The neat symmetry of ’25 for 25’ means a lot of publications and media organisations have published lists of their best 25 destinations to visit on holiday in 2025. This includes everyone from National Geographic to the BBC.
What is notable, apart from the sheer variety, is that some of these are far from what anyone would call exotic. For example, the BBC list includes Wales and the City of Bradford, which means quite a few people reading the article will already live in the place they have been advised to visit.
Similarly, National Geographic, which has its headquarters in the US, includes American destinations in its list, such as Boise in Idaho and Los Angeles. It also has a British recommendation in the form of the Outer Hebrides.
When it comes to travel health services, most of the advanced countries in temperate climates won’t pose too much threat. So travelling to Los Angeles is safe enough (except in the recent forest fires), while those looking at the BBC list will be as safe in Western Australia, Kansas City or Oslo as they will in Wales.
However, the recommended locations include plenty of places that require significant preparation beforehand, be it getting medication like anti-malarial pills or vaccinations.
For instance, the BBC lists Sri Lanka as a must-visit destination. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice notes that zika and dengue are viral risks from biting insects in rural areas.
Vaccine recommendations include yellow fever (vaccine certification is required), as well as Japanese encephalitis and Hepatitis A when visiting rural areas.
A risk you may have in some countries is altitude, which will require medication such as Diamox when climbing mountains. However, this only applies over 2,500 metres above sea level and only one mountain (Pidurutalagala) is that high, so this is not a major risk.
That may not be said for some other destinations, such as the Gilgi-Baltistan region of Pakistan and Bhutan, both Himalayan locations. Indeed, Gilgi-Baltistan includes K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
While some locations have very high mountains, plenty of others have tropical diseases that require vaccination. In the BBC list, this will also include Pakistan in general, which requires certification of vaccination against polio (it is one of the very few countries where it is still present) as well as yellow fever.
Visitors to Pakistan may also need jabs against Hepatitis A, Typhoid and Tetanus, as is the case in Bhutan.
Such vaccinations tend to be needed in a lot of Asian countries and this will be true of the National Geographic list too, with its top destinations including the Suru Valley in India, Bangkok in Thailand and Raja Ampat in Indonesia.
Africa also brings some tropical perils, with National Geographic tipping Senegal and the BBC Botswana. Senegal requires yellow fever jabs and some travellers need to be prepared against malaria, cholera, meningococcal disease and polio.
In Botswana, Malaria and cholera are among the threats, while there is a yellow fever certificate requirement but no disease risk.
Of course, for all the recommendations, it is up to you where to go on holiday. But if you choose Bhutan, Bangkok or Botswana over Bradford, Barry or Benbecula, it is vital to ensure you make the right health preparations.