I Travel for a Living—Here Are the Buzziest Places to Visit in 2023

At the onset of summer, during crunch time for vacation planning, there's only one person I want to speak with: Yolanda Edwards. As founder and creative director of Yolo Journal, a print magazine and Substack newsletter that distills what's cool in travel, Edwards knows about travel. I first discovered her magazine in the summer of 2019 while traveling to Italy and staying at the Mezzatorre Hotel in Ischia. While perusing the magazine, I was immediately struck by her insightful recommendations and eye. In short, Edwards is ahead of the curve when it comes to finding the best travel destinations, hotels, and restaurants.

Though she is now an arbiter of travel, traveling wasn't a part of Edwards's life growing up. "My parents lived quite humbly … and travel just wasn't a part of their lives," she explains. But around the time she started to define her style, she also began to dream about travel. "Of course, I didn't have the means to look the part or do the things I had pinned to my bedroom wall," Edwards says. "Those Calvin Klein ads shot by Bruce Weber of the model Josie in Santorini definitely changed my life. But I spent my money buying magazines that showed me a life I could dream about, and the locations were always the thing I fell in love with the most. … When my high-school best friend's parents invited me on a European tour, I went. And it changed my life forever."

Propelled by her fascination with travel, Edwards spent her early career at Condé Nast Traveler before launching Yolo Magazine. "[I wanted] to make a travel magazine that I felt might be more aligned with how people want to travel now," she explains. "We do black books on cities around the world, travel planners for countries we know everyone wants more inside intel on, and share our—and our friends'—discoveries from around the world. It's really gratifying to work on it, especially after years of it being only print and social, because it allows us [the chance] to work with so many different people who have great intel but aren't great writers. After all, when you're on the road and looking for a solid suggestion, you want it from someone who gets it, not some who's just good at writing about it."

Curious to get an inside look at the best 2023 travel destinations, I asked Edwards to share her recommendations. Ahead are the six places that made the cut and everything you should pack.

Tangier

Edwards's Tangier travel recommendations:

Marrakech is beautiful and special. But I think this port city has incredible gems to discover. While Tangier has a history of being a louche or a slightly edgy city that attracts a European creative ex-pat crowd, a new generation of creatives is reinvigorating its arts scene. Jasper Conran's second property, Villa Mabrouka, is opening this spring in the former private residence of Yves Saint Laurent. (His first property is L'Hotel Marrakech. It's in a chic little riad filled with his own art collection.) I adore the Nord-Pinus, which has the sexiest entryway to a hotel, gorgeous bedrooms, and the best breakfast with a view. And I love Villa Joséphine for its décor, garden, and pool—and if you want to be just a little outside the medina.

Italy

Edwards's Italy travel recommendations:

In Italy, anywhere you haven't heard of is worth checking out. Seriously! Anytime we go somewhere that's off the beaten path—from a tiny beach town like Grottammare in Le Marche to a charming beach resort in Sicily like Le Calette Hotel to a food destination like Parma—we are always shocked by how few tourists are there, and how completely magical it is. Of course, there is a universal love for Italy. Given that, if you want to experience Italy in the same way you've been dreaming about, we suggest trying anywhere except the usual suspects—unless you're going in the deepest of off-seasons. 

Guatemala

Edwards's Guatemala travel recommendations:

Guatemala was sort of a no-go for travel for a long time because of political unrest in the '80s and '90s. As a result, traditional culture has been really well preserved, and the place is not overly commercialized by tourism.

You'll want to visit the ruins of Tikal in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve to see over 3000 ancient temples and other stone structures. Nearby, The Family Coppola Hideaways: La Lancha is a great place to stay, with just a few thatched cottages up on a hill overlooking the lake.

Then, you could travel down to Antigua, a gorgeous and brightly painted colonial-style city with a cathedral, great food, crafts, and a large ex-pat community. The Coppolas have a hotel there too. But Posada del Angel and Las Cruces are also beautiful and filled with antiques and art.

Continue to Lake Atitlan to visit some of the villages on the lake, which still have thriving textile traditions—particularly in San Juan, where there are a few women-run arts collectives. Stay at Casa Palopo. Formerly a private home, it's now a boutique hotel run by a Guatemalan woman. You might even get to see the volcano spewing sparks at night.

Greece

Edwards's Greece travel recommendations:

The Peloponnese is a huge peninsula off the mainland. It's one of the most beautiful regions in Greece, but somehow the islands get all the attention. You can skip the ferry and puddle-jumper scheduling for the most epic road trip through the Peloponnese. Start with the Corinth Canal, historic Mycenae, and then an overnight in Nafplia at the iconic Nafplia Palace.

Then meander to Monemvasia and stay at the Kinsterna, one of my favorite hotel stays ever. The Mani Peninsula is a must. Along the way, stop at the Byzantine complex of Mystras. Stay overnight at the Kyrimai, which has an epic seafront location and is a great place to plant yourself and explore from.

If you're feeling really ambitious and want to head to the original site of the Olympics, continue west, where there are multiple hotel options from the Costa Navarino to the Amanzoe.

Bhutan

Edwards's Bhutan travel recommendations:

Bhutan reopened the 250-mile Trans-Bhutan trail last year. It's an ancient pilgrimage route through the Himalayan mountains that connects hundreds of religious and historic sites. Tourism in Bhutan is highly regulated. Generally, you'll need to travel with a guide, and the country raised its tourism tax to $200 per visitor, which goes toward conservation.

Friends who have traveled on and off there for years have said that because it's so closed off, it remains pristine and beautiful. It is without the crowds and commercial tourism infrastructure of Nepal and has a well-preserved traditional Buddhist culture. Ordinarily, I don't recommend staying in Amans as they don't always fit into their locale. But Amankora is a circuit of five lodges spread throughout the country with a mix of traditional 17th-century structures and modern buildings that blend into the surroundings. Their lodge in Paro is near the legendary Tiger's Nest monastery if you're up for a challenging hike.

Galicia

Edwards's Galicia travel recommendations:

We recently did a Spain Travel Planner, and my friend, the Spanish-born designer Álvaro González, got me really excited about this region of Spain, which I previously didn't know much about. The northwest coast of Spain has more in common weather-wise with Brittany or Ireland than with what we think of as sunny Spain. Santiago, its Florence-like capital, is where the end of the Camino de Santiago spills out. Stay at the Hostal de los Reyes Catolicos. Have a tapas lunch at Abastos 2.0 and dinner at Casa Marcelo.

From Santiago, you can head toward Finisterre and the seaside towns of Muros, Malpica, and Carnota for unspoiled beaches and amazing seafood in authentic little restaurants. Architect David Chipperfield has had a house in the little fishing village of Corrubedo for 30 years. He recently renovated and opened Bar do Porto with his wife and daughter. It had been the only bar in town and had closed down.

Inland is Albariño wine country. A friend of González's recommended A Taberna do Trasno for lunch. Ribeira Sacra is another Galician wine area with old vineyards planted on steep hillsides. You can stay at the Parador de San Estevo, housed in an old monastery with minimal décor. 

González's one must-do recommendation is to visit the Sargadelos porcelain factories near Ribadeo in the North of Galicia. They're housed in the most amazing midcentury complex.

Next: I Just Booked a Summer Trip to Italy—29 Pieces That Are Already In My Cart