Where to Go in 2026: The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors
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Show Notes
It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's Where to Go list: 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales to explore this year.
Places like Saba, a tiny Dutch Caribbean island with no beaches, no cruise ports, and the world's shortest commercial runway—just 400 meters long. What it does have: lush volcanic landscapes, 20 hand-built hiking trails, and a population of just over 2,000.
In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with Bianca Bujan, a Vancouver-based travel journalist who shares the thrilling 12-minute flight from St. Martin, the island's gingerbread-house architecture, and why her teenager called it his favorite trip ever—despite spotty wifi and no beaches.
Plan Your Saba Getaway
Stay
- Juliana’s Hotel in Windward Side, a boutique property
- The Scenery Hotel, a new luxury boutique hotel opening in 2026 at the base of Mount Scenery
Eat and Drink
- Tropics Cafe at Juliana's Hotel—popular with locals
- Try Saba Spice, a local handmade spiced rum served on ice
- Time your visit for the Saba Rum and Lobster Festival in November
See and Do
- Hike Mount Scenery, technically the highest point in the Netherlands
- Try the Mas'Cohones Trail for spectacular views with a less strenuous climb
- Book a guided hike with Crocodile James, a local legend, via the Saba Conservation Foundation
- Join a Sea and Learn Foundation workshop for hands-on experiences like wild clay pottery with locals
Resources
- Follow Bianca on Instagram or read her work on her website
- Explore Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list
- Follow us: @afarmedia
Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series
E2: Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret
E3: The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago
E4: Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate
E5: Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention E6: Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting E7: The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret E8: Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari E9: The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better
E10: The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing
E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense
E12: The Texas City Getting a Juneteenth Museum, FIFA World Cup Matches, and a Cowgirl Museum Expansion
E13: The South Australian City That Punches Above Its Weight
E14: East London's Olympic Park Has Transformed Into a Cultural Powerhouse
E15: (this one!) The Five-Square-Mile Caribbean Island That's Nothing Like Its Neighbors
Stay Connected
- Sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic. And explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.
Unpacked by Afar is part of Airwave Media's podcast network.
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