The Top 5 Trending Travel Destinations

1. Papua New Guinea

Until recently, Papua New Guinea had been infamously difficult to reach. Due to its mountainous landscape, traversing the country was always a tricky task, and without high levels of tourism, there was no way to fund transportation routes between all of Papua New Guinea’s attractions. As a result, the number of international visitors was recorded at just under 70,000 in 2005. But luckily, this all changed when Australian cruise companies began operating tours that stopped off at several points along the country’s coast.

The lack of tourism infrastructure actually proved to be one of Papua New Guinea’s main appeals as a travel destination. For now, there are still no five star all-inclusive hotels laced along the coasts, no fast food restaurants, no noise pollution – all experiences are authentic. The country’s origins are shared with those of Australia; each having a common tribal history and also similar wildlife (there are even kangaroos that live in trees). It is as if Papua New Guinea is Australia’s mountainous and culturally undisturbed twin. Holidaymakers are now flocking to these remote locations, as it is expected that they will not remain this untouched for long. As with every secluded getaway, the introduction of mass tourism is bound to defile its authenticity.

Mainly due to commercial aircrafts’ inability to land at a lot of the country’s airports, one of the most convenient ways to travel is by chartered jet. Chapman Freeborn charter flights to several airports at the most popular destinations, whether it be the bustling city of Port Moresby (Jacksons International Airport), the tropical Morobe and Madang Provinces (Madang Airport), or the stunning island of New Britain (Hoskins Airport).

2. Haiti

Haiti was at the height of tourism in the 1950s. It was the go to place for Americans, as it only took an hour to fly from Miami to the capital, Port-au-Prince. The vibrant culture and party scene lured hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, especially during the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras, when they would flock to the famous Haitian Carnival. However, since 2010, tourism had all but stopped. The disastrous earthquake caused destruction to over 250,000 buildings, killing around 100,000 people, devastating the country and sending its population into mourning.

Five years later, President Michel Martelly is determined to bring tourism back to Haiti. Reparations to buildings have been made thanks to international aid, the cholera outbreak that occurred as a result of the earthquake has been quelled, and crime is down to its lowest since the event. Martelly is eager to rejuvenate the art and music scene to the standard it was before 2010, and resume annual Haitian Carnival celebrations. Despite the damage caused, the beaches are still on par with those of the neighbouring Caribbean islands, and the largest historical fortress in North America, Citadelle la Ferriére, still stands.

Thanks to the amount of international aid that the country received during the disaster, Haiti was able to quickly rebuild. As a result, there is once again plenty to see and do in Haiti. With Chapman Freeborn, it is possible to charter a flight to numerous destinations around the country, such as the vibrant capital (Port-au-Prince International Airport), the peaceful coastal town of Jacmel (Jacmel Airport) and the historical northern coast (Cap-Haitien International Airport).

3. Sri Lanka

Until 2009, some of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful national parks and beaches were temporarily declared out of bounds to the public. A 25 year long civil war meant that the country was too dangerous to travel to; it was even ill advised to visit areas that were restriction free. Six years ago, conflict ceased and the areas previously occupied by the secessionists were reopened. Luxury resorts have already started springing up along the country’s rediscovered paradise locations, and similar to the situation in Papua New Guinea, tourists are hurrying to visit before the tranquility is lost.

The amount of undiscovered wonders that travellers now have access to is mouth-watering. There are a total of eight UNESCO World Heritage sights, countless white sand beaches decorated with palm trees, and rainforests that cover the whole tropical island. The country’s mysterious ancient history can once again be discovered by tourists, as many Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and Christian temples have remained intact. The appeal of being the one of first to experience these areas after a 25 year tourism absence is enticing over a million visitors to Sri Lanka each year.

The problem with having so much to discover in one trip is finding the time to do so. Instead of taking public transport, hiring a car, or waiting on domestic flights, Chapman Freeborn can arrange luxury air charters between most airports across Sri Lanka. It is possible for tourists to jet off from the colonial city of Colombo (Bandaranaike International Airport) to the wildlife filled Hill Country (Kandy Airport), or even from visiting the ancient city of Mihintale (Anuradhapura Airport) to the partying along the south coast (Mawella Lagoon Airport).

4. Montenegro

Montenegro has only recently become an independent state. After becoming one of many successors to Yugoslavia, and then succeeding in a referendum to break away from Serbia in 2006, the country has been able to focus on its own tourism infrastructure. The nine years of self-ruling have significantly benefitted Montenegro, with the World Tourism and Travel Council placing them first out of 184 for the rate of growth of tourism in 2014. According to the WTTC, this increase has created 14.5 thousand jobs, making up 8.8% of the country’s total employment.

Although the coast is where most tourists flock to during their first trip to Montenegro, it should be noted that there is something for everyone, no matter what they look for in a holiday. Granted, the beaches are beautiful, and the Adriatic Sea is calm and blue, but by turning around and heading towards the iconic black mountains, extreme sports enthusiasts will find plenty to whet their appetites. Bobotov Kuk is the highest peak in the Durmitor mountain range (2523m), and perfect terrain for hiking, mountain biking and white water rafting. There is also plenty of wildlife in Durmitor, such as wolves, bears and lynx.

The Bay of Kotor (Novi Airport) is recommended for the adventurous types, with plenty of mountains and caves to explore. Beach seekers should travel to the Adriatic Coast (Tivat Airport), and there are several destinations for thrill seekers to choose from in the mountains, but Kolasin and Zabljak (Podgorica Airport) are the most popular. Chapman Freeborn can charter luxury private jets to all of these places and more.

5. Namibia

The newfound popularity of an emerging travel destination isn’t always attributed to a change in legislation or improved tourism infrastructure. Sometimes, travellers catch wind of unexplored paradises through online travel blogs or simply word of mouth. This is likely to have been the case for Namibia. It is estimated that the abundance of social publicity that the Southwest African State is currently receiving will boost tourism by 9.1% in the next 10 years, more than any other country.

Namibia is recognised as one of the safest destinations in Africa, yet it is one of the least explored places in the world – by humans at least. As a country that includes laws protecting the natural world in its governmental constitution, there is a plethora of wild animals roaming the deserts. These efforts are keeping poachers at bay, allowing for the hundreds of species of animals to roam in peace within the country’s national parks. There are plenty of tour companies that offer safaris around the parks, although visitors may instead prefer to set off on their own self-drive tour.

Namibia is a large country, and unfortunately all of its main attractions aren’t in one place. It is possible to traverse the deserts by car, but the amount of time this takes would better be spent at the attractions. It is much more efficient to travel by air, and also more enjoyable to travel luxuriously. With Chapman Freeborn, visitors can charter their own luxury private jet between locations such as Waterberg National Park (Otjiwarongo Airport), Etosha National Park (Namutoni Airport), and the adventure capital of Namibia, Swakopmund (Swakopmund Airport).

Banner photo courtesy of jthetzel

Papua New Guinea image courtesy of eGuide Travel

Haiti image courtesy of Lee Cannon

Sri Lanka image courtesy of Fruits of Karma

Montenegro image courtesy of Trish Hatmann

Namibia image courtesy of Air Traveller