Welcome back to Underrated Cities, bringing you unexpected (and occasionally controversial) ideas for your next destination.
This edition: hot weather, hot food, and hot water (kind of).
Know a city that's criminally underrated and should be featured in a deeply excellent email series? Hit reply and let us know your top tip.
In the meantime, find your next destination below... |
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While everyone piles into Dubai for the latest dropshipping conference, Muscat sits quietly down the coast, doing its own thing. Which is exactly how Oman likes it.
The capital manages something rare in the Gulf: it’s got all the infrastructure you’d expect from a wealthy country, but without all the glass towers trying to out-tower each other. Instead, you get whitewashed buildings tucked between dramatic mountains and a distinctly Arabian coastline.
The souqs still smell like frankincense (Oman produces the world’s best). The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a triumph of contemporary Islamic architecture. And unlike some of its neighbors, Muscat hasn’t bulldozed its past to make room for the future – the historic port area of Muttrah remains intact.
Our tip: Drive out to Wadi Shab for the day. The hike through the canyon to a hidden waterfall is spectacular - and on weekdays you have it to yourself.
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Aguascalientes suffers from being neither a beach resort nor a colonial heavyweight. It’s just... there.
The name means “hot waters,” i.e. the thermal springs scattered nearby. The city itself is super walkable, with a historic center that doesn’t get the attention of Guanajuato or San Miguel de Allende but absolutely should.
What really sets it apart is the Feria de San Marcos - one of Mexico’s largest and oldest fairs, held every spring. Even outside festival season, there’s a relaxed energy here. Modern Mexico mixing with old traditions, without the self-consciousness that comes with heavy tourism.
Plus, you’re in one of Mexico’s emerging wine regions. The wineries around Aguascalientes don’t have Baja’s reputation yet, which means better prices and fewer crowds.
Our tip: Hit up Los Arcos in the evening. Nuff said. |
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Here’s the thing about Hanoi: everyone visits, almost no one gives it enough time.
People fly in, spend a day racing between sights, then make a beeline for Ha Long Bay or Hoi An. Our take: Hanoi deserves better than being used as a transit lounge.
The Old Quarter is chaotic in the best possible way. Each street traditionally specialized in one trade, and you can still see echoes of that: silk here, flowers there, endless pho joints everywhere.
The lakes (especially Hoan Kiem) give the city breathing room. There’s crumbling French colonial architecture all over the place. And the food scene is, as you'd expect, top notch.
Our tip: For dinner, skip the touristy spots around Hoan Kiem Lake. Head to Cha Ca Thang Long on Duong Thanh street instead, and order the fish. |
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Our rec for the Minaal gear best suited to these destinations?
You'll want to mix long hauls over there, with day trips once you arrive.
So of course, it's the Flashpacker Bundle. |
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Just want to drop in and say how much I love this bag. Used it recently for a work vacation. On and off planes and city buses. Used it every day. It becomes like a part of you, even when full. The pockets are perfectly placed. And I loved and used the water bottle pocket for my slim camelback. Having a good bag makes the work easier. Thanks. :)
– Ginny, Minaal Owner
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Got a city you think is underrated? Hit reply!
Let's get planning,
J, D, & the Minaal team |
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