Top 7 Destinations to Visit (Before They Get Crowded) with Gunnar Garfors

·1 hr 29 min·5 clips

On the Amazon ferries, Gunnar says locals travel in hammocks and the boat bars are where people meet.

1. Zero To Travel Podcast frames this episode around Gunnar Garfors and his list of up-and-coming destinations before they get crowded. 2. Jason introduces Gunnar Garfors as a friend, a guest on the show before, and the first person to travel to every country in the world twice. 3. The episode asks where travelers should go in 2024 and the near future before mass tourism changes the experience. 4. Gunnar says he has spent an estimated $200,000 to $500,000 on travel, probably around $300,000 to $400,000. 5. Jason and Gunnar discuss how Gunnar’s TikTok travel clip reached about 8.5 million views and 20,000 followers in roughly 10 days. 6. Gunnar explains that the viral TikTok used the trend of swiping through a photo to reveal a country count. 7. The first destination discussed is the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, which Gunnar recommends for kite surfing, beaches, restaurants, and English access. 8. Gunnar contrasts that area with Punta Cana on the east side and Santo Domingo, which he calls nice but less appealing than the north coast. 9. He also mentions Haiti next door on the same island and warns that Port-au-Prince has serious security issues. 10. The South America section focuses on the Amazon as a river route through Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil toward the Atlantic Ocean. 11. Gunnar names Manaus as a major city in the rainforest with about 2 million people and easy access by international flights. 12. He describes ferry travel between Manaus and Santarém, and between Santarém and Macapá, as 30-hour-plus journeys on local river transport. 13. Gunnar says travelers should bring a hammock, because that is how many people ride these boats. 14. He says the boat bars are social spaces, and he recounts seeing one woman reading a book and later snogging another man. 15. He notes that a ferry between Manaus and another river stop can cost about $30 for one night, which he contrasts with expensive cruise-style trips. 16. Gunnar says the Amazon is still up and coming, with relatively few tourists compared with a few years ago. 17. The tone is conversational, with Jason and Gunnar speaking in a familiar, joking style from a recorded in-person interview in Gunnar’s apartment. 18. The format mixes travel recommendations, personal anecdotes, and practical logistics like flights, ferries, and lodging. 19. Listeners who like practical travel planning, river journeys, and off-the-beaten-path destinations would likely enjoy this episode. 20. Listeners seeking tightly edited, destination-only recommendations without banter may skip it.

As heard by us

A bucket-list conversation that stays grounded in timing and travel realities.

The conversation draws strength from Gunnar Garfors's unusually deep travel experience, which keeps the recommendations grounded instead of dreamy.

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Why you'd press play

When you want up-and-coming destinations before mass tourism arrives in force.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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