Another year draws to a close, and it leaves behind a stellar list of destinations that The Independent’s travel desk have visited.
As you might expect, there’s some incredible diversity in our top picks. Most far-flung from the London office is Hawaii, some 7,000 miles and 10 time zones away; closer to home, we’ve enjoyed popping over to Europe for island escapes and city breaks. Some of the places we’ve made it to have been off the usual tourist track, while sometimes we’ve been back to ever-popular locations to get reacquainted.
In the last year, the travel desk has skied, surfed, cruised, ridden horses, cycled and, on occasion, propped up a beach bar or two – plus much more besides. It’s how we can continue to give expert, in-depth advice to help you plan your next getaway.
These are our favourite escapes from 2024 – and here’s to getting back on the road in 2025.
Marseille, France

All eyes were on France this summer as the Olympic Games lit up Paris and parts of the south for sporting spectacles. Having shunned what I thought would be a capital swarmed with sports fans, I made a beeline for the Marseille ticket ballot – football and sailing events on the French Riviera – and found that the Provence port city is trending for a reason. In 2024, Marseille’s Notre Dame du Mont took the top spot in Time Out’s round-up of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods for its “rebellious spirit”, “colourful cul-de-sacs” and “graffiti-covered alleyways”. Given its once dicey reputation, I was relieved to find that this was all true. A maze of colourful streets, fromageries and a clear coastline, France’s coastal second city is even a summer spot for Parisians, with a charming old town, Le Panier and a vibrant culinary scene. Between spectator stands I indulged in culture in the Mucem museum, took dips in the Med and made the short drive down the coast for the pastel marina of Cassis and the unmissable blues of the Calanques National Park. Natalie Wilson
Read more: Best hotels in Paris
Oahu, Hawaii

Towering emerald peaks, often cloaked by cloud and mist….
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