Brazil, Albania and Burma have been selected as the top three destinations to visit in 2013 by five travel bloggers.
The bloggers have compiled a list of 13 destinations to visit during 2013. The initiative was organized by travel website G Adventure, an online tour company focused on sustainable development and adventure tourism.
G Adventure selected five industry-leading bloggers to participate in the G Adventures Wanderers Residence program. Gary Arndt (Everything Everywhere), Jodi Ettenberg (Legal Nomads), Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt), Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott (Uncornered Market) and Nellie Huang (Wild Junket) were in charge of compiling the list of places not to miss in 2013.
1. Brazil: The country is getting ready to host two major sports events in the coming years -- the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016. The eyes of the world are turning to this top destination and the experts recommend going there before prices increase even further.
2. The popularity of Albania and its Adriatic coast is increasing as Southeastern Europe's profile as a tourist destination continues to rise. Situated between tourist favorites Italy and Greece, Albania has all the advantages of the southern climate for more reasonable prices.
3. After last year's election, Burma has opened up its borders to foreign visitors. The country received a total of 313,127 foreign arrivals during the fiscal year 2010-2011. Numbers are expected to continue to rise. Those visiting the country in the next few years will be able to appreciate the country before it becomes a mainstream Asian tourist destination.
4. Mongolia is still a relatively unexplored area due to years of communist government and tight travel regulations. Traveling to Mongolia from China has been made easier as the Bulgan/Takashiken border crossing between West Mongolia and China is now open to all passport holders and operates year-round.
5. New Zealand's unique geography has always drawn outdoor enthusiasts. Its profile will be increased with the release of The Hobbit in December.
6. According to the bloggers, Bolivia offers reasonable prices as well as unique "scenery from the Salar de Uyuni salt flats in the south to Lake Titicaca in the north." Bolivia is currently the least visited country in South America, as it has struggled to compete with popular destinations such as Machu Picchu in Peru.
7. Three years after the end of the country's civil war, Sri Lanka has seen a steady increase in the number of visitors. It was also selected by the editors of the travel guide Lonely Planet as the number one destination to visit in 2013.
8. Tourists have been visiting Istanbul for many years, but the bloggers are recommending visiting lesser-known areas in Turkey such as Antalya and Trabzon.
9. After the financial crisis in 2008, Iceland, a country long considered an expensive destination, has seen tourist numbers increase.
10. Singapore is celebrating its 50th year of independence from Britain next year and events and activities are expected to attract tourists.
11. Namibia offers desert, dunes and safari opportunities and is becoming a real alternative for visitors to Africa, according to the group of bloggers.
12. Jordan is enjoying a rise in popularity after the anniversary of the rediscovery of Petra and the release of the British epic film Lawrence of Arabia in 2012.
13. Lastly, bloggers are recommending going to Zanzibar in Tanzania. Zanzibar will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence from Great Britain next year.
About the bloggers
Everything Everywhere currently has 47,840 likes on Facebook and over 113,000 followers on Twitter. His author, Gary Arndt has been traveling since 2007, visiting over 116 countries in seven continents.
Nomadic Matt is written by Matt Kepnes from the United States. Matt quit his job in 2006 to go traveling for 18 months around the world. Nomadic Matt has over 21,000 likes on Facebook and more than 41,000 followers on Twitter.
Legal Nomad is written by Jodi Ettenberg, a former lawyer from Montreal. She has been traveling since 2008. Legal Nomads has over 8,000 likes on Facebook and more than 17,000 followers on Twitter.
Uncornered Markets is a blog by Daniel Noll and Audrey Scott. This couple from Prague has been traveling since 2006. Their blog currently has over 6,000 likes on Facebook and more than 30,000 followers on Twitter.
Nellie Huang is the author of Wild Junkie, a blog focused on adventure travel. Wild Junkie has almost 3,000 friends on Facebook and more than 23,000 followers on Twitter.