this an alternative to, say, the likes of Larsian. That the food is good has to be emphasized, done in an outdoor setting that’d remind you of eating in the probinsiya.

But off we go again, in search of more LGBTQIA+ lagangan venues…

Open from 11.30AM to 8.00PM, Matias BBQ is located along A.S. Fortuna St., Banilad, Mandaue City.

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Destinations

Eating out in Cebu in one place via Pusô Village

Checking out #Cebu’s all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie hubs.

Published

2 weeks ago

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August 4, 2026

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In the past, if you wanted to grab some of the food associated with Cebu, you headed to – among others – Larsian, this place not too far from Fuente Osmeña Circle. It wasn’t necessarily popular with the locals who saw (and still see) it as unhygienic, but it’s this easy-to-access BBQ place that’s open 24/7.

Starting 2025, however, a new place was opened to serve as the one-stop culinary and cultural hub of Cebu City: the Pusô Village.

@outragemag Checking out #Cebu's all-in-one dining location, the Pusô Village (#pusovillage) that may simplify eating out but seems to forget our desire to see diverse #foodie ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, developed by Cebu2World/Megawide as part of the Carbon Market modernization, this place’s name drew inspiration from the pusô rice cake that’s served when you have meals in Cebu. There are, therefore, design elements that’d remind you of the pusô – e.g. those octahedral shapes on the entrance. Inside, there are attempts to beautify by borrowing elements from Bahay na bato Philippine architectural style; most are fake, though, such as those painted-on verandahs you’d see when you look up.

Ikalawa, there are over 100 food stalls and retail outlets here… though more of the former than the latter. They’ve been “properly” structured, so that the lechon vendors are on one side, seafood sellers on another side, and so on.

Ikatlo, we tried some of the offerings to ascertain how good they are.

The unlimited lechon is popular, providing an opportunity particularly for non-locals to cheaply enjoy this Cebuano treat. Taste-wise, the lechons vary little, some saltier than the others. The “approach” in serving is similar, though. You get an okay portion when first served, and the portion gets smaller the more you return. Noticeably, by the third refill, the vendors become grumpier when serving you, some even ignoring you, or stuffing fatty parts on your plate. Business greed in action.

Though cooked the same way (i.e. buttered), the seafood platters are inconsistent. You could get some shrimps or crabs now and then, though most times, you’d just get mussels.

Then there’s the tuslob-buwa, pig’s brain cooked under maximum heat to then become dip for pusô. We’d say this is acquired taste… but there’s not much to taste. So this is a costly to-try food.

Only open until 10.00PM, Pusô Village offers those in Cebu a venue to try as many of the local goods as possible. For that, alone, this is a must-check. You are sure to find a few stuffs you’d like.

But the city still has a lot of venues offering local culinary and cultural goods, and they deserve to be also checked. And so off we go for more LGBTQIA+ rampa…

Pusô Village is located at M.L Quezon Blvd., Sto. Nino, Cebu City.

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Destinations

Going Chinese in Pulilan, Bulacan

Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan, and we’re on the fence here (yes if no choice, no if you can go elsewhere).

Published

3 weeks ago

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July 28, 2026

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We happened to be in Pulilan in Bulacan, and I had pancit craving. As if on cue, we passed by Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan, which – after we Google-checked – is supposedly one of the more frequently-visited Chinese restos in these parts of the province, so… of course we checked.

@outragemag Craving for #chinesefood in #Bulacan? We tried the offerings of Lee Foo Panciteria #Pulilan ♬ original sound – Outrage Magazine

Una, this place is really, REALLY easy to find. Located along the Pulilan Regional Road in Barangay Cut-cot in Pulilan, this is right in the middle of the municipality.

Ikalawa, the resto is actually divided into three parts: one side is for those with reservations, another part is for walk-in diners, and another part is for events. If/when the resto isn’t full, only the main part (middle one) is kept open.

No, this isn’t some fancy resto. More like an airconditioned karinderya, complete with wooden tables and plastic chairs. Look-wise, it wasn’t dirty naman when we were there, so that’s a plus.

Ikatlo, the workers were friendly naman… and they moved fast – e.g. while waiting for our orders, we were given must-check peanuts, and since we finished what we got fast, our waitress was more than happy to accommodate us.

Ika-apat, now… how was the food?

The house specialty, the Lee Foo Chicken (₱265 for half, ₱495 for whole), looked like fried chicken with ketchup. Okay… the breading was okay since it didn’t overpower the meat. The chicken, too, was properly cooked, and it wasn’t dry. But it was tasteless overall; so the ketchup taste is what stays with you.

The Pancit Canton Bihon (₱255) had thin pancit noodles, almost as thin as the bihon. It didn’t have lots of sahog; instead, you’d notice the extenders (like kikiam, and so on). I like good pancit, I swear… but this isn’t one of them, sorry.

The weirdly-wrapped Hakaw (₱155) was small, so it was bitin.

And then there’s the Siomai Steam (₱155), which was, in a word, weird. The size was good, similar to those ₱10 siomais. But the way this was prepared was weird for us – e.g. like the meat was overwatered, and having a hard time staying solid, so that it was smudgy, and disintegrated in the mouth even without chewing. I suppose that, at least, it wasn’t disgusting taste-wise.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is, we believe, popular. Like President in Chinatown, or a branch of David’s in some mall. To each his or her own nga naman. But for us, we’re off to look for other Chinese restos na muna as we head out in search of more lafangan venues.

Lee Foo Panciteria Pulilan is located at 159 Barangay Cut-cot, Pulilan, 3005 Bulacan Province. For more information, contact 0925 800 0168, or email leefoopanciteria@yahoo.com.

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