If you’re on the hunt for incredible holiday destinations, you might consider somewhere like Alaska to catch a view of the Northern Lights, or Bali for those idyllic sandy beaches.

However, Rough Guides has somewhere in mind that’s a little less off the beaten track.

The travel guidebook publisher today released its list of the best places to visit in 2018 and the results are somewhat surprising.

As the host of next year’s The Great Exhibition of the North, Rough Guides has selected the city of Newcastle as the place to be next year. In doing so, it replaces India as Rough Guides’ top holiday tip.

While not necessarily the first place that springs to mind when considering where to visit next, the Geordie city has plenty to offer, with famously friendly locals and its notorious nightlife that fans of reality TV will be all too familiar with.

Newcastle, located in Northern England, topped destinations such as historical Maltese capital, Valletta, and the luxury safaris of South Africa. But which other destinations made Rough Guides’ list this year?

Rough Guides’ 18 best places to visit in 2018

18. Belize

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17. Tunisia

The ancient Roman amphitheater in El Djem is spectacularly preserved. What’s even more impressive is how such a site on our planet can still be visited with no other tourists. Complete with it’s underground tunnel network where the gladiators used to enter the stadium from, it was such an amazing experience to imagine how it must have felt like being there 1800 years ago. El Djem, Tunisia. (29.11.2017)

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16. Togian Islands

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15. Palermo, Sicily

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14. South Africa

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13. Tbilisi, Georgia

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12. Jordan

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11. South Korea

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10. Sierra Leone

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9. Chile

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8. New Orleans, United States

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7. Russia

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6. Cuba

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5. Wales

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4. Valetta, Malta

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3. Malawi

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2. Civil Rights Trail, United States

The 16th Street Baptist Church, and a statue memorializing the four girls who died in its blast. These streets are steeped in history, and it was quite a powerful and surreal experience being there. #birmingham #alabama #civilrightstrail #civilrights #travelgram

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1. Newcastle, England

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