Ukraine and Armenia are the two Eastern European countries included in Globe Spots Top 10 Countries to visit in 2013. This is the fifth edition of the top which illustrated the countries that will or at least should become top tourist destinations in the next year. As Globe Spots indicated, the list is determined based on their travel experience, plus some wild rumors and crazy speculations.
Ukraine, Crimea, Swallow's Nest
There are three types of destinations included in the top, those recommended for classic travel (attractive due to great sights and convenience), adventurous places, appealing to those with a taste for new travel experiences, and hardcore destinations, “for those who are willing to travel anywhere just for the buzz.”
The classic recommendations for 2013 include Portugal, Cuba and Canada. Malawi, Ukraine Rwanda, Armenia and Panama make up the top of adventurous hot spots for the year to come, while the hardcore picks are Mozambique and Kyrgyzstan.
“Hot on the heels of the successfully co-hosted Euro2012, Ukraine has been brought to the forefront of the tourism world. The days of visas and police bribery are a thing of the past. Today’s Ukraine provides a surreal combination of rock-till-you-drop coastal party towns to Crimean holiday resorts to cosmopolitan capitals to villages you’d swear you were still in the USSR,” Globe Spots explains their choice. Ukraine is also recommended for the travel diversity it offers.
Yerevan, Armenia
Still off-the-grid for most travelers, Armenia was the second Easter European selection in the top. “Boasting having been the first to embrace Christianity, the country provides ample proof of that assertion, and following the guidebooks’ suggestions will most likely leave anyone churched (or monasteried) out. Fortunately, those willing to dig a little deeper will discover a truly amazing country with a beautiful landscape, but will also encounter genuinely nice people always ready to offer them a shot of aragh (introduced by never-ending toasts), or welcome them at their khorovats picnic… or both.” As EU citizens can now travel to the country without a visa, it is bound to gain popularity among tourists in 2013.
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.org