I stumbled upon a list of “The Best Places You’ve Never Heard Of” on the travel section of MSNBC’s Web site and I thought I would share the list with you. Maybe you have heard of these places, maybe you have been to these places, maybe you need some suggestions for your next destination – whatever the case, I thought I would indulge you all with a list of hidden gems.

• Willunga, Australia – a great spot for red wines, the Willunga Farmers Market and Russell’s Pizza, this destination is an hour south of Adelaide
• Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Brazil – a 253-square-mile national park with large quartz reserves
• Graskop, South Africa – a small, artsy community about four hours from Johannesburg
• Weymouth, England – great for divers and sunseekers, a cobblestone street English town
• Purnululu National Park, Australia – also known as the “Bungle, Bungle”, great for hiking beautiful, eroded sandstone domes
• Bergerac, France – great wine, food and shopping
• Gaziantep, Turkey – applauded for its food, particularly its baklava
• Moravsky Krumlov, Czech Republic – local castle is great for sightseeing and the town has a classical, romantic feel
• Wilson, United States – located in Kansas, the state park is renowned for its biking
• Tanabe, Japan – forested, hot springs and great hiking

The article first appeared in “Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel Magazine“. Each location was selected by a world traveler and the destinations are unique and special to these people, which gives the piece an interesting perspective. The article, published in the Sept. 2008 issue, offers transportation and lodging tips as well. For more information on any of these locations, read the article here. And, if you have been to any of the places listed above, let us know what you think about them! What destinations would you add to a list of “the best places you’ve never heard of”? -Kimberly Krol, circulation and PR executive, eFlyer editor (GO PHILS!)