Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesLooking for travel inspiration for 2025 and beyond?Look no further: CNBC asked 10 travel agents for their recommendations of the most underhyped destinations in the world. We compiled their written answers below, including can’t-miss activities for each locale and the best times of year to visit.You’ll also find average round-trip airfare from U.S. airports. The data, provided by travel app Hopper, is based on average fares that were available to book from Jan. 15 to Jan. 22. Prices are for May-July 2025, when most Americans plan to take their longer vacations, Hopper said.Travelers should aim to book over the next few weeks to score the best prices, it said.AlbaniaValbona National Park, Albania.Eduardo Fonseca Arraes | Moment | Getty ImagesRecommended by: Scott Abbott, managing director of Wilderness TravelWhy to visit: “The Albanian Alps, also known as the Accursed Mountains, are a mountain range very few people know about, so are totally untouched by tourism. But have some of the most gorgeous and dramatic hikes in all of Europe. They also have guesthouses, mountain huts and hotels that feel like what the Alps were like 30-plus years ago, all owned by local families and run in a traditional way very authentic to the place and culture.”Can’t-miss: Hiking in Valbona Valley National ParkBest time to go: June to SeptemberAverage flight price: $926 to Tirana, AlbaniaEcuadorian cloud forestCloud forest in Ecuador.Gerard Puigmal | Moment | Getty ImagesRecommended by: Allie Almario, South America and Galapagos expert at Premier ToursWhy to visit: “Most people think of Costa Rica when they think of cloud forest, but Ecuador also has the lure of the Galapagos Islands, so it’s a terrific combination. About three hours from the capital city of Quito, Ecuador, the cloud forest feels primeval and otherworldly.”I love the Mashpi Eco Lodge, which is on the cusp of the rain and cloud forest in a private sanctuary. You’ve got incredibly rich biodiversity in this remote area — so remote the silence is almost deafening.”Can’t-miss: “Mashpi Lodge offers an activity called the Dragon Fly — it is up to an hour ride in an open air cable car (seating only for four guests at a time and a naturalist) where you soar over the tree canopy. You hear nothing but the wind and bird cal …
