The 20 best places to travel in 2026

– Alexandra MarvarRarotonga's Cross-Island Track is a rugged trail that includes Te Rua Manga peak, or "The Needle" (Credit: Getty Images)Cook IslandsWhy go: New access to a paradisiacal Polynesian nationCook Islanders like to be ed – they're the extroverts of the South Pacific, after all.

The Zayed National Museum houses more than 1,500 artefacts (Credit: Getty Images)Abu DhabiWhy go: A blockbuster year of cultural openings – plus new theme park excitementA sense of anticipation is hanging in the desert air.

Rarotonga, the largest and most populous island, is just 67 sq km, but everything great about the South Pacific is packed into it: triangular peaks reminiscent of Tahiti, a wild hinterland ringed by a blue-water lagoon and a proud Polynesian culture.