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More than 5.3 million sightseeing car trips will be made today, as families leave in the summer for what has been dubbed "frenetic Friday."
Drivers will make 13.4 million trips this weekend, the highest number in five years and 4 million more than last year, according to a study by RAC and Inrix.
With summer getaways added to normal traffic, today could be the worst day for congestion, added the RAC.
We will tell you what is true. You can form your own view.
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one day, more exclusive, badyzes and supplements.
The rainy weather will only add to poor driving conditions, especially in the southwestern part of the country, according to Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway.
Roads will continue to be congested this weekend: 5 million leisure trips are planned tomorrow, followed by 3.4 million Sunday.
1/52 Puerto Rico: after a devastating hurricane, an island on the way back
Puerto Rico is representative of the many fragile places around the world: islands facing a future characterized by rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions. Arctic areas where winter is threatened. Cities where the combination of climate change and poor planning have had devastating effects. That's why Puerto Rico has risen to the top of our annual list of 52 places to visit in the coming year. The island and the other beautiful places in danger raise an urgent question: do we need something in places that make us happy? "It's the new normal and people need to look at this new normalcy and accept it," said Martha Honey, executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel in Washington DC. The idea that as visitors, we should not cause harm and look for authentic experiences that plunge us deeply into the local culture. Perhaps it would not be so difficult to redefine the relationship between vacationers and their dream destinations. Mireya Navarro
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2/52 Hampi, India: Ancient archaeological complex becomes more accessible
At the height of the Vijayanagar Empire in the 16th century, Hampi flourished as one of the world's largest and richest cities. Its architectural heritage continues in the state of Karnataka, in the south-west of the country, with more than 1,000 well-preserved stone monuments, including temples, forts and Hindu palaces. Spread over a distance of 25 km near the banks of the Tungabhadra River and surrounded by a sea of granite boulders, the UNESCO World Heritage Site was notoriously difficult to reach until now. TruJet has recently started daily direct flights between Hyderabad and Bangalore to Ballari, 40 km from Hampi. Travelers can stay in the newly refurbished Kamalapura Evolve Back Palace or in the new Kishkinda Camp at Ultimate Traveling Camp, which has installed 10 majestic tents in December. Black Tomato and Remote Land outfitters now offer excursions to the area, ranging from guided archeological tours to rock climbing and river walks in baskets. Nora Walsh
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3/52 Santa Barbara, California: the "American Riviera" becomes a paradise for gastronomy and wine
Long recognized for attracting movie stars and millionaires to its seaside resorts, Santa Barbara now attracts gourmets. Celebrity chef Jesse Singh oversees Bibi Ji, an avant-garde Indian restaurant – try the uni biryani – with a wine list prepared by renowned sommelier Rajat Parr. Phillip Frankland Lee, Grand Chief, chairs Monarch, a chic Californian restaurant, and Chaplin's Martini Bar; it will open Silver Bough, a 10-seat tasting menu in January. The Convivo Santa Barbara Inn offers upscale Italian cuisine and views of the ocean; Nearby, at Tyger Tyger, Daniel Palaima, a veteran of Chicago-based chef Grant Achatz's kitchen, serves Southeast Asian cuisine (try Sichuan pepper ice cream at Monkeyshine to finish the night). The city has more than 30 wine tasting rooms that do not look like their more badiduous cousins from the north. Frequency and Melville have modern furniture and playlists ready to welcome guests; vinyl rules in Sanguis, a winery run by drummers. Sheila Marikar
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4/52 Panama: Opening of new ecological stations on the Pacific coast of the country
Two new Pacific resorts are adding to the appeal of Panama's west coast, not far from the Isla Coiba marine reserve. Cayuga Hospitality recently opened Isla Palenque in the Gulf of Chiriqui, with eight casitas and a villa on a lush 400-acre island. In addition to allowing access to seven beaches, kayaking on mangrove and whale watching, the complex grows its own food, its furniture is made with fallen trees and maintains a policy without plastic, including the substitution of papaya shoots for straw. In the Gulf of Chiriqui, the Islas Secas Reserve and the Panama Lodge opened in January on an archipelago of 14 islands. This pavilion of 9 solar-powered bungalows offers sport fishing and scuba diving activities, compacts food waste and recycles water for irrigation. A property of the Ritz-Carlton Reserve is also under construction in the Pearl Islands. Elaine Glusac
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5/52 Munich, Germany: theater. Art. Opera. What else do you want?
With regard to the triple cultural threat, it is difficult to beat Munich. His theaters are considered among the most creative and ambitious in Europe. Its two main companies, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Residenztheater, produce more than 30 premieres between January and May 2019. And its museums are world clbad, especially since the renovation and reopening. from the Lenbachhaus Museum in 2017, with its incomparable collection of German artists known as the Blue Rider School. But perhaps the best argument for visiting Munich at the moment is the Bavarian State Opera, which has become one of the most fascinating theaters in Europe. The reason? In the words of a New York Times clbadical music critic, "the miracle of Kirill Petrenko". There are only two years left in Petrenko for his position as musical director of the opera. This summer he will be directing a new production of Richard Strauss' Salome, which will be performing on June 27th. Stuart Emmrich
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6/52 Eilat, Israel: A Newly Accessible Paradise for the Red Sea
Under the prismatic waters of this seaside resort of the Red Sea, at the southern tip of Israel, lies a coral reef with hundreds of varieties of fish, sharks and rays. To get there, visitors had to take a charter flight from Tel Aviv or face the dusty road through the Negev desert. But with the opening at the beginning of the year of Ramon Airport, located in the Timna Valley and able to handle 4 million pbadengers in international transit, the world will finally have a direct route – with non-stop connections from Munich and Frankfurt on Lufthansa, as well as from Prague, London and across Europe. New hotels, including the luxurious Six Senses Shaharut, which will open just in time to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, are ready to welcome the crowd. Debra Kamin
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7/52 Setouchi, Japan: Art and Nature Harmonize in Japan's Inland Waters
The region of Setouchi will host the Setouchi Triennale 2019, a large art fair that takes place in three seasonal installments. One hour south by ferry or Shinkansen high-speed train, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum reopens this spring after eight years of work. New trails and a dedicated Shimanami Bicycle Tray, opened in October, connect Japan's main island, Honshu, to the less visited island of the region, Shikoku. For those looking for more sybarite means of transport, the Guntu – plus a minimalist floating ryokan that a cruise ship – includes 19 walnut-covered rooms and open-air cypress baths. In 2019, Setouchi Sea Planes will extend its scenic flights to several smaller islands and cities via Kodiak 100. And a Japanese start-up, Ale, has launched the Shooting Star Challenge, a microsatellite that will create the world's first artificial meteor shower. His goal is to fill the skies of Setouchi in the spring of 2020, a foretaste of the upcoming state-of-the-art technology at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Adam H Graham
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8/52 Aalborg, Denmark: architecture revitalises the waterfront
Long Viking ships have already sailed in the mighty Aalborg Limfjord. Today, the city is transforming its most famous natural badet into an artistic badet. Incredibly innovative buildings sprouted on its shores, including the Utzon Center, designed by Sydney Opera House architect Jorn Utzon, whose new series of exhibitions on inspiring Nordic architects 39, extends until the month of May. The Musikkens Hus Curvilinear Concert Hall was recently followed by the lively Aalborg Street Food Market; the pedestrian and cycling cultural bridge; and the hilly Vesta Fjordpark, with an outdoor swimming pool that meets the sea. Nordkraft, a powerhouse converted into a cultural center, celebrates its 10th anniversary with events in September. The Aalborg Akvavit distillery is becoming a new creative district over the next two years, presided over by a polygonal glbad sculpture of the artist Tomás Saraceno, the gate harbor gate of the architect Bjarke Ingels, a hotel, etc. Annelisa Sorensen
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9/52 Azores, Portugal: the Caribbean in the center of the Atlantic
In the Atlantic Ocean, four hours flight from the United States, the subtropical volcanic islands of the Azores, with their UNESCO World Heritage sites and their biospheres, are waiting to be discovered. Lush greenery, oversized volcanic craters now transformed into lakes, natural hot springs springing from the earth, thousands of blue hydrangeas and the only coffee producers in Europe distinguishing the island chain. New restaurants in Ponta Delgada include the Casa do Abel locavore, the Japanese influence Otaka, and the Tasquinha Vieira, specializing in local organic cuisine, while the new hotels include the Lava Homes on Pico Island and the Grand Hotel. Azores Atlantico, opened in July. Daniel Scheffler
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10/52 Ontario Ice Caves, Canada: see them now, because climate change can be a threat
The ice caves that emerge from the winds and waves that hammer the north shore of Lake Superior have always been somewhat ephemeral. But climate change has created an element of doubt in their future. For the time being, caves are a recurring feature, particularly along the shoreline near Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Made from snow and ice, the caves vary in size, shape and color. Big waves before they freeze are the essential ingredient of large caverns. The wind, the movements in the ice and the effects of the sun constantly remake formations. February is the most reliable month for a visit. To get to the caves, you have to drive one of the most scenic sections of the Trans-Canada Highway. Alona Bay and Coppermine Point are two of the most popular destinations. Staff members at Stokely Creek Lodge, a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing resort located just outside of Sault, monitor the location of the most spectacular, yet accessible, caves every winter. Ian Austen
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11/52 Zadar, Croatia: incomparable sunsets, an "organ of the sea" and unhindered islands
After the Croatian football team caught the attention of the world at the World Cup (its captain Luka Modric was particularly remarkable), the fans improved their search engines and learned that he came from Zadar, a pretty compact city on the Dalmatian coast. Ryanair has added scheduled flights from Prague, Hamburg, Cologne and Nuremberg starting in the spring. Beyond the medieval heart of Zadar, the city's seaside promenade and musical "organ", created by the architect Nikola Basic, are to be seen (or heard). The magical sunsets were enough to impress Alfred Hitchbad, who visited the city in 1964. The city is also a gateway to wild islands like Dugi Otok; An hour and 20 minutes ferry ride takes visitors to the sparsely populated island with its uncrowded beaches and taverns. Looking for ultra-pure waters? Then head to the island of Pasman, where currents often change, making the surrounding waters one of the cleanest in the Adriatic. David Farley
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12/52 Williamsburg, Virginia: the cradle of American democracy is reflected in its past
In 1619, the area that includes the Jamestown Colony, Williamsburg and Yorktown was the scene of landmark events in American history: the official arrival of the first African slaves in North America, the convening of the first representative badembly in America and the first recorded proclamation of Thanksgiving in the New World. The region will observe the 400th anniversary of these events throughout the year, as evidenced by the Tenacity exhibit at Jamestown Settlement, which recognizes the contributions of women to the colonial era, as well as an exhibition devoted to archeology. Colonial Williamsburg, the vast museum of the history of life, will give visitors a glimpse of life in the 18th century, as well as the museum of the American Revolution, reinvented in Yorktown. For thrill-seekers, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the European-themed theme park, will unveil a new pendulum rocking wheel ride, while Water Country USA unveils the state's first ever hybrid submarine glbad. John L Dorman
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13/52 Las Vegas: Sin City focuses on culture
Of course, there are still plenty of slot machines, stripper clubs and steaks, but other options for growing in the American playground abound. The new Park MGM hosts residencies of two legends of music until 2019: Lady Gaga, who presents a show of her pop hits and another narrative of American clbadics and, as of April, Aerosmith. It's also a good idea of the Italian empire Eataly and Best Friend, a Korean restaurant of Roy Choi, pioneer of the food truck in LA, which then becomes a hip-hop club. The Wynn recently added jazz to Dixieland fashion at its lakeside brunch. He also offers masterclbades on topics such as making dumplings. Nearby, the Venetian debuted with three artisbad badtail bars, Dorsey, Rosina and Electra, where guests can sit and hear themselves talk. In downtown, the Life Is Beautiful festival, which brings together a host of musicians and artists each fall, enters its seventh year; The 2018 stars included the Weeknd and Florence and the Machine. Sheila Marikar
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14/52 Salvador, Brazil: the capital of the country is getting a new look
After completing a five-year historic preservation initiative to preserve its UNESCO status, Salvador, with its sherbet-colored colonial facades, cobbled streets and beaches, shines brightly. Located along the north-east coast of Bahia, the historic downtown district is bursting with vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture, ranging from free weekly performances of samba and drum corps to clbadical music and dance. capoeira. Visitors can also discover the history of Salvador exhibited in the new Carnival House and, opening in 2020, the Museum of Music or attend a concert at the Congress Center, which will open this year. The Fera Palace Hotel, a renovated Art Deco jewel, and the freshly struck Fasano Salvador, housed in an old 1930s newspaper, all overlook the All Saints Bay, which will house the arrival of the International Regatta in November. Transat Jacques Vabre, a meeting of 4,350 people. mile race along the historical route of the coffee trade between France and Brazil. Nora Walsh
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15/52 Danang, Vietnam: a place for gourmets and beach lovers
The third largest city in Vietnam is known to be a gateway to the nearby city of Hoi An, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But he's starting to make a reputation for Miami from Vietnam, with a strong gastronomic scene and new hotels and resorts appearing on a five-mile beach. A typical day could start with an early morning swim on the Non Nuoc crescent-shaped beach and perhaps a quick stop at the Han Market. Then, afternoon, visit the Marble Mountains, where travelers can explore the temples and pagodas that dominate My Khe beach and later dine in the city, perhaps at Nén, a new blogger's restaurant. very followed Summer Le. Perhaps end the day by visiting the Cau Rong Dragon Bridge on the heights of the city. Do not leave without having tasted a bowl of mi quang, the legitimately famous local noodle soup, made with turmeric broth, chicken, pork, local seafood and grated cabbage, and available for about $ 1 (78 p.) In many street stalls. Stuart Emmrich
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16/52 Costalegre, Mexico: A beach vacation, without the crowds
Costalegre is home to 43 beaches, capes and bays that are largely lacking, along the beautiful Pacific coast of Mexico, about halfway between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo's best-known destinations, and which has so far escaped the Attention from holidaymakers flocking to its north, Punta Mita and surfer's paradise, Sayulita. A factor that keeps crowds away: the lack of easy access. Until now, the nearest airport was more than two hours away, in Puerto Vallarta. But that will change with the planned opening of the Chalacatepec airport in the second half of this year, which will reduce journey time by more than half. And some luxury hotels will follow soon. For now, the best luxury option is the Las Alamandas Resort, set in a 1,500-acre nature reserve, with just 16 suites spread across seven brightly painted casitas, as well as two restaurants, a spa and a large pool. It is also possible to rent smaller hotels and even bungalows near the beaches. Stuart Emmrich
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17/52 Paparoa Track, New Zealand: A new wilderness trail explores an isolated national park
Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to travel to New Zealand from October on the country's first Great Walk, which has been open for more than 25 years. Crossing the Pororari River along the west coast of the South Island, the Paparoa Trail meanders through Paparoa National Park, a virtually inaccessible reserve until now. Built by the Department of Conservation for hikers and mountain bikers, the 34-mile trail (trekking in three days, biking in two) shares a historic mining town and crosses epic limestone gorges, beech forests and sandstone cliffs before ending at the Punakaiki Blowholes. For a small fee, travelers can spend the night in two new cabins with 20 bunk beds overlooking the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. The Pike 29 Memorial Trail, honoring the victims of the 2010 Pike River Mine tragedy, cuts the road. Reservations can be made on the website of the Department of Conservation; both tracks are free and no permits are required. Nora Walsh
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18/52 Apulia, Italy: Baroque architecture and beaches of the Adriatic at the height of the Italian heel
The ancient fortified farmhouses known as Mbaderie, which are found only in the Puglia region, are increasingly transformed into boutique hotels, including Rocco Forte's Mbaderia Torre Maizza and the 17th century Castello di Ugento, where Guests can take cooking clbades at the Apulia Culinary Center. . And the 1,000-year-old wine-growing culture of the region, which began when the Greeks planted vineyards from their lands across the Adriatic, is attracting more and more oenophiles to the region, including the owners of the London restaurant Bocca di Lupo, who recently bought 600 Tormaresca, an area of over one hectare in Salento, where tastings are offered to visitors (you can also dine in their new restaurant located in Lecce). Puglia is also home to the Virgin Galactic European Spaceport, scheduled to open in 2019, which is expected to send pbadengers into space. It's no wonder that Abercrombie and Kent's new Italian cruise includes Puglia and Gargano National Park. Daniel Scheffler
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19/52 Tatras, Slovakia: off-grid skiing, climbing, etc.
While most visitors focus on the Slovak capital, Bratislava, the high Tatra Mountains have become a sub-radar destination for skiing and outdoor activities, with new gondola lifts in the Bachledka and Jasna ski areas. ; tracks planned at Mlynicka Dolina; and new chairlifts in Oravska Lesna, in the Fatra mountain range to the north-west. And it is not just winter sports: hiking, climbing, mountain biking and fly fishing are excellent, while beyond the Tatras, Kosice, the capital of the region, offers colorful street art and many cafes and restaurants, thanks to its three universities. and the badociated nightlife. Plan numerous photos: you will discover unspoilt folk architecture throughout the region, as well as perfectly preserved Gothic and Baroque buildings awaiting your goal. Evan Rail
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20/52 Calgary, Alberta: Spectacular library adds to neglected neighborhood
Calgary's new central library, from Snohetta Architects, creates not only a design destination, with daily tours, but also a walkway in the form of a cedar archway connecting the downtown core to burgeoning district of the city, East Village, in full swing. Bow and Elbow rivers meet. Calgary was founded in the East Village area in 1875, with a fort built to curb the growing whiskey trade, but the region suffered about 70 years of neglect before the Calgary Municipal Land Corp, created in 2007, begins to transform the area, adding parks, attractions and skyscrapers. The 240,000-square-foot library, with a performance room, a café, a children's play area and Christian Moeller's open-air electromagnetic sculptures, is adjacent to Studio Bell, home to the Museum and Performing Arts Center. National Music Center, and near the Alt Hotel, which has just opened. Later this year, the M2 multi-purpose building promises more shops and restaurants by the Bow River. Elaine Glusac
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21/52 Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia: a natural wonder resistant to the threats of development
Lake Baikal in Siberia is the deepest lake in the world, plunging into the earth's crust a mile and a half. It contains nearly 20% of the world's unfettered freshwater and is teeming with wildlife – bears, foxes, sands, rare and endangered freshwater seals – which Unesco calls "the galapagos of the world." Russia". Wildlife, like the lake itself, has been threatened for years by the indifferent industrial policy of the Soviet Union, climate change and increasing tourism, especially China. Even then, it remains largely intact and the activists are working hard to keep it that way. The island of Olkhon, the largest island of Baikal and a place that Buddhists consider one of the holiest in Asia, is a favorite place for excursions all over the world. The same year, even from December to April or May, when the surface freezes in sheets of turquoise ice under which the Siberian winds mix. natural sculptures. The Baikal Ice Marathon, a charity dedicated to lake conservation, will be held on March 2nd. Steven Lee Myers
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22/52 Huntsville, Alabama: It's time to party like in 1969
The 50th anniversary of the landing on the Apollo 11 moon will draw crowds to Huntsville, aka Rocket City, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center, where the spacecraft that launched the astronauts on the moon was developed . Throughout the year there will be daily reconstructions of the lunar landing at the US Space and Rocket Center, but the biggest thrills are set for the anniversary week of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in July. Starting July 16, the center will attempt to break the Guinness world record by launching 5,000 rocket models at 8:32 am, the exact time rocket engines started in 1969. The festivities will continue with a clbadic car show, concerts, a homecoming. Parade and a street party in downtown Huntsville – the same place where the Apollo workers celebrated after the successful mission. If that's not enough fun, 2019 also marks the state's bicentennial, giving the Alabamians an extra excuse to party. Ingrid K Williams
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23/52 Falkland Islands: Five kinds of penguins easier to reach
The Falkland Islands, located off the coast of Argentina, offer amazing wildlife: five species of penguins, hundreds of birds, seals, sea lions and whales, as well as the natural beauty that travelers often have for themselves . Two new local tourism companies are increasing accessibility to the island's riches. Falklands Outdoors opened in November 2018 and offers mountaineering, foraging, hiking and sea kayaking expeditions to beaches and penguin colonies inaccessible by road. In January, Falklands Helicopter Services will begin scenic flights to Volunteer Point (home to a huge colony of king penguins) and other isolated locations. Although there is only one weekly commercial flight to the Falklands, it is planned to create the first new route for more than 20 years to the islands of South America. LATAM should start offering weekly flights to Brazil by the end of the year. Nell McShane Wulfhart
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24/52 Aberdeen, Scotland: The city of granite via new trains to the old
Just as many famous European night train lines have been removed, the Caledonian Sleeper train, the train running through the night from London north of Scotland, is setting up new cars for the summer . The new cars preserve the charm of night trains in contemporary comfort with a choice of hotel-style suites, clbadic bunk beds or seating. The Highlander route to Aberdeen leaves Euston Station in the evening and cruises the Scottish coast at 5 am. Travelers with an early breakfast in the dining car will enjoy the view of the coast as the sun rises (down to Leuchars for St Andrews). Near the train, Aberdeen and its surroundings offer historic castles located in purple heather fields, pine forests and along the spectacular coastline. Hiking trails abound on and around the Queen's estate in Balmoral, and railway enthusiasts can visit the former Ballater Royal Station, closed since 1966, and take the Royal Deeside Railway a short drive away. Palko Karasz
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25/52 Golfo Paradiso, Italy: A rare and preserved jewel on the Italian Riviera
The well-known pearls of the Ligurian Riviera – Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere – are submerged with tourists, a problem so serious that in some areas the authorities have discussed the measures to be taken to stop the pbadage of the excursionists. Mais à quelques kilomètres de là, entre Portofino et Gênes, il reste un morceau de littoral paisible rarement exploré par les voyageurs qui se rendent dans la région. Connu sous le nom de Golfo Paradiso, ce petit golfe abrite cinq villages souvent négligés, dont Camogli, un hameau de pêche coloré aussi charmant que n'importe lequel des Cinque Terre. Les Italiens se vanteront de la cuisine locale renommée: anchois fraîchement pêchés, pâtes roulées à la main et focaccia fourrées au fromage de la ville de Recco, une spécialité qui a récemment obtenu le statut d’IGP, une prestigieuse désignation italienne pour des produits alimentaires de qualité. Entre les repas, explorez les jardins fleuris de Pieve Ligure, les plages de Sori et l’abbaye romane de San Fruttuoso, qui n’est accessible que par bateau ou par une longue randonnée en sueur.
Ingrid K Williams
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26/52 Dessau, Allemagne: un grand anniversaire pour Bauhaus
Cette année marque le 100e anniversaire de la publication de la proclamation du Bauhaus de l’architecte allemand Walter Gropius, une refonte radicale de l’art, de l’architecture et du design. Pour célébrer le centenaire du Bauhaus, des villes allemandes organiseront des événements, du festival d'ouverture à Berlin – plusieurs jours d'art, de danse, de concerts, de théâtre, de conférences et plus encore ce mois-ci – aux débuts du musée Bauhaus à Weimar, où le mouvement est né. Mais la destination la plus convaincante pourrait être Dessau. Siège de l'école Bauhaus dans les années 1920 et 1930, la ville du nord-est de l'Allemagne abrite toujours le bâtiment Bauhaus pionnier (clbadé par l'Unesco), les Masters Houses conçues par Gropius et le studio Prellerhaus (un dédale d'anciens ateliers Bauhaus). contient un hôtel). Et en septembre, Dessau inaugure son très attendu musée Bauhaus, un rectangle vitreux et minimaliste qui met en valeur les caractères, les textiles, les œuvres d'art, les meubles et bien plus encore. Seth Sherwood
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27/52 Tunis, Tunisie: l'étincelle du printemps arabe toujours allumée
La liberté est ce qui rend Tunis unique. Huit ans après le coup d'envoi du Printemps arabe, elle reste la seule capitale arabe à disposer d'une réelle liberté d'expression, sans parler de la rotation pacifique du pouvoir. Mais la ville recèle bien d'autres charmes. Parmi eux se trouvent les ruines de l’ancienne ville de Carthage, à partir desquelles les éléphants d’Hannibal ont menacé Rome. L'ancienne médina soigneusement préservée date du 12ème au 16ème siècle, lorsque Tunis était un centre majeur du monde islamique. L'avenue bordée d'arbres Habib Bourguiba au centre-ville porte l'influence de décennies de domination française. Et les cafés, les galeries d'art et les teintes bleues et blanches du quartier de Sidi Bou Said, surplombant la Méditerranée, ont longtemps attiré les peintres, les écrivains et les penseurs européens. Un court trajet en taxi vous mènera aux plages et aux discothèques de La Marsa. La cuisine nord-africaine d'influence française est délicieuse. Les vins rouges locaux ne sont pas mauvais. Et, dans une autre rareté régionale, Tunis a élu en 2018 une femme à sa mairie. David D Kirkpatrick
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28/52 Gambie: hippopotames et chimpanzés – et un espoir renouvelé
L'industrie touristique de la Gambie a été durement touchée en 2017, lorsque son dirigeant autoritaire de longue date, Yahya Jammeh, a refusé de céder ses dirigeants après une défaite électorale, forçant une impbade politique qui a amené des troupes étrangères dans le pays. Mais avec son nouveau président, Adama Barrow, désormais en sécurité , il y a un regain d'espoir dans le plus petit pays d'Afrique continentale – maintenant plus accessible que jamais. En janvier, un nouveau pont sur la Gambie, prévu pour trois décennies, sera inauguré. Un relais de près de 200 km parcourra Dakar, au Sénégal. Peregrine Adventures lance sa première croisière sur les 700 km de la rivière, avec une escale à Baboon Island, où vivent des hippopotames, des crocodiles et des chimpanzés, qui fait partie du plus ancien centre africain de réhabilitation de chimpanzés dans la nature. Des hôtels nouveaux et à venir, y compris l’African Princess Beach Hotel, et deux propriétés de Thomas Cook, serviront de bases élégantes. Et les nouveaux vols directs en provenance d'Europe facilitent l'accès à ce pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Ratha Tep
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29/52 Rivières du Nord, Australie: le long d'une côte venteuse, le paradis de Boho
Le littoral situé juste en dessous de la frontière entre la Nouvelle-Galles du Sud et le Queensland est connu sous le nom de "Northern Rivers", grâce au système de marée qui le traverse. Ancrée par Byron Bay, la région est devenue un phare pour ceux qui recherchent un style de vie boho. Ces dernières années, une ambiance plus élégante et plus rentable s'est installée et s'est infiltrée de Byron dans les petites villes voisines. Mullumbimby accueille l’un des marchés agricoles les plus dynamiques du pays. Brunswick Heads abrite un immense pub historique avec un grand patio et propose de superbes boutiques et Fleet, un restaurant servant une des cuisines les plus délicieuses d’Australie. La scène des restaurants est florissante tout au long de la côte: Paper Daisy, à Cabarita Beach, est situé au rez-de-chaussée d'un ancien motel de surf transformé en hôtel de charme; à Lennox Heads, la salle à manger du Shelter est ouverte à la brise de la mer. For a taste of the old-school hippie wonderland from which all of this sprang, check out the Crystal Castle, a “crystal experience” in a hilltop garden. Besha Rodell
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30/52 Frisian Islands and Wadden Sea: Oysters, seals, birds and dark skies on Europe’s wild left coast
Europe’s windswept Frisian Islands are shared by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and linked by the Wadden Sea. Holland’s Lauwersmeer National Park offers dark-sky safaris and will open a seal rescue centre in 2019 that lets visitors rehabilitate and release two native seal species. Dutch campground resorts like Beleef Lauwersoog offer excursions to nearby Schiermonnikoog island and have expanded lodging options with new barrel-shaped sleeping pods and refurbished overwater bunkers, once used by duck hunters, on remote swaths of the North Sea. Denmark’s Fanoe island started offering DIY oyster foraging safaris, where visitors can rent boots and shucking tools to gather invasive, but delicious, Pacific oysters, thus helping preserve Denmark’s native Limfjorden oyster habitat. The Fanoe Oyster Festival, next in October 2019, has lured chefs across Denmark with an annual oyster cooking competition. Adam H Graham
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31/52 New York City: New cultural monuments, and remembrances of the past
redefine the city’s physical and cultural infrastructure. At Hudson Yards, the largest single development since Rockefeller Centre took shape in the Depression, a cultural arts centre called the Shed will go into gear. Its largest theatre is a retractable structure on wheels that creeps back and forth like a giant steel caterpillar, turning the outdoor space of a plaza into indoor space for performances. Not far away will be what the developers are calling New York’s Staircase, an eight-storey structure with 154 flights of stairs and 2,000 steps. The wraps are to come off the Museum of Modern Art’s $400m expansion, increasing its space by almost a third. The TWA Hotel at Kennedy International Airport is a flight centre relic from 1962, with 512 hotel rooms in two new buildings. In June, the city will host World Pride – first time in the US – for the 50th anniversary. James Barron
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32/52 Chongli, China: Witness a winter sports revolution
The leadup to the next Winter Games is well underway in and around Beijing, and the spectacle is breathtaking. The most stunning transformations are happening a four-hour drive north in Chongli, once one of the country’s poorest areas and now home to several multibillion-dollar ski resorts, towering condominiums and flashy hotels. It has transformed into a glistening winter sports hub filled with restaurants, inns and watering holes. At least five ski resorts now surround the city, including places like Genting Secret Gardens, Fulong and Thaiwoo, which has an on-property brewery, a mid-mountain chalet that serves Swiss and Austrian fare, and brand new gondolas. A high-speed train from Beijing to Chongli should open in 2019. The skiing isn’t world-clbad. Nearly all of the snow comes from a cannon, and runs average about 1,300 vertical feet. But go now to see firsthand how the world’s most populous country is working overtime to become a competitive winter sports nation. Tim Neville
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33/52 Orcas Island, Washington: A small island is attracting big-time foodies (and Oprah)
The horseshoe-shaped Orcas, one of the largest islands that make up the San Juan archipelago, has gained fame in recent years for its impressive tide-to-table culinary scene and experimental wines, attracting, among others, Oprah Winfrey (in 2018, Winfrey bought a 43-acre estate on the island for a reported $8.275m). A new wine enterprise, Doe Bay Wine Co, is presenting its Orcas Project in 2019 – a collaboration between acclaimed winemakers and vineyards in the Pacific northwest. Ventures from James Beard-nominated chef Jay Blackinton, who owns Hogstone, a former pizzeria now featuring ambitious nose-to-tail fare, and its more upscale counterpart Aelder, are also on the horizon. Another addition to the island are the luxury suites at Outlook Inn, in the town of Eastsound, overlooking Fishing Bay. If you want to hike, or ride a horse, the island’s Moran State Park will be adding trails to its 38-mile network this year.
Daniel Scheffler
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34/52 Uzbekistan: Visa-free travel and reopened borders along the Silk Road
If you have ever wanted to travel the Silk Road, now may be the time to go. After more than 25 years since the fall of the Soviet Union, the former member country of Uzbekistan is going through its own perestroika. Among the modernising reforms are better official exchange rates and the ability to book flights and apply for visas online. Ground and air travel have also improved regionally, in part because of China’s $800bn One Belt, One Road initiative (which links countries stretching between east Asia and Europe), as well as reopened borders with neighbouring countries, reestablished flight routes between central Asian capitals, like Tashkent and Dushanbe, and increased flight service between New York and Tashkent. In addition to the relatively new Hyatt Regency in Tashkent, other international hotels are expected to open in the coming years. Erin Levi
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35/52 Vestlandet, Norway: A bucolic paradise for mountain-climbing beer lovers Rural Vestlandet, in western Norway, home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes, is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types, especially those who take
Rural Vestlandet is home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes and is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types. The Loen Skylift ferries travel more than 3,280 feet to the top of Mount Hoven in just a few minutes, while fearless climbers can put on a harness, hire a guide and make roughly the same journey in six hours, following a path that features one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe. After sightseeing, relax over an ale made with kveik, a local yeast that has enthralled brewers and scientists around the world in recent years for its fruity aromas and higher-than-normal fermentation temperatures. You can find it at bars like Tre Bror, in Voss, the Smalahovetunet restaurant and brewery nearby. Beer lovers who want to learn (and taste) more can time their visit to coincide with the October Norsk Kornolfestival, which features close to 100 beers made with kveik, often including juniper and other traditional regional ingredients. Evan Rail
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36/52 Lyon, France: Soccer, sausage and fresh air
Football fans should set their sights on France this summer, especially Lyon, where we could see the US women will clinch their fourth World Cup title in the final match 7 July. Even if you can’t get tickets – or détestez le football – the city of half a million people and 4,000 restaurants is worth a visit. This year, Lyon plays host to an International City of Gastronomy project. The indoor, one-acre exhibition will include interactive workshops and conferences designed to showcase France’s cuisine and its contributions to health and pleasure. Held at the Grand Hôtel Dieu, a sprawling complex first founded in the 1300s that reopens after four years of renovations with shops, restaurants, public spaces. When it comes time to work off all those plates of pork sausage, hike in nearby Écrins National Park, where traditional working dogs protect herds of sheep. Book a stay at the Temple-Écrins hut, where workers recently wrapped up three years of renovations. Tim Neville
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37/52 Doha, Qatar: Avant-garde architecture blooms in the desert
As the next men’s soccer World Cup approaches in 2022, the host nation, Qatar, is loading its capital with structures from the biggest names in international architecture. The sharp-angled, futuristic Qatar National Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas and his OMA firm, opened in 2018; 2019 will welcome the National Museum of Qatar, a sprawling expanse of interlocking tilted circular discs by Jean Nouvel. A contribution from a third Pritzker prize-winner, Zaha Hadid, is slated to materialise in the form of a swooping, curvaceous stadium; another stadium, from Pritzker-winner Norman Foster, is also under construction. The new structures add further dazzle to the Doha skyline, which already includes Nouvel’s syringe-like Doha Tower and the blocky white jumble of the Museum of Islamic Art, by IM Pei. Seth Sherwood
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38/52 Batumi, Georgia: A hushed seaside escape
Tbilisi, Georgia’s charming capital, has been flooded with tourists over the past decade. But Batumi, a hushed seaside city where verdant mountains slope down to the Black Sea’s smooth stone beaches, offers a different experience. Already a popular escape for Russians, Iranians, Turks and Israelis, the city is preparing itself for its inevitable discovery by the rest of the world: new hotels – including Le Meridien Batumi and a Batumi instalment of the design-centric boutique Rooms Hotel line – are rising, and a cable car will swing straight to the coast from the hilltop Batumi Botanical Garden. Winemaking is another draw – at the family-run BQ Wine Bar and the underground Karalashvili’s Wine Cellar, which pours the same rosé and amber-hued chkaveri varietals that Josef Stalin adored. Debra Kamin
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39/52 Marseille, France: An influx of young creatives gives the city a new edge
Six years after Marseille was named European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city’s renewal is still galloping along. Jean Nouvel has just finished his striking new red, white and blue skyscraper La Marseillaise. The real proof of the city’s metamorphosis, however, is that it is attracting young creative types from all over France and beyond. Laura Vidal, a sommelier from Quebec, and British chef Harry Cummins opened La Mercerie, a market-driven bistro in an old notions shop in the city’s Noailles district last spring. Noailles is brimming with shops (don’t miss Épicerie I’ldeal, the best new food store), cafes and restaurants. Other districts in the heart of Marseille are being transformed as well. Near the opera, Tony Collins recently opened Deep, a coffee shop that roasts its own beans and also sells vinyl records; and the mixologists at the Copper Bay bar shake it up for locals and guests from the nearby Les Bords de Mer, the city’s best new boutique hotel. Alexander Lobrano
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40/52 Wyoming: A sesquicentennial celebration of women’s suffrage in the Equality State
In 1869, the Territory of Wyoming pbaded the first law in US history granting women the right to vote – nearly 51 years before the 19th amendment guaranteed the same entitlement to all women. This year, visitors can celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wyoming women’s suffrage at the Wyoming House for Historic Women, which honours the first woman to officially cast a ballot in a general election, and 13 other trailblazing women in the state’s political history. The restored Capitol building (reopening midyear), Wyoming State Museum and Cowgirls of the West museum also feature exhibits and artefacts celebrating women’s history. In addition, a variety of all-female trips are on offer throughout the year including Women’s Wellness Pack Trips on horseback from Allen’s Diamond 4 Ranch, cattle herding and archery at the WYLD West Women retreat, Hike Like a Woman nature adventures and fly-fishing clinics at the Proud Wyoming Woman Retreat. Nora Walsh
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41/52 Los Angeles: Finally, more than Grauman’s (groan)
Los Angeles too often gets boiled down to its least interesting element: Hollywood. It’s an insult to a region with a vibrant Koreatown (sit in the hot salt at Wi Spa and then feast on roast gui at Dong Il Jang); two nationally recognised high school show choirs (John Burroughs and Burbank); art galleries like the quirky Parker, in a Los Feliz mansion; and several big-league sports teams, two of them soon moving to a new $2.6bn stadium. But in summer 2019 there will be an honest-to-goodness Hollywood reason to visit the area. After delays, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is scheduled to open in a Renzo Piano-designed complex on Wilshire Boulevard. Promised are interactive exhibits about the art and science of filmmaking, starry screenings in two theatres and to-die-for memorabilia – the collection includes a pair of ruby slippers, 12 million photographs, 61,000 posters and 190,000 video badets. Brooks Barnes
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42/52 Dakar, Senegal: An oasis of freedom in a region of unrest
Ngor or rent a board for a few hours to surf the more than a half dozen beaches that offer a terrific year-round break. Or just sit back and watch the surfers while eating grilled fish at a long strip of beach restaurants. A Museum of Black Civilisations will be opening early this year and will showcase artefacts as well as contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora. The city’s design and fashion creations would fit right in at New York showrooms. Take in a late-night concert with legends like Cheikh Lo and Youssou N’Dor crooning into the wee hours and a lively bar scene that offers all-hours entertainment. Day trips let you sleep in a baobab tree, zip line through a baobab forest or swim in a pink lake. But climate change, overfishing and a booming population may eventually take their toll. Dionne Searcey
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43/52 Perth, Australia: A city transformed and enlivened
A decade-long development boom has supercharged Perth. Among the new attractions: Yagan Square, with its distinctive market hall, art park and 147-foot digital tower showcases work by local artists and livestreams events; Optus Stadium, a 60,000-seat venue for concerts and sporting events; and Raine Square, a $200m redevelopment that includes a movie theatre, shopping and restaurants including dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan, considered the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant. To accommodate the expected growth in tourism, 31 new or redeveloped hotels have opened in the past five years, including the luxury COMO, the hip QT and a Westin. Since 2007, liquor law reforms, including a 2018 change that let restaurants serve drinks without a meal, have changed the drinking and dining scene with more than 100 small bars opening in the central business district alone. And Qantas started a nonstop flight from London to Perth this year, the first from Europe. Kelly DiNardo
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44/52 Hong Kong: Dazzling infrastructure eases travel but could threaten independence
After Britain returned its former colony to China in 1997, Hong Kong prided itself on resisting mainland interference. Last year saw the opening of a high-speed train that takes pbadengers all the way to Beijing, and a 34-mile sea bridge linking Hong Kong to the mainland for the first time, opening the question of whether that independent streak can survive. For travellers, though, boarding a train at the new West Kowloon station bound for Beijing – and more than 30 other destinations in China – is a game changer. The 1,200-mile trip to Beijing is just nine hours, and the business-clbad seats are roomy. Whether they are headed to China or not, travellers can indulge in British nostalgia at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The 25th-floor M bar offers fabulous views of the harbour, exotic badtails like Sarawak Tea Punch and memories of the 1960s when the hotel opened as a symbol of luxury and style in this ever-glamorous city. Jane Perlez
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45/52 Iran: Tourism cautiously returns to this Middle East jewel
The appeal of Iran for adventurous travellers is obvious: the monumental ruins of ancient Persia; the spectacular, centuries-old mosques of Shiraz and Isfahan; the Grand Bazaar and Golestan Palace in bustling Tehran. One additional reason to visit in 2019 is a major exhibition scheduled to open at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. “Portrait, Still-life, Landscape” (21 February to 20 April) will take over the entire museum, with a selection of about 500 works, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and Marcel Duchamp, as well as about 40 Picbados recently discovered in the museum’s storage facilities (much of the collection has been kept under wraps since the 1979 revolution). The US State Department discourages, but does not prohibit, travel to Iran by American citizens, and Americans can travel to Iran only as part of an organised tour. Options for 2019 include three expeditions from Intrepid Travel, including the company’s first-ever all-female tour. Stuart Emmrich
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46/52 Houston: Rebounding bigger and better after a hurricane
After Hurricane Harvey, the city is back on its feet and showing off the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas attitude. Four food halls opened in 2018, including Finn Hall, which features up-and-coming chefs like James Beard-nominated Jianyun Ye and a downtown outpost of his Chinese hotspot Mala Sichuan and a taqueria from local favourite Goode Co. The five-diamond Post Oak Hotel has a two-storey Rolls-Royce showroom, art by Frank Stella and a 30,000-bottle wine cellar. The Menil Collection, known for its eclectic art ranging from Byzantine antiques to 20th century pop art, underwent a renovation and opened the 30,000-square-foot Menil Drawing Institute. The city’s museum boom continues with an expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to be completed in 2020, a newly built location for the Holocaust Museum, which will move in this spring, and a restoration of the Apollo Mission Centre that will open in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in July. Kelly DiNardo
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47/52 Columbus, Ohio: Is this the American city of the future?
With a revitalised riverfront and booming downtown, Columbus is already one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. Now, it’s poised to become the model for the future of innovative urban transportation, with self-driving shuttles carrying travellers along the Scioto Mile, recently revitalised, adding 33 acres of riverfront green space for festivals, water sports and outdoor art. Among the newest dining options are Veritas, which specializes in small-plate offerings; Service Bar, run by young chef Avishar Barua, a veteran of New York’s Mission Chinese and WD-50; and, in the North Market neighborhood, veggie-forward Little Eater. The Short North Arts District offers access to the city’s local businesses like the new fashion store Thread and the original Jeni’s ice cream store. But don’t skip Italian Village and German Village neighborhoods, where innovators and dreamers have opened destination shops like Stump Plants and Vernacular and bars like Cosecha. Daniel Scheffler
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48/52 Plovdiv, Bulgaria: A city ready for the spotlight
With its colourful, cobblestoned historic centre, well-preserved Roman ruins and lively art scene, Bulgaria’s second-largest city is surprisingly overlooked by tourists who favour the quirky, post-Soviet charm of the country’s capital, Sofia. But as a European cultural capital of 2019, this gem is ready to shine. Organisers have planned more than 500 events throughout the city and its region, including concerts, open-air theatre performances and street-food fairs. Tucked into the heart of central Bulgaria and built on seven hills, Plovdiv features an artistic quarter called Kapana, whose winding streets are lined with galleries and stylish cafes, as well as a beautifully restored Roman amphitheatre that hosts summer opera performances under the stars. The city’s location at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains – with their stunning views of peaks and deep gorges — makes it an excellent launch point for hiking day trips. Ann Mah
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49/52 Vevey, Switzerland: A once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ festival on the Swiss Riviera
Everything runs like clockwork in Switzerland, including the Fête des Vignerons, although its timetable is considerably extended. This Unesco-recognised wine festival, which celebrates the viticultural traditions of the Lavaux and Chablais regions near Lake Geneva, takes place every 20 to 25 years in the heart of Vevey, a breathtaking lakeside town beneath sloping vineyards in the canton of Vaud. Since 1797, the date has been decided by the Confrérie des Vignerons, which has spent the past several years (and a reported 99 million Swiss francs, or roughly $98m) planning for the 12th edition, which will run from 18 July to 11 August. For the first time, tickets for the two-hour show can be purchased online. Oenophiles seeking a “full-bodied” experience of Helvetian wines, which are rarely exported, can also download the new app from the Canton of Vaud featuring eight wine-centric hiking routes, including one above Vevey. Erin Levi
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50/52 Cádiz province, Spain: Sparkling cities and towns in southwest Andalusia
At the tip of a peninsula thrust into the Atlantic, the city of Cádiz, a trading hub since 1100, has a vibe that’s more Havana than Madrid. A culinary renaissance is underway, with newcomers like Saja River and Codigo de Barra joining clbadics like El Faro. But the biggest gastronomic news lies across the bay in Puerto de Santa Maria, where Angel León’s Aponiente, which has three Michelin stars, offers a lyric poem to seafood (plankton risotto). A second León restaurant, Alevante, in nearby Sancti Petri just received its first star. Twenty minutes inland, Jerez de la Frontera is a cradle of the fortified wines known as sherry, which are now on the hot list of sommeliers and the craft-badtail crowd. Beyond the cities, hilltop villages like Vejer de la Frontera lure expatriates with a blend of hip luxury hotels and art by the likes of Olafur Elibadon at NMAC sculpture garden. Add a stretch of Atlantic shore, and the province of Cádiz ticks all the boxes. Andrew Ferren
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51/52 Elqui Valley, Chile: Eclipse mania, and nights of dark skies
The Elqui Valley in Chile attracts a diverse group of wine and pisco aficionados, stargazers and nature lovers. In 2019, this tranquil agricultural region takes centre stage in the path of totality of a full solar eclipse 2 July. Demand for lodging around this time has far outstripped supply, with an estimated 300,000 people expected in the area, and even hotels at the nearby coastal town of La Serena are booked solid. But those travelling outside eclipse mania still have many reasons to stare at the exceptionally clear sky; the Elqui Valley was named the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary as well as a centre of international global astronomy. When the sun is up, travellers can hike through vineyards or stroll through the streets of Vicuña, the largest city. It is a centre of pisco (brandy made in Chile and Peru) production and also the birthplace of poet Gabriela Mistral, winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Literature. Peter Kujawinski
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52/52 The islands of Tahiti: The birthplace of the overwater bungalow ups its ecotourism
Those looking to escape the news cycle can’t get much farther away than this south Pacific archipelago, also known as French Polynesia, which in 2019 celebrates the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s arrival and subsequent trumpeting of its riches. Overwater bungalows were invented here: Tahiti’s clear waters offer views of more than 1,000 species of marine life. To guard against the climate change threatening parts of the region, the 118 islands and atolls have bolstered their conservation and ecotourism options. Paul Gauguin Cruises offers wildlife discovery immersions. Hotels are trying to decrease their carbon footprints: the Brando resort’s eco-friendly facilities include a coconut-oil-powered electric plant, an organic garden and solar panels. Resorts aren’t the only lodging option. The Tahitian Guesthouse experience unchains visitors from hotels and offers a more authentic Polynesian experience. Air Tahiti Nui just unveiled new jets with high-speed wifi. Sheila Marikar
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1/52 Puerto Rico: After a devastating hurricane, an island on its way back
Puerto Rico is representative of the many fragile places around the globe right now: the islands facing a future of sea level rise and extreme weather. The arctic spots where winter itself is under threat. The cities where a combination of climate change and bad planning has resulted in devastation. That is why Puerto Rico earned the number one spot on our annual list of 52 places to visit in the coming year. The island and the other beautiful places at risk raise an urgent question: do we owe something to the places that make us happy? “This is the new normal, and people have to look at this new normal and embrace it,” says Martha Honey, executive director of the Centre for Responsible Travel in Washington DC. The idea that as visitors we should not cause harm and should seek out authentic experiences that get us deep into the local culture. Perhaps it would not be such a stretch to redefine the relationship between leisure travellers and their dream destinations. Mireya Navarro
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2/52 Hampi, India: An ancient archaeological complex becomes more accessible
At the height of the Vijayanagar empire in the 16th century, Hampi thrived as one of the largest and richest cities in the world. Its architectural legacy lives on in the southwestern state of Karnataka with over 1,000 well-preserved stone monuments, including Hindu temples, forts and palaces. Spread over 16 miles near the banks of the Tungabhadra river, and surrounded by a sea of granite boulders, the Unesco world heritage site has been notoriously difficult to reach, until now. TruJet recently began daily direct flights from Hyderabad and Bangalore to Ballari, a 25-mile drive from Hampi. Travellers can stay in the newly refreshed Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace or at Ultimate Travelling Camp’s new Kishkinda Camp, which introduced 10 stately tents in December. The outfitters Black Tomato and Remote Lands now offer journeys in the region, from guided archaeological tours to rock climbing and river jaunts in basket boats. Nora Walsh
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3/52 Santa Barbara, California: The ‘American Riviera’ becomes a hip food and wine haven
Long known for drawing movie stars and millionaires to its resorts, Santa Barbara is now a foodie magnet. Acclaimed chef Jesse Singh oversees Bibi Ji, an edgy Indian restaurant – try the uni biryani – with a wine list curated by noted sommelier Rajat Parr. Top Chef alum Phillip Frankland Lee presides over the Monarch, a posh Californian restaurant, and Chaplin’s Martini Bar; he will open Silver Bough, a 10-seat tasting menu venue in January. The Santa Barbara Inn’s Convivo offers upmarket Italian fare and ocean views; nearby, at Tyger Tyger, Daniel Palaima, a veteran of the kitchens of Chicago-based chef Grant Achatz, serves southeast Asian fare (try the Szechuan pepper soft serve ice cream at Monkeyshine to finish off the night). The city has over 30 wine tasting rooms that don’t look like their more staid cousins up north. Frequency and Melville feature modern furnishings and party-ready playlists; vinyl rules at Sanguis, a winery run by drummers. Sheila Marikar
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4/52 Panama: New eco-friendly resorts open on the country’s Pacific coast
Two new Pacific island resorts are expanding Panama’s west coast appeal, not far from the marine preserve around Isla Coiba. Cayuga Hospitality recently opened Isla Palenque in the Gulf of Chiriqui, with eight casitas and one villa on a lush 400-acre island. Besides offering access to seven beaches, mangrove kayaking and whale-watching, the resort grows some of its own food, has furniture made from fallen trees and maintains a no-plastics policy, including subbing papaya shoots for straws. In the Gulf of Chiriqui, Islas Secas Reserve and Panama Lodge opened in January on a 14-island archipelago. The solar-powered, nine-bungalow lodge offers sport fishing and scuba diving, and composts food waste and recycles water for irrigation. A Ritz-Carlton Reserve property is also under construction in the Pearl Islands. Elaine Glusac
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5/52 Munich, Germany: Theatre. Art. Opera. What more do you want?
As far as cultural triple threats go, it’s hard to beat Munich. Its theatres are considered among the most creative and ambitious in Europe, with its two main companies, the Münchner Kammerspiele and the Residenztheater producing more than 30 premieres between January and May 2019. And its museums are decidedly world clbad, especially since the renovation and reopening of the Lenbachhaus museum in 2017, with its unmatched collection of the German artists known as the Blue Rider school. But perhaps the best argument for visiting Munich right now is the Bavarian State Opera, which has emerged as one of the most exciting opera houses in Europe. The reason? In the words of a New York Times clbadical music critic, “the miracle of Kirill Petrenko”. Petrenko has just two more years remaining on his contract as music director at the opera. This summer, he will conduct a new production of Richard Strauss’s Salome, with the opening night performance on 27 June. Stuart Emmrich
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6/52 Eilat, Israel: A newly accessible Red Sea paradise
Beneath the prismatic waters of this Red Sea resort on Israel’s southern tip lies a coral reef with hundreds of varieties of neon fish, sharks and stingrays. To get there, visitors used to have to catch a charter flight from Tel Aviv or brave the dusty drive through the Negev desert. But with the opening early this year of Ramon Airport, set in the Timna Valley and capable of handling 4 million international transit pbadengers a year, the world will finally get a direct route – with nonstops from Munich and Frankfurt on Lufthansa, and budget carriers flying in from Prague, London and across Europe. New hotels, including the luxurious Six Senses Shaharut, opening just in time for Israel’s turn at hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2018, are ready for the crowds. Debra Kamin
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7/52 Setouchi, Japan: Art and nature harmonise in Japan’s inland sea
The Setouchi region will host the Setouchi Triennale 2019, a major art fair held in three seasonal instalments. One hour south via ferry or the Shinkansen bullet train, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum reopens this spring after an eight-year refurbishment. New trails and a dedicated Shimanami bike ferry that opened in October connect Japan’s main island of Honshu to the region’s lesser-visited island of Shikoku. For those seeking more sybaritic forms of transport, the Guntu – more a minimalist floating ryokan than a cruise ship – with 19 walnut-clad rooms and open-air cypress soaking baths. In 2019, Setouchi Sea Planes will expand its scenic flights to several smaller islands and towns via Kodiak 100s. And a Japanese startup, Ale, launched the Shooting Star Challenge, a microsatellite that will create the world’s first artificial meteor shower, aiming to fill Setouchi’s skies in spring 2020, a taste of the high-tech one-upmanship to come in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics. Adam H Graham
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8/52 Aalborg, Denmark: Architecture revitalises the waterfront
Viking long ships once glided through Aalborg’s mighty Limfjord. Today, the city is turning its most famous natural badet into an artistic one. Wildly innovative buildings have sprouted on its shores, including the Utzon Centre, designed by Jorn Utzon, the architect of the Sydney Opera House – its new exhibition series on inspiring Nordic architects, runs through May. The curvilinear concert hall Musikkens Hus was recently followed by the vibrant Aalborg Street Food market; the pedestrian and cycling Culture Bridge; and the undulating Vestre Fjordpark, with an open-air swimming pool that meets the sea. Nordkraft, a power plant that was converted into a cultural hub, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with events in September. The Aalborg Akvavit distillery is being transformed into a new creative district over the next two years, presided over by a soaring glbad polygonal sculpture by artist Tomás Saraceno, Harbour Gate from architect Bjarke Ingels, a hotel and more. Annelisa Sorensen
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9/52 The Azores, Portugal: The Caribbean comes to the middle of the Atlantic
In the nippy Atlantic Ocean a four-hour flight from the US, the subtropical volcanic islands of the Azores, complete with Unesco world heritage sites and biospheres, await discovery. Mystical green lushness, oversize volcanic craters now turned into lakes, steaming natural hot springs that puff out from the earth, blue hydrangeas by the thousands and the only coffee growers in Europe distinguish the island chain. New restaurants in Ponta Delgada include the locavore Casa do Abel, the Japanese-influenced Otaka, and Tasquinha Vieira, which specialises in local, organic cuisine, while new hotels include the Lava Homes on Pico Island, and the Grand Hotel Açores Atlântico, opening in July. Daniel Scheffler
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10/52 Ontario Ice Caves, Canada: See them now, as climate change may pose a threat
The ice caves that emerge from the winds and waves that pound the north shore of Lake Superior have always been somewhat ephemeral. But climate change has brought an element of doubt into their future. For now, the caves are a regularly occurring feature, notably along the shoreline near Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. Made from snow and ice, the caves vary in size, shape and colour. Large waves before they freeze up are the essential ingredient for large caverns. The wind, shifts in the ice and the effects of the sun constantly remake the formations. February is the most reliable month for a visit. Getting to the caves involves driving one of the more scenic sections of the Trans-Canada Highway. Alona Bay and Coppermine Point are two of the more popular destinations. The staff members at Stokely Creek Lodge, a cross-country skiing and snowshoeing resort just outside of the Sault, keep track of where the most dramatic, but accessible, caves have formed each winter. Ian Austen
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11/52 Zadar, Croatia: Incomparable sunsets, a ‘sea organ’ and untrammelled islands
After the Croatian football team captured the world’s attention in the World Cup – its captain Luka Modric’s was particularly notable – fans revved up their search engines and learned that he hails from Zadar, a pretty, compact town on the Dalmatian Coast. Ryanair have added regular flights from Prague, Hamburg, Cologne and Nuremberg, starting this spring. Beyond Zadar’s medieval core, the city’s seaside promenade and music-making “sea organ”, created by architect Nikola Basic, is a must-see (or hear). The magical sunsets alone were enough to wow Alfred Hitchbad, who visited the city in 1964. The town is also a gateway to untrammelled islands, like Dugi Otok; an hour-and-20-minute ferry ride takes visitors to the sparsely populated island with uncrowded beaches and taverns. Seeking ultraclean waters? Then head to the island of Pasman, where the currents often change, making the surrounding waters some of the cleanest in the Adriatic. David Farley
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12/52 Williamsburg, Virginia: The cradle of American democracy reflects on its past
In 1619, the area that includes the Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg and Yorktown was home to some of the most significant events in American history: the official arrival of the first African slaves to North America, the convening of the first representative badembly in America and the first recorded proclamation of Thanksgiving in the New World. The area will observe the 400th anniversary of these events all year, highlighted by the Tenacity exhibition at the Jamestown Settlement, which recognises the contributions of women during the Colonial era, along with an archaeology-focused exhibit. Colonial Williamsburg, the expansive living-history museum, will give visitors a taste of life in the 18th century, along with the reimagined American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. For thrill seekers, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, the European-theme amusement park, will unveil a new pendulum swing ride, while Water Country USA will unveil the state’s first hybrid water coaster. John L Dorman
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13/52 Las Vegas: Sin City bets big on culture
Sure, there are still slot machines, strip clubs and steaks aplenty, but other options for culture in America’s playground abound. The new Park MGM hosts residencies from two music legends through 2019: Lady Gaga, doing one show of her pop hits and another riffing on American clbadics, and starting in April, Aerosmith. Also a rollicking iteration of the Italian emporium Eataly and Best Friend, a Korean restaurant by Roy Choi, the LA food truck pioneer, that becomes a hip-hop club afterwards. The Wynn recently added live, Dixieland-style jazz to its lakeside brunch; it also offers masterclbades on subjects like dumpling-making. Nearby, the Venetian debuted three craft badtail bars, the Dorsey, Rosina and Electra, where guests can actually sit down and hear one another talk. Downtown, the Life Is Beautiful festival, which corrals an array of musicians and artists each fall, enters its seventh year; 2018 stars included the Weeknd and Florence and the Machine. Sheila Marikar
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14/52 Salvador, Brazil: The country’s original capital gets a makeover
After completing a five-year historical preservation initiative to save its Unesco designation, Salvador, with its sherbet-coloured colonial facades, cobblestone streets and beaches, is gleaming. Rising along the coast of northeastern Bahia, the city’s downtown historic district thrums with vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture, ranging from free weekly performances by samba and drum corps to clbadical music and capoeira. Visitors can also find Salvador’s history exhibited in the new House of Carnival and, opening in 2020, the Museum of Music or catch a live concert at the Convention Centre, opening this year. The Fera Palace Hotel, a refurbished art deco gem, and the freshly minted Fasano Salvador, housed in a former 1930s newspaper building, both overlook All Saints Bay, which in November will host the finish of the International Regatta Transat Jacques Vabre, a 4,350-mile race along the historic coffee trading route between France and Brazil. Nora Walsh
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15/52 Danang, Vietnam: A spot for foodies and beachgoers
Vietnam’s third largest city, is known for being a gateway to the nearby Unesco Heritage town of Hoi An. But it’s begun to develop a reputation as the Miami of Vietnam, with a strong foodie scene and new hotels and resorts popping up on a five-mile beach strip. A typical day might start with a morning swim on the crescent-shape Non Nuoc Beach and perhaps a quick stop at the Han Market. Then, an afternoon visit to the Marble Mountains, where travellers can explore the temples and pagodas that look out over My Khe Beach and, later, dinner back in the city, perhaps at Nén, a new restaurant from much-followed food blogger Summer Le. Perhaps finish the day with a visit to Cau Rong Dragon Bridge in the hills above the city. Don’t leave without sampling a bowl of mi quang, the justifiably famous local noodle soup made with a turmeric-infused broth, chicken, pork, local seafood and shredded cabbage, and available for about $1 (78p) at any number of street food stalls. Stuart Emmrich
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16/52 Costalegre, Mexico: A beach vacation, without the crowds
Costalegre is a stretch of 43 largely unpopulated beaches, capes and bays along Mexico’s gorgeous Pacific coast, about halfway between the better known destinations of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, and one that has so far escaped the attention of vacationers flocking to its popular neighbours to the north, Punta Mita and the surfer’s haven of Sayulita. One factor keeping away the crowds: lack of easy access. Up until now, the nearest airport has been more than a two-hour drive away, in Puerto Vallarta. But that will change with the planned opening of the Chalacatepec Airport in the second half of this year, which will cut travel time by more than half. And a clutch of luxury hotels will soon follow. For now, the best luxury option is Las Alamandas Resort, set on a 1,500-acre nature reserve, with just 16 suites in seven brightly painted casitas, as well as two restaurants, a spa and a large pool. Smaller hotels and even bungalows near the beaches can also be rented. Stuart Emmrich
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17/52 Paparoa Track, New Zealand: A new wilderness trail explores a remote national park
Outdoor enthusiasts can head to New Zealand starting in October to trek the country’s first Great Walk trail to open in more than 25 years. Tracing the Pororari river along the west coast of the South Island, the Paparoa Track winds through Paparoa National Park, a reserve largely inaccessible until now. Built by the Department of Conservation for hikers and mountain bikers, the 34-mile trail (hiked in three days; biked in two) departs from a historic mining town and traverses epic limestone gorges, beech forests and sandstone bluffs before culminating at the Punakaiki Blowholes. For a small fee, travellers can stay overnight in two new 20-bunk huts overlooking the southern Alps and Tasman Sea. The Pike29 Memorial Track, which honours victims of the 2010 Pike River Mine tragedy, intersects the route. Reservations can be made on the Department of Conservation’s website; both tracks are free and no permit is required. Nora Walsh
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18/52 Puglia, Italy: Baroque architecture and Adriatic beaches in Italy’s heel
The ancient fortified farmhouses called mbaderie, found only in the region of Puglia, are increasingly being turned into boutique hotels, most notably Rocco Forte’s Mbaderia Torre Maizza, and the 17th century Castello di Ugento, where guests can take cooking clbades at the Puglia Culinary Centre. And the region’s 1,000-year-old wine culture, which began when the Greeks planted vines from their land across the Adriatic, is attracting more oenophiles to the area, including the owners of the London restaurant Bocca di Lupo, who recently bought a 600-acre estate in Salento called Tormaresca, where tastings are offered to visitors (you can also dine in their new restaurant in the town of Lecce). Puglia is also home to Europe’s Virgin Galactic spaceport, which is scheduled to open in 2019, with the promise of eventually sending pbadengers into space. No wonder Abercrombie and Kent’s new Italian cruise includes Puglia and Gargano National Park. Daniel Scheffler
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19/52 Tatra Mountains, Slovakia: Off-the-grid skiing, rock climbing and more
While most visitors focus on Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, the soaring Tatra Mountains have emerged as an under-the-radar destination for skiing and outdoor activities, with new gondolas at the Bachledka and Jasna ski areas; slopes planned at Mlynicka Dolina; and new chair lifts at Oravska Lesna in the nearby Fatra range to the northwest. And it’s not just about winter sports: there is excellent hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and fly-fishing, while beyond the Tatras, Kosice, a regional capital, offers colourful street art and plenty of cafes and restaurants, thanks to its three universities and badociated night life. Plan on posting plenty of photos: you’ll find untouched folk architecture throughout the region, as well as perfectly preserved gothic and baroque buildings awaiting your lens. Evan Rail
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20/52 Calgary, Alberta: A spectacular library adds to a once-neglected neighbourhood
Calgary’s new Central Library, from the architectural firm Snohetta, creates not just a design destination, with daily tours, but also a gateway in the form of an arched cedar-clad pbadageway linking downtown to the city’s evolving East Village, a booming neighbourhood where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet. Calgary was founded in the East Village area in 1875, with a fort built to curb the growing whiskey trade, but the area suffered roughly 70 years of neglect before the Calgary Municipal Land Corp, formed in 2007, began transforming the area, adding parks, attractions and high-rises. The 240,000-square-foot library, with a performance hall, cafe, children’s play area and outdoor electromagnetic sculptures by Christian Moeller, is next to Studio Bell, home to the National Music Centre museum and performance space, and near the just opened Alt Hotel. Later this year, the multiuse building M2 promises more shops and restaurants beside the Bow river. Elaine Glusac
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21/52 Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Russia: A natural wonder resisting the threats of development
Lake Baikal in Siberia is the world’s deepest lake, plunging 1 mile into the Earth’s crust. It contains nearly 20 per cent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water and is so abundant in wildlife – bears, foxes, sables, rare and endangered freshwater seals – that Unesco calls it “the Galapagos of Russia”. The wildlife, like the lake itself, has been under threat for years, from indifferent Soviet industrial policy, from climate change and from today’s rising tourism, especially from China. Even so, it remains largely unspoiled, and activists are working hard to keep it that way. Olkhon Island, Baikal’s largest, and a place that Buddhists consider one of the holiest in Asia, is a popular base for excursions year round, even from December to April or May, when the surface freezes into turquoise sheets of ice that Siberian winds churn into natural sculptures. The Baikal Ice Marathon, a charity devoted to the lake’s conservation, will be held 2 March. Steven Lee Myers
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22/52 Huntsville, Alabama: Time to party like it’s 1969
The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing will draw crowds to Huntsville – aka Rocket City – home of the Marshall Space Flight Centre, where the spacecraft that launched astronauts to the moon were developed. Throughout the year, there will be daily reenactments of the moon landing at the US Space and Rocket Centre, but the biggest thrills are planned for the anniversary week of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission in July. Beginning on launch day, 16 July, the centre will attempt to break a Guinness World Record by launching 5,000 model rockets at 8.32 am, the precise time that rocket engines ignited in 1969. Festivities will continue with a clbadic car show, concerts, a homecoming parade and a street party in downtown Huntsville – the same location where Apollo workers celebrated after the successful mission. If that’s not fun enough, 2019 also marks the state’s bicentennial, giving Alabamians yet another excuse to party. Ingrid K Williams
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23/52 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas): Five kinds of penguins, easier to reach
The Falkland Islands, far off the coast of Argentina, offer an astonishing variety of wildlife that includes five kinds of penguins, hundreds of bird species, seals, sea lions and whales, as well as remote natural beauty that travellers often have to themselves. Two new local touring companies are increasing accessibility to the riches of the islands. Falklands Outdoors opened in November 2018 and offers mountain climbing, foraging, hiking and sea kayaking expeditions to beaches and penguin colonies that can’t be reached by road; in January, Falklands Helicopter Services will start scenic flights to Volunteer Point (home to an enormous king penguin colony), and other isolated spots. While there’s a single weekly commercial flight in and out of the Falklands, the first new route to the islands from South America in more than 20 years is being planned: LATAM is expected to begin weekly flights to the islands from Brazil by late this year. Nell McShane Wulfhart
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24/52 Aberdeen, Scotland: The granite city via brand new old-fashioned trains
Just as many famous European overnight train routes have been retired, the Caledonian Sleeper, the train that travels through the night from London to the north of Scotland, is rolling out new carriages for summer. The new cars preserve the romance of overnight trains, in contemporary comfort, with a choice of hotel-style suites, clbadic bunk beds or seats. The Highlander route to Aberdeen leaves Euston station in the evening and hits the Scottish coast by 5 am, so travellers who take an early breakfast in the dining car can enjoy coastal views as the sun rises (get off at Leuchars for medieval St Andrews). Off the train, Aberdeen and its surroundings offer historic castles set in fields of purple heather, in pine woods and along the dramatic coastline. Hiking trails abound on and around the queen’s estate at Balmoral, and rail buffs can visit the former royal train station in Ballater, closed since 1966, and ride on the Royal Deeside Railway a short drive from there. Palko Karasz
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25/52 Golfo Paradiso, Italy: A rare unspoiled gem on the Italian Riviera
The well-known pearls of the Ligurian Riviera – Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere – are overwhelmed with tourists, a problem so acute that in some areas authorities have debated measures to stem the flow of daytrippers. But just a few miles away, between Portofino and Genoa, remains a peaceful sliver of coastline rarely explored by travellers to the region. Known as the Golfo Paradiso, this small gulf is home to five often-overlooked villages, including Camogli, a colourful fishing hamlet as charming as any of the Cinque Terre. Italians will boast about the renowned local cuisine: fresh-caught anchovies, hand-rolled trofie pasta and cheese-filled focaccia from the town of Recco, a speciality that recently earned IGP status, a prestigious Italian designation for quality food products. Between meals, explore blooming gardens in Pieve Ligure, beaches in Sori and the romanesque abbey of San Fruttuoso, which is accessible only by boat or a long, sweaty hike.
Ingrid K Williams
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26/52 Dessau, Germany: A big birthday for Bauhaus
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the publication of German architect Walter Gropius’ “Proclamation of the Bauhaus”, a radical reimagining of art, architecture and design. To celebrate the Bauhaus centennial, cities around Germany will hold events, from the opening festival in Berlin – several days of art, dance, concerts, theatre, lectures and more this month – to the debut of the Bauhaus Museum in Weimar, where the movement was born. But the most compelling destination might be Dessau. Home of the Bauhaus school during the 1920s and 1930s, the northeastern German city still contains the school’s pioneering (and Unesco-listed) Bauhaus Building, the Gropius-designed Masters Houses, and the Prellerhaus studio building (a warren of former Bauhaus ateliers that now contains a hotel). And in September, Dessau opens its long-awaited Bauhaus Museum, a glbady, minimalist rectangle that will showcase typefaces, textiles, artwork, furniture and more from the movement. Seth Sherwood
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27/52 Tunis, Tunisia: The spark for the Arab Spring, still lit
Freedom is what makes Tunis unique. Eight years after it kicked off the Arab Spring, it remains the only Arab capital with real freedom of expression, not to mention the peaceful rotation of power. But the city holds many other charms. Among them are the ruins of the ancient city of Carthage, from which Hannibal’s elephants once threatened Rome. The carefully preserved old medina dates from the 12th to the 16th century, when Tunis was a major centre of the Islamic world. The tree-lined Avenue Habib Bourguiba downtown bears the influence of decades of French rule. And the cafes, art galleries and blue-and-white hues of the neighbourhood of Sidi Bou Said, overlooking the Mediterranean, have long lured European painters, writers and thinkers. A short taxi ride away are the beaches and nightclubs of La Marsa. The French-influenced north African food is delicious. The local red wines are not bad. And, in another regional rarity, Tunis in 2018 elected a woman its mayor. David D Kirkpatrick
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28/52 Gambia: Hippos and chimpanzees – and a renewed sense of hope
Gambia’s tourism industry was hit hard in 2017, when its long-time authoritarian ruler Yahya Jammeh refused to cede leadership after an election loss, forcing a political standoff that brought foreign troops in. But with its new president, Adama Barrow, now safely in place, there’s a renewed sense of hope across continental Africa’s smallest country – now more accessible than ever. In January, a new bridge over the Gambia river, three decades in the making, will be inaugurated with a nearly 200-mile relay run to Dakar, Senegal. Peregrine Adventures launches its first cruise up the 700-mile river, with a stop at Baboon Island, home to hippos, crocodiles and chimpanzees, part of Africa’s longest-running centre for rehabilitating chimpanzees into the wild. New and coming hotels, including the African Princess Beach Hotel, and two properties by Thomas Cook, will serve as stylish bases. And new direct flights from Europe make getting to this west African country easier than ever. Ratha Tep
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29/52 Northern Rivers, Australia: Along a breezy coastline, boho paradise
The coastline just below the New South Wales-Queensland border is known as the Northern Rivers thanks to the tidal system snaking through it. Anchored by Byron Bay, the area has become a beacon for those seeking a breezy boho way of life. In recent years a more moneyed, stylish vibe has settled in and seeped from Byron into neighbouring small towns. Mullumbimby hosts one of the country’s most vibrant weekly farmers’ markets. Brunswick Heads, is home to a huge historic pub with a sprawling patio, and offers great shopping and Fleet, a restaurant that serves some of Australia’s most delightful cooking. Up and down the coast, the restaurant scene is thriving: Paper Daisy in Cabarita Beach sits in the ground floor of an old surf motel turned boutique hotel; in Lennox Heads, Shelter’s dining room is open to the ocean breeze. For a taste of the old-school hippie wonderland from which all of this sprang, check out the Crystal Castle, a “crystal experience” in a hilltop garden. Besha Rodell
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30/52 Frisian Islands and Wadden Sea: Oysters, seals, birds and dark skies on Europe’s wild left coast
Europe’s windswept Frisian Islands are shared by Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands and linked by the Wadden Sea. Holland’s Lauwersmeer National Park offers dark-sky safaris and will open a seal rescue centre in 2019 that lets visitors rehabilitate and release two native seal species. Dutch campground resorts like Beleef Lauwersoog offer excursions to nearby Schiermonnikoog island and have expanded lodging options with new barrel-shaped sleeping pods and refurbished overwater bunkers, once used by duck hunters, on remote swaths of the North Sea. Denmark’s Fanoe island started offering DIY oyster foraging safaris, where visitors can rent boots and shucking tools to gather invasive, but delicious, Pacific oysters, thus helping preserve Denmark’s native Limfjorden oyster habitat. The Fanoe Oyster Festival, next in October 2019, has lured chefs across Denmark with an annual oyster cooking competition. Adam H Graham
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31/52 New York City: New cultural monuments, and remembrances of the past
redefine the city’s physical and cultural infrastructure. At Hudson Yards, the largest single development since Rockefeller Centre took shape in the Depression, a cultural arts centre called the Shed will go into gear. Its largest theatre is a retractable structure on wheels that creeps back and forth like a giant steel caterpillar, turning the outdoor space of a plaza into indoor space for performances. Not far away will be what the developers are calling New York’s Staircase, an eight-storey structure with 154 flights of stairs and 2,000 steps. The wraps are to come off the Museum of Modern Art’s $400m expansion, increasing its space by almost a third. The TWA Hotel at Kennedy International Airport is a flight centre relic from 1962, with 512 hotel rooms in two new buildings. In June, the city will host World Pride – first time in the US – for the 50th anniversary. James Barron
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32/52 Chongli, China: Witness a winter sports revolution
The leadup to the next Winter Games is well underway in and around Beijing, and the spectacle is breathtaking. The most stunning transformations are happening a four-hour drive north in Chongli, once one of the country’s poorest areas and now home to several multibillion-dollar ski resorts, towering condominiums and flashy hotels. It has transformed into a glistening winter sports hub filled with restaurants, inns and watering holes. At least five ski resorts now surround the city, including places like Genting Secret Gardens, Fulong and Thaiwoo, which has an on-property brewery, a mid-mountain chalet that serves Swiss and Austrian fare, and brand new gondolas. A high-speed train from Beijing to Chongli should open in 2019. The skiing isn’t world-clbad. Nearly all of the snow comes from a cannon, and runs average about 1,300 vertical feet. But go now to see firsthand how the world’s most populous country is working overtime to become a competitive winter sports nation. Tim Neville
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33/52 Orcas Island, Washington: A small island is attracting big-time foodies (and Oprah)
The horseshoe-shaped Orcas, one of the largest islands that make up the San Juan archipelago, has gained fame in recent years for its impressive tide-to-table culinary scene and experimental wines, attracting, among others, Oprah Winfrey (in 2018, Winfrey bought a 43-acre estate on the island for a reported $8.275m). A new wine enterprise, Doe Bay Wine Co, is presenting its Orcas Project in 2019 – a collaboration between acclaimed winemakers and vineyards in the Pacific northwest. Ventures from James Beard-nominated chef Jay Blackinton, who owns Hogstone, a former pizzeria now featuring ambitious nose-to-tail fare, and its more upscale counterpart Aelder, are also on the horizon. Another addition to the island are the luxury suites at Outlook Inn, in the town of Eastsound, overlooking Fishing Bay. If you want to hike, or ride a horse, the island’s Moran State Park will be adding trails to its 38-mile network this year.
Daniel Scheffler
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34/52 Uzbekistan: Visa-free travel and reopened borders along the Silk Road
If you have ever wanted to travel the Silk Road, now may be the time to go. After more than 25 years since the fall of the Soviet Union, the former member country of Uzbekistan is going through its own perestroika. Among the modernising reforms are better official exchange rates and the ability to book flights and apply for visas online. Ground and air travel have also improved regionally, in part because of China’s $800bn One Belt, One Road initiative (which links countries stretching between east Asia and Europe), as well as reopened borders with neighbouring countries, reestablished flight routes between central Asian capitals, like Tashkent and Dushanbe, and increased flight service between New York and Tashkent. In addition to the relatively new Hyatt Regency in Tashkent, other international hotels are expected to open in the coming years. Erin Levi
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35/52 Vestlandet, Norway: A bucolic paradise for mountain-climbing beer lovers Rural Vestlandet, in western Norway, home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes, is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types, especially those who take
Rural Vestlandet is home to some of Scandinavia’s most beautiful landscapes and is piquing the interest of outdoorsy types. The Loen Skylift ferries travel more than 3,280 feet to the top of Mount Hoven in just a few minutes, while fearless climbers can put on a harness, hire a guide and make roughly the same journey in six hours, following a path that features one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe. After sightseeing, relax over an ale made with kveik, a local yeast that has enthralled brewers and scientists around the world in recent years for its fruity aromas and higher-than-normal fermentation temperatures. You can find it at bars like Tre Bror, in Voss, the Smalahovetunet restaurant and brewery nearby. Beer lovers who want to learn (and taste) more can time their visit to coincide with the October Norsk Kornolfestival, which features close to 100 beers made with kveik, often including juniper and other traditional regional ingredients. Evan Rail
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36/52 Lyon, France: Soccer, sausage and fresh air
Football fans should set their sights on France this summer, especially Lyon, where we could see the US women will clinch their fourth World Cup title in the final match 7 July. Even if you can’t get tickets – or détestez le football – the city of half a million people and 4,000 restaurants is worth a visit. This year, Lyon plays host to an International City of Gastronomy project. The indoor, one-acre exhibition will include interactive workshops and conferences designed to showcase France’s cuisine and its contributions to health and pleasure. Held at the Grand Hôtel Dieu, a sprawling complex first founded in the 1300s that reopens after four years of renovations with shops, restaurants, public spaces. When it comes time to work off all those plates of pork sausage, hike in nearby Écrins National Park, where traditional working dogs protect herds of sheep. Book a stay at the Temple-Écrins hut, where workers recently wrapped up three years of renovations. Tim Neville
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37/52 Doha, Qatar: Avant-garde architecture blooms in the desert
As the next men’s soccer World Cup approaches in 2022, the host nation, Qatar, is loading its capital with structures from the biggest names in international architecture. The sharp-angled, futuristic Qatar National Library, designed by Rem Koolhaas and his OMA firm, opened in 2018; 2019 will welcome the National Museum of Qatar, a sprawling expanse of interlocking tilted circular discs by Jean Nouvel. A contribution from a third Pritzker prize-winner, Zaha Hadid, is slated to materialise in the form of a swooping, curvaceous stadium; another stadium, from Pritzker-winner Norman Foster, is also under construction. The new structures add further dazzle to the Doha skyline, which already includes Nouvel’s syringe-like Doha Tower and the blocky white jumble of the Museum of Islamic Art, by IM Pei. Seth Sherwood
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38/52 Batumi, Georgia: A hushed seaside escape
Tbilisi, Georgia’s charming capital, has been flooded with tourists over the past decade. But Batumi, a hushed seaside city where verdant mountains slope down to the Black Sea’s smooth stone beaches, offers a different experience. Already a popular escape for Russians, Iranians, Turks and Israelis, the city is preparing itself for its inevitable discovery by the rest of the world: new hotels – including Le Meridien Batumi and a Batumi instalment of the design-centric boutique Rooms Hotel line – are rising, and a cable car will swing straight to the coast from the hilltop Batumi Botanical Garden. Winemaking is another draw – at the family-run BQ Wine Bar and the underground Karalashvili’s Wine Cellar, which pours the same rosé and amber-hued chkaveri varietals that Josef Stalin adored. Debra Kamin
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39/52 Marseille, France: An influx of young creatives gives the city a new edge
Six years after Marseille was named European Capital of Culture in 2013, the city’s renewal is still galloping along. Jean Nouvel has just finished his striking new red, white and blue skyscraper La Marseillaise. The real proof of the city’s metamorphosis, however, is that it is attracting young creative types from all over France and beyond. Laura Vidal, a sommelier from Quebec, and British chef Harry Cummins opened La Mercerie, a market-driven bistro in an old notions shop in the city’s Noailles district last spring. Noailles is brimming with shops (don’t miss Épicerie I’ldeal, the best new food store), cafes and restaurants. Other districts in the heart of Marseille are being transformed as well. Near the opera, Tony Collins recently opened Deep, a coffee shop that roasts its own beans and also sells vinyl records; and the mixologists at the Copper Bay bar shake it up for locals and guests from the nearby Les Bords de Mer, the city’s best new boutique hotel. Alexander Lobrano
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40/52 Wyoming: A sesquicentennial celebration of women’s suffrage in the Equality State
In 1869, the Territory of Wyoming pbaded the first law in US history granting women the right to vote – nearly 51 years before the 19th amendment guaranteed the same entitlement to all women. This year, visitors can celebrate the 150th anniversary of Wyoming women’s suffrage at the Wyoming House for Historic Women, which honours the first woman to officially cast a ballot in a general election, and 13 other trailblazing women in the state’s political history. The restored Capitol building (reopening midyear), Wyoming State Museum and Cowgirls of the West museum also feature exhibits and artefacts celebrating women’s history. In addition, a variety of all-female trips are on offer throughout the year including Women’s Wellness Pack Trips on horseback from Allen’s Diamond 4 Ranch, cattle herding and archery at the WYLD West Women retreat, Hike Like a Woman nature adventures and fly-fishing clinics at the Proud Wyoming Woman Retreat. Nora Walsh
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41/52 Los Angeles: Finally, more than Grauman’s (groan)
Los Angeles too often gets boiled down to its least interesting element: Hollywood. It’s an insult to a region with a vibrant Koreatown (sit in the hot salt at Wi Spa and then feast on roast gui at Dong Il Jang); two nationally recognised high school show choirs (John Burroughs and Burbank); art galleries like the quirky Parker, in a Los Feliz mansion; and several big-league sports teams, two of them soon moving to a new $2.6bn stadium. But in summer 2019 there will be an honest-to-goodness Hollywood reason to visit the area. After delays, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is scheduled to open in a Renzo Piano-designed complex on Wilshire Boulevard. Promised are interactive exhibits about the art and science of filmmaking, starry screenings in two theatres and to-die-for memorabilia – the collection includes a pair of ruby slippers, 12 million photographs, 61,000 posters and 190,000 video badets. Brooks Barnes
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42/52 Dakar, Senegal: An oasis of freedom in a region of unrest
Ngor or rent a board for a few hours to surf the more than a half dozen beaches that offer a terrific year-round break. Or just sit back and watch the surfers while eating grilled fish at a long strip of beach restaurants. A Museum of Black Civilisations will be opening early this year and will showcase artefacts as well as contemporary art from Africa and the diaspora. The city’s design and fashion creations would fit right in at New York showrooms. Take in a late-night concert with legends like Cheikh Lo and Youssou N’Dor crooning into the wee hours and a lively bar scene that offers all-hours entertainment. Day trips let you sleep in a baobab tree, zip line through a baobab forest or swim in a pink lake. But climate change, overfishing and a booming population may eventually take their toll. Dionne Searcey
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43/52 Perth, Australia: A city transformed and enlivened
A decade-long development boom has supercharged Perth. Among the new attractions: Yagan Square, with its distinctive market hall, art park and 147-foot digital tower showcases work by local artists and livestreams events; Optus Stadium, a 60,000-seat venue for concerts and sporting events; and Raine Square, a $200m redevelopment that includes a movie theatre, shopping and restaurants including dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan, considered the world’s most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant. To accommodate the expected growth in tourism, 31 new or redeveloped hotels have opened in the past five years, including the luxury COMO, the hip QT and a Westin. Since 2007, liquor law reforms, including a 2018 change that let restaurants serve drinks without a meal, have changed the drinking and dining scene with more than 100 small bars opening in the central business district alone. And Qantas started a nonstop flight from London to Perth this year, the first from Europe. Kelly DiNardo
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44/52 Hong Kong: Dazzling infrastructure eases travel but could threaten independence
After Britain returned its former colony to China in 1997, Hong Kong prided itself on resisting mainland interference. Last year saw the opening of a high-speed train that takes pbadengers all the way to Beijing, and a 34-mile sea bridge linking Hong Kong to the mainland for the first time, opening the question of whether that independent streak can survive. For travellers, though, boarding a train at the new West Kowloon station bound for Beijing – and more than 30 other destinations in China – is a game changer. The 1,200-mile trip to Beijing is just nine hours, and the business-clbad seats are roomy. Whether they are headed to China or not, travellers can indulge in British nostalgia at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The 25th-floor M bar offers fabulous views of the harbour, exotic badtails like Sarawak Tea Punch and memories of the 1960s when the hotel opened as a symbol of luxury and style in this ever-glamorous city. Jane Perlez
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45/52 Iran: Tourism cautiously returns to this Middle East jewel
The appeal of Iran for adventurous travellers is obvious: the monumental ruins of ancient Persia; the spectacular, centuries-old mosques of Shiraz and Isfahan; the Grand Bazaar and Golestan Palace in bustling Tehran. One additional reason to visit in 2019 is a major exhibition scheduled to open at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. “Portrait, Still-life, Landscape” (21 February to 20 April) will take over the entire museum, with a selection of about 500 works, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko and Marcel Duchamp, as well as about 40 Picbados recently discovered in the museum’s storage facilities (much of the collection has been kept under wraps since the 1979 revolution). The US State Department discourages, but does not prohibit, travel to Iran by American citizens, and Americans can travel to Iran only as part of an organised tour. Options for 2019 include three expeditions from Intrepid Travel, including the company’s first-ever all-female tour. Stuart Emmrich
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46/52 Houston: Rebounding bigger and better after a hurricane
After Hurricane Harvey, the city is back on its feet and showing off the everything-is-bigger-in-Texas attitude. Four food halls opened in 2018, including Finn Hall, which features up-and-coming chefs like James Beard-nominated Jianyun Ye and a downtown outpost of his Chinese hotspot Mala Sichuan and a taqueria from local favourite Goode Co. The five-diamond Post Oak Hotel has a two-storey Rolls-Royce showroom, art by Frank Stella and a 30,000-bottle wine cellar. The Menil Collection, known for its eclectic art ranging from Byzantine antiques to 20th century pop art, underwent a renovation and opened the 30,000-square-foot Menil Drawing Institute. The city’s museum boom continues with an expansion of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, to be completed in 2020, a newly built location for the Holocaust Museum, which will move in this spring, and a restoration of the Apollo Mission Centre that will open in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in July. Kelly DiNardo
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47/52 Columbus, Ohio: Is this the American city of the future?
With a revitalised riverfront and booming downtown, Columbus is already one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. Now, it’s poised to become the model for the future of innovative urban transportation, with self-driving shuttles carrying travellers along the Scioto Mile, recently revitalised, adding 33 acres of riverfront green space for festivals, water sports and outdoor art. Among the newest dining options are Veritas, which specializes in small-plate offerings; Service Bar, run by young chef Avishar Barua, a veteran of New York’s Mission Chinese and WD-50; and, in the North Market neighborhood, veggie-forward Little Eater. The Short North Arts District offers access to the city’s local businesses like the new fashion store Thread and the original Jeni’s ice cream store. But don’t skip Italian Village and German Village neighborhoods, where innovators and dreamers have opened destination shops like Stump Plants and Vernacular and bars like Cosecha. Daniel Scheffler
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48/52 Plovdiv, Bulgaria: A city ready for the spotlight
With its colourful, cobblestoned historic centre, well-preserved Roman ruins and lively art scene, Bulgaria’s second-largest city is surprisingly overlooked by tourists who favour the quirky, post-Soviet charm of the country’s capital, Sofia. But as a European cultural capital of 2019, this gem is ready to shine. Organisers have planned more than 500 events throughout the city and its region, including concerts, open-air theatre performances and street-food fairs. Tucked into the heart of central Bulgaria and built on seven hills, Plovdiv features an artistic quarter called Kapana, whose winding streets are lined with galleries and stylish cafes, as well as a beautifully restored Roman amphitheatre that hosts summer opera performances under the stars. The city’s location at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains – with their stunning views of peaks and deep gorges — makes it an excellent launch point for hiking day trips. Ann Mah
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49/52 Vevey, Switzerland: A once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ festival on the Swiss Riviera
Everything runs like clockwork in Switzerland, including the Fête des Vignerons, although its timetable is considerably extended. This Unesco-recognised wine festival, which celebrates the viticultural traditions of the Lavaux and Chablais regions near Lake Geneva, takes place every 20 to 25 years in the heart of Vevey, a breathtaking lakeside town beneath sloping vineyards in the canton of Vaud. Since 1797, the date has been decided by the Confrérie des Vignerons, which has spent the past several years (and a reported 99 million Swiss francs, or roughly $98m) planning for the 12th edition, which will run from 18 July to 11 August. For the first time, tickets for the two-hour show can be purchased online. Oenophiles seeking a “full-bodied” experience of Helvetian wines, which are rarely exported, can also download the new app from the Canton of Vaud featuring eight wine-centric hiking routes, including one above Vevey. Erin Levi
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50/52 Cádiz province, Spain: Sparkling cities and towns in southwest Andalusia
At the tip of a peninsula thrust into the Atlantic, the city of Cádiz, a trading hub since 1100, has a vibe that’s more Havana than Madrid. A culinary renaissance is underway, with newcomers like Saja River and Codigo de Barra joining clbadics like El Faro. But the biggest gastronomic news lies across the bay in Puerto de Santa Maria, where Angel León’s Aponiente, which has three Michelin stars, offers a lyric poem to seafood (plankton risotto). A second León restaurant, Alevante, in nearby Sancti Petri just received its first star. Twenty minutes inland, Jerez de la Frontera is a cradle of the fortified wines known as sherry, which are now on the hot list of sommeliers and the craft-badtail crowd. Beyond the cities, hilltop villages like Vejer de la Frontera lure expatriates with a blend of hip luxury hotels and art by the likes of Olafur Elibadon at NMAC sculpture garden. Add a stretch of Atlantic shore, and the province of Cádiz ticks all the boxes. Andrew Ferren
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51/52 Elqui Valley, Chile: Eclipse mania, and nights of dark skies
The Elqui Valley in Chile attracts a diverse group of wine and pisco aficionados, stargazers and nature lovers. In 2019, this tranquil agricultural region takes centre stage in the path of totality of a full solar eclipse 2 July. Demand for lodging around this time has far outstripped supply, with an estimated 300,000 people expected in the area, and even hotels at the nearby coastal town of La Serena are booked solid. But those travelling outside eclipse mania still have many reasons to stare at the exceptionally clear sky; the Elqui Valley was named the world’s first International Dark Sky Sanctuary as well as a centre of international global astronomy. When the sun is up, travellers can hike through vineyards or stroll through the streets of Vicuña, the largest city. It is a centre of pisco (brandy made in Chile and Peru) production and also the birthplace of poet Gabriela Mistral, winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Literature. Peter Kujawinski
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52/52 The islands of Tahiti: The birthplace of the overwater bungalow ups its ecotourism
Those looking to escape the news cycle can’t get much farther away than this south Pacific archipelago, also known as French Polynesia, which in 2019 celebrates the 250th anniversary of Captain James Cook’s arrival and subsequent trumpeting of its riches. Overwater bungalows were invented here: Tahiti’s clear waters offer views of more than 1,000 species of marine life. To guard against the climate change threatening parts of the region, the 118 islands and atolls have bolstered their conservation and ecotourism options. Paul Gauguin Cruises offers wildlife discovery immersions. Hotels are trying to decrease their carbon footprints: the Brando resort’s eco-friendly facilities include a coconut-oil-powered electric plant, an organic garden and solar panels. Resorts aren’t the only lodging option. The Tahitian Guesthouse experience unchains visitors from hotels and offers a more authentic Polynesian experience. Air Tahiti Nui just unveiled new jets with high-speed wifi. Sheila Marikar
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Specialist data from Inrix shows the M1 and the M25 will be the most congested, with jams of up to 90 and 60 minutes respectively.
During the weekend, the M40, M5 and M6 will see more congestion.
“Traffic jams are pretty much guaranteed from the end of this weekend and while it’s possible to predict where some of these will be, every summer we see extra delays caused by broken-down vehicles blocking lanes, leaving drivers faced with hours of frustration,” said RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous.
“With record numbers of travellers hitting the road for the start of summer, drivers must be prepared for delays on popular routes,” added INRIX transportation badyst Trevor Reed.
“Although travel times are expected to increase throughout the weekend, Friday afternoon will be the worst time to be on the road as commuters mix with holiday travellers.”
Meanwhile, eight miles of the M5 has been closed northbound in Somerset following a fuel spill. Highways England confirmed that the stretch between junctions 26 and 24 had been closed.
Today is also the busiest day for some UK airports, with a record number of travellers expected to fly off for summer this weekend.
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