5 travel experts reveal the best places they've ever visited

Shutterstock / Vicky SPThe Azores.

Some people get to travel for a living.

These are the people we count on to tell us what places are worth a trip and what places aren't, along with other essential travel tips.

We asked five of these experienced travelers what their favorite destinations are.

Here's what they said:

Anne Banas, executive editor of Smarter Travel: The Azores, Portugal

"I really like the Azores. It's only a four-hour flight from Boston, so you're basically in Europe in four hours."

"There are nine different islands, and I've actually been to four of them. There's a wine island and a cheese island, for example. It's very old world, but it's still modern Europe at the same time.

"It's just this amazing, unusual place, and it's pretty much right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean so it's not like other places. It's not Mediterranean and it's not tropical. It's kind of weirdly sub-tropical, but not."

Pauline Frommer, editorial director of Frommer guidebooks and Frommers.com: Southern India

Shutterstock / Val ShevchenkoThe temple of Madurai in southern India.

"The last place I've been was pretty damn spectacular. I just spent two weeks in southern India and that was amazing, seeing the temple of Madurai, which is as old as the Taj Mahal, but is as brightly colored as a bowl full of sherbet because they repaint it every seven years."

Pavia Rosati, founder of Fathom Way To Go: Italy

Shutterstock / Sergey NovikovFlorence, Italy.

"Italy is a vacation destination that keeps on giving. I can never get tired of Italy; no one ever gets tired of Italy. The food is too good, the people are too nice. Italy is just amazing."

Scott Morrow, CEO of Luxury Link: Turks and Caicos

Shutterstock / BlueOrange StudioGrace Bay Beach.

"From a beach perspective, Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. I went down there to visit a partner and I fell in love so much with the property that I ended up buying a unit there."

"They truly have the best beach in the world. It's called Grace Bay Beach, and at the hotel you can get beach bed service that includes champagne and strawberries; it's the most indulgent experience of just completely relaxing and unplugging that I've ever experienced in the world."

Jason Clampet, cofounder of Skift: Baja California, Mexico

Flickr / Leonardo Del PreteBaja California, Mexico

"Bahía Concepción, Baja California. It's very basic (or was 10 years ago): No running water, power only for a few hours a day, but great campsites, spectacular stars at night, and crystal clear seas for swimming, snorkeling, and kayaking."