The 10 former no-go countries that are now must-see destinations
Bad times You know the whole thing with Cuba: the 1959 revolution, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, the Bay of Pigs, the Missile Crisis, the embargo with the US and the island nation's isolation from the rest of the world.
Good times Okay. 'Good times' is probably putting things a little strongly. Relations with the US are not at their highest point, and Americans still have difficulty visiting Cuba. Australians, however, are free to do so, and have been visiting in increasing numbers.
Don't miss Cuba is famous as a time warp, with its vintage American cars and its crumbling Spanish-era facades. There's more to the island than that, however: music is a huge part of Cuban life, and the live scene here is heady and inspiring; there's natural beauty, from mountains to the Caribbean coastline; and the country's network of ' casas particulares ', or bed and breakfast accommodation, allows visitors a natural entry into typical Cuban life that's far more attractive than its government-run hotel network.
Good to go Cuba is tricky to get to from Australia right now. On January 12, 2021, Cuba was designated a 'State Sponsor of Terrorism' by the US State Department, meaning the US will need to be avoided on your journey, and after entering Cuba you will no longer be eligible for the US's visa-waiver program. That will mean either flying with LATAM via South America (latamairlines.com), or Air Canada (aircanada.com) with the best time to visit Cuba is its dry season from November to April. See cubatravel.cu and smartraveller.gov.au
Croatia
Bad times It seems difficult to believe that not so long ago, Croatia was a warzone. After the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Croatia went through a war of independence and wasn't at peace until 1995.
Good times This country is now a firm favourite among travellers, rated green by DFAT, a peaceful nation that boasts some incredibly beautiful scenery, not to mention historic sites and more Game of Thrones filming locations that you can poke some Valyrian steel at.
Don't miss Dubrovnik is the place everyone wants to go – to the point where the city is now suffering a little from over-tourism. So why not spread your wings and check out similarly beautiful coastal cities such as Zadar and Split, or go island hopping in the Aegean, or check out gorgeous Plitvice Lakes, or spend time in Croatia's underrated capital, Zagreb? Find Roman ruins, too, in Split, Salona, Pula and Burnum.
Good to go Turkish Airlines has flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Dubrovnik, via Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul (turkishairlines.com). Summer is high season in Croatia, though spring and autumn, and even winter, are pleasant and will help you beat the bulk of the crowds. See croatia.hr
South Africa
Bad times This country wasn't just a figurative no-go zone – for the best part of four decades, from the 1960s until its first post-apartheid elections in 1994, there was a worldwide boycott of South Africa taking in sport, academia, trade and tourism.
Good times Post-1994 the country has opened to mass tourism and has proved extremely popular, despite lingering security concerns. The Cape region in particular has been a big drawcard, as well as the well-known likes of Kruger National Park.
Don't miss Of course those game parks are a huge draw, and deservedly so: Kruger is amazing, though also very busy; Sabi Sabi, Madikwe, Pilanesberg, Shamwari and Phinda also deliver incredible wildlife experiences. Elsewhere, the wine-producing regions of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek are very much worth a visit, Cape Town speaks for itself as an attraction, and the Drakensberg provides some truly stunning highland scenery.
Good to go Qantas flies direct from Sydney to Johannesburg, and offers connecting flights from Melbourne (qantas.com). The ideal time to visit is May to September, when game viewing is at its best and the days are clearest. See southafrica.net
Cambodia
Bad times It almost seemed impossible, in the latter half of the 20th century, to consider Cambodia as a future tourist destination. The country was ruled by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, who inflicted incredible harm on the nation and its people.
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Good times After the collapse of the Khmer Rouge in the 1990s, the country stabilised and tourists returned to Cambodia, a trickle that soon became a flood: in 1994 just 176,000 foreign visitors arrived; last year that number was 6.7 million.
Don't miss The temples of Angkor are justifiably one of the most famous historical landmarks on Earth, a series of ruins dating back a thousand years to the height of the Khmer Empire. There are several more heritage-listed sites in Cambodia, as well as spectacular national parks, and modern culture in the likes of Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang and Kampot. River cruising, too, is becoming increasingly popular, with many vessels travelling the Mekong from Siem Reap into Vietnam.
Good to go Singapore Airlines has connecting flights from major Australian ports to Phnom Penh (singaporeair.com). Dry season in Cambodia is November to April, when the heat is also at bay. See tourismcambodia.com
Germany
Bad times You remember the Cold War, right? Until the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany was split into east and west, with the German Democratic Republic – the eastern side – essentially off limits to all but the hardiest tourists from the Western world.
Good times Germany reunified in 1990, and has since become one of the most visited countries on the planet, the world's eighth most popular destination in 2023. The unified country is now listed as orange by DFAT due to several isolated acts of terrorism, though it remains a favourite destination.
Don't miss The former east hosts some of modern-day Germany's most underrated tourist attractions. East Berlin – the likes of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, and Friedrichshain – is a hub of counter-culture; Leipzig is filled with art galleries and high-quality restaurants; Dresden is historic and fascinating, as is Weimar; and the Harz Mountains provide natural beauty.
Good to go Qatar Airways flies from major Australian ports to Berlin, via Doha (qatarairways.com). High season in Germany is summer – June to August – though spring and autumn are also very pleasant. See germany.travel
Saudi Arabia
Bad times The problem in Saudi Arabia wasn't so much that no one wanted to come (though the country's poor human rights record and extensive restrictions on women's freedoms didn't help) – it was that no one was allowed in. Until 2019, Saudi authorities only rarely issued tourist visas to visitors travelling for reasons other than religious pilgrimages.
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Good times Though the above mentioned issues remain for Saudi Arabia, tourism is being touted as an important source of future income for the country, which is part of why it has now thrown its doors open to the outside world, issuing tourist visas to citizens of 49 countries since 2019.
Don't miss Saudi Arabia is littered with incredible historic sites: the Nabatean ruins of Mada'in Salih rival those of nearby Petra in Jordan; At-Turaif, on the outskirts of Riyadh, was the original home of the Saudi royal family; Jeddah is an ancient port town; and Al-Ahsa Oasis is filled with archaeological sites. Saudi Arabia also has Red Sea coast, desert wadis, and hyper-modern structures such as the mirror-clad Maraya Concert Hall in Al-Ula.
Good to go Etihad flies from Australian ports to Riyadh via Abu Dhabi (etihad.com). The best time to visit Saudi Arabia is in winter, from December to March with smartraveller.gov.au providing advice on visas. See visitsaudi.com
Countries we would love to see bounce back
Syria This could be a crucial period in Syria's strife-torn history, as a new regime seeks to establish itself after 24 years under Bashar al-Assad. How that plays out is still undecided, though we would love to see Syria restored to peace and prosperity, and reopen to the world as the remarkable tourist destination that it once was, and could be again.
Myanmar For a while there, Myanmar was back. After a decades-long tourism boycott encouraged by Aung San Suu Kyi, in 2012 the country began reopening to the world, with fair elections, and tourism to the likes of Bagan and Yangon blooming. Since a military coup in 2021, however, Myanmar has been back off limits, and is now rated 'do not travel' by DFAT.
Ukraine The issues in Ukraine are well publicised – the country was invaded by Russia in early 2022, and has since been locked in a drawn-out war. This was once a great tourism destination, with visitors flocking to the capital, Kyiv, to the Black Sea coast at Odessa, and the Carpathian Mountains. We hope for better days when those visits are possible again.
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Venezuela Pop quiz: where is the world's highest waterfall? It's in Venezuela, and it's called Angel Falls, where water plunges an incredible 979 metres. Only, you would have to be a pretty hardy traveller to see it right now, as Venezuela is rated 'do not travel' by DFAT, due to political instability, food and water shortages and high crime rates.
Ethiopia This is a very unfortunate case because Ethiopia almost made our main list here – only, DFAT recently upgraded its travel advice to 'reconsider your need to travel' to Ethiopia, with many regions, including those home to major tourist attractions, rated 'do not travel'. This is due to the threat of terrorist attacks and kidnapping, a sad situation for a truly amazing country.
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