9 countries worth visiting for Belarusians this year. Traveler's tips

Aliaksandr Hojšyk in Uzbekistan. Photo from personal archive

— What would you advise Belarusians — especially those inside Belarus who don't have visas?

— First of all, I would highly recommend paying attention to Uzbekistan. The country is extremely interesting, with medieval centers of civilization, culture, and science — Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva. With ancient architecture, with incredibly beautiful mosques with huge blue domes.

At the same time, the country has modern Tashkent, where, by the way, I saw Yakub Kolas Square — and his bust. During my round-the-world trip in 2024, I arrived in Uzbekistan after two weeks of traveling in Afghanistan, and I had the impression that I had traveled 200 years into the future by time machine.

I was very surprised how Uzbekistan has changed since 2010, when everything there was permeated with corruption (although the registration requirement still remains). Now there is developed infrastructure — high-speed rail, highways, etc. Very delicious cuisine.

And the prices are quite affordable. Flights there can be found for reasonable prices. No visa or language proficiency is needed (almost everyone speaks Russian).

I would especially like to highlight the extraordinary hospitality of Uzbeks (Uzbekistan is a multinational country — for example, there are many Tajiks there). An interesting feature: during the USSR, Uzbeks and Tajiks were often sent to serve in Belarus. Therefore, in Uzbekistan, locals quite often told me something like: "Oh, Belarus, I served in Uruchcha in 1988!"

— What's the second direction you'd recommend considering?

— Georgia, my favorite country from the post-Soviet space. Of course, after 2022, Georgia has changed significantly: many "good" Russians moved there, everything became more expensive, and Georgians seem less hospitable and open than before, and the political system has changed for the worse.

But despite all this, Georgia is a country with sea, mountains, and an incredible number of interesting places. I don't even know where to start, what to list: wherever you point on the map — historical sites, ancient cities, caves. Plus delicious and inexpensive cuisine, wine.

Next, I suggest considering more distant destinations. And again, I will primarily focus on Belarusians inside Belarus, for whom obtaining visas today is extremely difficult.

— And what will be the third direction?

— Turkey, which has a direct connection with Minsk.

— A closed resort, "all inclusive", right?

— Yes, "five days, six nights", "all inclusive and nothing excluded". Of course, I'm not that type of traveler, so I suggest considering a self-guided trip.

Turkey is not only a coastline and beach holiday (both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean), but also ancient sites, cities, and mountains (the famous Lycian Way). Everyone can find something for themselves there. Don't hesitate to ask Google and leverage artificial intelligence, which can show and describe everything.

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Turkey. Photo from Aliaksandr Hojšyk's personal archive

The country is safe, quite cheap, with good bus and train connections. If you prepare a little, you won't have to overpay for a "five days, six nights" tour.

Istanbul is probably one of my favorite cities in the world. Among other things, it's interesting because it's a city of cats. Cats are pets for the whole city, and this creates an incredible atmosphere.

A certain snag is the language barrier. I, for example, get by with sign language in such cases. But artificial intelligence will also help with translation. In Turkey, and everywhere else, I advise using local services. When in Rome, do as the Romans do: don't overpay.

— By the way, about Europe. What direction there would you recommend to those who have a Schengen visa or documents to allow them to travel in the EU?

— Of the countries where I haven't been in Europe yet, I primarily consider Portugal. I've heard many interesting and exciting things about this country. These include the extremely interesting cities of Porto and Lisbon. And beaches on the Atlantic Ocean. And many ancient sites. And one of the variants of the famous Catholic pilgrimage route Camino de Santiago — even non-religious people share exciting reviews about the incredible landscapes that open up along the coast.

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Lisbon. Photo: myportugalmoments.pt

And personally, I'm also interested that there is a Belarusian diaspora in Portugal. Its representatives received me very well in Bali, where there is a restaurant called "Draniki". Later they moved to Portugal. So when I finish writing my book about my round-the-world trip, I would very much like to visit the westernmost country of mainland Europe and my Belarusian acquaintances there.

— Uzbekistan, Georgia, Turkey, and Portugal you've already named. What's next?

— Now I will touch upon more expensive destinations — on other ends of the world. If we consider countries that can be visited without a visa, I would highlight two countries from Southeast Asia: Vietnam and Thailand (the latter announced its intention to abolish visas in March).

In my opinion, Thailand is the most heavenly Asian country, well thought out for tourists and travelers. Vietnam, due to its communist entourage (red flags, slogans, monuments, mausoleums, etc.), is slightly inferior, but only slightly.

These countries are more expensive for Belarusians from the point of view that flights there will be more expensive. But it's worth it.

In Thailand, you will find Buddhist shrines, party places, heavenly beaches (like in a "Bounty" commercial), and exotic islands. The cuisine is incredibly delicious. I once worked for half a year in Wrocław delivering for a Thai restaurant, ate Thai food every day — and I didn't get tired of it, it was very tasty. By the way, Tom Yum soup is inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible heritage — like Uzbek or Tajik pilaf, or Italian pizza, or almost all Mexican cuisine.

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Aliaksandr Hojšyk in Thailand. Photo from personal archive

In Thailand, people speak English quite well and will be able to communicate with you. In Vietnam, it's worse, but someone might be able to string three words together in Russian. Vietnam adds mountains to its beaches and historical sites. Everywhere there is well-developed infrastructure, you can travel independently. Nowadays, thanks to the internet, the world has become small — anywhere in the world, with some preparation, you can find everything and make your vacation both comfortable and inexpensive.

Vietnam also has very delicious local cuisine, and colonial heritage (the country was a French colony) remains: coffee culture is very widespread there — with its own varieties and brewing methods.

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Aliaksandr Hojšyk in Vietnam. Photo from personal archive

— You've mentioned Southeast Asia. What would you recommend to the most experienced Belarusian travelers?

— When talking about the most experienced and well-off, I would recommend Latin America. With a Belarusian passport, without a visa, you can and should visit primarily Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. Of course, flights there are expensive.

There's a nuance with Mexico: they are not very keen on letting people in, demanding a lot of proof (return tickets) that you won't attempt to storm the American border. I just recently returned from Mexico: there's a lot to see, developed infrastructure, delicious cuisine, cheap domestic flights. I highly recommend it.

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Aliaksandr Hojšyk in Mexico. Photo from personal archive

— But how safe is it to travel independently in Mexico?

— The problem exists, it's there, but in tourist areas (Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta), given the state's interest in tourists, you can walk around very calmly. I flew to Mexico from Guatemala, where I am now, and after Guatemala, I was thrilled, because you can't just walk around its capital, and if you drive, it's only in a tinted car with closed windows.

But in Mexico, my representatives of the Belarusian diaspora and I walked and drove calmly. About a month ago, a wave of violence erupted in the country due to cartel revenge for the killing of their boss, but this happened locally, essentially in one state. And even then, it was shops and businesses that suffered, not civilians.

Of course, I would recommend visiting Peru: the famous Inca Empire city of Machu Picchu alone is worth it. Peru is a country with an incredibly interesting historical and cultural layer, moreover, it's cheap and friendly. But you need to prepare a little, perhaps learn a little Spanish.

I would conclude the list of destinations with Brazil. Here, when walking around São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, you need to be more careful due to the level of crime. But the country is unlike any other — both in culture and nature. For example, I sailed (or walked, as they say) the Brazilian Amazon on ferries for 6 days. In some ways, it reminded me of our Polesie, where the only connection to civilization is the river, where villages stand on stilts.

Pay attention to Belarusian traveler Serge Buzo, who cycled through all the states of Brazil and became a popular YouTuber. In the jungle, he met a jaguar on the road; this video went viral, and now Serge is a star on Brazilian social networks. He is met and helped in every city.

— What would you like to add, summarizing your list of destinations for 2026?

— I am a person who undertook a round-the-world trip that lasted 1163 days. Two years, three months, and one week. A person who has traveled a total of 95 countries on 5 continents. And I realized that the world is full of good people, and the most interesting thing about traveling is getting to know local culture, traditions, and inhabitants.

If you have the time and desire, don't sit at home and put it off until tomorrow — as they say, "later will be soup with a cat" (meaning, procrastination leads to bad outcomes). And travels are what will stay with you for life. Memories are more valuable than money.

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