Welcome back to Vagabrothers. Welcome to 2018.

Wow. We know that you just got finished with the holidays, but trust us.

January is the perfect time to start planning your adventures for the new year.

We've gathered up all of our notes to help you get started. We've compared prices,

and we've come together with a list of the 18 best places to visit in 2018.

We've struck a balance between tight budgets and bucket lists experiences,

telling you where to go and how much it costs to get there.

2017 was a wild year:

natural disasters, terrorist attacks, the travel ban.

We've considered all this in making our list and selected countries that are safe,

accessible, and where your tourist dollars can make a difference.

So get out your vision board, if you still do that, and get ready to book your flights.

These are the 18 best places to visit in 2018.

Number 1: Peru.

Peru is already on everyone's bucket list

thanks to Machu Picchu, a jewel of humanity's heritage

and a mandatory selfie stop

for pretty much everybody who knows what a selfie is.

The cat's already out of the bag,

and the crowds at Machu Picchu are insane.

But Peru makes our list for everything beyond Machu Picchu.

Start with the food....

Peruvian cuisine has taken its rightful place as one of the best cuisines in the world: a fusion of Andean,

European, and Asian cuisines that has made the capital

Lima one of the best foodie destinations in the world and the only

city to host two of the world's top ten best restaurants.

So if you're into good food, Lima is the city for you.

Then there's Cusco, the Rome of the Americas,

the ancient capital of the Inca where you can soak up history before catching a ride to

Machu Picchu on one of the world's most luxurious trains.

If you haven't already seen our vlogs from Peru and our 360 tour of Machu Picchu,

make sure you click the cards right here

to get some more inspiration.

But this year we're trying to go even deeper-

surf trips up Peru's unspoiled coastline, eating our way through colonial Arequipa

and heading over to the Peruvian Amazon

to spot wildlife in one of the world's most biodiverse regions.

If you're dead set on Machu Picchu,

you might want to go in May.

This is when the weather is still good enough to hike the Inca Trail,

which must be booked months in advance,

but the crowds are not yet insane in Machu Picchu.

Number 2: Belgrade, Serbia.

If your idea of a hike is more like a pub crawl,

then you should go to Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and home to some of the world's best nightlife.

In recent years, everybody has been talking about Croatia.

And with Game of Thrones being filmed there, the crowds are getting pretty intense.

Serbia is right next door, and although it doesn't have Croatia's beaches,

it doesn't have Croatia's crowds, either.

Belgrade the capital

combines old-world charm with the edgy vibes of the Savamala neighborhood

where local artists have covered abandoned buildings in street art,

converted warehouses into clubs, and started bars and restaurants

that make this one of the funnest and cheapest destinations in Europe.

Next up: New Orleans.

No one ever needs an excuse to visit New Orleans.

It's the birthplace of jazz, of Mardi Gras, of creole cooking,

and the food alone is worth the trip.

But this year is extra special because on May 7th,

New Orleans turns 300 years old.

And if there's any city in the world that knows how throw a birthday party,

it's New Orleans, so this year we recommend that you skip the drunken crowds at Mardi Gras

and instead head to the birthday party, "Laissez les bon temps rouler."

Number 4: Namibia.

If crowds aren't your vibe, they're not really mine either,

then think about visiting Namibia's Skeleton Coast

where the world's oldest desert meets over 1,000 miles of unspoiled, undeveloped coastline.

I've been to Namibia, and it was one of the most incredible travel experiences of my life.

But getting there is not easy, especially

the northern part of the Skeleton Coast National Park

where only 800 visitors are allowed to visit each year.

It's called the Skeleton Coast because of the shipwrecks and whale bones that litter the beaches.

There's plenty of wildlife,

but the most elusive locals are from the Himba tribe,

meaning you should get Namibia's epic waves pretty much to yourself,

if you can figure out where the secret spots are.

You might want to use Google Earth to try to find some of those point breaks.

Number 5: Morocco

For something more accessible, but no less fascinating,

we recommend Morocco in North Africa.

Just 15 kilometers across the Mediterranean from Spain,

Morocco is where European, Arab, and African cultures intersect

in a heady blend that is uniquely Moroccan.

Check out Essaouira, once home to

Portuguese traders and Jimi Hendrix.

If you're a surfer, go south to Agadir.

Fashionistas will love Yves Saint Lauren's museum,

the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh, and

everyone can fill their stomachs with delicious Moroccan tagines,

get Instagram gold in a riyadh and bring home some boho

chic home vibe inspiration from Morocco's many markets.

Number 6: Georgia

the country, not the state.

Georgia is fascinating.

It's located at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Middle East.

This cultural melting pot has been influenced by

everyone from the Persians, the Arabs, the Byzantines, the Ottoman Turks, and Soviet Russia.

Start in the capital of Tbilisi, famous for its old quarter,

its thermal baths and over 2,000 years of history.

Outside the capital, make your way to Ushguli, the highest village in Europe.

Then sip your way through the vineyards that have been in cultivation since the Stone Age over 8000 years ago.

Top it off with a legendary Georgian feast known as a Supra,

and you've pretty much nailed 2018 in one trip.

Number 7: Oaxaca, Mexico.

Oaxaca has long been considered one of the most vibrant corners of Mexico,

but this is the year to visit for a number of reasons:

first up, it's beautiful.

Oaxaca City is a colonial town with tons of colored houses, cobblestone streets,

and some of the best restaurants in the world.

Oaxaca has killer moles and tons of great restaurants.

Plus, it's the birthplace of mezcal that little liquor

that's been slipping its way into cocktails all around the world at the trendiest bars.

That's from here.

And you can go to Oaxaca and easily go visit artisan distilleries where it's made by hand,

and you bring back bottles are not for sale in your home country

And everyone's going to be like... where'd you get that awesome drink?

and then you can tell them, " I went to Oaxaca; it was recommended by Vagabrothers.

You should check out the Vagabrothers." Cheers to that.

Thank you for the recommendation.

From the city, you can go down the coast.

I really love Zipolite.

It's a blissed-out little hippie haven; it's very chill.

There's also Porto Escondido.

This is the home of big wave surfing in Mexico.

And then the entire coastline down to Selena Cruz is full of unspoiled surf breaks and beaches

where you'll find no other foreigners.

Not to mention, Oaxaca is one of the best places in all of Latin America for textiles.

So if you're into rugs,they have really cool and affordable rugs you can bring back for your house, as well.

2018 is the year to visit Oaxaca because in September of 2017,

it got hit with two major earthquakes,

a very painful moment that was made worse by the subsequent decline in tourism.

My friends who live in Oaxaca have assured me that everything is safe,

and this is the time when tourism is very much needed in Oaxaca

in order to help build back up the economy so people can recover.

So go to Oaxaca, get yourself some mezcal, buy a rug, support the economy, and

enjoy your time because it's great place.

Number 8: the Dominican Republic.

Speaking of natural disasters, let's talk about the Caribbean.

2017 threw some sinister storms to these islands,

making it the most destructive year on record and wiping out some nations.

The worst affected places were Dominica, Puerto Rico, Barbuda,

Saint Martin and the B.V.I.,

but luckily other islands like

St Kitts, the Bahamas, and Martinique escaped relatively unscathed.

While many islands will take time to recover, others are open for business

but hurting with the drop in tourism.

This year we're choosing the Dominican Republic for a number of reasons.

Not only did it escape the worst of the storms,

but it's one of the most affordable

destinations in the Caribbean.

Most travelers stick to the resorts around Punta Cana

But we're encouraging you to get off the beaten path and explore the southwestern area near Barahona.

This is where the mountains meet the sea on the scenic coastal highway 44

from Barahona to Pedernales passing by the Bahia de las Aguilas, which has stunning scenery

but very few tourists.

Back in the States we're recommending Taos, New Mexico.

Nestled in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains,

Taos is the quintessential western town both naturally beautiful and

culturally rich, it has a combination of

Spanish, indigenous and cowboy cultures.

Taos has long been a home to artists and more recently this

southwestern aesthetic has influenced designers around the world from fashion to furniture not least

Hopper Goods, a store founded by the daughter of longtime Taos resident Dennis Hopper. Rest in peace.

So whether you're looking for a cool hat or an outfit for Coachella,

Taos is the source of style that you've been searching for.

Next up is Ghana, a peaceful, stable, affordable