Eritrea

Eritrea is the ultimate dupe destination for travellers who want East Africa without the crowds. Its capital Asmara — a UNESCO-listed city of extraordinary Italian modernist architecture — feels like a Mediterranean fever dream transported to the Horn of Africa, all espresso bars and crumbling pastel facades.

The Red Sea Riviera around Massawa and the Dahlak Archipelago offers pristine coral reefs and wreck diving that remains largely undiscovered, while the highland escarpment invites genuine soft adventure — trekking through terraced farmland and ancient monasteries carved into cliff faces.

Travel here is not effortless, and that is precisely the point. Eritrea demands mindful, intentional travel — rewarding those willing to engage with a proud, deeply hospitable culture on its own terms, far from the well-worn tourist trail.