Welcome back to Underrated Cities, bringing you unexpected (and occasionally controversial) ideas for your next destination.
The wildly different cities in this edition is a reminder of how much we have left to see. Whether historic Europe, a Pacific island, or coastal Africa – there's a city of surprises waiting for you.
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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Despite the image above giving a 'liminal spaces' vibe, Wrocław is full of life – about 20% of the 675,000 population are students.
And despite being one of the last cities to fall in the Second World War, with parts of the central city being destroyed to build an evacuation airfield, there's plenty of historic architecture to go around.
Assuming you're avoiding the (very cold) winter and keen to lounge around outdoors, there are also 44 parks covering over 800 hectares (2,000 acres) spread across the city.
Our tip: stroll the Odra river promenade on a warm evening. Boring, in a good way. |
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Even veteran travellers to Fiji don't exactly make a beeline for Lautoka, the country's third largest city. And to be fair, if you're only in Fiji for beaches and snorkelling, you can safely give it a miss. But Lautoka has an energy and charm that make it a microcosm of Fiji's overall appeal.
Its majority Indian population – a relic of the colonial era, when Britain brought in extra workers for the sugarcane plantations – makes the city feel a bit like a miniature Kanpur in the South Pacific.
Wander aimlessly along the bustling yet tidy streets, lingering to chat with friendly shopkeepers – then cool down with some fresh mangoes from the atmospheric indoor vegetable market. Our tip: grab one of Fiji's best thalis at the South Seas Restaurant. |
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Situated at the westernmost tip of Africa, and surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic, Dakar has a truly maritime feel. Despite having all the congestion and urban sprawl that you'd expect from a capital city, it's managed to keep its soul alive.
To experience that soul in all its guises, you'll need to catch a ferry to the island of Gorée: it's a 20-minute sailing that takes you back 200 years. Completely free of cars, Gorée's salt-lashed colonial edifices point to a darker side of West African history: the transatlantic slave trade. Beyond the confronting physical experience, you can also explore the academic controversy surrounding the infamous "Door of No Return".
As you catch the sunset ferry back to Dakar, you'll have a new understanding of the post-colonial African city that you're returning to.
Our tip: try thieboudienne, the national dish of rice and fish which remains a symbol of Senegalese hospitality.
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Our rec for the Minaal gear best suited to these destinations?
You'll want to balance long journeys with day trips.
So of course, it's the Bag Bundle 3.0. |
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"The bag bundle is perfect for my permanent travel.
Perfect size, perfect features, perfect look, perfect quality.
It's always a pleasure to use it. I feel like I'll be using it for decades."
- Geraldo G. |
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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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