November 16, 2025 • 31 mins
In our final installment of our series on the best destinations for 2026, Pauline Frommer, Frommers.com's Editor in Chief Jason Cochran, and Managing Editor Zac Thompson discussed Palawan in the Philippines, Portugal's Algarve region, Chicago, Adelaide in Australia and Vienna, Austria.
To see our Best Places to Go in 2026 photo-rich article, go to Frommers.com/BestPlaces2026.
Takeaways:
- In 2026, Chicago will be a prominent travel destination due to the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, which is expected to significantly reshape the community.
- Vienna is poised to attract visitors with a plethora of cultural events, including the 250th anniversary of the Burgtheater and the reopening of the Museum of Folk Life and Folk Art.
- Palawan in the Philippines is becoming increasingly popular, particularly due to its stunning natural beauty and the upcoming film set to draw attention to the region.
- The Algarve region of Portugal will feature direct transatlantic flights in 2026, making its beautiful beaches and rich history more accessible to American tourists.
- Adelaide, Australia, is experiencing a renaissance with new direct flights, making it easier for travelers to explore its vibrant arts scene and natural beauty.
- The year 2026 promises to be exceptional for travel as various destinations celebrate significant anniversaries and cultural events that will enhance the visitor experience.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:44):
Foreign.
Welcome to the Fromer Travel Show.
I'm your host, Pauline Fromer.
We've been doing a marathonhere talking about all of the destinations
(01:04):
in our Best places to go in2026 list.
We are at the end, end of the trifecta.
We've discussed Asheville,Patagonia, Ulu in Finland, Kruger
national park in South Africa,Albuquerque, Peru, Hot Springs in
Arkansas, Costa Navarino inGreece, Jasper and Vitu Levi, which
(01:24):
is the main island in Fiji aswell as the United States.
250th birthday.
Now we have the last fivedestinations to cover to help me
do that.
Once again, the dream team,Jason Cochran, who is the editor
in chief of fromers.com hey, Jason.
Hello.
(01:45):
And Zach Thompson, who is themanaging editor of fromers.com hello
there.
Thanks for having me.
Hey, Jason.
Hey, Zach.
Okay, we're going to startwith you.
Last week you talked aboutyour old home state.
Now you're going to talk aboutyour old hometown of Chicago.
Yeah, I lived there many yearsbefore I worked at Fromers, but yes.
(02:10):
So we picked Chicago for 2026.
It's expected to have a bigyear, primarily because the Obama
Presidential center is slatedto open in late spring there.
And it is a big deal.
It's a 19 acre campus inJackson park, which is a park on
the south side next to Lake Michigan.
(02:32):
So there's four different buildings.
The main part that touristswill visit is the Obama Museum.
They're calling it the Obamalisk because it's eight stories,
it's 220ft tall.
It's right by the lake.
If you've been to Chicago, youknow, the lakefront is usually very
like open.
So this is this big thing there.
Not without controversy, bythe way, that that has blocking the
(02:53):
lakefront in that part.
But it's very exciting.
And inside it sort of is hispresidential library, but not quite.
The National Archives are not involved.
That's another whole big thing.
But there's a museum of hislife and of Michelle Obama's life
and chances to think aboutAmerican democracy, which is always
(03:13):
a cause important to Obama,his presidency.
There are films, there's artinstallations, a lot of great artists.
Maya Lin, for example, hasworked there.
There's an Oval Office replicawhich every presidential library
has for some reason.
There's like little dioramasof big White House events from when
Obama was president.
There's a collection ofMichelle's dresses that she wore
(03:33):
as first lady.
There's this great observationdeck at the top that overlooks Hyde
Park.
And I think you can see thelake or maybe it goes the points
in the other direction.
And most importantly, there'sa basketball court that's NBA regulation
size because Obama was a bigbasketball fan.
Continues to be.
And the center also has abunch of programming and really trying
to be a part of the community.
(03:54):
So there's.
There's actually a ChicagoPublic Library branch there.
There's free meeting space andeverything, except the museum is
free to the public, by the way.
So it's gonna be a big deal in Chicago.
And there's some other stuffhappening in Chicago we can talk
about if you want.
But let's talk about Obama first.
Yeah.
No, the New York Times had areally interesting article about
(04:14):
the fact that this was builtnot to be the usual presidential
library.
They're hoping that this willreally, in a certain way, reshape
the community and give themspaces for special programs, to educate
themselves, to builddemocracy, to gather in a peaceful
(04:35):
way.
It just sounds incredible.
And the renderings that theNew York Times had, showing the buildings,
they really fit in.
I mean, Chicago is the city ofthese spellbinding, massive, often
very unique skyscrapers.
And this is going to beanother one of those.
(04:57):
So it looks like a.
It looks like a home run to me.
Yeah, it's a beautiful building.
It's concrete.
It's supposed to look likefour hands joined together and, like
pointing upwards.
I mean, it's kind of.
It's very abstract.
Has words from Obama's speechat the 50th anniversary of the Selma
to Montgomery march etchedinto the top, like five stories,
(05:17):
five stories worth of it.
So it is pretty incredible architecturally.
I cannot remember the name ofthe firm that designed it, but it's
gonna be pretty spectacular.
Yeah.
Hyde park is right there wherethe University of Chicago is.
You can swing by where Obamalived in Kenmore.
That's nearby his house opento visitors.
No, it's not.
But you can go by theneighborhood and everything.
(05:39):
Okay.
And what else is happening in Chicago?
Why else did it make the list?
There's a lot always going on.
The city is UNESCO'sinternational, the site of International
Jazz Day this year.
And jazz is, of course, a bigdeal in Chicago.
April 30, Herbie Hancock, whois a windy sceney native, will be
there doing a concert.
And then, you know, that givesyou a chance to really explore the
(06:02):
city's music scene, which isunparalleled with regard to jazz.
You can go to the Green Mill,up and uptown, or really anywhere,
any.
Any of the iconic jazz venues.
Lots on the south side as well.
And then you mentioned architecture.
I know New Yorkers get madabout this, but Chicago says they
invented the skyscraper afterthe Great Fire.
It's a lie.
(06:22):
When they had to rebuild thecity after the Great Fire in the.
Was that in the 1870s.
And so they have a biennialArchitecture Biennial every other
year.
And it's going on now throughthe end of February.
It's a free exhibition thatwill show off the design and architecture
in the city that the city hassort of spearheaded over the years.
(06:43):
And you know, when you're inthe summer, if you're after it's
over, one of the best thingsto do for tourists in Chicago is
to take one of thearchitecture boat tours on the Chicago
river there.
Just you leave spouting somany factoids.
There's also a really coolthing called the Hand and the Eye,
which is like a huge magicvenue in the Gold coast, which is
(07:05):
on the near north side.
This is, this is ritzy area onthe near north side, just north of
downtown.
And it's going to be, it'sbilled as the world's largest magic
venue.
There's going to be arestaurant, there's going to be all
these places.
It's across several floorswith all this close up magic.
And there are bars and everything.
So that's kind of really cool.
And Route 66 is celebratingits 100th anniversary in 2026, the
(07:25):
mother roadway, as they say.
And it starts in Chicago andgoes all the way to Santa Monica,
California.
And there's new signs andeverything in Chicago that Show off
Route 66.
If you search online, you canfind events throughout the whole
length of the road that arecelebrating throughout the year.
A lot going on in Chicago, as.
Always, you know, And I feellike we have to say this.
(07:49):
My daughter lives in Chicagoand I called her the other day and
asked her, have you seen any ugliness?
Have you seen ice raids?
Have you felt endangered?
And she said, no, I haven'tseen anything.
You know, she lives in an areacalled river north, which is a very
(08:09):
bougie area.
And she said, somethinghappened at a place I go to often,
but it didn't happen when Iwas there.
So despite what you see onsocial media, the entire city is
not being raided at all times.
It's not a war zone the wayit's depicted.
Right.
It looks like a war zone fromthose videos, but I don't think that's
(08:31):
at all fair.
And from what I hear fromeverybody who's there, it doesn't
feel that way, exceptunfortunately when you're confronted
with it right where it's happening.
Although I will say the ICEraids are definitely happening.
That is a thing that's occurring.
I was there in October for a wedding.
My husband is.
That's his hometown and I wentto college there and lived there
(08:51):
many years.
But the way I did sense acertain anger on the part of Chicagoans
towards.
There were a lot of signs Isaw on the north side that were like,
keep your hands off Chicago.
But I mean, Chicago is veryloyal to Chicago.
Chicagoans are so there.
I did sense a lot ofresentment for how they're treated
(09:11):
by righteous anger.
They should be.
Righteous anger.
They should be.
They will fight back anddefend Chicago.
Believe it.
So I think it's a great timefor tourists to come because it has
been unfairly maligned, I'dsay in quarters of the media.
And it is a great opportunityto come and see how great the city
is and to experience it for yourself.
(09:33):
All the wonderful things ithas to offer.
Yeah, the new things and theold things.
I mean, Chicago has moreMichelin starred restaurants than
New York.
Chicago has beaches that youcan hang out on in the summer.
Chicago has some of the mostextraordinary museums, not only in
the United States, but in theworld with masterpieces you won't
(09:53):
see anywhere, like La GrandeJatte by Seurat.
I mean, there's just thetheater scene.
Performing arts is incredible.
Storefront theater.
Yeah.
So go Chicago.
Go to Chicago.
I should say, you know, don't,don't avoid it.
It's a, it's a great, greatcity and it will reward you, whatever
your political affiliations.
(10:15):
You will enjoy yourself absolutely.
No matter what the year is.
I want to put it on bestplaces, but it's just this year we
have so many more reasons.
Yes, absolutely.
Okay, let's talk about anothergreat city, the city of Vienna.
Vienna controlled most ofEurope from about 1273 to 1918, because
(10:37):
this is where the Habsburgdynasty was.
And so when you go to Vienna,it's palace after palace after opera
house after ancient theaterwhere horses dance after extraordinary
cityscapes filled with ancient mansions.
(10:59):
But things change in Vienna.
And there's a lot going on inthis year in particular, which is
why we're saying to go there.
For example, the nationalperformance house of all of Austria,
the Berg theater, is turning 250.
And so it's going to have awhole slew of special shows, guided
(11:20):
tours, anniversary exhibits.
You know, it's decorated withpaintings by Gustav Klimt himself,
gorgeous ceiling paintings.
You'll be able to see those onthe tour as well.
They have a very importantmuseum, the Museum of Folk Life and
Folk Art, and it's been closed forever.
(11:42):
It's finally reopening.
It was being renovated, soit's going to be reopening.
They have Central Europe'slargest Pride Parade that will be
happening for the 30th timethis summer.
And there's a new, highlyentertaining museum about Johann
(12:03):
Strauss, who was the king ofthe waltz.
It's his 200th birthday in2025 and there's going to be a permanent
exhibit about him.
It's a multimedia experiencethat takes you in a seven act interactive
journey through his life.
And it should just be a lot of fun.
(12:23):
I was in Vienna.
Gosh, I guess it was two yearsago now and it was my first time,
believe it or not.
And I absolutely fell in lovewith the city because not only is
it drop dead gorgeous, I mean,everywhere you look is another magnificent
building or a museum filledwith the most moving, joyous art.
(12:47):
Joyous or tragic art, dependson who you're looking at.
But also it's a place where Ifeel like they've got what leading
a civilized life means.
They've got that down pat.
As I was wandering through thecity, I kept coming upon these outdoor
libraries where they wouldhave these shelves of books and beanbags
(13:10):
on the sidewalk and parentswere reading to their children in
these beanbags and otherpeople were borrowing the books.
And then I found there werethese festivals going on when I was
there.
I was there in the summertimeand I went to one not knowing what
it was.
I just saw it announced and itturned out to be a book reading in
(13:31):
German.
So that way it wasn't thatinteresting for me.
But it was also incrediblyinteresting because about a thousand
people showed up to hear anauthor discuss his work.
And I just, I think it's theonly place I've ever gone where I've
thought if I were ever toleave New York City, this is where
(13:54):
I would go.
Oh, wow.
It seems like a place wherethey really know how to live life
well and they're incredibly civilized.
And I just fell in love withthe place.
And so with all these specialthings happening, this is the year
to go to Vienna.
When I went to Vienna, Ithought that was.
I agree 100%.
Like the cafe culture.
(14:14):
They just know how to live.
Yeah.
Are you on board with us,Jason, on Vienna?
I love the way it's always set Trends.
You know, 20 something yearsago, it was one of the first cities
in Europe to take these olddisused gas tanks that are on the
outskirts of so manyindustrial cities and convert them
to places you'd really want to live.
It was one of the first to do that.
Now a lot of Europe imitateswhat Vienna started.
(14:36):
And of course, I think myfavorite movie about traveling is
called Before Sunrise withEthan Hawke and Julie Delpy, 1994.
It's essentially two peoplemeet, backpackers meet, and they
just walk around Vienna andgradually fall in love over the course
of the movie.
So I have lots of lovelyconnections to Vienna and all the
ways that you can celebrate it.
(14:57):
And I think it's a great ideato put it back on the list because
people need to discover it.
After all, it took you untiltwo years ago.
Pauline.
I know.
I couldn't believe I hadn'tbeen there before.
I can't wait to go back andshow it to my husband and my kids.
I just loved it.
All right, another great city.
We're doing three cities in arow, but in very different places.
Adelaide, Australia.
(15:18):
Jason, why is that a place youwant to go now?
Well, the why do we go now?
Is answered by the fact thatit's usually like Fiji, very difficult
to reach.
But soon it won't be becausein December of this year, United
Airlines is starting directflights from San Francisco.
And the reason it's usuallydifficult to reach is because where
(15:40):
it is, it's in a remote partof Australia, which I guess is like,
you know, putting a hat on a hat.
A lot of Australia is remote,but even people in Sydney and Melbourne
think it's remote.
It's in South Australia.
And if you picture Australia,it's kind of like in the middle,
on the bottom, near the coast.
And it's, it's, it's near somereally interesting diversity of things
to go see and do.
And so in the spirit of theidea that this best places list is
(16:04):
about places where you cansort of reboot your mindset far from
home, Adelaide really fits the bill.
It's a lovely, calm, mid levelcity that's walkable, bikable.
It was planned out by thecolonial Australians.
And so, you know, theiravenues follow very predictable patterns.
Its biggest tourist site islike a foodie market, the central
(16:24):
market, which is getting a lotof love this year as well.
It has the largest, well, hasthe largest fringe festival, the
largest arts festival inAustralia, and the second largest
in the world.
It's called the Adelaide Fringe.
And it happens in late summerof February and March.
We're talking dance theater oryou know, light shows, just whatever.
It's a small world of greatthings to see and do.
(16:46):
And then there'll be anotherfestival that just started about
10 years ago.
It's called Tarnanti and it's a.
It's a festival of art byAboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.
And, and it's, you know, it,it's really contemporary.
When I say that it's aboutindigenous art, people imagine one
thing, but there's some reallyinteresting, cutting edge, inventive
visuals that are happening there.
So all those reasons enoughare, you know, you'd want to go to
(17:08):
Adelaide, which is nearbeaches you can actually swim in,
which is not the case inQueensland a lot of times.
And it's near mountains wherethey grow lots of grapes, so there's
lots of good wine.
In fact, the oldest wineregions in Australia are near Adelaide.
But also there's a placecalled Kangaroo island, which is
just about 45 minutes by ferryaway from the outskirts of Adelaide.
(17:29):
And it's this giant unspoiledisland with cliffs and hidden coves
you can boat and fish in andkangaroos and wallabies running wild.
On Kangaroo island this year,they're putting in a golf course
for the first time, whichsounds depressing when you talk about
natural wildlife place, but inthis case, it took nearly a decade
for them to pass lots oftechnical and regulatory requirements
(17:51):
from the government Australia.
They do things very carefullybecause they know how delicate and
irreplaceable theirenvironment is.
And this golf course, whichcost about US13 million, is going
in next year, adheres to allof that.
But there's another reason togo to Kangaroo island, which is already
one of the more popular placesto sort of get away from it all in
Australia and Kangaroo island,like Jasper and Asheville, which
(18:15):
are previously on this list ofbest places, it had a hard time 2020
and 2019, there were hugewildfires that scorched the western
half.
But a lot has been rebuilt, alot has been rediscovered and the
place has sort of been reenergized by the loss.
And it's growing back in a waythat I don't think most visitors
can tell.
But the locals will tell youall the ways that it's transformed
the place for the better.
(18:36):
Huh?
Very interesting.
So do you see any remnants ofthose fires when you're there?
A little bit of chard land,but a lot of the greenery, it's not,
it's not a developed place.
So it's when nature retakesitself, you know, you can see it,
you know it's, and it's notlike a giant forest the way it would
be up in Jasper.
That would take manygenerations to rebuild.
This is more like scrubby, lowlying, you know, seaside cliffs.
(18:59):
So it can regenerate a lot, alot faster, at least to the human
eye.
Right.
So it's, it's, it's an easy place.
And they've rebuilt a lot ofthe visitor centers that have been
lost.
So there's a, there's a lot ofreasons to go, but a lot of people
just go to Kangaroo island toescape rangers in civilization.
They'll rent a boat and youcan reach down on the water and pick
up these giant crayfish.
If you're into crayfish andall these other animals that are
(19:20):
endemic to that area.
This in the, the bite ofAustralia down there.
Also South Australia whileyou're down there.
Because when you're inAustralia you should do more.
You can fly up to a placecalled Coober Pedy from Adelaide.
I think it's maybe an hourflight away.
That's the place that used to be.
It's in the desert.
A lot of South Australia isdesert, like Australian desert.
But it's a place where theyused to mine for opals and still
(19:41):
do a little bit.
But a lot of the homes andhotels are now in the former mines.
So when it's 100 somethingdegrees outside, you're underneath
the ground in these littlemini cities and homes that are carved
into the mountainside.
And it's also where you can.
Adelaide is also where you cancatch the Gan, which is the big passenger
train that goes from the southof Australia all the way up to Darwin.
Along the way passing NanawaSprings so you can get off and go
(20:03):
to see Uluru.
So there's a lot of reasons togo to Adelaide.
It's just.
But mostly it's a livable,pleasant, richly natural place that
is way far away from themadness in your own yard.
Yeah, absolutely.
When I saw the pictures, itjust looks very green, like extremely.
It's a beautiful city.
Yeah.
That part of Australia gets alot of moisture because of the water.
(20:24):
It quickly gives way todesert, which is again, what's so
fascinating about parts ofAustralia is you can get these wild
shifts in topography withinjust, you know, 20 minutes drive.
But that's what also makes ita really rich place for taking a
vacation because there's lotsof different types of things to do.
Right.
And I'm sorry, it's not megrowling, that's my dog.
I don't know if you can hearthat background here still on the
(20:47):
fence about Adelaide.
Apparently the dog is.
Yes.
Is your dog from Sydney?
Because there really is aweird rival cow town.
Yeah.
But I think placed and we'dwant to raise a family type of thing.
Yeah.
That's surprising.
I thought the rivalry wasbetween Sydney and Melbourne.
Well, there it is as well.
But people just sort of viewAdelaide as sort of a backwater and
(21:09):
I think it's completely.
It's unfair because it's athird tier city, a second tier city
and it's not at the level of aSydney or Melbourne.
But that's why you'd want togo, isn't it?
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
And you're right aboutkangaroo island.
Teaming, teeming with kangaroos.
We saw these extraordinaryphotos of like hundreds of them just
(21:30):
hopping through fields.
Really, really a place I wantto go.
People don't realize how manykangaroos there are in Australia.
They just, they're everywhereand they're quite dangerous.
They're, you know, becausethey're always leaping in front of
cars and things like that.
There was once someone whowanted to bring kangaroos to the
western United States and weshould be glad that there are the
protections in place that didnot do that.
Otherwise they would bepopulating like crazy and just completely
(21:52):
swarming and teeming witheverything out west in our country
too.
Yeah.
All right.
Our next place is the Algarveregion of Portugal.
It has 125 miles of beachesand many consider them to be the
best beaches in the UnitedStates, in all of Europe.
(22:13):
It has a very balmy climate.
It never ever gets colder than60 degrees.
So even in the depths ofwinter, sometimes you can go swimming
there.
But the reason we arehighlighting it this year is for
the first time ever, there aregoing to be direct transatlantic
flights into the regionalcapital of Faro from the United States,
(22:37):
making it a place whereAmericans can actually maybe do a
European beach vacation, whichis kind of crazy.
But of course there's morethere because this is Portugal.
So you have these ancientfortresses, you have gold lined baroque
churches, you have the placeswhere the Portuguese explorers took
(22:59):
off and ancient cloisters.
This year Pharaoh is gettingthe old masters collection from Lisbon.
While Lisbon's National Museumof Ancient Art is closed for refurbishing.
They're going to be sendingthose paintings to Pharaoh, which
(23:22):
is I think an incrediblereason to go.
Because Pharaoh had been abeach place with some historic structures,
but because so much wasdestroyed in the earthquake of 1755,
which is also the earthquakethat leveled Lisbon itself.
It has fewer historicstructures than other parts of the
(23:45):
country.
But with these paintingsthere, that's a reason to go.
In 2026 they have a newlyreopened theater.
There's going to be an AfroNation festival, the world's biggest
festival of Afrobeats music.
And it's finally going to bemuch easier to get around the region
(24:06):
because they are finallycompleting a new train line that
is going to chug through thedunes and salt marshes and orange
groves that line thisbeautiful coast.
So always been a gorgeousplace to visit.
Now it's going to be much,much more accessible because there's
(24:28):
going to be direct flightsfrom the US and ways to get around
easily.
And if you're a beachy type ofperson and maybe a newlywed.
The Algarve is famous for itssecluded coves.
Hint, hint dot dot you this.
There's lots of them that don't.
There's no way to read.
There's no roads to them.
You just have to find the topof 150 foot cliff and then use the
pathway down and you can havethese sandy little coves.
(24:49):
And there's photos in our bestplaces feature on fromers.com where
you'll.
Nobody will ever bother youfor the entire day while you're enjoying
the beach and possibly each other.
The photos are G rated.
Don't worry.
Yeah, unfortunately we're afamily publication.
Yeah, this is a family publication.
Yeah.
All right, Zach, take us home.
We have reached the very last destination.
(25:13):
Am I the finale?
How exciting.
You are the finale.
The last place is also abeachy place called Palawan in the
Philippines.
And the reason we think it'sgoing to have a big moment in 2026
is it's the setting for a newrom com that's coming up called the
Last Resort.
So we think it's going to be abig destination for the those into
(25:34):
following the trend of Ialways flip it Set jetting.
That's it.
That's the term.
Yeah, that's the term theylike to use.
Instead of jet setter.
You're a set because you gofor the sets.
Right.
Anyway, it's called the LastResort and it's in this beautiful
area of the Philippines calledPalawan which is an archipelago in
the westernmost province ofthe country.
And it's just gorgeous.
(25:54):
I mean expect the scenery toupstage the actors.
Daisy Ridley's in it from shewas in the Star wars second Star
wars trilogy.
But Palawan has like 1800coral fringed aisles and islets.
So that means Snorkelers anddivers have a lot to do.
There's beautiful beaches.
(26:14):
You can go island hopping.
And the biggest island, whichis also called Palawan, its most
famous thing is called PuertoPrincesa Subterranean River national
park.
And it's a UNESCO heritagesite with these limestone karst cliffs.
And inside there are theseincredible dramatic caves and you
can take boat tours to seethem on an underground river.
(26:36):
Another reason we picked thePhilippines is because it's often
been overlooked.
It hasn't always been safe togo there because of political instability,
but it's affordable.
It's exciting because it's onthe cusp.
And so, yeah, that's Palawan.
And these pictures of this,the place with the karst cliffs that
Zach is talking about, gorgeous.
(26:57):
They're like these verticalneedles of rock coming out of this
turquoise blue water that'sperfectly flat.
It looks.
It's that otherworldly thingthat you don't really see very often
and is absolutely worth the trip.
Kind of looks like Ha Long Bayactually in Vietnam.
Much less crowded and, well,it looked to me like the movie Avatar.
I mean, it almost looksotherworldly, just the verticality
(27:21):
of those cliffs.
Yeah, it looks absolutely spectacular.
A lot of people speak Englishthere too, by the way.
Don't forget, because there'sa lot of links, both good and bad,
with the United States.
So it's an easier place totravel for some people who are afraid
of language barrier in Asia.
Yeah, absolutely.
And we should point out thatit is airfare.
Getting there can beexpensive, but from the North America
(27:42):
because you'll have to fly toManila and then you'll have to change
to a domestic flight.
But once you get there, thingsare pretty affordable.
Although there are some luxuryresorts that'll make you feel like
a Hollywood star yourself when.
When you're out there and paylike one too.
Although actually probably theHollywood star gets.
A freebie, but they pay jack squat.
Yeah, well, I can't believe wegot through them all.
Do either of you have afavorite among them?
(28:05):
I think my favorite was Ulu, Finland.
It just looks like such aquirky, fun place.
I haven't been yet, but I'mdying to go now.
Did either of you have a favorite?
Jasper, I mean, my home stateof Arkansas Hot Springs.
I think I'd like to go to thisplace in the Philippines because
(28:26):
it's a place I've never been.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, you will find much todream over in our list.
You can find it@fromers.comyou go to fromers.com bestplaces2026
that's a shortcut to see the article.
And I don't know if wediscussed this at the very beginning,
(28:47):
but nobody ever pays to be inour best places list.
We're journalists, so we justtried to pick the places that we
thought should be seen nowbecause places are like wine.
They have better years andworst years.
And we think for these 16places, now is the time to go with.
Go to them.
(29:08):
Thank you so much, Jason and Zach.
Really delightful speakingwith you.
Yeah, my pleasure.
I hope all the listeners outthere and all of our readers have
a great 2026.
Keep us posted about where you travel.
We always love to hear from you.
Have a great year.
Absolutely.
And if you like this podcast,give us a nice rating that that helps.
Tell your friends about us andtell your friends about fromers.com
(29:29):
we have so much good materialgoing up there every day.
Information that will makeyour next trip much better.
Okay, that's it for thisweek's show.
I thank you so much for listening.
And to those who aretraveling, may I wish you a hearty
bon voyage.
(29:58):
Sour candy on the table Lazyafternoons in your sweatpants watching
cable well it feels so faraway all the channels seem the same
(30:19):
Trying to remember all thesongs we like to play Cuz those lazy
afternoons don't come sofrequently these days oh it's been
so long and I cannot help butwonder Are you ever coming home?
(30:40):
I like you with this sourcandy in the boat house on the lake
oh but I hate, I hate, I hate,I hate, I hate, I hate the way it
takes I can't get you off ofmy mind Looking out the window where
(31:10):
we spent so much of our timeCause I miss the way it felt But
I guess you can't controlthose damn cards with both of us
are happy when we're free butwould it be so hard to find your
(31:32):
freedom here with me?
It's been so long and I cannothelp but wonder Are you ever jumping.
Foreign.
Welcome to the Fromer Travel Show.
I'm your host, Pauline Fromer.
We've been doing a marathonhere talking about all of the destinations
(01:04):
in our Best places to go in2026 list.
We are at the end, end of the trifecta.
We've discussed Asheville,Patagonia, Ulu in Finland, Kruger
national park in South Africa,Albuquerque, Peru, Hot Springs in
Arkansas, Costa Navarino inGreece, Jasper and Vitu Levi, which
(01:24):
is the main island in Fiji aswell as the United States.
250th birthday.
Now we have the last fivedestinations to cover to help me
do that.
Once again, the dream team,Jason Cochran, who is the editor
in chief of fromers.com hey, Jason.
Hello.
(01:45):
And Zach Thompson, who is themanaging editor of fromers.com hello
there.
Thanks for having me.
Hey, Jason.
Hey, Zach.
Okay, we're going to startwith you.
Last week you talked aboutyour old home state.
Now you're going to talk aboutyour old hometown of Chicago.
Yeah, I lived there many yearsbefore I worked at Fromers, but yes.
(02:10):
So we picked Chicago for 2026.
It's expected to have a bigyear, primarily because the Obama
Presidential center is slatedto open in late spring there.
And it is a big deal.
It's a 19 acre campus inJackson park, which is a park on
the south side next to Lake Michigan.
(02:32):
So there's four different buildings.
The main part that touristswill visit is the Obama Museum.
They're calling it the Obamalisk because it's eight stories,
it's 220ft tall.
It's right by the lake.
If you've been to Chicago, youknow, the lakefront is usually very
like open.
So this is this big thing there.
Not without controversy, bythe way, that that has blocking the
(02:53):
lakefront in that part.
But it's very exciting.
And inside it sort of is hispresidential library, but not quite.
The National Archives are not involved.
That's another whole big thing.
But there's a museum of hislife and of Michelle Obama's life
and chances to think aboutAmerican democracy, which is always
(03:13):
a cause important to Obama,his presidency.
There are films, there's artinstallations, a lot of great artists.
Maya Lin, for example, hasworked there.
There's an Oval Office replicawhich every presidential library
has for some reason.
There's like little dioramasof big White House events from when
Obama was president.
There's a collection ofMichelle's dresses that she wore
(03:33):
as first lady.
There's this great observationdeck at the top that overlooks Hyde
Park.
And I think you can see thelake or maybe it goes the points
in the other direction.
And most importantly, there'sa basketball court that's NBA regulation
size because Obama was a bigbasketball fan.
Continues to be.
And the center also has abunch of programming and really trying
to be a part of the community.
(03:54):
So there's.
There's actually a ChicagoPublic Library branch there.
There's free meeting space andeverything, except the museum is
free to the public, by the way.
So it's gonna be a big deal in Chicago.
And there's some other stuffhappening in Chicago we can talk
about if you want.
But let's talk about Obama first.
Yeah.
No, the New York Times had areally interesting article about
(04:14):
the fact that this was builtnot to be the usual presidential
library.
They're hoping that this willreally, in a certain way, reshape
the community and give themspaces for special programs, to educate
themselves, to builddemocracy, to gather in a peaceful
(04:35):
way.
It just sounds incredible.
And the renderings that theNew York Times had, showing the buildings,
they really fit in.
I mean, Chicago is the city ofthese spellbinding, massive, often
very unique skyscrapers.
And this is going to beanother one of those.
(04:57):
So it looks like a.
It looks like a home run to me.
Yeah, it's a beautiful building.
It's concrete.
It's supposed to look likefour hands joined together and, like
pointing upwards.
I mean, it's kind of.
It's very abstract.
Has words from Obama's speechat the 50th anniversary of the Selma
to Montgomery march etchedinto the top, like five stories,
(05:17):
five stories worth of it.
So it is pretty incredible architecturally.
I cannot remember the name ofthe firm that designed it, but it's
gonna be pretty spectacular.
Yeah.
Hyde park is right there wherethe University of Chicago is.
You can swing by where Obamalived in Kenmore.
That's nearby his house opento visitors.
No, it's not.
But you can go by theneighborhood and everything.
(05:39):
Okay.
And what else is happening in Chicago?
Why else did it make the list?
There's a lot always going on.
The city is UNESCO'sinternational, the site of International
Jazz Day this year.
And jazz is, of course, a bigdeal in Chicago.
April 30, Herbie Hancock, whois a windy sceney native, will be
there doing a concert.
And then, you know, that givesyou a chance to really explore the
(06:02):
city's music scene, which isunparalleled with regard to jazz.
You can go to the Green Mill,up and uptown, or really anywhere,
any.
Any of the iconic jazz venues.
Lots on the south side as well.
And then you mentioned architecture.
I know New Yorkers get madabout this, but Chicago says they
invented the skyscraper afterthe Great Fire.
It's a lie.
(06:22):
When they had to rebuild thecity after the Great Fire in the.
Was that in the 1870s.
And so they have a biennialArchitecture Biennial every other
year.
And it's going on now throughthe end of February.
It's a free exhibition thatwill show off the design and architecture
in the city that the city hassort of spearheaded over the years.
(06:43):
And you know, when you're inthe summer, if you're after it's
over, one of the best thingsto do for tourists in Chicago is
to take one of thearchitecture boat tours on the Chicago
river there.
Just you leave spouting somany factoids.
There's also a really coolthing called the Hand and the Eye,
which is like a huge magicvenue in the Gold coast, which is
(07:05):
on the near north side.
This is, this is ritzy area onthe near north side, just north of
downtown.
And it's going to be, it'sbilled as the world's largest magic
venue.
There's going to be arestaurant, there's going to be all
these places.
It's across several floorswith all this close up magic.
And there are bars and everything.
So that's kind of really cool.
And Route 66 is celebratingits 100th anniversary in 2026, the
(07:25):
mother roadway, as they say.
And it starts in Chicago andgoes all the way to Santa Monica,
California.
And there's new signs andeverything in Chicago that Show off
Route 66.
If you search online, you canfind events throughout the whole
length of the road that arecelebrating throughout the year.
A lot going on in Chicago, as.
Always, you know, And I feellike we have to say this.
(07:49):
My daughter lives in Chicagoand I called her the other day and
asked her, have you seen any ugliness?
Have you seen ice raids?
Have you felt endangered?
And she said, no, I haven'tseen anything.
You know, she lives in an areacalled river north, which is a very
(08:09):
bougie area.
And she said, somethinghappened at a place I go to often,
but it didn't happen when Iwas there.
So despite what you see onsocial media, the entire city is
not being raided at all times.
It's not a war zone the wayit's depicted.
Right.
It looks like a war zone fromthose videos, but I don't think that's
(08:31):
at all fair.
And from what I hear fromeverybody who's there, it doesn't
feel that way, exceptunfortunately when you're confronted
with it right where it's happening.
Although I will say the ICEraids are definitely happening.
That is a thing that's occurring.
I was there in October for a wedding.
My husband is.
That's his hometown and I wentto college there and lived there
(08:51):
many years.
But the way I did sense acertain anger on the part of Chicagoans
towards.
There were a lot of signs Isaw on the north side that were like,
keep your hands off Chicago.
But I mean, Chicago is veryloyal to Chicago.
Chicagoans are so there.
I did sense a lot ofresentment for how they're treated
(09:11):
by righteous anger.
They should be.
Righteous anger.
They should be.
They will fight back anddefend Chicago.
Believe it.
So I think it's a great timefor tourists to come because it has
been unfairly maligned, I'dsay in quarters of the media.
And it is a great opportunityto come and see how great the city
is and to experience it for yourself.
(09:33):
All the wonderful things ithas to offer.
Yeah, the new things and theold things.
I mean, Chicago has moreMichelin starred restaurants than
New York.
Chicago has beaches that youcan hang out on in the summer.
Chicago has some of the mostextraordinary museums, not only in
the United States, but in theworld with masterpieces you won't
(09:53):
see anywhere, like La GrandeJatte by Seurat.
I mean, there's just thetheater scene.
Performing arts is incredible.
Storefront theater.
Yeah.
So go Chicago.
Go to Chicago.
I should say, you know, don't,don't avoid it.
It's a, it's a great, greatcity and it will reward you, whatever
your political affiliations.
(10:15):
You will enjoy yourself absolutely.
No matter what the year is.
I want to put it on bestplaces, but it's just this year we
have so many more reasons.
Yes, absolutely.
Okay, let's talk about anothergreat city, the city of Vienna.
Vienna controlled most ofEurope from about 1273 to 1918, because
(10:37):
this is where the Habsburgdynasty was.
And so when you go to Vienna,it's palace after palace after opera
house after ancient theaterwhere horses dance after extraordinary
cityscapes filled with ancient mansions.
(10:59):
But things change in Vienna.
And there's a lot going on inthis year in particular, which is
why we're saying to go there.
For example, the nationalperformance house of all of Austria,
the Berg theater, is turning 250.
And so it's going to have awhole slew of special shows, guided
(11:20):
tours, anniversary exhibits.
You know, it's decorated withpaintings by Gustav Klimt himself,
gorgeous ceiling paintings.
You'll be able to see those onthe tour as well.
They have a very importantmuseum, the Museum of Folk Life and
Folk Art, and it's been closed forever.
(11:42):
It's finally reopening.
It was being renovated, soit's going to be reopening.
They have Central Europe'slargest Pride Parade that will be
happening for the 30th timethis summer.
And there's a new, highlyentertaining museum about Johann
(12:03):
Strauss, who was the king ofthe waltz.
It's his 200th birthday in2025 and there's going to be a permanent
exhibit about him.
It's a multimedia experiencethat takes you in a seven act interactive
journey through his life.
And it should just be a lot of fun.
(12:23):
I was in Vienna.
Gosh, I guess it was two yearsago now and it was my first time,
believe it or not.
And I absolutely fell in lovewith the city because not only is
it drop dead gorgeous, I mean,everywhere you look is another magnificent
building or a museum filledwith the most moving, joyous art.
(12:47):
Joyous or tragic art, dependson who you're looking at.
But also it's a place where Ifeel like they've got what leading
a civilized life means.
They've got that down pat.
As I was wandering through thecity, I kept coming upon these outdoor
libraries where they wouldhave these shelves of books and beanbags
(13:10):
on the sidewalk and parentswere reading to their children in
these beanbags and otherpeople were borrowing the books.
And then I found there werethese festivals going on when I was
there.
I was there in the summertimeand I went to one not knowing what
it was.
I just saw it announced and itturned out to be a book reading in
(13:31):
German.
So that way it wasn't thatinteresting for me.
But it was also incrediblyinteresting because about a thousand
people showed up to hear anauthor discuss his work.
And I just, I think it's theonly place I've ever gone where I've
thought if I were ever toleave New York City, this is where
(13:54):
I would go.
Oh, wow.
It seems like a place wherethey really know how to live life
well and they're incredibly civilized.
And I just fell in love withthe place.
And so with all these specialthings happening, this is the year
to go to Vienna.
When I went to Vienna, Ithought that was.
I agree 100%.
Like the cafe culture.
(14:14):
They just know how to live.
Yeah.
Are you on board with us,Jason, on Vienna?
I love the way it's always set Trends.
You know, 20 something yearsago, it was one of the first cities
in Europe to take these olddisused gas tanks that are on the
outskirts of so manyindustrial cities and convert them
to places you'd really want to live.
It was one of the first to do that.
Now a lot of Europe imitateswhat Vienna started.
(14:36):
And of course, I think myfavorite movie about traveling is
called Before Sunrise withEthan Hawke and Julie Delpy, 1994.
It's essentially two peoplemeet, backpackers meet, and they
just walk around Vienna andgradually fall in love over the course
of the movie.
So I have lots of lovelyconnections to Vienna and all the
ways that you can celebrate it.
(14:57):
And I think it's a great ideato put it back on the list because
people need to discover it.
After all, it took you untiltwo years ago.
Pauline.
I know.
I couldn't believe I hadn'tbeen there before.
I can't wait to go back andshow it to my husband and my kids.
I just loved it.
All right, another great city.
We're doing three cities in arow, but in very different places.
Adelaide, Australia.
(15:18):
Jason, why is that a place youwant to go now?
Well, the why do we go now?
Is answered by the fact thatit's usually like Fiji, very difficult
to reach.
But soon it won't be becausein December of this year, United
Airlines is starting directflights from San Francisco.
And the reason it's usuallydifficult to reach is because where
(15:40):
it is, it's in a remote partof Australia, which I guess is like,
you know, putting a hat on a hat.
A lot of Australia is remote,but even people in Sydney and Melbourne
think it's remote.
It's in South Australia.
And if you picture Australia,it's kind of like in the middle,
on the bottom, near the coast.
And it's, it's, it's near somereally interesting diversity of things
to go see and do.
And so in the spirit of theidea that this best places list is
(16:04):
about places where you cansort of reboot your mindset far from
home, Adelaide really fits the bill.
It's a lovely, calm, mid levelcity that's walkable, bikable.
It was planned out by thecolonial Australians.
And so, you know, theiravenues follow very predictable patterns.
Its biggest tourist site islike a foodie market, the central
(16:24):
market, which is getting a lotof love this year as well.
It has the largest, well, hasthe largest fringe festival, the
largest arts festival inAustralia, and the second largest
in the world.
It's called the Adelaide Fringe.
And it happens in late summerof February and March.
We're talking dance theater oryou know, light shows, just whatever.
It's a small world of greatthings to see and do.
(16:46):
And then there'll be anotherfestival that just started about
10 years ago.
It's called Tarnanti and it's a.
It's a festival of art byAboriginal and Torres Strait islanders.
And, and it's, you know, it,it's really contemporary.
When I say that it's aboutindigenous art, people imagine one
thing, but there's some reallyinteresting, cutting edge, inventive
visuals that are happening there.
So all those reasons enoughare, you know, you'd want to go to
(17:08):
Adelaide, which is nearbeaches you can actually swim in,
which is not the case inQueensland a lot of times.
And it's near mountains wherethey grow lots of grapes, so there's
lots of good wine.
In fact, the oldest wineregions in Australia are near Adelaide.
But also there's a placecalled Kangaroo island, which is
just about 45 minutes by ferryaway from the outskirts of Adelaide.
(17:29):
And it's this giant unspoiledisland with cliffs and hidden coves
you can boat and fish in andkangaroos and wallabies running wild.
On Kangaroo island this year,they're putting in a golf course
for the first time, whichsounds depressing when you talk about
natural wildlife place, but inthis case, it took nearly a decade
for them to pass lots oftechnical and regulatory requirements
(17:51):
from the government Australia.
They do things very carefullybecause they know how delicate and
irreplaceable theirenvironment is.
And this golf course, whichcost about US13 million, is going
in next year, adheres to allof that.
But there's another reason togo to Kangaroo island, which is already
one of the more popular placesto sort of get away from it all in
Australia and Kangaroo island,like Jasper and Asheville, which
(18:15):
are previously on this list ofbest places, it had a hard time 2020
and 2019, there were hugewildfires that scorched the western
half.
But a lot has been rebuilt, alot has been rediscovered and the
place has sort of been reenergized by the loss.
And it's growing back in a waythat I don't think most visitors
can tell.
But the locals will tell youall the ways that it's transformed
the place for the better.
(18:36):
Huh?
Very interesting.
So do you see any remnants ofthose fires when you're there?
A little bit of chard land,but a lot of the greenery, it's not,
it's not a developed place.
So it's when nature retakesitself, you know, you can see it,
you know it's, and it's notlike a giant forest the way it would
be up in Jasper.
That would take manygenerations to rebuild.
This is more like scrubby, lowlying, you know, seaside cliffs.
(18:59):
So it can regenerate a lot, alot faster, at least to the human
eye.
Right.
So it's, it's, it's an easy place.
And they've rebuilt a lot ofthe visitor centers that have been
lost.
So there's a, there's a lot ofreasons to go, but a lot of people
just go to Kangaroo island toescape rangers in civilization.
They'll rent a boat and youcan reach down on the water and pick
up these giant crayfish.
If you're into crayfish andall these other animals that are
(19:20):
endemic to that area.
This in the, the bite ofAustralia down there.
Also South Australia whileyou're down there.
Because when you're inAustralia you should do more.
You can fly up to a placecalled Coober Pedy from Adelaide.
I think it's maybe an hourflight away.
That's the place that used to be.
It's in the desert.
A lot of South Australia isdesert, like Australian desert.
But it's a place where theyused to mine for opals and still
(19:41):
do a little bit.
But a lot of the homes andhotels are now in the former mines.
So when it's 100 somethingdegrees outside, you're underneath
the ground in these littlemini cities and homes that are carved
into the mountainside.
And it's also where you can.
Adelaide is also where you cancatch the Gan, which is the big passenger
train that goes from the southof Australia all the way up to Darwin.
Along the way passing NanawaSprings so you can get off and go
(20:03):
to see Uluru.
So there's a lot of reasons togo to Adelaide.
It's just.
But mostly it's a livable,pleasant, richly natural place that
is way far away from themadness in your own yard.
Yeah, absolutely.
When I saw the pictures, itjust looks very green, like extremely.
It's a beautiful city.
Yeah.
That part of Australia gets alot of moisture because of the water.
(20:24):
It quickly gives way todesert, which is again, what's so
fascinating about parts ofAustralia is you can get these wild
shifts in topography withinjust, you know, 20 minutes drive.
But that's what also makes ita really rich place for taking a
vacation because there's lotsof different types of things to do.
Right.
And I'm sorry, it's not megrowling, that's my dog.
I don't know if you can hearthat background here still on the
(20:47):
fence about Adelaide.
Apparently the dog is.
Yes.
Is your dog from Sydney?
Because there really is aweird rival cow town.
Yeah.
But I think placed and we'dwant to raise a family type of thing.
Yeah.
That's surprising.
I thought the rivalry wasbetween Sydney and Melbourne.
Well, there it is as well.
But people just sort of viewAdelaide as sort of a backwater and
(21:09):
I think it's completely.
It's unfair because it's athird tier city, a second tier city
and it's not at the level of aSydney or Melbourne.
But that's why you'd want togo, isn't it?
Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah.
And you're right aboutkangaroo island.
Teaming, teeming with kangaroos.
We saw these extraordinaryphotos of like hundreds of them just
(21:30):
hopping through fields.
Really, really a place I wantto go.
People don't realize how manykangaroos there are in Australia.
They just, they're everywhereand they're quite dangerous.
They're, you know, becausethey're always leaping in front of
cars and things like that.
There was once someone whowanted to bring kangaroos to the
western United States and weshould be glad that there are the
protections in place that didnot do that.
Otherwise they would bepopulating like crazy and just completely
(21:52):
swarming and teeming witheverything out west in our country
too.
Yeah.
All right.
Our next place is the Algarveregion of Portugal.
It has 125 miles of beachesand many consider them to be the
best beaches in the UnitedStates, in all of Europe.
(22:13):
It has a very balmy climate.
It never ever gets colder than60 degrees.
So even in the depths ofwinter, sometimes you can go swimming
there.
But the reason we arehighlighting it this year is for
the first time ever, there aregoing to be direct transatlantic
flights into the regionalcapital of Faro from the United States,
(22:37):
making it a place whereAmericans can actually maybe do a
European beach vacation, whichis kind of crazy.
But of course there's morethere because this is Portugal.
So you have these ancientfortresses, you have gold lined baroque
churches, you have the placeswhere the Portuguese explorers took
(22:59):
off and ancient cloisters.
This year Pharaoh is gettingthe old masters collection from Lisbon.
While Lisbon's National Museumof Ancient Art is closed for refurbishing.
They're going to be sendingthose paintings to Pharaoh, which
(23:22):
is I think an incrediblereason to go.
Because Pharaoh had been abeach place with some historic structures,
but because so much wasdestroyed in the earthquake of 1755,
which is also the earthquakethat leveled Lisbon itself.
It has fewer historicstructures than other parts of the
(23:45):
country.
But with these paintingsthere, that's a reason to go.
In 2026 they have a newlyreopened theater.
There's going to be an AfroNation festival, the world's biggest
festival of Afrobeats music.
And it's finally going to bemuch easier to get around the region
(24:06):
because they are finallycompleting a new train line that
is going to chug through thedunes and salt marshes and orange
groves that line thisbeautiful coast.
So always been a gorgeousplace to visit.
Now it's going to be much,much more accessible because there's
(24:28):
going to be direct flightsfrom the US and ways to get around
easily.
And if you're a beachy type ofperson and maybe a newlywed.
The Algarve is famous for itssecluded coves.
Hint, hint dot dot you this.
There's lots of them that don't.
There's no way to read.
There's no roads to them.
You just have to find the topof 150 foot cliff and then use the
pathway down and you can havethese sandy little coves.
(24:49):
And there's photos in our bestplaces feature on fromers.com where
you'll.
Nobody will ever bother youfor the entire day while you're enjoying
the beach and possibly each other.
The photos are G rated.
Don't worry.
Yeah, unfortunately we're afamily publication.
Yeah, this is a family publication.
Yeah.
All right, Zach, take us home.
We have reached the very last destination.
(25:13):
Am I the finale?
How exciting.
You are the finale.
The last place is also abeachy place called Palawan in the
Philippines.
And the reason we think it'sgoing to have a big moment in 2026
is it's the setting for a newrom com that's coming up called the
Last Resort.
So we think it's going to be abig destination for the those into
(25:34):
following the trend of Ialways flip it Set jetting.
That's it.
That's the term.
Yeah, that's the term theylike to use.
Instead of jet setter.
You're a set because you gofor the sets.
Right.
Anyway, it's called the LastResort and it's in this beautiful
area of the Philippines calledPalawan which is an archipelago in
the westernmost province ofthe country.
And it's just gorgeous.
(25:54):
I mean expect the scenery toupstage the actors.
Daisy Ridley's in it from shewas in the Star wars second Star
wars trilogy.
But Palawan has like 1800coral fringed aisles and islets.
So that means Snorkelers anddivers have a lot to do.
There's beautiful beaches.
(26:14):
You can go island hopping.
And the biggest island, whichis also called Palawan, its most
famous thing is called PuertoPrincesa Subterranean River national
park.
And it's a UNESCO heritagesite with these limestone karst cliffs.
And inside there are theseincredible dramatic caves and you
can take boat tours to seethem on an underground river.
(26:36):
Another reason we picked thePhilippines is because it's often
been overlooked.
It hasn't always been safe togo there because of political instability,
but it's affordable.
It's exciting because it's onthe cusp.
And so, yeah, that's Palawan.
And these pictures of this,the place with the karst cliffs that
Zach is talking about, gorgeous.
(26:57):
They're like these verticalneedles of rock coming out of this
turquoise blue water that'sperfectly flat.
It looks.
It's that otherworldly thingthat you don't really see very often
and is absolutely worth the trip.
Kind of looks like Ha Long Bayactually in Vietnam.
Much less crowded and, well,it looked to me like the movie Avatar.
I mean, it almost looksotherworldly, just the verticality
(27:21):
of those cliffs.
Yeah, it looks absolutely spectacular.
A lot of people speak Englishthere too, by the way.
Don't forget, because there'sa lot of links, both good and bad,
with the United States.
So it's an easier place totravel for some people who are afraid
of language barrier in Asia.
Yeah, absolutely.
And we should point out thatit is airfare.
Getting there can beexpensive, but from the North America
(27:42):
because you'll have to fly toManila and then you'll have to change
to a domestic flight.
But once you get there, thingsare pretty affordable.
Although there are some luxuryresorts that'll make you feel like
a Hollywood star yourself when.
When you're out there and paylike one too.
Although actually probably theHollywood star gets.
A freebie, but they pay jack squat.
Yeah, well, I can't believe wegot through them all.
Do either of you have afavorite among them?
(28:05):
I think my favorite was Ulu, Finland.
It just looks like such aquirky, fun place.
I haven't been yet, but I'mdying to go now.
Did either of you have a favorite?
Jasper, I mean, my home stateof Arkansas Hot Springs.
I think I'd like to go to thisplace in the Philippines because
(28:26):
it's a place I've never been.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, you will find much todream over in our list.
You can find it@fromers.comyou go to fromers.com bestplaces2026
that's a shortcut to see the article.
And I don't know if wediscussed this at the very beginning,
(28:47):
but nobody ever pays to be inour best places list.
We're journalists, so we justtried to pick the places that we
thought should be seen nowbecause places are like wine.
They have better years andworst years.
And we think for these 16places, now is the time to go with.
Go to them.
(29:08):
Thank you so much, Jason and Zach.
Really delightful speakingwith you.
Yeah, my pleasure.
I hope all the listeners outthere and all of our readers have
a great 2026.
Keep us posted about where you travel.
We always love to hear from you.
Have a great year.
Absolutely.
And if you like this podcast,give us a nice rating that that helps.
Tell your friends about us andtell your friends about fromers.com
(29:29):
we have so much good materialgoing up there every day.
Information that will makeyour next trip much better.
Okay, that's it for thisweek's show.
I thank you so much for listening.
And to those who aretraveling, may I wish you a hearty
bon voyage.
(29:58):
Sour candy on the table Lazyafternoons in your sweatpants watching
cable well it feels so faraway all the channels seem the same
(30:19):
Trying to remember all thesongs we like to play Cuz those lazy
afternoons don't come sofrequently these days oh it's been
so long and I cannot help butwonder Are you ever coming home?
(30:40):
I like you with this sourcandy in the boat house on the lake
oh but I hate, I hate, I hate,I hate, I hate, I hate the way it
takes I can't get you off ofmy mind Looking out the window where
(31:10):
we spent so much of our timeCause I miss the way it felt But
I guess you can't controlthose damn cards with both of us
are happy when we're free butwould it be so hard to find your
(31:32):
freedom here with me?
It's been so long and I cannothelp but wonder Are you ever jumping.
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