This edition: a German, a Filipino, and a Canadian walk into a bar. Choose your own punchline.
Btw: out of time for gifts and need a lifesaver? Conveniently, we offer gift cards! You can solve all your gifting angst below: |
|
Hamburg gets the headlines, but head an hour north and you'll find a place that was running northern Europe's medieval economy while Hamburg was still in the crib.
Lübeck, the former "Queen of the Hanseatic League", is very much worth your time. Church spires decorate the skyline of the island Old Town, a UNESCO site featuring brick Gothic architecture and hidden courtyards – including the merchant house made famous by Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbrooks.
The marzipan obsession is real (and EU-protected?!), with Niederegger's cafe serving loads of interesting varieties. There's also the Holsten Gate, salt warehouses on the Trave river, and (of course) picturesque cobbled streets.
Our tip: book ahead for Schiffergesellschaft, a 1535 Seafarers' Guild Hall where model ships dangle from the ceiling while staff deliver authentic North German fish dishes. |
|
Most visitors to Panay Island treat Iloilo City as a layover en route to Boracay's beaches. Their loss? We say yes.
What they're missing: the most walkable city in the Philippines (yes, a reasonably low bar, but still). Wide boulevards, a riverside esplanade, and none of the chaos that defines Manila. The Spanish colonial churches are still standing, there's a thriving cafe scene, and the food is legitimately excellent.
The city's famous for La Paz batchoy – a pork and noodle soup that's basically the Iloilo version of pho, topped with chicharrón and served piping hot. Three historic stalls in La Paz Market have been offering it since the 1940s, each one claiming to be the original.
Also worth noting: you can walk around at night without clutching your belongings to your chest.
Our tip: head to Netong's in La Paz Market for batchoy the way it's been made for decades. |
|
British Columbia's capital is a blend of two seemingly incompatible elements: half Victorian-era colonial holdover (afternoon tea, double-decker buses, the whole bit), and half rugged West Coast wilderness. Somehow, it works.
Victoria sits on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, close enough to Vancouver for easy ferry (or even better, seaplane!) access, but different enough to justify the trip. The Inner Harbour is proper photogenic, the Butchart Gardens lives up to the hype, and you can whale-watch in the morning then grab craft beer by afternoon.
Canada's oldest Chinatown deserves more attention than it gets, particularly Fan Tan Alley – the narrowest street in North America, now filled with boutique shops rather than the gambling dens that gave it its name.
Mild climate, walkable downtown, and ocean on three sides. No wonder locals call it "the best-kept secret" while simultaneously promoting it to everyone.
Our tip: wander through Fan Tan Alley, then grab dim sum at Don Mee, which has been serving it trolley-style since 1923. |
|
Our rec for the Minaal gear best suited to these destinations?
You'll want to do some serious miles on foot, and be ready for rain (looking at you, Victoria).
So of course, it's the Flashpacker Bundle. |
|
"This bag fits everything and then some (believe me I did some shopping abroad)! High quality material makes this a durable bag that I can use again and again. I was able to meet carry-on requirements for all my flights, making travel through multiple countries a breeze."
– Alexis, Minaal Owner
|
|
Got a city you think is underrated? Hit reply!
Let's get planning,
J, D, & the Minaal team |
|
Made with ❤️ all over the 🌏 by the Minaal crew.
2025 MINAAL / PRIVACY
You had me at opt-in.
Wanna part ways?
click here
Minaal | 14525 SW Millikan Way Beaverton, OR 97005-2343
|
|
|
|
|
