Wanderlust · 10 min read · 2026

Ten destinations where the good times are getting better

Short on time? Let us summarise this guide for you.

Holiday Extras' Good Trips Index scores 183 countries on sustainability, democracy, human rights and more. To mark five years of the index, we've identified ten destinations that have improved most dramatically — from Poland's political comeback to Thailand's historic equal marriage milestone, and from Brazil's environmental recovery to Sri Lanka's remarkable resilience. These are places worth visiting for the experience and the conscience.

Every year, Holiday Extras' Good Trips Index ranks 183 countries on the things that matter to modern travellers — sustainability, human rights, press freedom, democracy and more.

This year marks five years of the index, and we've been looking at which destinations have improved most dramatically over that time. The results are full of surprises. Here are ten places where the world is genuinely getting better — and where you'll have a brilliant time discovering it.

Poland — Europe's most compelling comeback story

Kraków's medieval market square is one of the great public spaces in Europe. Warsaw has reinvented itself as a genuinely exciting city. The Tatra mountains are spectacular. And the food — pierogi, ?urek, bigos — is some of the most underrated on the continent.

Poland has long deserved more attention from British travellers. What's changed is that the country now has the politics to match its beauty. After years of democratic backsliding, a change of government in 2023 set Poland on a different course — one that's been reflected in measurable improvements across the Good Trips Index.

Poland now ranks 29th in the world, making it one of the highest-placed destinations in central Europe and the index's most significant political turnaround over five years. Short-haul, easy to reach, and outstanding value — it belongs on the shortlist.

Good to know

Kraków and Warsaw are well served from UK airports. The Tatra mountains are worth adding a few days to any city break, and budget airlines will take you to the Polish Riviera around Gda?sk and Gdynia for a fresh Baltic beach break too.

Japan — slow and steady, and utterly extraordinary

Japan doesn't do anything quickly — including, it turns out, climbing an index ranking. But the direction of travel is consistent: better sustainability scores, improving quality of life, gradual progress on equality. And the destination has always been in a category of its own.

Where else can you eat the world's best ramen at an eight-seat counter, watch the sun rise over a Shinto shrine, and be in one of the planet's great megacities by lunchtime? Japan rewards first-timers with sensory overload and returning visitors with bottomless depth.

It now ranks 24th in the world — the only G7 nation to have climbed consistently over five years. The yen remains relatively favourable for British travellers, which makes this a rare moment when Japan is both the right choice and a surprisingly affordable one.

Good to know

Cherry blossom season (late March to early April) and autumn colour season (November) are the most popular times to visit. Shoulder season gives you the same extraordinary country with fewer crowds.

South Korea — the destination that keeps delivering

Seoul is one of those cities that makes you recalibrate what a city can be. The food scene is relentless, the nightlife is genuinely unlike anywhere else in Asia, and the cultural offer spans ancient palaces to cutting-edge contemporary art. The public transport is so good it'll make you quietly furious about your own country's.

Beyond Seoul, South Korea offers dramatic coastline, forested national parks, and the ancient city of Gyeongju — sometimes called the museum without walls. It's a country that repays exploration.

The index reflects steady, broad-based improvement over five years — particularly on democracy, women's rights and sustainability — making South Korea the strongest performer in East Asia for consistent ethical progress. It sits at 34th globally. K-culture's global moment has brought more visitors, but the country absorbs them well. There's always somewhere quieter.

Good to know

Jeju Island is well worth adding to any South Korea itinerary. Direct flights from the UK are available, but if you're travelling that far, a regional stopover to see more of East Asia is always worth considering.

Thailand — a historic milestone and a timeless destination

Thailand has always known how to make you feel welcome. The beaches of the Gulf Coast and the Andaman Sea, the street food that sets the standard by which all other street food is judged, the temples of Chiang Mai, the brilliant frenetic energy of Bangkok — it's a country that has reliably delivered one of the world's great travel experiences for decades.

What's new is history-making. Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise equal marriage — a milestone that speaks to a broader openness that travellers have long felt on the ground, and one that's driven a significant improvement in Thailand's Good Trips Index ranking.

Combined with strong sustainability credentials, it's the most clear-cut ethical improvement in this year's top ten. The relative affordability, extraordinary food and remarkable warmth haven't changed. The legal landscape has simply caught up.

Good to know

November to February is the best time to visit most of Thailand. The shoulder seasons either side offer lower prices and manageable crowds — and the food is just as good.

Uruguay — South America's quiet overachiever

Uruguay rarely tops anyone's South America itinerary. Brazil and Argentina tend to dominate. Which is exactly why it's worth reconsidering.

Montevideo is a genuinely liveable, human-scaled capital with a thriving food scene, beautiful colonial architecture, and a waterfront that invites you to slow down. The countryside is wine country — Uruguayan Tannat is criminally underrated — and Punta del Este is one of the most stylish beach resorts on the Atlantic coast.

Uruguay ranks 32nd in the Good Trips Index — higher than Italy, Spain and the United States — and has consistently improved on LGBT+ rights, democracy and women's freedoms over five years. It's South America's most reliable ethical travel destination and one of the most undervisited countries on the continent.

Good to know

Uruguay pairs naturally with Argentina. Buenos Aires is just across the Río de la Plata and reachable by ferry — a great way to combine two brilliant destinations in one trip.

Brazil — the giant wakes up

Brazil was always too big to ignore. The Amazon, the Pantanal, Rio's extraordinary geography, the beaches of the northeast, Iguaçu Falls, Salvador's Afro-Brazilian culture, São Paulo's restaurant scene — no country on earth offers more variety within a single border.

What's changed is the context. After years of environmental destruction and democratic erosion, a change of government in 2023 produced measurable improvements across democracy, LGBT+ rights and environmental policy. The Amazon's deforestation rate has dropped. The country's international standing has recovered.

Brazil has climbed the Good Trips Index more dramatically than almost any other large nation over five years, and now sits at 49th globally. It's a big, complex, imperfect country. It's also one of the most thrilling on earth, and the trajectory is pointing firmly in the right direction.

Good to know

Brazil's scale means it's worth picking a region rather than trying to do everything. Rio and the beach scene is the classic trip, but the northeast — Bahia, Fortaleza, Natal — is increasingly well connected from the UK.

Cabo Verde — Africa's most impressive ethical performer

Cabo Verde doesn't always make it onto people's radar as anything beyond a winter sun destination. That undersells it considerably.

The archipelago off the west coast of Africa is strikingly diverse — each island has its own landscape and character, from the lush volcanic peaks of Santo Antão to the desert dunes of Boa Vista and the music-soaked streets of São Vicente's Mindelo. The culture blends African and Portuguese influences into something entirely its own.

What the index captures is something travellers tend to feel intuitively: Cabo Verde is a well-governed, stable, free country by any measure. Its press freedom, democratic record and sustainability credentials are among the strongest in Africa. It ranks 48th globally — one of the highest-placed African nations in the index and one of the most improved over five years. It's also a three-to-four hour flight from the UK. For winter sun with real substance, it's hard to beat.

Good to know

Mindelo on São Vicente is the cultural capital and well worth prioritising. Inter-island flights make island hopping easy, so there's no reason to stick to just one.

Mauritius — natural beauty, improving credentials

Mauritius has a reputation built on luxury resorts and impossibly blue lagoons. That reputation is justified. But the island is also a more complex, interesting place than the brochures suggest — a genuine multicultural society with a vibrant local food scene, a dramatic volcanic interior, and historical depth that repays exploration well beyond the beach.

Over five years, Mauritius has been one of Africa's most consistent ethical improvers. Gains in press freedom, quality of life and democratic institutions have lifted it to 55th in the Good Trips Index. The direction of travel matches the quality of the destination.

It's a long-haul flight, but direct services from the UK make it accessible — and the combination of Indian Ocean beaches and genuine cultural interest puts it in a different category from many comparable island destinations.

Good to know

The sheltered west coast boasts the calmest waters and the most reliable sunshine, making it ideal for a relaxed beach holiday. Head north, though, and you'll find a buzzing, rougher-around-the-edges scene that's perfect for independent travellers watching the pennies.

Sri Lanka — resilience rewarded

Sri Lanka's story over the past five years is one of the most remarkable in the index. The economic and political crisis of 2022 — which saw the president flee the country and ordinary Sri Lankans queue for fuel and medicine — looked like it might define a generation. What followed was a recovery that has been reflected across multiple index metrics: improvements in democracy, press freedom and quality of life that speak to genuine national resilience.

The country itself was always extraordinary. The ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle — Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya — are among the great archaeological sites in Asia. The southern coast beaches are beautiful. The hill country around Ella and Kandy is some of the most spectacular landscape in the Indian Ocean region.

And then there's the food — built around rice, coconut and fierce fresh spice — which is one of the world's great cuisines. Sri Lanka ranks 96th in the index, with room still to improve, and the index is honest about that. But the five-year trajectory is one of the most encouraging in the entire dataset.

Good to know

The best time to visit the south and west coasts is November to April. Sri Lanka rewards slow travel — two weeks is the minimum to do it justice. The best way to see the country is by train, bus and tuk-tuk.

Fiji — the Pacific doing it right

Fiji could have coasted on gorgeous islands and warm hospitality. Instead it's built something more durable: a genuine commitment to sustainability and climate action that reflects the existential stakes facing Pacific island nations, alongside a stable democratic record that stands out in its region.

The result is an archipelago of more than 300 islands offering some of the world's best diving and snorkelling, spectacular beaches, authentic village culture, and a warmth of welcome that is entirely unforced. Fiji ranks 60th in the Good Trips Index with strong and improving sustainability scores and a solid democratic foundation.

It's a long way from the UK — that's the honest caveat. But for travellers making the journey to the Pacific, Fiji now offers the full package: natural wonder, cultural richness, and a clear conscience.

Good to know

Strung across turquoise waters to Fiji's west, the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands deliver the ultimate castaway fantasy – think white-sand beaches, swaying palms and technicolour sunsets. If you'd rather swap the honeymoon crowd for serious underwater adventure, head to the remote Lau Group or Kadavu, where pristine coral walls and manta ray encounters await the few travellers willing to make the journey.

About the Good Trips Index

Rankings are taken from Holiday Extras' Good Trips Index 2026, which scores 183 countries across eight measures of ethical travel — sustainability, LGBT+ safety, press freedom, democracy, animal welfare, women's rights, quality of life and human freedom. The ten destinations featured here are the index's most significant improvers over the five years since the index launched in 2022.