What if we told you that ticking off landmarks in 2026 is not only no longer a travel trend but actually a travel ‘no-no’? The real adventure is pulling up a wooden chair in a village where the baker still measures time in loaves, and the air smells faintly of soil and supper.

Last month, UN Tourism named its Best Tourism Villages of 2025 – 52 character-filled communities across 29 countries that are changing what meaningful travel looks like. These villages are living proof that the world’s most extraordinary destinations are often its most humble ones.

For South Africans, this news hits differently. According to Flight Centre’s latest global travel survey, 61% of Saffas travel specifically to experience new cultures, while 81% say they’d happily choose a lesser-known destination if it meant avoiding crowds. Furthermore, 74% admit that major attractions now feel too overrun to truly enjoy, and 76% worry about the damage overtourism causes.

Maybe that’s why soulful travel is heading rural. A few years ago, “off the beaten track” meant a hotel slightly further from the city centre. Now it means swapping paid connectivity for real connection that comes with a side of home-cooked stews and muddy shoes.

“We’re seeing Saffas ditch the bucket list scramble for places that feel more meaningful. The kind where your best souvenir is the Sunday lunch invite from a local grandmother,” says Zay Ferguson-Nair, Flight Centre South Africa’s Customer Experience Leader.

6 Villages Changing the Way We Travel

1. Asolo, Italy

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

Perched in the Veneto hills, an hour from Venice, Asolo is basically Italy’s best-kept secret. Locals call it The City of a Hundred Horizons, which feels poetic until you climb its hilltop fortress and realise it’s just honest marketing.

Who it’s for

Anyone who thinks “aperitivo with a view” is a personality trait.

Why it’s special

Once the refuge of Queen Caterina Cornaro, Asolo’s past lingers in the scent of vines and the hush that follows church bells. Everything in this village hums with gentle artistry and quiet rebellion against modern chaos, from Renaissance villas to shaded piazzas that hosted poets like Robert Browning,

Guaranteed highlight

That first glass of Asolo Prosecco DOCG at the top of Rocca Braida, watching the light stretch across endless hilltops.

2. Digang, China

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

Down in Zhejiang Province, this 2,500-year-old water village is what happens when time forgets to modernise. Its canals wind between weathered wooden houses and mulberry groves, forming a living postcard that still pulses with daily life.

Who it’s for

Anyone whose ideal souvenir is photos of grandfathers teaching them how to farm fish.

Why it’s special

Digang’s secret lies in its Mulberry‑Dyke & Fish‑Pond System, a perfectly circular way of farming that keeps both people and the environment fed.

Guaranteed highlight

Joining the locals for a fishery celebration along the Grand Canal – there’s singing, laughter, stories, and zero need for an Instagram filter.

3. Lô Lô Chải, Vietnam

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

Tucked high in the Hà Giang mountains at Vietnam’s northernmost edge, this traditional Lô Lô ethnic village sits beneath the national flagpole, quite literally the top of the country. It takes some effort to reach, which is exactly the point.

Who it’s for

Anyone who thinks “Wi‑Fi optional; wonder guaranteed” sounds like a fair trade.

Why it’s special

Concrete is banned here; hand‑pressed mud bricks and rammed earth hold centuries of heritage. Visitors sleep in warm, golden houses and learn weaving from villagers.

Guaranteed highlight

Drumming and dancing under star‑filled skies during a forest worship festival.

4. Pont‑Croix, France

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

Hidden in Brittany’s coastal folds, Pont‑Croix is a medieval treasure near the rugged cliffs of Pointe du Raz.

Who it’s for

Anyone with an emotional attachment to bakeries.

Why it’s special

Its Gothic spire inspired entire cathedrals, but Pont‑Croix itself stayed wonderfully grounded, with cobbled streets, market mornings, and a pace so gentle you start syncing your heartbeat to church bells.

Guaranteed highlight

Crossing the ancient bridge at sunset, when the river Goyen turns to gold and you suddenly understand why painters lose their weekends here.

5. Kaštelir‑Labinci, Croatia

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

Roughly 10 kilometres north of Poreč on Croatia’s Istrian peninsula, this twin‑village wonder sits tucked between olive groves, vineyards, and the faint shimmer of the Adriatic.

Who it’s for

Anyone who believes life’s best itinerary is drawn in olive oil and wine stains.

Why it’s special

Kaštelir‑Labinci is a love letter to slow Istrian living. Locals still bottle their own olive oil and greet you like you’ve wandered into the family reunion you didn’t know you were invited to.

Guaranteed highlight

Cycling between vineyards before lunch, paragliding over them before sunset, and somehow ending off at a farmhouse table where nothing on your plate travelled further than you did that day.

6. Souf, Jerash Governorate, Jordan

Where it is (and why it’s off the beaten track)

An hour north of Jordan’s capital, Amman, lie the Roman Ruins of Jerash. And just beyond Jerash – often missed by visitors ticking off bucket-list sites like Petra, Jerash and the Dead Sea – is Souf, home to Beit Khairat Souf, a women-run cop-op, restaurant, and community hub that offers traditional Jordanian food, local products (like jam sweetened with honey), and a chance to immerse yourself in Jordanian culture.

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants their tourism dollar to make a real, sustained difference in the local community.

Why it’s special

The café’s cobbled courtyard and shady trees offer respite from Jordan’s heat, while the food gives you an authentic taste of the country’s rich history.

Guaranteed highlight

Listening to Sumia Krishan (founder of Beit Khairat Souf) share the co-op’s origin story – and ongoing significance – while eating mansaf, fatoush and kibbeh.

How to travel like a local without looking like you tried too hard

Ferguson-Nair shares her top tips below:

1. Slow down, then slow down some more

Rural communities run on a different clock – and that’s probably the reason you came, after all. So, skip the hour‑by‑hour itinerary and give yourself time to sit back and let the rhythm of the place dictate your day.

2. Learn at least three local words (and actually use them)

Even if it’s just “hello,” “thank you,” and “delicious,” making the effort counts. Villagers quickly warm to anyone who tries, even badly. Fluency isn’t the goal; connection is.

3. Stay where your money stays

Opt for homestays and family‑run guesthouses. Every rand (or euro, yen, or dong) you spend locally multiplies its impact. Eating, sleeping, and shopping small keeps communities strong and the experience richer.

“Real sustainable travel is knowing the person who made your breakfast also sends her kids to school with your support,” says Ferguson-Nair.

4. Pack respect (it weighs nothing)

Dress and behave with local norms in mind, even if the weather or your social feed suggests otherwise. Ask before photographing people and remember that some rituals or spaces aren’t meant for spectators.

5. Zero bars, but full connection

Sometimes the only Wi‑Fi signal you’ll find is between two conversations. Lean into it. Getting a bit lost here is often how you find what you didn’t know you were looking for.

“Village travel reminds us what holidays were always meant to be,” says Ferguson‑Nair. “Travelling this way may not earn you a million likes on Instagram, but it will earn you something far more valuable: a sense that you were part of a place rather than simply passing through it,” she concludes.

fabric London, the legendary electronic music brand, has closed out two highly successful South African events held in Johannesburg on 9 January and Cape Town on 10 January 2026. With Cape Town completely sold out and both venues packed to capacity, the shows delivered non-stop energy across multiple dance floors, world-class production, and standout performances from international headliners Marcel Dettmann, Gerd Janson, Gabrielle Kwarteng, and Horse Meat Disco, alongside a stellar array of local talent. 

Across both cities, dance floors ran at full capacity from start to finish, with local and international artists delivering standout performances to deeply engaged crowds. Headliners Marcel Dettmann, Gerd Janson and Gabrielle Kwarteng anchored the line-ups with commanding sets that reinforced fabric’s reputation for musical excellence and forward-thinking curation.

In Johannesburg, fabric partnered with renowned techno promoters TOYTOY for a full three-floor takeover of AND Club and Carfax, creating an immersive underground atmosphere that hummed from start to finish. South African house icon Vinny da Vinci joined as a local headliner, supported by Abby Nurock, Avi Subban, Black Lake, Bongani Zulu, Cornelius SA, Illing, Karmerr, Paulo Lundall, Sanetran, Sir LSG, and Transmicsoul. The diverse lineup fused deep house, techno, and soulful grooves, keeping crowds moving all night in Johannesburg’s vibrant nightlife hub.

Cape Town’s edition transformed the historic Castle of Good Hope into a pulsating sonic wonderland. Disco favorites Horse Meat Disco joined as headliners, alongside an eclectic local bill featuring Athie Umgido, Digital Sangoma, Irshaad S, Lady M, Leighton Moody, Miss CJ, Raresoftware, Resident DTK, Thamiache, Wata Mami, and YAMZ. The venue’s world-class production shone, with visuals in the Dolphin Pond from Dreamrec pushing the experience into immersive new realms, blending house, disco, and experimental beats.

Both nights showcased artists at the top of their game, with seamless sets that kept energy levels soaring and dance floors alive until the end. Attendees and critics alike have shared glowing reviews, praising the flawless execution and the fusion of international and local sounds that captured the essence of South Africa’s dynamic electronic community.

“The incredible list of local supporting acts we assembled for Johannesburg and Cape Town truly showcased the depth and diversity of South Africa’s electronic music talent,” said Richard Marshall, Director of Sub Sahara, fabric’s partner on the continent. “These shows were electric, blending fabric’s 25-year legacy of world-class curation with the raw energy and creativity of local artists. It was a game-changer for dance music fans, creating connections that transcended borders and ignited the dancefloor like never before.”

As the dust settles on this landmark tour, the success of fabric London in South Africa stands as a testament to the power of global musical exchange and the vibrancy of the local electronic music community.

We tend to think burnout arrives with drama – a breakdown, a missed deadline, a moment where everything collapses. In reality, it creeps in quietly, disguised as productivity.

It’s the early morning emails answered before you’ve had coffee. The late-night kitchen reset that happens after a full workday. The weekends consumed by errands, admin and housework – leaving little room for rest, joy or the people you actually want to be present for.

Most of us don’t feel overwhelmed because we’re doing nothing. We feel overwhelmed because we’re doing everything. What if the answer isn’t learning to juggle better but deciding what no longer deserves to be in your hands?

The invisible hours we keep giving away

Time isn’t just lost in big chunks. It leaks out in small, exhausting increments.

Thirty minutes here preparing meals for the week. Forty minutes there cleaning up after a long day.
An hour spent catching up on laundry instead of resting, exercising or simply relaxing.

By the end of the week, these moments quietly add up to five hours – sometimes more – spent maintaining life rather than living it.

Research supports this toll: A study on household labour found that the time mothers spend on domestic tasks is associated with reduced flourishing and overall well-being, highlighting how these “invisible” hours contribute to emotional depletion. Similarly, women often bear a disproportionate share of cognitive household labour – planning and managing chores -which correlates with higher levels of depression, stress and feelings of burnout. After childbirth, women’s domestic workloads can rise sharply while men’s remain stable, exacerbating health impacts and contributing to burnout.

And yet, we often treat this exhaustion as a personal failure, “If I were more organised, more disciplined, more efficient, I could handle it all.” But the truth is simpler: modern life wasn’t designed to be managed alone.

Why doing everything yourself is no longer a badge of honour

Somewhere along the way, self-sufficiency became synonymous with strength. Outsourcing help was framed as indulgent, something reserved for other people with more money, fewer values or less resilience. But that narrative is increasingly outdated.

In the same way businesses outsource accounting, IT or logistics to function better, individuals also benefit from recognising where their energy is best spent – and where it isn’t.

Domestic labour is real labour. It requires time, physical effort and mental load. When it’s piled on top of demanding careers, caregiving responsibilities and emotional labour, something eventually gives. More often than not, it’s personal wellbeing. A study in the Lancet Medical Journal  showed that women are more likely to spend double the amount of time than men caregiving, tackling chores and doing housework — all tasks that can lead to a greater impact on mental health and burnout. Even returning home to more chores after a workday can cause mental and physical exhaustion from lack of recovery.

“Outsourcing domestic tasks isn’t about shirking duties; it’s about reallocating energy to what truly fuels your life,” says Rishka Matthews, Head of Marketing at Sweepsouth.

The quiet power of buying back time

“We often think of outsourcing as a luxury when in reality it’s a form of self-preservation. When people reclaim even a few hours a week by getting help at home, that time almost always goes back into rest, relationships or personal growth. It’s not about doing less – it’s about protecting your energy so you can show up fully in the parts of life that matter most,” adds Matthews.

Outsourcing isn’t about avoiding responsibility. It’s about making deliberate choices.

When you delegate certain tasks – whether that’s cleaning, meal prep or grocery shopping – you’re not paying for convenience. You’re reclaiming time to:

• rest without guilt
• show up more present with your family
• invest in your health
• or simply breathe

Backing this up, a Harvard study found that outsourcing chores can boost happiness levels equivalent to a significant raise, by freeing up time for more fulfilling activities. Other research indicates that outsourcing housework improves family happiness and even increases the likelihood of having additional children by easing time pressures. It serves as a key strategy for balancing family and work demands, allowing for career growth and better stress management.

“By handing off routine tasks, you’re investing in your mental resilience and long-term joy,” adds Matthews. Five hours a week doesn’t sound revolutionary until you realise what it could become over a year – weeks of regained life, redistributed towards the things that actually replenish you.

Numerous studies underscore the benefits of this reclaimed personal time. For instance, regular rest and downtime are essential for mental health, improving concentration, memory, immune function and mood while reducing stress. Micro-breaks and vacations enhance well-being, vigour, and performance, with even short naps refreshing the brain and preventing long-term fatigue.  Activities like spending time in nature or on hobbies provide transformative benefits for both mental and physical health and breaks throughout the day maintain performance, reduce stress and improve attention. And, a US study has even shown that taking time off to achieve deep rest and restoration improves our chances for healthy longevity.

Redefining balance as energy management

Work-life balance has always been a flawed concept. Life doesn’t arrive in neat compartments and neither does fatigue. A more useful question is “Where is my energy being spent and is it aligned with what matters most to me”?

When you protect your energy at home, you show up better at work. When you’re less depleted by daily logistics, you become more patient, more creative and more engaged in every area of your life.

“True productivity comes from guarding your energy like a precious resource, and outsourcing is one of the smartest ways to do that,” notes Matthews.

The new measure of success

Perhaps the most radical idea of all is this: success isn’t how much you can carry. It’s how wisely you choose what to put down. In a culture that glorifies busyness, choosing ease can feel uncomfortable. But getting five hours of your life back isn’t about escaping responsibility – it’s about creating space for the people, moments and experiences that make responsibility worth carrying in the first place.

And that might be the most productive decision you make all year.

As the year settles into its first full working weeks, the familiar rhythms of office life return. Calendars fill up, inboxes swell, and the steady hum of productivity takes over. But somewhere between the morning rush and the end-of-day sign-off, many professionals hit the same wall: the 3pm slump.

It is that moment when focus fades, energy dips, and the temptation for a quick fix creeps in. Sugary snacks, extra cups of coffee, or convenience drinks promise an instant lift, but often deliver a short-lived boost followed by an even sharper crash. For busy professionals juggling long hours and packed schedules, this cycle has become almost routine.

Increasingly, people are seeking smarter ways to maintain energy throughout the workday, and refreshment is proving to be one of the simplest yet most effective solutions. Sitting at a desk for hours can easily distract from drinking enough fluids, yet even mild dehydration can sap concentration and productivity. This is where reaching for a thoughtful, low-sugar option can make a real difference.

PURA SODA fits naturally into this modern workday rhythm. With clean ingredients, low sugar, and sophisticated flavour profiles, it is a refreshing alternative that doesn’t overwhelm the senses or interrupt focus. Whether kept on a desk, enjoyed as a mid-afternoon reset, or opened during a quiet moment of reflection after meetings, PURA SODA supports energy in a way that feels intentional rather than forced. It is not just a drink; it is part of a mindful approach to sustaining productivity and well-being.

Alongside refreshment, simple desk habits also help professionals stay sharp. Stepping away from the screen, taking a short walk, or pausing between tasks allows the mind to reset. With a light, enjoyable drink in hand, these small rituals feel more rewarding, reinforcing both focus and a sense of balance throughout the day. Choosing PURA SODA transforms these moments from a routine pause into a refreshing highlight of the workday.

The conversation around productivity is changing. Success is no longer about pushing through at all costs, but about building realistic habits that sustain performance from morning to afternoon. Drinks like PURA SODA are becoming a quiet essential in this approach—pure balance: supporting focus, refreshment, and enjoyment without the crash of traditional sugary fixes.

Sometimes, beating the 3pm slump isn’t about adding something new. It’s about choosing better options within the moments that already exist, and PURA SODA is designed to fit seamlessly into that modern, intentional workday.