It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.

Places like Saba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island with no beaches, no cruise ports, and the world's shortest commercial runway—just 400 meters long. What it does have: lush volcanic landscapes, 20 hand-built hiking trails, and a population of just over 2,000.

In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with ⁠Bianca Bujan⁠, a Vancouver-based travel journalist who shares the thrilling 12-minute flight from St. Martin, the island's gingerbread-house architecture, and why her teenager called it his favorite trip ever—despite spotty wifi and no beaches.

Plan Your Saba Getaway

Stay

• ⁠Juliana’s Hotel⁠ in Windward Side, a boutique property


• ⁠The Scenery Hotel, a new luxury boutique hotel opening in 2026 at the base of Mount Scenery

Eat and Drink

• ⁠Tropics Cafe⁠ at Juliana's Hotel—popular with locals


• Try ⁠Saba Spice⁠, a local handmade spiced rum served on ice

• Time your visit for the ⁠Saba Rum and Lobster Festival⁠ in November

See and Do

• Hike ⁠Mount Scenery⁠, technically the highest point in the Netherlands


• Try the ⁠Mas'Cohones Trail⁠ for spectacular views with a less strenuous climb


• Book a guided hike with ⁠Crocodile James⁠, a local legend, via the Saba Conservation Foundation
  


• Join a ⁠Sea and Learn Foundation⁠ workshop for hands-on experiences like wild clay pottery with locals

Resources

• Follow Bianca on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ or read her work on her website
  


• Explore ⁠Afar's ⁠Where to Go in 2026 list⁠⁠
  


• Follow us: ⁠⁠@afarmedia⁠⁠
  

Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series

E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

E4: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠⁠

E5: ⁠⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠⁠
E6: ⁠⁠⁠Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting⁠⁠⁠
E7: ⁠⁠⁠The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret ⁠⁠⁠
E8: ⁠⁠⁠Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari ⁠⁠⁠
E9: ⁠⁠The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better ⁠⁠

E10: ⁠⁠The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing⁠⁠

E11: ⁠Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense⁠

E12: ⁠The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion⁠

E13: ⁠The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight⁠

E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse

E15: (this one!) The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors

Stay Connected

• Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. And explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices