5 Best Places To Visit Before 2017

Whether you like seeking out Mother Nature or having white truffles with fine local wine, here are some places to post your Instagram photos from on your next vacation.

- Pearlyn Tham

ISTRIA, CROATIA

About 90 per cent of the Istria region is in Croatia with the remainder in neighbouring Slovenia and Italy. The landscape is lush and green, thanks to the many olive trees and vineyards that dot it. You will also see hilltop villages and enjoy panoramic sea views. To get there, fly to Frankfurt and then to the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana before taking a two-and a-half-hour drive to the Croatian seaside town of Rovinj.

According to Steve Tan, general manager of Country Holidays, nature-loving gourmands book their trips for Istria in October.

This is when the white truffle hunting season begins. The world’s largest white truffle was reported to have been found in this area, just one of only two places that produce the rare fungi. It is often used in homemade pastas here.

Istria has a reputation for producing some of the finest olives and honey too. Wine lovers will also love how the many vineyards here are behind the high-quality local wine (both red and white). Stay at the Hotel Monte Mulini in the city centre—it is said to be the only five star hotel in the area.

MADAGASCAR