A new social media trend is doing the rounds online: 2016 is celebrating a comeback on Instagram. Time for Falstaff TRAVEL to get to the bottom of the trend and revive popular travel destinations of 2016.
Instagram is currently celebrating a throwback trend: users are deliberately posting pictures from 2016 - with Snapchat dog snout filters and skinny jeans, slightly pixelated and imperfect. We look back nostalgically on concerts, sunsets, festivals and smiling faces from ten years ago - and have a laugh about getting older.
Falstaff TRAVEL also ventures a return to the hyped year and shows which trips and destinations were particularly popular in 2016. Many are still in vogue today - or are again after ten years.
One of the most popular travel destinations in 2016 was Cuba. During the political thaw between the USA and Cuba, holidaymakers wanted to quickly experience the old flair of the colorful Caribbean island before US tourism gained influence. Highlights included the lively capital Havana with its magnificent colonial buildings, but also dream beaches, rainforests and original villages.
Even today, not only fans of Che Guevara are enthusiastic about Cuba: it stands for its music, fiery dances, cigars, rum and infectious joie de vivre. Cuba's beaches are world-famous for their powder-white sand and turquoise waters: on Varadero beach, on the paradisiacal Playa Paraíso, on Cayo Largo del Sur or on the secluded islands of the Jardines del Rey.
Ten years ago, the "Lonely Planet" was already one of the best-known travel guides in the world and regularly published its popular rankings. In 2016, these ten countries are on the list of must-visit destinations: Botswana, Japan, USA, Palau, Latvia, Australia, Poland, Uruguay, Greenland and Fiji.
One country in the ranking is once again listed among the travel guide's "Best in Travel" destinations in 2026: Botswana.
Even today, the country is one of the most exclusive safari destinations in Africa. Botswana consistently focuses on high-priced, environmentally friendly tourism and thus protects one of the most species-rich animal worlds on earth. A highlight is the Okavango Delta, the largest inland delta in the world. Luxury lodges are secluded in the middle of nature, often right next to lagoons where elephants or hippos cross the path. Autumn marks the beginning of the rainy season in the delta catchment area and offers ideal conditions for wildlife watching. Botswana is considered by experts to be one of the best places in Africa to see rare wild dogs. Large herds of elephants, for example in Chobe National Park, are also among the highlights.
The top 5 city recommendations in 2016 are as follows. These cities still belong on the Falstaff TRAVEL bucket list today:
1. Kotor (Montenegro)
Kotor is an old trading and port city. It is located on the coast facing the Adriatic Sea. Winding streets and small squares make the medieval old town just as attractive as the numerous churches. And of course the remains of the former city wall. The city has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Kotor is nestled between the mountains and the sea.
2. Quito (Ecuador)
Quito is located at 2,850 meters in the Andes and combines colonial heritage with modern life. The old town, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, delights with its churches, squares and narrow streets, while districts such as La Floresta pulsate with cafés and art. A visit to the "Mitad del Mundo" and the view from El Panecillo are part of it. Quito is ideal for discovering Ecuador between the highlands, rainforest and Pacific.
3. Dublin (Ireland)
Dublin has developed from an industrial problem child to a prosperous tech metropolis with a lively culinary scene. Along the Liffey, trendy restaurants and cafés have emerged from old pubs and factories. The cuisine focuses on high-quality Irish products, often interpreted in a modern way: from creative fine dining in Bastible, to first-class meat and seafood in the historic Hawksmoor, to innovative, French-influenced cuisine in the trendy Note.
4. George Town (Malaysia)
George Town, the capital of Penang, impresses with its colonial architecture, colorful temples and a lively street art scene. The UNESCO-protected old town invites you to stroll through narrow alleyways with cafés, boutiques and galleries. The city is a culinary paradise: from hawker street food to Nyonya cuisine and modern restaurants, specialties such as Penang Laksa or Char Kway Teow await. Away from the old town, beaches, nature parks and Penang Hill offer spectacular views of the bay and skyline. George Town combines tradition and modernity in a charming way - ideal for culture, art and pleasure travelers.
5. Rotterdam (Netherlands)
Rotterdam inspires with its modern architecture, multicultural cuisine and lively gastronomic scene. The Harvest Café & Bakery serves breakfast and excellent coffee, while the fries at Bram Ladage are typically Dutch - even with peanut butter. For fine dining and regional cuisine, we recommend Héroine, De Matroos en Het Meisje or Tres am Hafen. In the evening, bars in the Witte de Withstraat or the Bar Break in Katendrecht invite you to wind down.
An analysis by "Airbnb" in 2016 also shows which were the neighborhoods worth discovering. The global online community for private accommodation analyzed the travel behavior of more than 40 million Airbnb guests in 2015 and presented the trendiest city districts. Hamburg also made it into the ranking.
1st Chūō-ku in Osaka, Japan (7471 percent growth from 2014 to 2015)
2. Banglampoo in Bangkok, Thailand (1239 percent growth)
3. Brickfields in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1231 percent growth)
4. Capucins in Bordeaux, France (966 percent growth)
5. Koukaki in Athens, Greece (801 percent growth)
6. Triana in Seville, Spain (774 percent growth)
7. Hammerbrook in Hamburg, Germany (418 percent growth)
8. Kaneohe on Oahu, Hawaii, USA (324 percent growth)
9th Meireles in Fortaleza, Brazil (287 percent growth)
10. Roma Sur in Mexico City, Mexico (279 percent growth)
