where to travel 2022

Where to Travel in 2022

'Tis the season to start dreaming of all the trips we want to take next year.

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And just like that, another extraordinary year nears its end. In between wrapping up the rest of 2021 with subdued holiday gatherings and quiet champagne toasts at home, the mind inevitably wanders. To what could be in 2022. To the trips we may finally get to check off that bucket list, whether it's to see the Scottish countryside from a sumptuous train fit for a royal, or to soak in the same ochre-hued New Mexico landscape that so captivated Georgia O'Keeffe for many years. Or to old haunts we just can't wait to visit again with a fresh perspective and peace of mind. Or to the fabulous new hotels ready to welcome us with superb hospitality and plush digs. These are still uncertain times, but we can dream—and tentatively plan—for the future. Below, 17 of the best destinations to put on the travel list for 2022.

Lanai, Hawaii

READ REVIEWS Sensei Lanai, a Four Seasons Resort

Napa Valley, California

Even for those who aren't diehard oenophiles, there is still plenty to do in Napa. In fact, vineyards make up only 9% of the region with the rest—including 53,000 acres that are under the care of the Napa Valley Land Trust—ripe for all manner of outdoor activities like biking, hiking, and hot springs. Brand new in Calistoga is the Four Seasons Napa Valley , which opened in November and is the first resort here to be set within a working winery. Also coming soon, in February, will be a new Auberge Resort called Stanly Ranch , where just 78 cottage suites, all equipped with outdoor terraces with fire pits, will be spread out over a 700-acre private ranch that dates back to the 19th century.

READ REVIEWS Four Seasons Napa Valley

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Undoubtedly one of the most unique cities in the U.S., Santa Fe has rich Native American history, strong Spanish influences, and a vibrant arts scene, from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum to Canyon Road, a stretch of art galleries featuring a diverse selection (think: Fernando Botero sculptures, handwoven Navajo rugs). Then, there is Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu (an hour's drive from Santa Fe), a 21,000-acre retreat that so impressed O'Keeffe, she lived there for forty years and prominently featured its landscapes in her work. A trip to the city is worth it alone just to check out its hottest new hotel, Bishop's Lodge , a legendary 150-year-old landmark that Auberge Resorts restored into a luxurious property sitting on 317 acres bordering the Santa Fe National Forest. It beautifully pays homage to the city's Southwestern heritage with activities like sunrise horseback riding and guided pueblo tours.

READ REVIEWS Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection

Members of the new pot elite , rejoice. Malta just became the first country in the European Union to legalize marijuana. Not so into the cannabis? As a picturesque archipelago that has served as a filming location for a number of period epics, from Gladiator and Troy , to Munich and Murder on the Orient Express , Malta hardly wants for scenic sights (and FOMO-inducing Instagram backdrops). And having long ago suffered through a succession of invasions—by the Phoenicians, Romans, Moors, Normans, the Kingdom of Aragon, the French, and the British—the Mediterranean country has a panoply of rich history, culture, and architecture. Stay at the Xara Palace , a former 17th-century palazzo that is now a Relais & Chateaux and the only hotel located in Mdina, the medieval walled city that used to be the island's capital (until 1530) and served as the center of Maltese nobility.

READ REVIEWS The Xara Palace

New York City

After being hit hard during the pandemic in 2020, NYC has been on the rebound ever since, slowly but surely getting back to the bustling and dynamic metropolis it was in the Before Times. By February a brand new Ritz-Carlton opens in Manhattan's NoMad district—and it conveniently fills a gaping hole in the neighborhood left by the abrupt closure of the NoMad Hotel earlier this year. The Ritz will bring on a celebrity chef of its own, José Andrés, who will open an outpost of his popular DC power spot, Zaytinya, plus a high-end restaurant called the Bazaar later in the year. The 250-room hotel will also have the most coveted of NYC hotel amenities: a rooftop bar.

Queen Elizabeth celebrates her platinum jubilee in 2022, and while that may be reason enough to go to London to witness all of the official celebrations that will swirl around Buckingham Palace in June, how about paying tribute to the UK's longest reigning monarch with a pilgrimage through her beloved Scotland? It's not hard to see why she retreats to the Highlands every summer to rest at Balmoral Castle, said to be her favorite palace. But first, start in capital city Edinburgh to marvel at its eclectic mix of medieval and Georgian architecture and then check into the Balmoral, a Rocco Forte hotel (not to be confused with the queen's pad), for a night or two of 5-star pampering and Michelin-starred dining. Then it's up to the Scottish Highlands and the town of Braemar, which neighbors the queen's Balmoral, to stay at the the Fife Arms , a former Victorian-era coaching inn that was completely transformed by art world power couple Iwan and Manuela Wirth into an absolute jewel box of a property bursting with more than 16,000 works of art. Not so confident about driving on the other side of the road? Enter: the Royal Scotsman, a Belmond Train that is quite possibly the most luxuriously appointed way to take in the stunning countryside.

READ REVIEWS The Balmoral

READ REVIEWS The Fife Arms

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston is absolute heaven for foodies (musts: the modern twist on Southern cuisine at Husk and Fig , the unbelievably fresh oysters and seafood at 167 Raw and the Ordinary ), history buffs, and architecture nerds. It's probably also one of the most introspective cities in the South, making concerted efforts to confront its painful and complicated past (be sure to check out the South Carolina Historical Society Museum and the Gibbes Museum of Art for important lessons). Right in the heart of the city is the palatial Charleston Place, a Belmond Hotel , a bastion of luxurious Southern hospitality with more than 400 rooms, all outfitted in elegant touches like mahogany beds and marble showers.

READ REVIEWS Charleston Place, a Belmond Hotel

Big Sky, Montana

For a certain subset of the population, the luxury western ranch trip has become a near-obligatory rite of passage in recent years. Montage is just the latest to seize on this opportunity—on December 15, it officially opened the doors to a sprawling new resort in Big Sky, Montana, becoming the first luxury ski hotel to ever be built in this picturesque region. The location is unparalleled. Just 45 minutes north of Yellowstone National Park and surrounded by the Spanish Peaks mountain range. And the list of things to do? Endless: direct access to Big Sky resort's 5,800 acres of ski terrain and to a championship golf course designed by Tom Weiskopf, snowshoeing, horseback riding, fly fishing, hiking, mountain biking, the list goes on.

Madrid, Spain

As far as European cities go, it's hard to beat the many charms of Madrid. The Spanish capital has it all: beautiful old world architecture, blue chip museums, amazing food, lovely parks and gardens, great shopping, a wonderful locals' vibe, and royal clout. Just as the iconic Ritz near El Retiro Park was recently converted to a Mandarin Oriental property, so too has Villa Magna, another aging grande dame in need of a refresh, courtesy of Rosewood—in October it officially reopened as the Rosewood Villa Magna . Located in the tony Salamanca neighborhood, the hotel has 154 accommodations, all designed to evoke the feel of a contemporary Spanish villa, and a signature restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Jesús Sánchez.

READ REVIEWS Rosewood Villa Magna

Las Vegas, Nevada

What happens in Vegas? Well, that depends what your interests are. With best in class offerings across the board when it comes to dining, shopping, and accommodations, you have to go out of your way to have a disappointing time in the infamous city. For starters, Adele announced her Vegas residency starting in 2022—all the more reason to plan a trip. And if you really want to lean into the Las Vegas experience, book yourself at the Cosmopolitan , smack dab in the lap of luxury and heart of the strip. The hotel has a wide range of cant-be-beat restaurants to choose from including Momofuku, Scarpetta, and Blue Ribbon, as well as expansive rooms and suites designed with a contemporary infusion so there's a calm refuge from whatever hijinks may unfold.

Another great option? The European-inspired Bellagio Hotel and Casino, which offers fine dining options such as Le Cirque and the Mayfair Supper Club, and of course is situated near some of the best luxury shopping the world has to offer.

READ REVIEWS Bellagio Hotel & Casino

READ REVIEWS The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

There are numerous compelling reasons to visit Ireland, whether you're a history buff, love literature (it is the home of William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, and Sally Rooney after all), or are simply outdoorsy and a golf fanatic. But regardless of your interests, the island is temperate nearly all of the year—and offers unforgettable experiences from scenic drives up the coast, to picturesque national parks, and even unique opportunities to watch the Winter Solstice. However, one cannot miss trip is Adare Manor, just outside of Limerick.

The Neo-Gothic manor was once home to the Earls of Dunraven, but these days, the historic castle is a 5-star luxury resort, surrounded by charming medieval ruins, winding gardens and woodland paths that you could lose yourself on—in the best way possible. Not only are the guest rooms lavishly decorated and fitted with Georgian-era furnishings, but the resort offers a wide range of activities from falconry and golf to clay shooting and fishing.

READ REVIEWS Adare Manor

For years, travelers have flocked to the tiny island of Bermuda, and it's no wonder why. The pristine beaches are known the world over for their soft pink sand, and what's more, travel to the escape is a breeze—just a 90-minute flight from New York City. And two new hotels on the island offer the height of luxury. First there is the St. Regis Bermuda , which opened its doors to vacationers in summer 2021 and is located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can expect a hybrid of avant-garde design with local flare as well as sophisticated touches that are the hallmark of the St. Regis brand. Also on the world class property? A golf-course, a state of the art spa, and a designated children's club for families who visit.

Also new to the island is the luxury boutique hotel the Loren at Pink Beach, which is located on Tucker's Point. With just 45 rooms complete with panoramic views and a Sisley Spa, it's the perfect beachside hideaway when you want to really disappear into the sun and sand.

READ REVIEWS St. Regis Bermuda

READ REVIEWS Loren at Pink Beach

Geneva, Switzerland

On the western edge of Switzerland, surrounded by the Alps, is the serene cobblestone city of Geneva, whose views on Mont Blanc alone are worthy of a visit. While the cosmopolitan area is both home to the European headquarters of the United Nations and the Red Cross, the international financial hub makes for a great slow-paced getaway, or dare we say it, a fantastic breather while on a business trip.

First on your list should you visit is the Oetker Collection's latest jewel, the Woodward . Originally built in 1901, the property has been reimagined by Pierre Yves Rochon and boasts two restaurants, the Michelin-starred L'Atelier Robuchon and Le Jardin, a spa appointed by Guerlain, and breathtaking views. There's a reason why they're calling it the lakeside home of haute living.

Palm Beach, Florida

One could argue that Palm Beach is to Eastern Florida, as Cannes is the Riviera. It's been the vacation home and haunt of Swans—with a capital S— for the better part of a hundred years. And with the recent infusion of New York hotspots such as Le Bilboquet and La Goulue i n the last few years, it almost feels as though NYC has been transported to the sandy palm beaches.

Known for it's low-key ambiance and relaxed luxury, The Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is the perfect place to hit pause. Not only is the property a hop, skip, and a jump from the go-to performing arts venues, but the neighboring area is replete with fantastic shopping and dining should you need a pause from the hotel's five-star spa and seven-acre private beach. It's the kind of place that once you visit, you can't help but make a plan to dash back for more.

READ REVIEWS Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

Nambiti, South Africa

While travel to Southern Africa is currently off limits due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a safari in South Africa remains bucket list worthy—just don't book the trip without double-checking travel advisories.

What's worth the wait? The Homestead— the Nambiti Game Reserve's soon-to-be opened luxury safari in one of the most widely biodiverse regions in all of Africa. The Homestead's bespoke safari experiences are also created to hold conservation and sustainability at the highest importance, as made evident by the twelve suite "super luxury" eco lodge accommodations which are entirely solar-powered. Menus are designed by world-renowned chefs, and the food is made with local ingredients—all with the hope of both a positive impact on the planet and those who visit.

Lake Como, Italy

It should come as no surprise that year after year, the gliteratti heads out to the glamorous region in Northern Italy (which also recently made appearances in The Morning Show, Succession, and House of Gucci ). Between exploring the remnants of medieval villages, the opulent villas, and of course, the gorgeous lake, it's no wonder that the locale never goes out of style.

Summer is when the region really shines, and 2022 is the perfect opportunity to make an occasion of it at Villa Passalacqua . Originally built in the 18th century by Count Andrea Lucini Passalacqua (both Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill were known to visit), the stately mansion is the sister property to Grand Hotel Tremezzo , and offers only the best of luxury. Think: 24 suites designed by Paolo, Antonella, and Valentina De Santis, but with a preservation of the original structure in mind. Villa Passalacqua also offers swimming in the lake, an open-air gym in the olive grove, vintage boat trips from a private dock, farm to fork dining and gorgeous manicured gardens.

The Catskills

No, this isn't Dirty Dancing but the Borscht Belt has experienced a serious travel boom in the last two years. From new hotels and inns, to a bountiful supply of AirBnbs, the mountainous region in Southeastern New York is once again an it-destination for the Tri-State area during the summer, for leaf peeping in the fall, and even in the cold months.

Whether you're taking a quick spin around Kaaterskill Falls, heading into Hudson for some antiquing and a bite at Lil' Debs Oasis or just simply taking in everything the region has to offer with a scenic drive, you'll find your days are packed with a wide variety of fun offerings. Fan favorite stays include the Eastwind Hotel and of course Scribner's Catskill Lodge , but if you're looking to lean into the region's retro resort roots, check out Calicoon Hills .

READ REVIEWS Scribner's Catskill Lodge

READ REVIEWS Eastwind Hotel & Bar

READ REVIEWS Calicoon Hills

Leena Kim is an editor at Town & Country , where she covers travel, jewelry, education, weddings, and culture.

As the deputy digital lifestyle director at Town & Country, Roxanne Adamiyatt covers fashion, beauty, wellness, design and travel. 

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The Best Places to Travel in 2022

Where will 2022 take you below, you’ll find 39 destinations—from abu dhabi to alberta, canada—where your visit will really count. locals tell us what’s new, exciting, and worth the trip in the coming year..

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Where to Go Next. It feels good to write those words. After a long pause, travel is returning. Borders are reopening, families are reuniting, and deferred dreams are becoming realities. As 2022 approaches, are you eagerly and excitedly plotting out your next 12 months of trips? Or maybe you’re still just fantasizing about travel, unsure about where you’ll go next and when.

To inspire all your travel hopes and wishes, we’ve collected 39 love letters to various places, written by the people who know them best: locals. How did we decide what to spotlight? We focused on the lesser-known sides of a destination (Abu Dhabi and Taiwan); spots where your visit could really count (Turkana, Kenya, and Ten Thousand Islands, Florida); and those cities that could use a little love on the heels of 2020 and 2021 ( Chicago and Copenhagen ). As always, we tell these stories through the lens of travel as a force for good: more inclusive, conscientious, and sustainable. Cheers to a year of getting out there again. —Julia Cosgrove, editor in chief

1. Russian River Valley, California

The gods of climate change made some of their first displays of power in this slice of rural california, where there’s much to love and much to protect.

The Bay Area is still lovable in its fleece-wearing Tesla millionaire kind of way, but—local secret here—the region’s faded old river towns have long been the heart of our most quintessential Northern California-ness. The addled trappings of modern life fall away at the first quake of the aspens. What remains is a refreshingly purer iteration of the human spirit, miles from the venture-funded sleekness of San Francisco.

Here, at a lazy bend in the shimmering Russian River, a wiry man in a milk jug raft drifts past singing Puccini. Explore farther and you’ll discover a five-and-dime on Main Street in Guerneville. Join a barbecue at the Monte Rio firehouse. Feel the gentle purling of the river under your butt as your inner tube floats vaguely west, not a care in the world except not spilling that beer someone tossed you.

The Lower Russian River Valley has long inhabited a slower, more analog era that’s left room for funky charms to take root. The passage of time seemed to just sort of overlook this region—at least until now.

For the full story from Chris Colin, read The True Heart of California’s Bay Area Is in the Russian River Valley .

2. Chicago, Illinois

The windy city is roaring back from the pandemic, thanks to its entrepreneurial spirit and strong sense of pride.

In the aftermath of the Great Fire, which razed more than 2,000 acres of central Chicago in 1871, leaving nearly 100,000 homeless, one resident, William D. Kerfoot, displayed a hand-painted sign that read” “all gone but wife, children and energy. I have been thinking about Kerfoot since the pandemic. But not before a full year of questioning why I still lived in Chicago when everything I loved about it—the theater, music, sports, and dining scenes, as well as the 26-mile lakefront—was closed or verboten.

As the city has been slowly reopening, I have been reminded of Kerfoot’s outlook. Jazz musicians started holding “step sessions” on neighborhood porches, encouraging residents to BYO and use virtual tip jars. They’re planning to return to porches in spring 2022. Entrepreneurs renovated an RV as Majostee Spa , a mobile nail salon making home visits. Stephanie Hart, owner of Brown Sugar Bakery , recognized the need for comfort food during the pandemic; now the baker is looking to open a shop for her famed cupcakes at O’Hare International Airport, where she can, as she puts it, “export a little bit of my African American neighborhood and inspire [people] to come to 75th Street and see everything we’re serving.”

“Chicago sees itself, since the fire, as a city able to withstand whatever,” said Shermann Dilla Thomas, a historian who offers guided city tours. “It also makes us a city that doesn’t believe in small plans. After you get a blank canvas, the sky’s the limit.”

For the full story from Elaine Glusac, read As the Pandemic (Hopefully) Wanes, Chicago Is Back and Stronger Than Ever .

3. Métis Crossing, Alberta, Canada

Alberta’s first métis cultural destination was conceived, built, and operated by métis people to tell their story—and in 2022 it’s getting a huge expansion.

I was about 12 years old when I first met my birth mother and discovered that I was Métis. I saw her several times after that, and though we never discussed why I grew up in foster care, she frequently reiterated that we were both Métis. I’ve spent years trying to figure out exactly what that meant and why it was so important.

Since the 18th century, the French word métis has described individuals in Canada with mixed Indigenous and European ancestry. In Canada’s early years, French and Scottish fur traders married First Nations women of Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Cree, and other cultural backgrounds, and soon the Métis Nation was born. The Métis were known for hunting, trapping, and fur trading, and in 1982 they became one of the three groups of recognized Indigenous Peoples of Canada .

Métis Crossing , which opened in 2005 on the river lots—the riverside settlements home to the earliest settlers in this part of Alberta—is a fascinating place to learn about Métis culture, traditions, and beliefs. There’s a campground with comfortably furnished trappers’ tents, and in 2019, a large Cultural Gathering Centre was built to host educational programs. When I visited in fall 2021, I wanted a cultural experience, and I also wanted to embrace my own Indigenous roots.

For the full story from Debbie Olsen, read Discover a Side of Indigenous Canada at Métis Crossing, Newly Expanding in 2022 .

4. Portland, Jamaica

Avoid the crowds and head to a serene shoreline and the birthplace of jerk chicken.

I escaped my tiny living quarters in Long Island, New York, for rural Robins Bay in Jamaica in September 2020. On weekends, I explore. My favorite discovery is the parish of Portland on the island’s northeast coast, which—unlike Montego Bay and Ocho Rios with many tourists—offers flourishing rain forests, laid-back beaches, and a vibe of soon come, no hurry, no worries. . . .

I have a particular soft spot for Winnifred Beach, where neighbors and families go to relax. Food vendors and artists sell their wares from small shops, made from zinc and wood, and despite the lull in business during the pandemic, dancehall and reggae still boom. Nothing stops the party. If it’s Saturday, true to tradition, somebody is quite likely cooking (and sharing) chicken foot soup. Another favorite ocean retreat is Frenchman’s Cove, where flowing water from the Blue Mountains creates a dramatic canopy of tropical greenery by a white-sand beach. Further south, Reach Falls is beloved for its underwater cave, natural heart-shaped pool reminiscent of a Jacuzzi, mountain views, and lush vegetation.

For the full story from Sheryl Nance-Nash, read Find the ‘Real’ Jamaica in This Laid-Back Neighborhood .

5. Arica and Parinacota, Chile

Local textiles, llamas, and the world’s oldest mummies are among the reasons to visit northern chile..

When travelers plan trips to the desiccated salt flats and cloud-hugging lagoons of the world’s driest desert, the Atacama, most end up in the resort town of San Pedro. Yet 400 miles north lies a refreshing alternative: Chile’s Arica and Parinacota region.

The main reason to go is to explore a new UNESCO World Heritage site created in July 2021 that honors the Chinchorro culture. These hunter-gatherers crafted the world’s oldest mummies, covering their deceased with clay masks and flowing wigs some 7,000 years ago (2,000 years before the ancient Egyptians). A tourist circuit now unites 19 archaeological sites along the Pacific coast and passes six roadside Chinchorro statues designed by local artists Paola Pimentel and Johnny Vásquez. Meanwhile, the mummy museum in Azapa Valley is preparing for a multimillion-dollar revamp to be completed by 2024.

The 143-mile trip from lowland Arica to highland Parinacota follows another new tourist trail: Ruta de las Misiones. The route includes dozens of hamlets inhabited by the Aymara people, many featuring whitewashed adobe churches and handcrafted alpaca textiles from Indigenous artisans such as Julia Cañari. Putre is the largest of these villages. At an altitude of 11,500 feet, you can acclimatize here for expeditions into the volcano-studded Lauca National Park , llama-filled Las Vicuñas National Reserve , or the blindingly white Salar (salt flat) de Surire , where the hot springs come with views of pink flamingos. —Mark Johanson

6. Acadia National Park, Maine

New england’s sylvan wonderland is filled with winding trails and history lessons.

It’s easy to get away from people amid the 47,000 acres of Acadia National Park , where the jagged Maine coast cuts into the Atlantic. But no matter where you go, you’re surrounded by historical figures. The intricate carriage trails around Mount Desert Island, where much of the park is situated, were commissioned by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in the early 1900s. Many of the island’s other trails were built as part of a New Deal–era Civilian Conservation Corps public works project in the 1930s.

Stone stairs that seem almost magically carved into the mountainside form parts of Homans Path, a trail named for Eliza Homans. She was a wealthy widow and longtime summer resident who, in 1908, first gifted part of the land that would become the park. The 140-acre spread Homans bequeathed includes one of Acadia’s most treacherous and rewarding hikes, the Beehive—a short but steep climb up a cliff face, with a payoff view of Sand Beach and the Atlantic coastline.

Mount Desert Island’s lake and ponds are another plus. For most of the summer, you can jump off the rocks at Echo Lake Ledges or hike to the distant parts of Long Pond, where you’ll be rewarded with crystal clear water and, often, few other swimmers in sight. —Sally Kohn

7. Houston, Texas

In 2022, space city offers distinct dining and art options that celebrate its diverse communities.

As one of the nation’s most multiethnic cities, with some 145 languages spoken, Houston is full of culinary and cultural innovation. MasterChef winner Christine Ha’s restaurant Blind Goat deliciously showcases the city’s Vietnamese community, while the local chain Tacos A Go Go represents some of the best of its Latinx options. (Be sure to try all the tacos while you’re in town: corn tacos filled with barbacoa; shrimp tacos; and migas tacos, a Tex-Mex staple made with scrambled eggs and jalapeños).

For a taste of Houston’s Black-owned restaurants, book a table at Lucille’s , where the celebrated chef Chris Williams turns out fine Southern cuisine (catfish and grits, fish fry, and liver and onions). If you’re craving comfort food, head to Breakfast Klub .

Don’t miss a trip to the Third Ward (the neighborhood where Beyoncé and Solange Knowles were raised). There you’ll find the Houston Museum of African American Culture , which recognizes the achievements of Black Americans. Another essential stop: Project Row Houses , a site encompassing five city blocks that has been serving Houston’s artists of color for three decades. It presents programming that preserves and elevates Black culture and community, regularly running exhibitions and events while supporting young people and small businesses. —Kayla Stewart

8. Charlotte, North Carolina

North carolina’s largest city is turning into an essential food destination, with tempting options across different neighborhoods.

If you asked someone a few years ago what Charlotte is known for, they might have said it’s one of the country’s biggest banking spots. But the city is fast becoming appreciated for its growing culinary scene.

Take the James Beard Award–nominated chef Greg Collier and his wife and business partner, Subrina. In 2020, the restaurateurs opened Leah & Louise , a modern-day juke joint in Charlotte’s creative hub, Camp North End . The cuisine honors their Southern roots: fried oyster sliders and slow-roasted cabbage with pork neck bisque. The pair have a special place in my heart, as they helped found Soul Food Sessions, a pop-up dinner series featuring Black chefs and mixologists.

Exciting new businesses are opening regularly. In September 2021, cocktail connoisseur Tamu Curtis opened the Cocktailery for classes and tastings in the city’s Atherton Mill retail center. In 2022, Ricky Ortiz, the Mexico-born owner of Tacos Rick-O , will expand his food empire beyond his taco truck at Hoppin’ —a self-service beer, wine, and cider spot in South End—with a new concept based on Spanish desserts in the NoDa arts and entertainment district.

“Charlotte’s not just football and finance,” Greg Collier insists. “This ain’t just the cookie-cutter, vanilla shell South . . . It’s a place full of aspirations, mind-blowing creatives, good cooking, and possibilities.” —DeAnna Taylor

9. Anguilla

One of the caribbean’s smallest islands punches above its weight.

With 33 beaches, several islands and cays, and more than 100 restaurants, Anguilla packs a lot into its 35 square miles.

Start by hopping on American Airlines’ new direct flight from Miami into Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport. You’ll disembark mere minutes from any one of the island’s beaches, a string of seductive white-sand scallops lapped by blue water. On Meads Bay, check in to Tranquility Beach, a collection of 15 suites (all with kitchens) that preside over sand resembling powdered sugar and offering magnificent sunset views. Close by is the Hummingbird , a charming cottage studio that’s a perfect choice for solo travelers.

For lunch, try Ken’s BBQ in Anguilla’s capital, The Valley, where they have been cooking fall-off-the-bone tender ribs for more than 20 years. Don’t forget to finish the meal with a Johnny cake or two. If you’re in the mood to treat yourself, end the day with cocktails at Four Seasons Anguilla ’s ocean-view Sunset Lounge, then continue to dinner at beachfront classic Blanchards, where you should sample the grilled Anguillian crayfish.

The next day, if cerulean seas beckon, charter a catamaran to take you from Crocus Bay to Little Bay, a compact cove you might have all to yourself. —Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon

10. Bermuda

Look beyond bermuda’s pink-sand beaches and explore black history on the islands..

Famous for its blush-colored beaches and the shorts, Bermuda has long been a traveler’s dream, but this 21-square-mile archipelago nestled in the North Atlantic also offers a substantial measure of Black culture and history. In 2020, it became one of the first places in the world to honor a Black woman with a public holiday; Mary Prince Day celebrates the formerly enslaved Bermudian who became the first Black woman in England to publish her own narrative, the seminal 1831 book The History of Mary Prince .

Visitors to the islands can follow the African Diaspora Heritage Trail , which includes museums, monuments, and even a seaside cave connected to Bermuda’s Black past. For an experience that showcases both food and history, book Kristin White’s bike tour through the cobblestone streets of St. George’s , a UNESCO World Heritage site. Or on your own, walk past the candy-colored buildings of the capital city, Hamilton, and pop into the Griot bookstore , a sunlit, art-adorned space that sells works by authors of African descent. Pick up a cold-pressed elixir at the mural-covered Om Juicery (locals are partial to “Bountiful” and “Dancing”). In the reef-hugging Sandys Parish, Buna Gallery and Coffee House serves up Ethiopian brews, live music, and local art exhibits in a stylish setting. Settle in and stay awhile. —Rosalind Cummings-Yeates

11. Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico

Yucatán’s welcoming capital city offers a sensory experience on every corner.

Each evening, as the sun begins to settle into its slumber, Mérida comes to life. Nightfall offers a respite from the sweltering heat of the day. Families gather in the zócalo for cultural performances. The city’s main drag, Paseo de Montejo, is lined with tables where patrons delight in nibbles and tipples. Elderly couples salsa dance in the park as if no one is watching, and if you walk down any of the main streets in the Centro neighborhood, you’ll hear the thrums and drums of bachata beats from beyond the swinging doors of local cantinas.

Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, revels in permanent celebration, and the city invites you to do the same, to find joy in simple pleasures. It’s a place where diversity extends beyond what to do, see, and eat. LGBTQ travelers, for example, can find nightlife in Centro and spend evenings vibing to live music at Cadadía Bar Café .

Visitors to the city will quickly discover the “Mérida magic” that everyone speaks of—that inexplicable sense of happiness, peace, and community found here. It may be the deep-rooted culture and rich gastronomic heritage that draws people to the colonial city; for me, it was the Mérida magic that turned my three-month visit into home for the foreseeable future. —Colby Holiday

12. Washington, D.C.

Wander around the new waterfront and taste your way through the revitalized capital city.

Washington, D.C., is so much more than its reputation as the center of U.S. politics. It’s a welcoming, walkable city with residents and regions as culturally diverse as the international embassies that line Massachusetts Avenue. Over the past decade, the city has transformed several neighborhoods—the H Street Corridor, Brookland, NoMa, Shaw, and the LGBTQ-friendly Logan Circle. The flourishing food scene attracts locals and visitors to such neighborhood anchors as Tortino (which serves elevated Italian dishes) and the Dabney , a Michelin-starred restaurant specializing in farm-to-table American fare.

But the District’s newest star is the Wharf , where the second phase of a $2.5 billion revitalization project is expected to be completed in 2022. New additions include the 131-room Pendry hotel and a tranquil 1.5-acre green space called “The Green”. Stroll the brick walkway to take in the serene Potomac River while eating delicious confections from District Donuts or shop for clothing, jewelry, and home decor at stores like the Black-owned fashion boutique A Beautiful Closet .

At Kaliwa , order the drunken duck noodles and other Thai and Filipino dishes. Or head to chef Philippe Massoud’s new high-end Lebanese restaurant, Ilili , and try the tender braised lamb shank. Close out your night with panoramic views at the rooftop bar Whiskey Charlie . The Wharf Spiced Rum is a perfect coda to a perfect day in the district. —Kwin Mosby

13. Ten Thousand Islands, Florida

A labyrinthine world of mangroves, sandy islands, and clear skies awaits intrepid kayakers on florida’s gulf coast.

Everglades National Park —the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States—reveals only its outer edges to daytrippers. For a deeper view of a similar ecosystem, head to the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge , just south of Marco Island. Here, one of the world’s largest mangrove systems covers 230 square miles, where fresh and salt waters meet.

“We’re not a beach destination, like St. Petersburg or Daytona,” says Charles Wright, a naturalist who owns Everglades Area Tours and takes guests on kayak adventures through mangrove islands in the Gulf of Mexico. “But there are sandy barrier islands with beautiful beaches . . . from Marco Island to the mouth of the Lostmans River.

“Most people think of swamps when they think of the Everglades—of airboats, alligators, and mosquitoes,” he adds. But the Everglades are much more than that, and the Ten Thousand Islands “are kind of the untapped jewel, with dolphins, manatees, orchids and bromeliads, wading birds, raptors, and more.”

On expeditions from Chokoloskee Island, you’ll camp on deserted islands and visit Native American sites; the Calusa tribe inhabited the area as early as the 15th century. One thing you won’t really see, however, is light pollution—just the canopy of the Milky Way in the inky skies above your camp at night. —Terry Ward

14. Northern Minnesota

Once known for its mining boomtowns, the iron range has gotten a mighty makeover.

Minnesota is lauded for its lakes—more than 10,000 of them—but any local knows that its land deserves some love, too. To get better acquainted, head to northern Minnesota’s Iron Range , which has quietly debuted 250 miles of new biking trails in the past decade. The routes came about largely thanks to local cycling enthusiasts, who have worked to turn the area into a magnet for biking in nature. Tioga Recreation Area added 19 miles of mountain bike trails near the town of Cohasset in August 2019, and a trail expansion is currently underway in Cuyuna County, which already has 50 miles of rust-colored dirt paths spread over 800 acres.

One of the most recent news makers? Redhead Mountain Bike Park , which opened in June 2020 after a nearly $2 million investment, now features 25 miles of trails outside the town of Chisholm. There, you can ride cinnamon-colored paths flanked by steep cliffs that descend into an abandoned mining pit with an aqua-blue lake at the bottom. (You’d be in good company, as more than 25,000 people have ridden the popular trails since the launch.)

If you’re looking for something a little smoother, northeastern Minnesota has you covered there, too. As of press time, the paved Mesabi Trail offers more than 135 miles of biking and walking through forests and small towns. When completed, it will stretch 155 miles from the Mississippi River to the remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , one of the country’s most glorious natural sites. (And no, I’m not biased.) —Katherine LaGrave

15. Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica

This lively caribbean coastal town offers excellent surfing and beaches, plus a secret dry season.

In September 2021, Costa Rica’s new Digital Nomads law began granting visas to foreign nationals for up to two years, inspiring remote workers to live out their long-term fantasies of surf, work, ceviche, repeat. Whether you’re eyeing a semipermanent move or just a weeklong break, one place to dip your toes in is Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a small coastal town on the country’s less frequented Caribbean side.

You won’t find the big brands or high-rises of Papagayo and Tamarindo here—just soft sand beaches and green macaws, and local boutiques such as Aloe Tienda for stylish handmade women’s clothing. The African influence is palpable in the Limonese Creole patois, calypso beats, and the coconut-sweetened version of rice and beans.

Another plus of Puerto Viejo: The town experiences a dry season in September and October, when most of the country is inundated with rain. Travelers who visit at this time usually luck out at such mega surf breaks as Salsa Brava. In nearby Cahuita National Park , a large coral reef hosts an array of marine life, ranging from diminutive damselfish to nurse sharks. Snorkelers can experience it in all its glory. After a few days in Puerto Viejo, you might discover it’s time to adopt the Pura Vida lifestyle and stay awhile. —Nina Kokotas Hahn

16. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

A road trip through abu dhabi reveals what lies beneath the surface of this sprawling emirate.

In its 50 years of existence, the United Arab Emirates has developed at lightning speed, creating cities out of the desert with record-breaking skyscrapers, lavish hotels, and a fast pace of life. As the pandemic forced me to slow down, I rediscovered the joy of exploring the hidden sides of my home. By the time my friend Rashid Khalfan invited me to Abu Dhabi, the emirate south of Dubai that covers 26,000 miles, I was ready to explore farther afield.

Rashid, knowing my love for brutalist architecture, showed me some of his favorite buildings, which he admires as symbols of a young nation’s progress. He pointed out the Buty Al Otaiba Tower , covered in rows of hexagonal windows, and the Hamed Centre , with its diamond motif. The most handsome edifice was the Al Ibrahimi building, a circular tower with protruding balconies that resemble woven fabric, designed by the late Egyptian modernist architect Farouk El Gohary . “The older ones have more Arabic touches; the later ones from the ’80s and ’90s have more glass on their facades,” Rashid said.

I could’ve stayed longer, but the Rub’ Al-Khali—the Empty Quarter, an expanse of desert 130 miles to the south—was calling. There the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara rises like a mirage, designed to enable your desert fantasies as you ride camels, smoke fragrant shisha, and let yourself be cocooned in rhassoul clay in the hammam.

For the full story from Nicola Chilton, read A Road Trip Through Abu Dhabi Reveals Its History .

17. Luxor, Egypt

Sometimes, the most enchanting experiences can be found outdoors

Find me a treasure in Luxor, Egypt, that can’t be savored in the open air—I challenge you. In three years of wintering in this city on the banks of the Nile, about 400 miles south of Cairo, I haven’t found one. Luxor is often called an open-air museum, a place where antiquities are as common as mosques, schools, or fruit stands. A visitor could stroll the grounds of Karnak Temple —not to mention Luxor Temple , Valley of the Queens , Valley of the Kings , or the Colossi of Memnon —for days and still find obelisks to marvel at, all while breathing in fresh Sahara Desert air.

Luxor is where I met my husband, and it’s where we now live part-time (when not in Alberta, Canada), in a mud-brick house on the city’s quieter, more rural-feeling West Bank. It’s located on the edge of Medinet Habu Temple , parts of which date to 1500 B.C.E. I joke that we’re basically “glamping in the desert”—never fully inside, because the dust, the donkey braying, and the call to prayer easily find their way in through the corners of our earthen abode. No need to set an alarm clock, since the whoosh of hot-air balloons overhead stirs us awake by sunrise.

For the full story from Colleen Kinder, read Get Outside in Luxor, Egypt, to Walk Among the Kings .

18. Jinja, Uganda

This nile-side city in eastern uganda abounds with outdoor adventures.

Set along the nile river in eastern Uganda, Jinja is home to misty views marked by rapids and waterfalls, as well as roads blanketed by red dust that spools onto the skin with a vengeance. My father’s work in the petroleum industry frequently took him to Jinja, 140 miles west of my hometown, Kisumu, Kenya. As a child, I often tagged along to explore the natural wonders of the area.

On a recent visit, I based myself at the Nile Porch , a hotel with semi-tented, high-ceilinged rooms. I discovered Adrift Uganda , which offers trips along the Nile River that include Class VI rapids, and booked a trip. I was relieved when my group voted to tackle a Class III rapid called Bubugo—until I learned that it means “condolences” in the Lusoga language of Uganda.

Later that afternoon, on a less harrowing quad-biking excursion with All Terrain Adventures through nearby Kyabirwa Village, I charged past farms bursting with maize; kids ran out from the open doorways of mud-brick homes to wave hello.

The next day, as I paddled on flat waters with Kayak the Nile , observing cormorants and kingfishers while otters lazily swam past me, I was reminded of that feeling of limitless adventure that continues to lure me back. —Wendy Watta

19. Karoo, South Africa

This valley northeast of cape town reveals a less explored side of south africa’s interio.

My love affair with the Klein Karoo—a semidesert valley 200 miles from Cape Town, on the southern edges of the Karoo region—blossomed late. In part, moving far away from Cape Town to New York City allowed me to appreciate this area with fresh eyes when I returned.

The Klein Karoo contains a 215-mile stretch of Route 62 that runs parallel to the more famous Garden Route. I traveled the entire road in January 2021, and my first stop was the country’s Sanbona Wildlife Reserve at the foot of the scrubby Warmwaterberg Mountains. The terrain, with its ancient rock formations and indigenous fynbos vegetation, is the only place to see the region’s nearly extinct white lions. At Dwyka Tented Lodge , set in an amphitheater of rock, there’s peace in the deafening silence.

An hour west lies Montagu, a handsome town framed by farms and the jagged Cape Fold Mountains. One of my favorite hotels is Jonkmanshof , a guesthouse set between two restored Cape Dutch buildings. When I return to the region next, I’ll check into Stil , a monochromatic retreat with a sculpture garden that opened in 2021. I’ll also take a morning hike along the Keisie River, where weaverbirds and shrikes soar above. And I’ll follow it with a latte in the tree-shaded garden of the Barn on 62 , a coffee shop at the foot of those magical mountains. —Mary Holland

20. Turkana, Kenya

Explore the northwestern corner of kenya, where archaeological sites and the blue waters of lake turkana await.

Having lived in Kenya all my life, I never knew how rich and varied the landscapes and cultures of my own homeland could be—until I traveled to Turkana County.

This arid part of the country, often called the cradle of humankind, lies 310 miles northwest of Nairobi. Turkana is one of Kenya’s largest counties, but even with its groundbreaking archaeological finds and distinct traditions, few people visit.

During a recent trip, my first stop is Turkana’s dusty capital, Lodwar, where I head to the Mikeka market, famous for its intricate handwoven baskets made with multicolored reeds. The women who create them use the earnings to supplement their agricultural livelihoods, which are constantly threatened by drought. From Lodwar, I travel east for 45 miles until I reach the azure waters of Lake Turkana. I stop at the fishing town of Kalokol to observe anglers dry tilapia and perch and to view Namoratunga II, a 2,300-year-old ceremonial site composed of 19 stone pillars.

Next I drive 50 miles north along the lake to Nariokotome to see the discovery site of Turkana Boy , the most complete known skeleton of Homo erectus, dating back 1.6 million years. A brass replica of the hominid skeleton stands near the site where it was uncovered; the original resides in the National Museum of Kenya . But the site itself, where I can picture Turkana Boy in the very place he once inhabited, offers a powerful reminder of our ancient roots. —Harriet Akinyi

21. Ibadan, Nigeria

A three-hour train ride from lagos, this centuries-old city is rich in history, culture, and hearty cuisine..

Ibadan is the city of my youth, my mother’s youth, and that of her mother before her.

Once an epicenter of Nigerian politics, Ibadan was founded by Yoruba warriors in the 19th century. Today, it’s characterized by its seven hills, colonial buildings, and rusty corrugated roofing. Thanks to the newly modernized Nigerian Railway , my mother and I recently returned to Ibadan from Lagos on a journey that took us past thick rain forests, farmlands, and rural communities.

From the train station, our taxi dropped us at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), founded by Americans in 1967 to improve food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Spread over 2,400 acres, the IITA headquarters includes farms, offices, and a tree-shaded, utilitarian hotel.

From there, we set off to explore the manicured grounds of the University of Ibadan —Nigeria’s first university—and wandered among the eucalyptus and teak trees at Agodi Botanical Gardens. We haggled for yams and fresh ata rodo—habanero peppers—in the Bodija market. At Amala Skye, a buka (canteen) that serves Yoruba comfort food, we fortified ourselves on green-hued ewedu, a soup made with jute leaves.

As we tasted these familiar flavors and recounted our school days, it occurred to me how much there is to explore in my home country. That thought alone brought me indescribable joy. — Mimi Aborowa

22. Negev Desert, Israel

The rocky, dune-filled landscape in the southern half of israel has just welcomed its newest retreat.

I was 13 years old when I visited Israel’s Negev Desert for the first time, and the moment I saw its primeval craters and sand-colored mountains, I was transfixed. During my residential high school program in Israel, the expansive desert offered an otherworldly, biblical antidote to my suburban London childhood.

Since moving to Tel Aviv in 2017, I try to return to the Negev whenever I need to reconnect with my carefree younger self. And this passage through time just got more comfortable, thanks to the sublime Six Senses Shaharut , a resort that opened in August 2021.

I traveled to the desert in the fall, and on arrival to the Six Senses, immediately noticed the site-specific architecture. Built from locally sourced limestone, the buildings blend into their surroundings. My suite was designed using natural stone, copper, and a teak door from an old boat. Following a perfect night of sleep, I awoke to views of the unspoiled Arava Valley through floor-to-ceiling windows. I took an aerial yoga class and then a dip in the infinity pool. Looking out at the desert that has awed me for nearly 30 years, I felt deeply inspired to walk its paths anew. —Natalie Blenford

23. Imlil, Morocco

This small village in the atlas mountains exudes a warm, laid-back hospitality.

Moving a household is always stressful. But when I relocated three years ago to Imlil, a tiny Berber village in the heart of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, my biggest worry was trying to figure out if a mule could carry a washing machine up a mountain.

I had found a house in a family compound carved into the rock of one of the high peaks that surround the main street in Imlil. A valley full of walnut and cherry trees stretches out beneath my terrace, and in the spring the landscape is drowned in pink-and-white blossoms. The day I moved in, children screeched around the communal yard, and the cow—who lives under my bedroom—vied with the chickens to make the most noise. I stepped onto the terrace as the first notes of the Muslim call to prayer rang out, bouncing off the peaks painted golden by the sun. I saw the tiny figures of hikers high on the trails.

At 5 p.m., Miriam, my new neighbor, took my hand in her warm one and led me into her house. “It’s teatime,” she said. Women and children sat on the handwoven carpets, chattering like birds.

Miriam poured the sweet mint tea. “Eat, eat!” she said as she presented a feast of hot flaky flatbreads, honey from wild bees, home-churned butter, and walnuts from the trees outside.

And it is that hospitality that makes a visit to these soaring, juniper-clad mountains so incredibly special. Here, you are not a stranger; you are a friend. —Alice Morrison

24. Copenhagen, Denmark

The green city is expanding rapidly—go now to explore its gritty, evolving liminal spaces.

Not too long ago, I took a walk through the wastelands of Copenhagen. It sounds strange to call them that, because the Danish capital, with all its modern design and hygge, is hardly known for grittiness. But this dusty expanse of mostly empty warehouses and overgrown weeds, languishing to the southwest of the lively Meatpacking District, seemed to qualify. After 20 minutes of wandering, I entered a gate and found myself in an Alice in Wonderland alternate reality. A leafy glade contained dark, rustic wooden barns. Fat heads of garlic and fire-engine-red tomatoes spilled from the door of one, the jangle of a band from another. At an outdoor table set beneath fairy lights, a young mother fed her child pieces of a sandwich.

BaneGaarden , as I learned this enchanted place is called, once housed supplies for railway construction. It was abandoned in the 1950s but has recently been transformed into a cultural center. A farm shop, a bakery, a couple of restaurants, and spaces for pop-ups and other events fill the carefully renovated barns, all of this encircled by deciduous trees. Both geographically and metaphorically, the complex seemed far from Copenhagen’s center. But I realized it wouldn’t be long before BaneGaarden was just another delightful corner of my growing city.

For the full story from Lisa Abend, read As Copenhagen Expands Rapidly, Its Future Is in Its Outskirts .

25. Turquoise Coast, Turkey

Ponder the history of western civilization as you hike along turkey’s ruin-strewn carian trail.

The Carian Trail unfolds like an outdoor museum: Ancient artifacts, pristine coves, and stone villages are linked by mule paths and old caravan routes dotted with campsites and inns. I decided to take on one new section every month, focusing on stretches I could hike in a day.

On my first outing, I walked from my home until the stone path turned to dirt and the houses gave way to coastal shrubs. I reached the first bend and looked back, considering turning around. What if I lost my way?

Instead, I followed the red-and-white way markers tattooed on boulders. I passed beekeepers tending apiaries and wild mountain goats hoofing over loose rocks. I stayed mindful of the thistles and boar tracks, marching down switchbacks lined with wild thyme and sage.

With each hike, I found myself increasingly drawn to the ruins along the route. The trail is named after the Carians, a civilization indigenous to this coastline as far back as 6000 B.C.E. I passed tombs, mausoleums, crumbling walls, and altars. I passed relics of the Persians, Byzantines, Romans, and Ottomans, all of whom left their marks.

For the full story from Jenna Scatena, read Hike Turkey’s Carian Trail, Ponder the History of Western Civilization .

26. Fontainebleau, France

Trade paris for a tranquil weekend in this forested town—once home to royalty—and its neighbor, one of the country’s most notable artists’ communities.

Like many Parisians, my husband and I soldiered through multiple COVID-19 lockdowns in the city with little access to green space. By the end of 2020, we realized we wanted to make a long-term shift to get closer to nature. So we decided to divide our time between Paris and the country, and bought a century-old stone house near a place eminently familiar to us: Fontainebleau, a town 45 miles south of Paris. For more than 15 years, we have hiked, climbed, and explored in the once-royal place, known for its vast forest and intricate sandstone architecture.

The town was built around the 12th-century Château de Fontainebleau , which was updated in the 16th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site currently undergoing another restoration. Ancient forest—54,000 acres of it—surrounds the town, encompassing boulders, hiking trails, and Barbizon , an artists’ village. In the 19th century, iconic painters such as Jules Dupré and Théodore Rousseau, inspired by the sandstone boulders and stands of deciduous trees, created the community, where they pioneered landscape realism and the pre-impressionism movement.

The artistic style remains a fixture in Barbizon, where visitors can explore a dozen museums, galleries, and studios in addition to La Folie Barbizon , an artists’ residence, inn, and restaurant specializing in organic vegetarian fare that opened in the spring of 2020. Despite the changes, the magic that captured the artists remains: Each time I step off the train from Paris, I feel lighter and more connected to the present. —Lindsey Tramuta

27. Bristol, England

In southwestern england, this progressive maritime city has grown into a proper food and beer destination.

Every time I return to Bristol, the West Country city where I spent my teenage years, it’s changed, often substantially. The trading port may wear its heritage on its sleeve—the waterfront’s imposing cranes and the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge are just two examples of Bristol’s maritime and engineering history—but it’s also a modern hub of creativity, ingenuity, and liberal thinking. Since my dad’s work took us there in the early 1990s, the city has witnessed the rise of trip hop, the street art of Banksy, a revitalized harborside and city center, and the advent of its own currency (which transitioned into digital currency in 2021). It was also named a European Green Capital in 2015. More recently, a racial reckoning saw many of the city’s establishments question and ultimately condemn Bristol’s slavetrading past.

My latest trip, in summer 2021, yielded plenty of fresh fun. Since I last visited, Bristol has turned into a bona fide food and craft beer capital, with breweries located in unusual places. The reborn (once again) harborside is now full of restaurants. I liked the hazy IPAs at Left Handed Giant , whose brewpub occupies a former sugar refinery on the riverbank. Near the central train station, visitors can try hop-forward beers in a taproom shared by brewers Newtown Park and Verdant . And at Cargo , a waterfront collection of restaurants and stores housed in shipping containers, travelers can taste everything from bao and poke to local cheese and cider. The complex is diverse, surprising, and full of flavor—just like Bristol itself. —Tim Chester

28. San Miniato, Italy

On your next trip to the bel paese, bypass the tourist-clogged tuscan cities and head for this truffle-loving hill town.

My husband was born in San Miniato, a picturesque hilltop village often overshadowed by its neighboring Tuscan cities: Florence, Pisa, Siena, and Lucca. For years we lived in Florence, but early in the pandemic, we moved back to my husband’s hometown to escape the crowds and be closer to family. I had also discovered that the town was experiencing a culinary renaissance—and for me, as a food writer and cookbook author , that sealed the deal.

San Miniato, with its fertile, tree-covered hills, has long been known for its prized white truffles, grated with abandon over plates of buttery tagliolini and celebrated every November at the local truffle fair, La Sagra del Tartufo Bianco . (The festival marked its 50th year in 2021.) In the months we’ve been here, I’ve appreciated living a five-minute walk from modern Tuscan classics: a fourth-generation butcher, Sergio Falaschi , which has the best view in town and a new casual restaurant out back; Maggese , a fine-dining spot with an emphasis on veggies; Birra e Acciughe , a tiny beer and panino joint named for its long, warm baguettes filled with butter and anchovies; and Pizza del Popolo , a new bakery that sells sourdough and vegetarian pizza a taglio, or by the slice.

The village’s delights extend beyond restaurants. Travelers can taste wines at the nearby biodynamic winery Cosimo Maria Masini , join a truffle hunt year-round, or stretch their legs on one of the walking paths of Via Francigena , the 10th-century Roman pilgrim route that cuts right through town. Whenever I walk it, I’m reminded of how lucky we are to have such abundant countryside—and food—right outside our front door. —Emiko Davies

29. Gorski Kotar & Lika, Croatia

Though travelers best know the country for its picturesque beaches, croatia’s wild interiors are also worth a special trip.

While tourists swoon over the islands and coast of Croatia, its mountainous regions, located southwest of the capital city, Zagreb, remain blissfully off the radar. In Lika and Gorski Kotar, travelers can hike beside Plitvice Lakes and visit no fewer than four of the country’s eight national parks, and spot ancient yew trees and native flowers such as Carniolan lilies.

Drawn by the remote wilderness and my own roots—my mother hails from a now-abandoned hamlet in Lika—I’ve been spending time in the area during the last several years. There, I found Jelena Pirc of Lynx & Fox , who guides day hikes into Gorski Kotar’s rugged sylvan landscapes frequented by bears, wolves, and the endangered Eurasian lynx. Pirc recommends visiting Stara Sušica’s new Large Carnivores Visitor Center , which opened in July.

Farther south in the mighty Velebit Mountains, where old-growth beech forests hide rare western capercaillie birds, the conservation nonprofit Rewilding Europe is reintroducing wild horses and bovines to the Lika Plains and building wildlife-watching hide structures to support nature-focused tourism. Accommodations range from cozy chalets and rustic lodges to the higher-end Linden Tree Retreat & Ranch , located inside the UNESCO Velebit Mountain Biosphere Reserve —even more reasons to detour inland from the Croatian coast. —Anja Mutić

30. Bundoran, Ireland

A popular seaside resort for centuries, bundoran has forged a new identity for itself: surf capital of ireland.

I never thought my quest to learn to surf would lead me to Bundoran, a coastal town in County Donegal in the northwest corner of Ireland. When I first visited in 2015, I thought I’d only be there for the three months my visa allowed. Now, I come every year, often bouncing around Europe or returning stateside while waiting for my visa to reset.

Bundoran was a popular destination long before it became the surf capital of Ireland. During Victorian times, people flocked from across the country to soak in the Thrupenny and West End (Nun’s) Pools. Today, surfers from around the world come to visit Tullan Strand or ride the breakers at the Peak, home to some of Europe’s most consistent waves.

I return to Bundoran each year, vowing that I’ll finally learn to surf. The funny part is, I never follow through. I visit instead for the craic, or good times, in local parlance. There’s still plenty to do in town without getting in the water: It’s not called Fundoran for nothing! Consider taking a hike up Benbulbin, cycling around the Gleniff Horseshoe loop , cliff jumping from the coastal crags, or simply strolling along the Rougey Cliff Walk. If you’re feeling parched afterwards, check out some of my favorite pubs and eateries, including the Phoenix Tavern , the Chasin’ Bull , and Maddens Bridge Bar & Restaurant , where you can enjoy pints while listening to traditional music. —Yolanda Evans

31. Saxony, Germany

Cycle through organic vineyards and past 18th-century castles on a wine tour in eastern germany’s most sustainable wine region.

For more than 850 years, grapes in Saxony—Germany’s easternmost wine region—have been tended and harvested by hand, the wines made painstakingly in small quantities. One of my favorite ways to taste the sustainably grown wines, which are consumed primarily within the region, is also ecofriendly: via a bike ride on the 34-mile-long Saxon Wine Route.

The route starts in the riverside town of Pirna and coils its way through terraced vineyards and historic towns such as Meißen and Radebeul along the Elbe River. In Radebeul, I like to stop at Hoflößnitz , a winery-turned-museum that makes organic wines. At the nearby 18th-century Wackerbarth Castle , visitors can stroll through gardens and goldriesling vines, a variety of grape mainly grown on the Elbe. Travelers can taste sparkling wines at Wackerbarth, the region’s oldest sparkling wine cellar, or try Saxon reds and whites at Schloss Proschwitz Vinothek in Meißen, a town also renowned for its porcelain.

While the path ends in Diesbar-Seußlitz, about nine miles from Meißen, I sometimes take a detour on my way back to Pirna via the Elbe Cycle Route . The Elbe path leads to the village of Schmilka in the Saxon Switzerland Mountains, 16 miles from Pirna. There a 17th-century mill refurbished as a bakery fills the cobblestone streets with scents of spelt sourdough and handbrot, a palm-size bread stuffed with cheese, bacon, or vegetables. Hungry cyclists will also find pâtisseries and an organic brewery in Schmilka, all of which use seasonal ingredients and minimize food waste.

My only (hard-won) advice? Don’t try to complete the entire route in one day. —Christina Ng

32. Sri Lanka

The island nation quietly comes into its own as a nature lover’s low-key paradise.

After international arrivals to Sri Lanka dwindled, the country’s tourism industry pivoted, courting residents with new outdoor offerings: Across the country, we trekked through primary rain forests, snorkeled with sea turtles, and strolled sprawling shores. Good news for international travelers—Sri Lanka’s borders are now fully open.

Born in the fishing hamlet of Weligama, Thilina Dananjaya is not new to tourism; his father opened the first guesthouse here in the 1980s. But Dananjaya, owner of Layback , a boutique hotel focused on surfing and yoga, says his perspective has changed. “Being confined to our homes made us more conscious about the luxury of spending time outdoors,” he says. As a result, Dananjaya and his team added a yoga deck, a store for women-made handicrafts, a new restaurant, and two spacious rooftop terraces.

Farther north, in the central inlands of Sri Lanka, local-run Bush Loft has set up wildlife campsites in some of the country’s most remote corners: fly camping in the grasslands of Buttala, or daily excursions to Yala National Park .

You can also go it alone and arrange your own safari. Recently, in Kaudulla National Park , I spotted a herd of Asian elephants protecting the youngest member of their group, trunks and limbs moving in tandem. Soon after, I watched yellow weaverbirds flitting in and out of their intricate woven nests, which hung from branches all around me. This, I thought—is what Sri Lanka is all about.

For the full story from Zinara Rathnayake, read Sri Lanka Has Come Into its Own as a Nature Lover’s Paradise .

33. Singapore

In a metropolis known for its squeaky-clean streets, a tale of two cities emerges.

Some Singaporeans raise an eyebrow when they learn I live with my family in Geylang. For decades, this township has been notorious as a red-light district, an incongruous aspect of Singapore’s wholesome image. But amid narrow lanes hemmed by shophouses and temples, restaurant chefs are cooking some of the tastiest regional food in Singapore. Many evenings, my wife and I land at Ăn Là Ghiền , a hot pot joint that feels straight out of Hanoi, or Dong Bei Dumpling King , where we always order the crispy pork-and-celery-filled dumplings. For a Thai fix, our go-to is Gu Thai House , curries and noodles all cooked to suitably spicy standards. Anthony Bourdain loved JB Ah Meng for white pepper crab and Sin Huat Eating House for crab bee hoon, a whole crab served with rice noodles.

Even I need a break from Geylang sometimes, though. Luckily, Kranji, with its open fields and farms, is just 30 minutes north by car. At the Kranji Marshes and Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve , two nature parks form a 460-acre haven for migratory shorebirds and raptors. If I’m lucky, I might spot a crocodile at the water’s edge, or a family of macaques scampering through the branches. Here I am, in a jungle away from an urban jungle, both of which call Singapore home.

For the full story from Lester V. Ledesma, read Singapore’s Geylang Neighborhood Is Developing a New Reputation as a Foodie Hot Spot .

34. Goa, India

An indian state celebrates the old with the new.

You could say I grew up with Goa. In my youth, I visited to party with friends, lured by the Indian beach state’s notorious raves. But when I hit my thirties, I began to better appreciate Goa’s rich heritage, its Portuguese influence, and the growing number of restaurants, bars, and stores that celebrate the region’s culture and architecture.

Nowhere is all of this more apparent than in the picturesque historic quarter of the capital city, Panaji, where brightly painted homes share streets with local boutiques like Sacha’s Shop , with its superbly curated resort wear from homegrown Indian designers. Another favorite is the rainbow-shuttered restaurant António at 31 , which opened in January 2021: A throwback to Panaji’s old taverns, the menu from chef Pablo Miranda features seasonal fruit cocktails and tapas such as tender coconut stir-fry and crispy baitfish with kalchi kodi (leftover curry) dip.

In the north of Goa, the newest darling is Felix , a gallery, coworking space, and events spot that serves modern plates with a regional twist, including eggs Benedict with Goan chorizo. For a truly immersive experience, book “A Very Goan Picnic” with tour company the Local Beat . Travelers can splash around a secret waterfall straight out of The Jungle Book and then feast on a home-cooked lunch accompanied by feni (cashew or coconut liquor).

Another highlight is on the way. In the township of Bardez, the Moda Goa Museum & Research Centre , founded by the late Goan fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, will welcome visitors in early 2022 with more than 800 fashion, textile, and art objects. —Jasreen Mayal Khanna

35. Cairns, Australia

Australia’s premier great barrier reef gateway reopens, offering travelers a new way to engage with indigenous cultures.

Visitors to Cairns, a coastal city in tropical north Queensland, typically arrive on a mission: See the Great Barrier Reef. Prepandemic, nearly 3 million people would pass through annually, boarding massive catamarans laden with scuba tanks and snorkel masks, an army of tourists in pursuit of wonder.

As Australia’s borders reopen, Cairns is ready to welcome travelers again, with refreshed esplanade dining, new hotels championing sustainability, and an exciting experience celebrating the Indigenous heritage of the Great Barrier Reef.

Some 70 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups have a continuing connection to the world’s largest coral reef system, and in 2018, Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel launched trips led by Indigenous Sea Rangers who share cultural knowledge passed down from their ancestors. During the tours, guests listen to evocative creation stories about how the reef came to be, and learn about hunting practices, such as seasonal harvesting, that have safeguarded the reef’s biodiversity for millennia.

Visitors will be able to engage with Sea Rangers more deeply at a new pontoon base for Dreamtime’s day trips to Moore Reef. Opening in early 2022, the floating pontoon will house an on-site laboratory and underwater observatory. Activities will fuse traditional knowledge and modern science to inspire collaborative protection of the Great Barrier Reef. —Sarah Reid

36. Tokorozawa Sakura Town, Japan

A stone’s throw from tokyo, architecture and anime buffs will find a place built just for them.

In the Saitama prefecture, roughly an hour from Tokyo Station, a new “town” was born in November 2020. Dubbed Tokorozawa Sakura Town , it’s a joint venture between the city of Tokorozawa and the Japanese publishing giant Kadokawa, known for its manga and anime titles. Its main focus? Bringing Japanese pop culture to life.

Here, visitors will find two structures by influential Japanese architect Kengo Kuma : the futuristic Kadokawa Culture Museum , with a colossal exterior built using 20,000 pieces of granite, and the minimalist Musashino Reiwa shrine. A highlight inside the labyrinthine five-story museum is the Bookshelf Theater, which has 26-foot shelves and is filled with more than 50,000 books, the majority of which are related to manga and anime. (Yes, you can flip through them.) The sleek Shinto shrine, meanwhile, is guarded by two komainu—guardian lion-dogs—crafted by sculptor Yoshimasa Tsuchiya . The shrine also features an asymmetrical roof and a phoenix painted on the ceiling by Yoshitaka Amano , the renowned designer of Final Fantasy video game characters.

Since Tokorozawa Sakura Town’s inception, architecture and pop culture fans have been drawn to the cultural complex, which also has a brand-new bookstore, restaurants, and a permanent TeamLab installation of giant silver acornlike objects that glow at night amid the trees. There’s also an anime-themed 33-room hotel that hosts character parties—so go ahead, make a long weekend of it. —Yukari Sakamoto

37. Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand

New zealand’s south island is rural, uncrowded, and achingly beautiful.

I grew up in the subtropics of New Zealand’s North Island, and the much more temperate, sparsely populated South Island has beckoned me throughout adulthood. Three of the South’s nine national parks are within a 90-minute drive of my current home in Nelson; and there are enough gold-sand beaches, mountains, and alpine lakes to spend a lifetime exploring. Challenge accepted.

Road-tripping is the only way to really experience the South Island’s natural beauty. Start in Nelson, a city of more than 50,000 at the top of the South Island, and drive west about an hour to the eastern entrance of Abel Tasman National Park . Many travelers opt to hike—or “tramp”— the Coast Track , a five-day, 37-mile “Great Walk,” camping in tents along the way. If you have mobility issues (or perhaps toddlers in tow), you can still get the best of the national park via boat tours from Kaiteriteri, stopping at beaches on turquoise bays.

Continue the drive over notorious Tākaka Hill—with its narrow, windy, gut-churning lanes—to Golden Bay, pausing at a lookout for panoramic Tasman Bay views. Stay overnight in a town along the way, such as Tākaka or Collingwood, and end your visit marveling at the 65-foot-high Wainui Falls and Te Waikoropupū Springs. The cold, clear springs are a sacred Māori space—a source of life, healing, and renewal for locals and travelers alike. —Elen Turner

38. Phong Nha, Vietnam

It’s easier than ever to dive deep into the gigantic caves of this unesco world heritage site.

Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park , a geologically notable site in central Vietnam, has tempted daredevils since 2013, when Son Doong , the biggest cave on the planet (large enough to hold a Boeing 747), opened for multiday tours. The Phong Nha–based company Oxalis Adventure is hoping to launch a fresh adventure in 2022 that’s set to rival the Son Doong Expedition, its flagship experience.

On the new Hang Ba tour (still in development), Oxalis guides will lead spelunkers through upwards of five caves with gigantic limestone chambers and dangling stalactites. When cavers aren’t crawling, swimming, or paddleboarding, they’ll be camping and trekking through jungles.

“I’ve been wanting to design this tour for ages,” says Howard Limbert, who led the expedition team that discovered the caves in the early 1990s. Back then, it took 15 hours to reach the cave cluster from Phong Nha village. Thanks to a new road, it may only take five to six hours.

Limbert says that collective efforts to protect the caves (his team has mapped more than 500 in Vietnam) and hire people from the community have reduced the rate of illegal logging and instilled conservationist attitudes. Phong Nha-Ke Bang can serve as a model for other protected areas in Vietnam, Limbert says, including the newly recognized biosphere reserves Nui Chua and Kon Ha Nung. —Joshua Zukas

Together, a new band of chefs and cultural activists is showcasing real Taiwanese food

Taiwanese fare has long been considered a subset of the food of China. But diplomatic contact between China and the contested island nation ceased in 2016, and tensions have continued to climb. One of the by-products: Across Taiwan, many chefs are reviving a distinct national cuisine.

“A lot of people think Taiwanese food is beef noodle soup and xiao long bao [soup dumplings],” says Huang Teng-Wei, co-owner of Siang Kháu Lū , a boutique cooking school that opened in 2019 in Taoyuan, southwest of Taipei. “But in fact, all these dishes came after 1950 with the Chinese immigrants.” Traditional Taiwanese cuisine tends to revolve around root vegetables (like sweet potato and taro) and rice, with dishes such as savory rice puddings flavored with pork. He and his wife, Chou Pei-Yi, are particularly focused on reviving kueh, an old-school rice pastry that was used for centuries as a temple offering to the gods.

Other chefs are celebrating native Taiwanese ingredients. At Akame , a glitzy eatery that has been open since 2015 in Pingtung county, on Taiwan’s southernmost tip, the Indigenous chef Alex Peng uses pine needles and local sumac to flavor meat. Meanwhile, André Chiang—who helms Taipei’s fine-dining tour de force Raw —is committed to using Taiwanese ingredients from regional producers and highlighting Taiwan’s micro-seasons. Menu items might include roasted sliced duck graced with a sheet of seaweed, or a trio of local rice (fermented, purple, and toasted) alongside creamy panna cotta. Chiang’s side gig? Creating an encyclopedia of Taiwanese cooking techniques, ingredients, and food history so that the national cuisine becomes more recognized. —Clarissa Wei

Where to Go in 2022: The Most Exciting Destinations to Explore This Year

Our editors selected the top spots for your next year in travel

If 2021 was the year of diving headfirst into travel, 2022 is the year travelers will be planning their trips more thoughtfully than ever before. Endless months of rescheduled dream vacations allowed us to reflect on the reasons we love to explore and the joy and fulfillment travel brings to our lives. Now, as we navigate the many ways the world has changed in the past two years, one thing is sure: our appreciation for travel is at an all-time high. 

This year, TripSavvy’s editors compiled a list of the top destinations that intrigue and excite us. Some, like New Zealand, are reopening to tourism after extended border closures. Others, like West Virginia, have elevated their outdoor offerings to a whole new level. They all offer unique experiences that remind us why we love to travel and inspire us to start dreaming about that next life-changing trip. These are the flourishing spots that need to be on your radar right now.

Photo: Geraint Rowland Photography / Getty Images

The city of Dakar is a fascinating contradiction. It is at once a cosmopolitan and up-and-coming seaside rendezvous: locals pack its beaches at sunset with al fresco fitness classes; international workers and surfers sip cocktails infused with hibiscus tea known as "bissap" at its surf shacks; Dakar Fashion Week, founded by the designer Adama Ndiaye, known as Adama Paris, features some of the continent's edgiest couture.

But it also feels like a work-in-progress: gated mansions sit on unfinished dirt roads as construction workers pave them with cobblestones piled in horse-drawn wagons; diesel fumes salt the air from its thousands of jalopy taxis. Everything, from the leaves of acacia trees to your sneakers, is rusty with the red Saharan dust called harmattan, which blows through like a snowstorm between November and March.

Teranga is the civic motto here. It means "a sense of welcome" or "good hospitality" in Wolof, the local language of this francophone former French colony, and it is a personal philosophy for many Senegalese. And so they have welcomed creative entrepreneurs like the singer Akon, who is building Akon City, an $6 billion ultra-modern metropolis on its outskirts, that he has promised will be a real-life "Wakanda," but which locals skeptically see as a boondoggle.

Teranga drew in Kehinde Wiley, the artist. He was so charmed on a layover that he returned to establish Black Rock , a multi-disciplinary artist residence on a cliff of volcanic rock, to "galvanize growing artistic and creative energies that exist in Africa," according to his mission statement. 

But despite the energy of the new, Dakar's traditions beckon. HLM market in the eastern part of the city is a bazaar of thousands of colorful fabrics—fashion is practically a local sport here—and legions of tailors to make custom garments on the spot. On Sundays, the surfers drawn here by the classic movie "Endless Summer," which was shot here in part, clear out for sheep and goats, whom their keepers bathe in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part grooming, part spiritual practice in this predominantly Muslim country.

At nightfall, fishermen pull in white grouper (locally called "thiof"), and women grill it for picnicking couples straight on the beach; eat it with fonio, an ancient local grain that celebrity chefs like Marcus Samuelsson, an Ethiopian-American, are touting as the next quinoa. Or you can go for the more glamorous fare at Seku-Bi , a brand new boutique hotel in the city center where Naomi Campbell stays when she's in town. Either is good sustenance for clubbing, which starts ultra late here.

The city's history calls out: the bucolic Ile de Gorée, a UNESCO world heritage site, is a quick ferry ride past fishermen in brightly colored wooden skiffs off the coast. Deceptively pretty, it is where enslaved persons were stockpiled before making the deadly Middle Passage. A small portal in a cell there looks back at Senegal's shore, the last glimpse of home for kidnapped Africans, known now as "the Door of No Return." It is powerful to look through it at Dakar today. — Sarah Maslin Nir

Photo: Unsplash

While Switzerland's touristic roots primarily lie in the country's Alpine climate and landscapes, visitors would be remiss to skip the country's cosmopolitan cities—most notably Switzerland's largest city, Zurich .

Settled by Romans in 15 BC, Zurich has since transformed into a global financial center and transit hub, often a layover destination for visitors going elsewhere in the country. But next time you're passing through on your way to St. Moritz or Lucerne, slow down and take in all that's new in this easily accessible city.

Opened in September 2020, the Lindt Home of Chocolate welcomes children and adults alike to discover the magic of one of Switzerland's most significant exports. Creamy Swiss milk chocolate is the star of the show here, as visitors can gawk at a giant chocolate fountain, see the production process, and stuff their suitcases with souvenirs at the largest Lindt chocolate shop in the world.

With your sweet tooth satisfied, you could spend weeks on end immersing yourself in the arts in Zurich. Tonhalle Zurich , the city's 1,455-seat concert hall, reopened last September, and the stunning acoustics—among the best in the world—haven't disappeared. New nearby is LUX Restaurant & Bar , situated lakeside with a spacious terrace breathtaking views of the Swiss landscape. (Don't miss the spectacular Sunday brunch, where dishes like crispy duck bao and eggs benedict on a homemade bun are so good that you might be momentarily distracted from the views.)

In the industrial part of the city, art lovers have welcomed Licthalle Maag , the first permanent museum in Switzerland to show only immersive exhibitions. Viva Frida Kahlo remains on display through the end of February, with two more exhibitions planned for 2022.

And if you've been waiting to take in one of Switzerland's most important art collections, there's no better time than now. The Kunsthaus Zürich's David Chipperfield-designed extension opened in October, firmly situating the museum as one of the best in Europe. It boasts the most important impressionist collection outside of Paris, the largest dada collection in the world, and an extensive archive of native son Alberto Giacometti's works.

During your stay, shell out the Swiss francs for the Zurich Card —a travel pass that's good for either 24 or 72 hours and includes unlimited travel on the city's public transport network (including the cable car and the airport), free entrance to more than 40 museums, discounts on shopping, and extra treats in some of the city's best restaurants.

And before you depart, spend some time at the airport—Zurich has (wisely) followed in the footsteps of Singapore and other cities which have turned their airports into stand-along destinations. Riken Yamamoto's futuristic and bright Circle complex opened in November 2020, a sprawling modern development home to shopping, dining, office space, and two new Hyatt hotels.  — Laura Ratliff

Photo: John Crux Photography / Getty Images

The isthmus of Panama is a destination that travel brochures cannot do justice. It boasts over 1,400 islands and innumerable paradisiacal destinations, but perplexingly, it doesn't invite quite as much fanfare as neighboring Costa Rica and Colombia. Acquainting yourself with Panama will be easier than ever in 2022, however, with Copa Airlines' recently relaunched Panama Stopover program, allowing travelers can explore the country for up to seven days on the way to or from any of Copa's 80 destinations at no additional cost — perfect for dabbling in the year's action-packed schedule.

Panama has committed to a five-year sustainable tourism master plan and beckons purpose-driven travelers to explore all of its extraordinary biodiversity and untapped corners. In early February, the capital city hosts AdventureNEXT Latin America , highlighting the adventure experiences on offer with positive environmental and social impact. After that, water babies can pack their bags, but not plastic — as Panama was the first Central American country to ban these — and head over to the Caribbean coast for Bocas Invitacional , the first international bodyboarding competition and cultural event in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro , which kicks off on Feb. 15, 2022. The event promises Afro-Caribbean music, calypso dancing, community, and beach clean-ups. While in Bocas (as the region is affectionately called), get away from it all at Bastimentos Island's Azul Paradise , a secluded water bungalow resort with swimmable azure waters, eco cred, and an unhurried pace. From May to October, the Gulf of Chiriquí National Marine Park is the place to be for whale watching in all its turquoise glory.

All year round, once-in-a-lifetime feats await water-loving visitors to the sunny bridge of the world. Visit Panama to hike from ocean to ocean via the Camino Real, a route along which precious gold and silver were transported before the Panama Canal and Panama Railroad were built. Treat yourself to a catamaran tour of the boisterously blue San Blas Archipelago that's rumored to have one enchanting island for every day of the year. Bask under a never-ending stream (50 to be precise) of waterfalls at Santa Fe National Park in the Veraguas province. Some of the cascades are thunderous; others are meek—all are visit-worthy.

The capital, Panama City, also offers opportunities for dipping. Veracruz, the nearest sandy beach, is a mere 15-minute drive from downtown. The closest dreamboat island, Taboga, is just a 30-minute ferry ride away, and it once lent its good looks and tranquility to a then-unknown French painter by the name of Paul Gauguin. Bay-facing rooftop pools adorn Panama City's numerous skyscrapers and the old town's new developments, including Hotel La Compañía, Casco Antiguo , a living museum dating back to the 17th century. The 88-room luxury hotel swings open in March and will be the first Central American hotel to join Hyatt's Unbound Collection. Be sure also to relish the fruits of the sea while in the capital, which packs a powerful foodie punch. The toasted yuca with tuna carpaccio is just one of many lick-the-plate-great seafood dishes at Casco Antiguo's Fonda Lo Que Hay , which has a revolving menu and a no-reservations policy. — Rosie Bell

Photo: Prasit photo / Getty Images

If the popularity of BTS, “Squid Game,” and dalgona-flavored treats is anything to go by, South Korea is set to be a hot new tourist destination. And it’s well-deserved. Seoul , the capital city, has so much to offer that you could easily spend weeks exploring the city’s many delights, but the rest of the nation is just as worthy of your precious vacation time. As trite as it sounds, the offerings are so diverse there is truly something for everyone. 

Aiming to indulge in the glory that is Korean cuisine? You’ll be spoiled for choice from the moment you clear customs in Incheon . Want to visit a beloved volcanic island with some of the best tangerines you’ll taste? Jeju is waiting. Itching to get out in nature? Korea’s national parks have challenging hikes and breathtaking scenery, not to mention 21 ski resorts for winter sports lovers. Love to learn about the history and culture of a place? Beyond exploring the dozens of museums, Korea is dotted with lovingly maintained temples and palaces. When you factor in the affordable prices on food and clothes, efficient transportation system, and welcoming people, the real question is why wouldn’t you head to South Korea as soon as possible? 

The JW Marriott hotel group also has its eyes on South Korea as a top destination: the company expanded its Luxury Collection brand into the country with the opening of Josun Palace last May. Later this year, it plans to open a wellness center resort on the lush Jeju Island. (If you wanted a more traditional stay, Josun Palace takes its cues from its neighbor, Chosun Hotel , one of Korea’s first luxury hotels.)

During much of 2021, the country prepped for the return of tourism by investing in infrastructure and accessibility. At the beginning of the year, Korail debuted a brand new, eco-friendly high-speed train and launched a new route from Seoul to Andong, the birthplace of soju. The new train cuts travel time in half, giving you more time to enjoy the delights of Andong, like one of their famous open-air heritage museums or the Andong Folk Festival. 

In September 2021, the Seoul Tourism Organization expanded its accessible tour bus and van services to foreign residents and tourists. Self-guided and planned tours in vans have variable costs, while planning tours on the Danurim buses is free, taking people to major tourist hubs in Seoul. This service is only for people with disabilities, the elderly, and infants. The accessible buses and vans are just one portion of the Seoul universal tourism scheme , a multi-stage effort to make Seoul accessible for all tourists.

Though travel isn’t back in full swing just yet, South Korea is one destination that just keeps getting better and better. — Sherri Gardner

Photo: Robert Stough / Getty Images

John Denver was ahead of his time when he sang that West Virginia was "almost heaven." The state has always been revered for its rich natural beauty, but in recent years, West Virginia is finally getting the recognition it deserves as a great place to visit and live. This is especially true for remote workers who take advantage of the Ascend West Virginia program, which offers $12,000 and an outstanding year-long outdoor recreation package to relocate to the state. The timing has never been better since the first phase of the Elk River Trail opened with 37 miles of forested trails running along the Elk River in Central West Virginia. The mountain state is also home to America's newest national park, New River Gorge , with camping, fishing, white water rafting, hiking trails, and jaw-dropping views of one of the most ancient rivers on the continent. All four visitor centers, a fishing area, and many trails and vistas are wheelchair accessible.

West Virginia is also home to a growing culinary scene, including craft breweries, homegrown distilleries, and restaurants like the Vagabond Kitchen in Wheeling, focusing on modern takes on traditional Appalachian fare with dishes like smoked chicken cornbread casserole and butternut ravioli with beetroot pesto. It's comfort food at its best, with ingredients sourced from local farms and artisans. Just don't leave the state without partaking in a pepperoni roll—a local staple found at nearly every convenience store and bakery counter.

West Virginia was front and center for many of the most critical moments of the nation's history, and the state has done a remarkable job preserving that heritage. You'll' find many places steeped in lore, like John Brown's Fort at Harper's' Ferry National Park , the site of an abolitionist raid and federal standoff. It's one of the 24 restored buildings from the 19th century onsite, alongside hiking trails, jaw-dropping views, and a fascinating visitor center. The walls of the 160-year old Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston have lived through Civil War raids and barbaric medical treatments, and many believe it's haunted. A guided tour of the building is a must if you're in the area.

There is perhaps nowhere that West Virginia's past and present come together more beautifully than in the state's vibrant arts scene. There are countless studios around the state showcasing artists creating traditional Appalachian glass, pottery, and jewelry along with contemporary artists forging new rituals of their own. If you happen to be traveling along Highway I-77 through Beckley, you'll find the work of over 2,800 artists on display at Tamarack Marketplace , so be sure to leave some extra room in your suitcase.

If you're planning your visit, Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs encompasses the best that West Virginia has to offer. Surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains, the views are stunning year-round. This is a historic hotel, initially founded in 1858, with an award-winning golf course, a casino, and a mineral spa. In the first quarter of 2022, another hotly anticipated hotel, The Schoolhouse , is scheduled to open in White Sulphur Springs, transforming a historic schoolhouse building into the world's first fully-accessible hotel. Each of the 30 rooms will be wheelchair accessible, because it isn't "almost heaven" until everyone is included. — Tamara Gane

Photo: Fitria Ramli / EyeEm / Getty Images

Qatar is currently the most buzzing place in the Middle East. Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country's infrastructure has been growing at a rate that warrants several visits simply to appreciate the changes that can take part in such a short time. While it is rare that you'd look at a football stadium as a piece of architecture, some of the world's best architects have been given free rein here, and the results, such as the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah by Zaha Hadid Architects, are superb. 

Apart from the nation's football fever lies its art scene. Qatar has invested money into world-class museums more than any other Arabian country, with the I.M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art firmly at the top, alongside incredible public art installations that stand unrivaled. From the numerous artworks from top artists such as Small Lie by KAWS and COSMOS by Jean-Michel Othoniel within Hamad International Airport to the minimalistic but breathtaking East-West West-East installation by Richard Serra with its four large steel plates standing in the middle of the desert, there is art wherever you look.

The design hub Mshereib is becoming the city's trendiest quarter, with M7 at its heart, hosting superb design exhibitions, such as Christian Dior Designer of Dreams, on view until March 31, 2022. Within the quarter's minimalist architecture lies the elegant Mandarin Oriental Hotel , steps away from the cafes and art galleries, as well as Souq Waqif, the traditional souq, or marketplace, where you can shop, learn about falconry, and get up close and personal with not only Arabian thoroughbred horses but also thoroughbred camels. For a more boutique stay, head to Souq Waqif Hotel Qatar by Tivoli , spread across several townhouses for an intimate experience.

While Qatar is openly cosmopolitan, with top international restaurants, there is nothing quite like sampling the local cuisine to get a feel for a country. For lunch on the run, pop into one of the many small restaurants and juice stalls within Souq Waqif and ask for a traditional machboos rice dish. For a more sophisticated experience, head straight to Jiwan , inside the desert rose-shaped National Museum of Qatar , for delicious Qatari fusion food with a great view across the entire city.

In preparation for the anticipated influx of visitors in 2022, several new hotels are being opened to complement the city's already superb choices. In Lusail, just north of Doha City Centre, the dual-brand Fairmont Hotel and Raffles Hotel & Residences coming to the open circle building this year will dominate the skyline of Lusail, alongside the city's first Rosewood Hotel Lusail , whose sleek décor is inspired by coral.

Wherever you look, Doha offers an intriguing mix of modern amenities and experiences enhanced by local culture and traditions. — Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Photo: Worawat Dechatiwong / Getty Images

When New Zealand's borders closed in March 2020, few Kiwis imagined they would still be closed almost two years later. Now, as the world enters a third pandemic year, New Zealand is tentatively looking to open again to international visitors, albeit in a staged, controlled manner. With more than 90 percent of adult Kiwis vaccinated, mask mandates for most public indoor settings, and vaccination mandates covering workers in many public-facing roles, when the borders open, vaccinated visitors can be confident that travel in New Zealand will be about as low-risk as possible during an ongoing pandemic.

But where to go? A logical way to plan a trip is to pick either the North Island or the South Island , as doing them both justices would take a month or longer.

With the capital ( Wellington ), the largest city ( Auckland ), and the bulk of the country's population (4 million out of 5 million), the North Island is a logical choice for travelers who want to see and do a lot in a shorter time. While many visitors fly into Auckland and travel south from there–to well-known favorites like Waitomo , Rotorua , and Wellington–in 2022, it makes sense to head north to Northland.

In an era of Covid-related closures, the Northland city of Whangarei will see the opening of a fabulous new museum in February 2022: the Hundertwasser Art Centre . The Austrian-born New Zealand artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928-2000) spent the last two decades living in the rural Bay of Islands , north of Whangarei. His plans for Whangarei's art center weren't realized in his lifetime but have been followed meticulously over the last few years. The tiled, gold-domed museum at Whangarei's Town Basin marina rivals any of his buildings in Vienna and will contain exhibits on Hundertwasser's art and the Wairau Māori Art Gallery. Previews of the on-site Aqua Restaurant and Bar give it rave reviews.

Te Waipounamu, the South Island, is the island of choice for those who prefer immersion in nature. The snow-capped Southern Alps form the island's backbone, providing the rivers, glaciers, ski fields , hiking and mountain biking trails, and incredible views. The lack of international tourists has been challenging for remote tourist-oriented towns such as Queenstown, Franz Josef , and Mt. Cook Village .

Hiking enthusiasts have an extra reason to visit the South Island in 2022: the Tuatapere Hump Ridge Track in Southland/Fiordland is a step closer to becoming one of the Department of Conservation's dedicated Great Walks of New Zealand. The pandemic has led to delays, and the three-day trail may not be inaugurated into the Great Walks list until 2023-24, but it can still be hiked. Beat the crowds by getting in early in 2022.

If that sounds like hard work, some R&R in Queenstown may be preferable. With views across Lake Wakatipu and to the Remarkables range from many west-facing rooms, you don't even need to fling yourself off a bridge (bungee jumping), down a river ( rafting ) or waterfall (canyoning), or into the skies (paragliding) to experience Queenstown's best. Five-star Hulbert House Boutique Hotel offers the kind of understated luxury that many travelers love about New Zealand.

If New Zealand's been on your bucket list for years, this is the year to scratch that itch. — Elen Turner

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As a new year begins, we're excited to shine a light on our Best in Travel 2022 list.

The top 10 cities, countries and regions around the world were carefully selected by our editors to inspire a new year of travel.

Now we're unveiling a whole new series of stories, video interviews, and tips for turning our Best in Travel list into your travel reality, whether that happens in 2022 or further down the line.

These destinations span the globe and allow you, the traveler, to immerse yourself in local culture.

Our how-to guides will show you how to make the most of your trip with tips on how you can have a positive impact on your destination.

Find out how you can sustainably trek to Everest Base Camp, enjoy a stargazer's guide to Chile's Atacama desert, and follow an insider's guide to Nigeria's city that never sleeps: Lagos.

As the pandemic continues to impact an ever-shifting patchwork of places around the world, we're working hard to balance travel and safety, and a sense of caution alongside our sense of wanderlust.

As such, our 2022 list is as much a bucket list for the future as it is a to-visit list for right now.

See the full list here.

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• BEST OF THE WORLD

25 amazing journeys for 2022

We’re ready to explore again. Here are the best adventures for the year ahead.

Ready to travel again? Our global editors picked the planet’s 25 most exciting destinations for 2022. Five categories—Nature, Adventure, Sustainability, Culture and History, and Family—frame unforgettable journeys of discovery. This year’s list celebrates a number of World Heritage sites in honor of UNESCO’s 50 years of helping to safeguard cultural and natural treasures. Although the pandemic changed when, where, and how we travel, we are eager to unleash our wanderlust—and see what wonders we’ll uncover.      

BEST PLACES TO ENJOY NATURE

Lake Baikal, Russia

Help save a natural wonder. Baikal is so vast and deep, many locals call it a sea. Covering some 12,200 square miles and with an average depth of 2,442 feet, the massive lake is a natural wonder. It’s also in serious trouble. Despite being named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996, Lake Baikal has experienced ongoing pollution, the recent weakening of government protections, and new threats, such as large-scale tourism development. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature deemed the lake’s environmental World Heritage Outlook of “significant concern” in 2020.

Visitors can help safeguard the lake and its varied landscapes—including tundra, steppe, boreal forest, and virgin beaches—by volunteering with Great Baikal Trail Association , the nonprofit environmental group creating a hiking route around the lake. “Volunteering helps protect Lake Baikal nature by developing ecotourism infrastructure,” says association president Elena Chubakova.

Hiking the trail is a planet-friendly way to spot some of the 1,200 Lake Baikal plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth, such as the nerpa, the world’s only exclusively freshwater seal.   — Victoria Meleshko, National Geographic Traveler Russia

Discover the next great safari. Namibia evokes images of deserts, immense dunes, and parched mountains. But the Caprivi Strip, a narrow finger of land that juts out toward the east in the extreme north of the country, is a green, wildlife-rich territory. The presence of the Okavango, Kwando, Chobe, and Zambezi Rivers creates an ideal habitat for numerous animal species.

During the second half of the 20th century, the area was the scene of intense military activity. Remote and difficult to access, it was a prime corridor for various armed groups. After Namibia gained independence in 1990, peace—and wildlife—gradually returned.

In the eastern section of the region, Nkasa Rupara National Park is a secret jewel. A ranger station and tented lodge that opened in recent years have made it more accessible to tourism, but it’s still seldom visited. Encompassed by the Kwando-Linyanti River system to the south and by swamps and lagoons to the north, Nkasa Rupara is Namibia’s largest protected wetland. It’s described as a “mini Okavango,” as its floodwaters mirror Botswana ’s more famous Okavango Delta . The park is home to the largest population of buffalo in Namibia. Predators include lions, leopards, and hyenas, while crocodiles and hippos abound in the river.  

Mahango Game Park , in the west, includes wetlands and mopane forests. Here roam large herds of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and nearly all the antelope species of Namibia, including the elusive semiaquatic sitatunga. Go with Nat Geo: See otherworldly landscapes and seek out endangered black rhinos in Namibia. —Marco Cattaneo, National Geographic Traveler Italy

Victoria, Australia

Drive the Great Ocean Road.   Green shoots of regeneration are popping up across Australia , where the 2019-2020 bushfires burned some 72,000 square miles of land. The disasters led to the deaths of nearly three dozen people and more than a billion animals.

Playing its own role in these rejuvenation efforts, Wildlife Wonders , in Victoria’s Otways region, is a new wildlife sanctuary tucked away off the Great Ocean Road amid lush ancient forest and waterfalls. It’s the brainchild of Brian Massey, the landscape designer of New Zealand ’s Hobbiton movie set tours. Massey, along with botanists, scientists, zoologists, and environmental specialists, has crafted a sinuous wooden path that winds through the refuge and blends seamlessly into the landscape.

Visitors can set off on 75-minute guided tours of the sylvan site, wandering through thickets of eucalyptus trees and admiring the koalas, wallabies, and bandicoots that now call the sanctuary home. During a stop at the Research Base, guests can learn more about how the site provides a safe space for native species like the long-nosed potoroo, a marsupial that often falls prey to invasive predators such as foxes and cats.

All profits from Wildlife Wonders go toward the Conservation Ecology Centre , which helps to fund several vital conservation projects in the Otways, including one that studies the movement of potoroos before, during, and after planned forest fires. — Connor McGovern, National Geographic Traveller UK

Peek at tropical wildlife. The race to preserve one of the largest remaining tropical rainforests in the Americas got a big boost recently. In April 2021, a coalition of conservation partners, led by the Nature Conservancy , purchased 236,000 acres of tropical forest in northwestern Belize to create the Belize Maya Forest Reserve . Along with saving some of the most biodiverse forests in the world from denuding and development, the new protected area—which is contiguous with the neighboring Rio Bravo Conservation Management Area (RBCMA)—closes a huge gap in a vital wildlife corridor that runs from southeast Mexico through Guatemala and into Belize.

The combined reserve, which protects nearly a tenth of Belize’s land area, safeguards and connects essential habitats for an amazing variety of endemic and endangered wild things. These include the tapir, Belize’s national animal; black howler monkeys; more than 400 species of birds; and some of Central America’s largest surviving populations of jaguar. For now, ecotourism activities are based in the more established RBCMA, which has two rustic lodges and offers guided expeditions. Go with Nat Geo:   Take a private tour of the Maya ruins of Tikal, Guatemala, and the cays of Belize.  

Northern Minnesota  

Turn off the lights.   Thousands upon thousands of stars dazzle above northern Minnesota . This remote region bordering the Canadian province of Ontario has little to no light pollution, and residents are determined to keep it that way.

The Heart of the Continent Dark Sky Initiative is a cross-border effort underway to create one of the largest dark-sky destinations on the planet. Two of its biggest pieces are in Minnesota: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness , the world’s largest International Dark Sky Sanctuary at more than a million acres, and neighboring Voyageurs National Park , the state’s first International Dark Sky Park. Both wild places received dark-sky certification in 2020, and Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park , which adjoins the wilderness area, earned International Dark Sky Park status in early 2021.

( Here’s how to see auroras—from the Great Lakes .)

“The preservation of darkness at places like Voyageurs National Park not only provides wondrous views and ecological benefits to wildlife,” says Christina Hausman Rhode, executive director of the nonprofit Voyageurs Conservancy . “It also allows us a window to the past; to see the skies as they were hundreds of years ago, used for navigation and storytelling by peoples like the voyageurs of the fur trade and the Indigenous Ojibwe.”

BEST PLACES FOR ADVENTURE

Arapahoe Basin, Colorado

Climb the Rockies. For unparalleled views of the Continental Divide, one must climb hand over foot up North America’s highest via ferrata. Arapahoe Basin ’s “iron way”—a climbing route comprising metal rungs and cables—begins at the base of granite Rocky Mountain cliffs and ascends nearly 1,200 feet to a 13,000-foot summit.

A glance below reveals a weathered Colorado landscape dotted with green moss and pink and purple flora, and rock gardens created by the cliffs themselves, the fallen chunks varying in size from pebbles to Volkswagens. The thin air is occasionally punctuated by the shrill peep of a marmot or pika.

Even those without prior rock-climbing experience can scale the cliffs with a guide, using the metal rungs while also gripping the rock or wedging a foot into a crack for leverage. To avoid what could be a thousand-foot plunge to certain death, climbers must clip their harnesses from one cable to the next as they go. The route is entirely exposed and thunderstorms can roll in suddenly.

From the cliffs above, high-alpine mountain goats are often stoic observers, but typically disappear as travelers reach the summit. This marks the halfway point. From here, climbers must also descend, which, for via ferrata first-timers like Michael Lytle, can be the most harrowing part of the journey.

“You try not to look all the way down. The highway looks like a piece of thread from up there,” Lytle says. “The fear factor is real.”  

Swim with sharks. When you arrive here, the stamp in your passport will include the Palau Pledge , which all visitors must sign, promising that “the only footprints I shall leave are those that will wash away.” The 59-word eco-pledge was drafted by and for the children of this remote western Pacific archipelago to help protect Palau’s culture and environment from the negative impacts of tourism.

Eighty percent of the nation’s waters—recognized by National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project as one of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet—is preserved as the Palau National Marine Sanctuary . At 183,000 square miles, the no-take sanctuary is one of the world’s largest protected marine areas, safeguarding some 700 species of coral and more than 1,300 species of fish, including a dazzling variety of sharks.

“From the air, Palau looks like paradise on earth,” says Pristine Seas founder and National Geographic Explorer in Residence Enric Sala . “When you get underwater, you’re transported to a different world.”

During the 20th annual Shark Week Palau, from February 27 to March 6, 2022, divers can observe and participate in citizen science–assisted counts of numerous shark species, such as grey reef, blacktip, blue, tiger, and hammerhead. Daily dive sites are chosen for their abundant sharks and other marine life, including large aggregations of manta rays and thousands of spawning fish.  

Snorkelers can join a February or November Oceanic Society tour of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Rock Islands Southern Lagoon , home to reef sharks, dugongs, giant clams, and marine lakes teeming with millions of golden jellyfish. Go with Nat Geo:   Discover the undersea wonders of Palau on this snorkel and kayak tour . — National Geographic Traveller India

Seine River, France

Cycle a new bike trail. La Seine à Vélo is a new cycling trail worthy of painter Claude Monet, whose house and famous water lilies in Giverny are on the route. But the 270-mile Paris-to-the-sea path, opened in October 2020, offers lesser known masterpieces too, such as the colorful street art that brightens the Canal Saint-Denis in Paris .

On the trail’s 15 stages, bikers pass through protected natural areas, including Normandy’s Grande Noé Bird Reserve , located along a major migratory flyway. While rolling across Normandy , they can visit the ruins of Jumièges Abbey , founded in 654, and take a Benedictine monk–led tour of Abbaye Saint-Wandrille , a centuries-old working abbey. The tearoom and gardens of Château de Bizy , a royal residence built in 1740 and inspired by Versailles , offer a respite off two wheels.

While Monet isn’t the only reason to ride the trail, pedal-pushers who love paintings should allow extra time for the Giverny Museum of Impressionism , which explores the revolutionary 19th-century art movement. — Gabriel Joseph-Dezaize, National Geographic Traveler France

New Brunswick, Canada

Tackle a backcountry trail. A turtle-shaped rock near Nepisiguit Falls, in the Canadian province of New Brunswick , carries with it a legend told by the Mi’gmaq people (also spelled Mi’kmaq). When water levels drop, the “turtle,” named Egomoqaseg, or “rock like a moving ship,” appears to be climbing up out of the river, says trail master Jason Grant, whose father-in-law, Mi’gmaq elder Gilbert Sewell, was a keeper of the story.

“Legend goes, once the turtle is completely out of the water, it will be the end of the world for the Mi’gmaq people,” says Grant. Based on his annual visits to the rock, Grant adds, Egomoqaseg has a long way to go before reaching dry ground.

The falls are a stop along a millennia-old First Nations migration route that has been developed into the longest backcountry hiking trail in the Canadian Maritimes. Running 93 miles along the Nepisiguit River, the rugged Sentier Nepisiguit Mi’gmaq Trail follows ancient portage pathways used by the nomadic Mi’gmaq.  

The route begins at sea level at Daly Point Nature Reserve in Bathurst and ends at Bathurst Lake in Mount Carleton Provincial Park , home to 2,690-foot-tall Mount Carleton, the highest peak in the Maritimes. To promote respect for the relevance of the trail to the Mi’gmaq people, the route’s restoration, completed in 2018, included incorporating Mi’gmaq language and culture, such as teepee campsites and a turtle logo inspired by Egomoqaseg.  

Trek from sea to sea. Stretching across Costa Rica from the Caribbean to the Pacific, El Camino de Costa Rica is a 174-mile-long window into life far off the well-trod tourist path. The 16-stage hiking route primarily follows public roads as it passes through remote villages and towns, Indigenous Cabecar lands, and protected natural areas.  

It’s designed to spark economic activity in rural districts. Local families, nonprofits, and a network of micro-entrepreneurs, such as Ecomiel honey producers, the woman-owned Finca El Casquillo organic farm, and La Cabaña sustainable coffee micro-mill, provide most of the trail’s lodging, food, tours, and other hiker amenities.

Due to the trail’s remoteness and its patchwork of tourism services, Mar a Mar (Sea to Sea)—the nonprofit partnership formed in 2016 to develop, promote, and help sustain El Camino—strongly recommends hiking with a guide. Ticos a Pata , UrriTrek Costa Rica , and ViaLig Journeys are among the tour operators offering guided experiences—from single-day hikes to coast-to-coast treks with multiple river crossings and rambles through ranch lands, rainforests, cloud forests, and sugarcane plantations. Multiday itineraries typically feature optional adventures, such as a white-water rafting trip on the world-class Pacuare River rapids. — National Geographic Traveler Korea

BEST PLACES CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABILITY

Yasuní National Park, Ecuador

Fight for the forest. In recognition of the global importance of the Amazon, France is leading the fight against deforestation in eastern Ecuador ’s Yasuní National Park , designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989. The almost 4,000-square-mile park—home to mahogany trees, sweet guabas , anthuriums, palms, and hypnotizingly green ferns—is the first of five pilot sites in the French-funded TerrAmaz program . This four-year initiative, launched in late 2020, supports sustainable development and safeguards biodiversity in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Yasuní—considered one of the most biodiverse places on Earth—shelters an astonishing assortment of creatures, such as anteaters, capybaras, sloths, spider monkeys, and about 600 species of colorful birds. In the Napo and Curaray rivers flanking the park, visitors can watch for the Amazon river dolphin, an endangered and enigmatic species.

Yasuní also provides refuge for the Tagaeri and Taromenane people, Waorani Indigenous groups who live in voluntary isolation and use handcrafted canoes to travel between waterways. Tour operators such as Napo Wildlife Center offer excursions and lodging based on a sustainable ecotourism model that benefits the resident tribes. — Karen Alfaro, National Geographic Traveler Latin America

Chimanimani, Mozambique

Witness a conservation success. “Chimanimani is a timeless place, where local rainmakers still climb peaks to summon rain,” says National Geographic Explorer and photojournalist Jen Guyton , of one of Mozambique ’s newest national parks. Located on the country’s mountainous border with Zimbabwe, Chimanimani National Park , established in October 2020, is home to Mozambique’s highest peak, Mount Binga (elevation: 7,992 feet). It was once flush with elephants, lions, and other large animals whose images appear in ancient rock art created by the ancestral San people.

Poaching during decades of civil unrest decimated wildlife populations, but small numbers of elephants remain, as do at least 42 other species of mammals and a dazzling variety of plant and avian life. In the two recent biodiversity surveys alone that Guyton photographed, 475 plant species and 260 bird species were identified, along with 67 amphibian and reptile species—including one frog and one lizard thought to be new to science.

( How one of Africa’s great parks is rebounding from war .)

Sustainable tourism activities—such as birdwatching, hiking to forest waterfalls, and overnighting at the Ndzou Camp , a small community ecolodge—provide up-close views of a captivating wild place, which Guyton particularly enjoys experiencing at sunset. “With no roads for miles around, there’s total silence except for the birds, and you get a few moments of almost transcendental peace in that warm glow.”

Ruhr Valley, Germany

Get creative. Mining and steel production once dominated the densely populated Ruhr Valley , located in Germany ’s western state of North Rhine–Westphalia. Today, the region is repurposing former slag heaps (mounds of mining waste) and postapocalyptic-looking industrial sites as parks and open-air cultural spaces.  

The most famous is the World Heritage site of   Zeche Zollverein (Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex), home to an outdoor swimming pool, ice rink, and walking trails. “People visiting the Ruhr area are usually impressed by the abundance of green,” says Karola Geiss-Netthöfel, director of the Ruhr Regional Association .

Zollverein is part of the wider Emscher Landscape Park , an east-west system of green spaces and corridors covering nearly 175 square miles. Rent a bike in Essen for a car-free Ruhr Valley trip along cycling routes, many of which follow former railway tracks. Or explore on foot via the 96-mile-long Hohe Mark Steig , a trekking trail opened in 2021.  

“The trail combines nature and industrial culture in a unique way, as you pass by several industrial buildings,” says Geiss-Netthöfel. A top spot nearby: Halde Hoheward, elevation 495 feet, a mountainous slag heap made from 180 million tons of mine waste and topped with a giant sundial. — Franziska Haack, National Geographic Traveler Germany

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon/Washington

Wine and dine mindfully. The nation’s largest National Scenic Area is probably not where you think it is. It straddles the Oregon - Washington border and comprises 293,000 acres of public and private lands along the Columbia River Gorge.

With Mount Hood nearby, the area attracts more than two million visitors annually. A nonprofit alliance is helping to reduce tourist impact on local nature and culture. This collaboration has become a model for other regions building a sustainable tourism economy.

Columbia Gorge Tourism Alliance initiatives include the visitor education program Ready, Set, Gorge, and the East Gorge Food Trail , a network of farms, historic hotels, wineries, and other homegrown experiences. Partnering with other local organizations and educating visitors benefits everyone, says Ali McLaughlin, owner of MountNbarreL , which offers wine-tasting bike tours and other car-free experiences.

“Having tourists who understand the importance of respecting the area they are traveling through has gone a long way toward mitigating concerns from local residents,” says McLaughlin. Go with Nat Geo: Retrace the path of Lewis and Clark’s trailblazing expedition through the Pacific Northwest.

Łódź, Poland

Spotlight a green city. Named a UNESCO City of Film in 2017 for its rich cinematic culture, Łódź , a city of nearly 700,000 in central Poland , was a major textile manufacturing center in the 19th and 20th centuries. Now Poland’s Hollywood is flipping the script on its industrial past to create a greener future.

In recent years Łódź   (pronounced woodge) has embraced new ecological technologies, such as using pre-RDF (refuse-derived fuel) and biomass energy to heat homes. In 2021, the city partnered with the European e-commerce delivery platform InPost to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions and traffic in the town’s center by installing 70 parcel locker locations and electric car charging stations.

Nearly a third of Łódź is green space, ranging from new pocket parks to the 2,977-acre Łagiewnicki Forest . In the city’s old industrial areas, factories are being reborn as parks, cultural centers, residences, and retail spaces. The trendiest spot on the cultural map is OFF Piotrkowska , a buzzing art, design, dining, and club district housed in a former cotton mill.  

Another massive factory, built by the I.K. Poznański Cotton Products Company—which employed as many as 7,000 people in 1913—was reimagined as Manufaktura , an arts center and shopping mall spread across 13 historic brick buildings. Manufaktura’s Muzeum Fabryki explores the   Poznański family’s “cotton empire” and the lives of the factory workers. — Martyna Szczepanik, National Geographic Traveler Poland

BEST PLACES FOR CULTURE AND HISTORY

Jingmai Mountain, China

Taste tea. One of the oldest cultural landscapes in China is slated to become one of the country’s newest UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2022. The Ancient Tea Plantations of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er , which collectively form the world’s largest ancient artificially cultivated tea plantation, features about 1.13 million tea trees, the oldest of which is 1,400 years old.

Located in the remote southwestern corner of China’s Yunnan Province, the region was a starting point of the legendary Ancient Tea Horse Road . This 11th-century network of routes was named for its primary purpose: trading Chinese tea for Tibetan horses (130 pounds of tea equaled the value of one horse).

( In search of the perfect cup of tea in China’s Yunnan Province .)

Today, new highways have replaced the route, but the region’s tea plantations remain, as do the four local ethnic minority groups—the Blang, Dai, Hani, and Wa people—who retain their own languages, customs, and festivals. The remote location and limited tea-tourism offerings make a guided trip the best way to experience this enduring cultural landscape. — Yi Lu, National Geographic Traveler China

Hokkaido, Japan  

Learn about an island’s roots. Most visitors to Hokkaido , Japan’s wildly scenic and northernmost main island, don’t have many opportunities to learn about the Ainu, Indigenous people from the northern region of the archipelago. But the new National Ainu Museum and Park at Upopoy, which opened in 2020, hopes to change that. It joins the Kayano Shigeru Nibutani Ainu Museum , which opened in 1992, in teaching Japanese and international visitors about Ainu culture.

Marginalized since the late 1800s, the Ainu were granted legal protections in Japan in 2019; the country’s new Ainu Promotion Act recognizes and bans discrimination against the Ainu.  

Upopoy has a pressing three-pronged mission: promote, revitalize, and expand Ainu culture before it becomes extinct. Particularly at risk is the Ainu language, which is unrelated to Japanese or any other language, and is considered critically endangered by UNESCO. Listening to conversational Ainu and playing games to learn pronunciation are part of the new museum’s permanent exhibition.  

Visitors can also discover the timely sustainable-living lessons of the Ainu, whose spiritual beliefs are rooted in respect and gratitude for nature. After visiting Upopoy, drive 30 minutes southwest and soak in nature at Noboribetsu Onsen , Hokkaido’s premier hot springs resort which is located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park . Go with Nat Geo:   Take a voyage in the Ring of Fire aboard the National Geographic Resolution.

Procida Island, Italy

Connect with culture.   Chosen pre-pandemic, the theme of Procida’s reign as the Italian Capital of Culture 2022 — La cultura non isola (Culture does not isolate)—now seems particularly on point. The island city, located 40 minutes southwest of Naples via high-speed ferry, plans to use its year in the spotlight to illustrate the importance of culture, particularly in times of uncertainty.

“Today, ‘Culture does not isolate’ is an even stronger call to action because, for us, the island is a metaphor for modern people,” says Procida 2022 director Agostino Riitano. “We are all like islands, creating our own archipelagos where culture has to be the mortar that holds them together; this is even more true following the effects of the pandemic.”

( The pandemic couldn’t silence this Italian city of music .)

Procida 2022 plans to spread cultural programming, such as contemporary art exhibitions, festivals, and performances, over 300 days to encourage responsible travel throughout the year, and to avoid a mass influx of visitors during the summer. In the spotlight as a symbol of the inclusive theme is the island’s Palazzo d’Avalos , a Renaissance palace-turned-prison, built in 1500 and closed in 1988. Most recently associated with isolation, the former prison and its green space (where inmates raised crops, cows, and pigs) will be reborn as a cultural venue and urban park.

Atlanta, Georgia  

Meet the moment. At a time when voting rights are in contention in the United States, Atlanta is flexing its cultural and political muscle through two formidable voter empowerment organizations: The New Georgia Project and Fair Fight Action , both founded by Atlanta-based political leader and activist Stacey Abrams.

Being at the forefront of social change isn’t new, says city native Bem Joiner, cofounder of the creative agency Atlanta Influences Everything . “Atlanta’s ‘special sauce’ is its three C’s: civic, corporate, and cultural. We’re the cradle of the civil rights movement, the home of Coca-Cola, and our hip-hop culture shapes global culture. There’s no place else quite like Atlanta.”

Georgia’s largest city is also an epicenter of Black entrepreneurship, incubating businesses such as plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan and eco-conscious Sustainable Home Goods .  

Easily accessible on foot or by bike via the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail , the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood blends nightlife and dining venues, such as Biggerstaff Brewing Company and Ponce City Market , with historic highlights like the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum .

Tin Pan Alley, London

Sing along. Despite pushback from punk and rock purists, the remix of Denmark Street , former hub of the British music industry, promises to hit all the right notes. Once lined with music publishers, recording studios, rehearsal rooms, and dimly lit clubs, the tiny street, nicknamed London ’s Tin Pan Alley, helped launch the British punk rock movement and legends including David Bowie, Elton John, and the Rolling Stones.  

In recent years, the music had all but died, save for Denmark Street’s surviving guitar shops. Now this iconic slice of history is being revived as part of Outernet London, the West End’s new $1.2 billion entertainment district.

The retooled street retains pieces of its storied past: restored 17th-century building facades; the heritage-protected graffiti art of Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols (who lived here); the old-school music shops (thanks to affordable, long-term leases).  

( Learn more about the unlikely rebirth of a London legend .)

It also welcomes new spaces for infusing with music. There are busker spots where street musicians can make their case for being the next Adele (who debuted at Denmark Street’s original 12 Bar Club ); a free-to-use professional-quality recording studio for up-and-coming artists; and the new Chateau Denmark hotel, spread across 16 buildings steeped in music history.

BEST PLACES FOR FAMILIES

Lycia, Turkey

Learn about nomadic life. The nomadic Yörüks,   originally from different Turkic groups that ranged from the Balkans to Iran , once roamed the plateaus of the Turkish riviera. Most of the Yörüks (literally “walkers”) have now settled down—but many of their thousand-year-old customs are alive and well.  

Located in the historical Lycia region in southwestern Anatolia , Teke Peninsula is one of the spots where Yörük culture remains strong. Teke Yörüks live a semi-nomadic life with their tents, kilim rugs, herds, shepherd dogs, and transhumant traditions, set against a mountainous, Mediterranean backdrop full of olive trees.

In recent years, tour companies have started to merge the marvels of Lycia with Yörük life. Families can trek parts of the famous Lycian Way ; visit ancient sites like Patara, Xanthos, or Letoon; and swim in crystal clear waters while spending nights in hotels, guesthouses, tents, or villagers’ own homes. But it’s the children who have the most fun, as they can experience Yörük culture by making syrup with pomegranates, cooking local pastries, milking goats, or taking part in the olive harvest.

“History, nature, and culture, they’re all here. We wanted to turn this beautiful landscape into a learning platform, but also into a playground,” says Kerem Karaerkek, the chief guide of Middle Earth Travel . “I love how the kids get excited when they step into a Yörük kitchen or when they go on a treasure hunt in ancient Lycian ruins. You can see the sense of wonder in their eyes.” — Onur Uygun, National Geographic Traveler Turkey

Granada, Spain

Marvel at geometric beauty. Built as a palace-city by 13th-century Nasrid sultans—rulers of the longest-lasting and final Muslim dynasty on the Iberian Peninsula—the Alhambra (“red fort”) is considered the Moorish architectural jewel of Europe. The almond-shaped profile of this UNESCO World Heritage site rests on a hill above Granada, one of the most picturesque cities in Spain .

But it’s the mathematical wizardry on display here that is particularly fascinating for families. Intricate mosaics, arabesques (a repetitive, stylized pattern based on a floral or vegetal design), and muqarnas   (ornamental vaulting) make the Alhambra a masterpiece of geometric beauty—and a colorful classroom for age-appropriate exploration of math concepts, such as shapes, symmetry, proportion, and measurement.

Math flows through the Alhambra’s other main design feature, water, which gives life and meaning to the whole. Water provides the refreshing spirit of the gardens and the murmur of its fountains, but is also an element of the architecture itself.

At the Palace of the Lions , one of the Alhambra’s three original royal palaces, families will marvel at the central fountain. Its elaborate design features 12 stone lions supporting a large marble basin on their backs and—thanks to the technical wonder of complex hydraulics—spitting water from their mouths. Go with Nat Geo: Discover Moorish Spain from Córdoba’s cultures to Granada’s Alhambra to Seville’s wonders. —Manuel Mateo Pérez, NG Viajes Spain

Eastern Shore, Maryland

Be transported by history. The history of the Underground Railroad flows through the waterways, wetlands, swamps, and tidal marshes of Dorchester County on Maryland ’s Eastern Shore. This is where the secret network’s most famous “conductor,” Harriet Tubman , was born enslaved, grew up, and honed the skills—such as trapping, hunting, and using stars to navigate—she used to escape to freedom in Pennsylvania . She then returned 13 times to rescue more than 70 enslaved friends and family. Her heroic story is told at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center , one of the more than 30 stops along the 125-mile Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway .

To bring Tubman’s story to life for kids, Alex Green, co-owner of Harriet Tubman Tours , suggests a kayaking adventure in the byway’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge . As a child, Tubman trapped muskrats here and worked alongside her father, a timber inspector who taught her how to move around the marshlands.

“We talk to kids about how the confidence and lessons Harriet learned inside the terrible institution of slavery drove her to accomplish incredible things,” Green says. “Harriet never gave up and she never stopped learning. That’s a lesson they can take home.” Go with Nat Geo:   Embark on a wild Chesapeake Bay escape to see waterways, watermen, and wildlife.

Danube River  

Cruise storybook lands. Boating the Danube can seem like traveling through a realm of fairy tales, with its scrolling views of castles, medieval towns, and stately palaces that help to bring European history to life. The river twists through 10 European countries (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine), and most Danube cruise itineraries include stops in at least four of those, with special family sailings featuring kid-friendly onshore activities.

School lessons focusing on Middle Ages feudalism take on vivid dimensions when exploring Veste Oberhaus in Passau, Germany, one of the largest surviving castle complexes in Europe. Ages-old Hungarian equestrian traditions come alive on a southern Hungarian ranch, where fearless csikós , or mounted herdsmen, ride standing upright and balancing on the backs of two galloping horses.

When off the water, look to wheels. Board Vienna ’s iconic Giant Ferris Wheel, the Riesenrad , or take a bike ride among terraced vineyards in Lower Austria’s World Heritage-listed Wachau Cultural Landscape .   Go with Nat Geo:   Savor Christmas markets from Budapest to Nuremberg on this Danube cruise . — National Geographic Traveler Romania

Dive a longtime marine reserve. Dazzling sunlight, a turquoise sea, palm trees, white beaches, and a laid-back atmosphere: Bonaire checks all the boxes for an idyllic tropical destination. But compared to many other Caribbean islands, Bonaire (pop. 21,000) is quiet and still relatively wild and unspoiled. Off its coast lies one of the oldest marine reserves in the world.

The Bonaire National Marine Park was established in 1979 and has been on the provisional UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011. The reserve encompasses 6,672 acres of coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove vegetation. Bonaire’s healthy reefs are a magnet for divers and snorkelers who can spot up to 57 species of coral and more than 350 different fish species.

Several dive schools on Bonaire participate in the Reef Renewal program , in which volunteers can grow and maintain corals in underwater nurseries, then plant them into the reef. Anyone who can dive can come and help after completing the PADI Reef Renewal Diver course.

( Read more about new efforts to save dying coral reefs . )

Accessibility is another bonus: You don’t need a liveaboard or other boat transport to start exploring. At 54 of Bonaire’s nearly 90 public dive sites, you walk from the beach or a pier straight into the water. —Barbera Bosma, National Geographic Traveler Netherlands

Written by the global editors of National Geographic Travel, with additional reporting and writing by Maryellen Kennedy Duckett, Karen Carmichael, and Shauna Farnell.

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted travel. When planning a trip, be sure to research your destination and take safety precautions before, during, and after your journey. Click here for National Geographic reporting on the pandemic.

Related Topics

• ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION
• NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY
• CULTURAL CONSERVATION
• PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• CULTURAL TOURISM

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The Best Destinations in the World: The Gold List 2022

By CNT Editors

There are three great lists annually in  Condé Nast Traveler,  all of which have changed due to the events of the last two years: the Readers’ Choice Awards , which you, our beloved audience, select; the Hot List , which compiles the new and notable of the previous year; and this one, which is ultimately about the places and experiences our editors carry in their hearts. This year, when we say  our editors,  we mean  CNT ’s entire global crew, working in locations from California to Beijing ; we’ve also expanded the parameters of the list to include not just the hotels and cruises you’ve seen in years past, but also the destinations we treasure. The Gold List is, more than ever, made by humans for other humans—something we need more than ever in this day and age. Here, our favorite destinations in the world.

Read the complete set of Gold List winners   here .

All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Puebla, Mexico

I love when I can feel familiar with a new place in 48 hours. In Puebla , Mexico’s historic, fourth-largest city, all the spots you want to hit are walking distance within its center, itself a tidy sprawl of bright pink and yellow villas and small plazas. That includes food markets for a crispy cemita (a schnitzel-­style sandwich with all the fixings); the gilded Capilla del Rosario and the city’s famed talavera, or ceramic houses; I stayed for close to an hour watching the row of artisans hand-paint and hand-fire their mugs, plates, and vases at Uriarte Talavera. Before the pandemic, tourism was just starting to happen here, and the city was in that sweet spot of supporting a new breed of traveler, like with the artisanal-inspired Cartesiano hotel, but without muting any of its essence for international business. I liked that I had to use my shoddy Spanish with barkeeps and store owners. And that sitting in those plazas meant a front-row seat to daily Poblano life: vendors selling sliced cucumber spices with cayenne, old-timers playing dominos. Puebla felt like a special somewhere on the verge of discovery in a country with pockets already turned over to the masses. My guess with all that’s happened this past year is that it still does. —Erin Florio

Rio de Janeiro

If you were to hook the city of Rio de Janeiro up to a cardiogram, the needle would swing off the page. The city thrums with live samba and bossa nova at all hours of the day; the bustling streets, bookended by the dramatic rise of granite monoliths on one end and the pounding waves of the Atlantic on the other, have a pulse all their own. It's easy to feel this when you're amid throngs of colorfully clad cariocas —I feel it most swaying to the live music at Pedra do Sal on Monday nights, or when, perched in the leafy hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa, I hear people in neighborhoods below lean out their windows to cheer when Flamengo scores a goal. It's a complicated city, with plenty of issues—insecurity, corruption, inequity, to name just a few—but there's a premium on joy and celebration that isn't reserved for Carnaval . There are few places in the world where you know you couldn't possibly be anywhere else, and whenever I hear the whole of Arpoador beach break into applause as the sun sets in summer, I'm reminded that Rio is one of them. —Megan Spurrell

Alentejo, Portugal

I call the road to the sea through Portugal’s Alentejo region the place where the beatniks read Pessoa; you can imagine Kerouac breezing through its small hotels, surf camps, and villages scattered with craft shops, markets, and bohemian bars. For me it’s a place of happiness. There are boutique hotels like São Lourenço do Barrocal and Dá Licença and olive groves, cork oaks, and infinite horizons. The road ends at Vicentine Coast National Park, a wild, protected coastline in southern Europe. A paradise for surfers , it has electrifying sunsets, but the icy waters stop it from ever getting too crowded. —David Moralejo

Svalbard, Norway

Arctic Svalbard —whose capital, Longyearbyen, is the world’s northernmost town—is like nowhere else I’ve been. On the one hand, it’s a deep-nature Scandi fantasy of snowmobiles, Northern Lights, ski-touring along glacial valleys, and surprisingly smart boutiques with stacked wine cellars. But there’s also a compelling strangeness to this international settlement, where no one is born and no one dies. There are the Soviet mining towns with their Lenin busts, whether abandoned or (even weirder) still working; the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which preempts a coming apocalypse; it’s advisable to leave Longyearbyen with a shotgun, in case of polar-bear attack. As much as a destination, it’s a journey into the heart of the climate crisis, with academics from across the world doing game-changing research here. I’m itching to go again—to escape but also to think and connect, which is what happens in all the best places. —Toby Skinner

My first trip to Goa as a college student was wrapped in dreams of homemade chorizo and reliving moments from the cult Bollywood coming-of-age film Dil Chahta Hai . Many trips and feni cocktails later, Goa remained a respite for my city-weary bones. The state straddles its multicultural past and present, trading up ’60s hippie markets for hipster boutiques while keeping its old-world Indian and Portuguese traditions intact. Simple fish-curry plates, aunties doing an impromptu jig to fado, old-timers squabbling over their favorite Goan soccer club, and the right freshness of bread coexist with edgy global menus, alt-music gigs, and all that is artisanal and arty. The ocean changes color from one season to the next, the multi-color sunsets never repeat, and like many travelers, I continue to return and find my salve in sunshine, sea, and susegad —the quintessential Goan idea of the slow, easy, and good life. —Diya Kohl

Plettenberg Bay, South Africa

Plettenberg Bay is South Africa's summer playground, and I, a Capetonian, would drive the 186-mile coastal path along the scenic Garden Route each year to join the fun. The bohemian seaside town sits atop a sheltered bay, where a jumble of hipster coffee shops, seafood restaurants, and kitsch boutiques tumble down onto fynbos-covered cliffs—where a slew of new hotels like The Robberg Beach Lodge sit beside grandes dames like The Plettenberg Hotel . Pretty young things like to celebrate the end of matric student exams, where hedonism sweeps across the bay, while dolphin and whale watches come during the languid, warm winter months. Venture just outside Plett to find the luxury Tsala Treetop Lodge , a manicured Gary Player golf course, indigenous Keurbooms River Nature Reserve, the Plett Polo Club on the Kurland Estate, and a host of animal sanctuaries to meet cheetahs, elephants, and monkeys. But above all, come for the glorious golden beaches. Central Beach—dotted with bars—surfy Lookout Beach, and the eerie, mist-covered sands of Robberg Nature Reserve. Search hard enough and you might stumble on a sand dollar—the symbol of Plettenberg Bay, thought to bring eternal luck. —Isabella Sullivan

When I can’t take another minute of winter, I head to Scottsdale. As, historically, do the day-drinking spring breakers and the far less rowdy snowbirds. Recently, though, the Valley of the Sun has come into its own, claiming its stunning desert setting and Southwest culture in new ways. If I’m bringing the kids, the 1929 Frank Lloyd Wright–designed grande dame The Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort (on the border of Scottsdale and Phoenix), is my place. It has sprawling grounds and seven pools, one with a legitimate waterslide, and just underwent a much-needed facelift. Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort , terraced into the side of its namesake adobe-hued mountain, has my favorite spa in town. Its adults-only pool on weekends and easy access to sunrise hiking give me plenty of excuses to leave the kids at home. Solo or with family, I can always bank on sunshine, a great exhibit at Phoenix’s nearby Desert Botanical Garden, and excellent Sonoran-style Mexican food. —Rebecca Misner

Val Graziosa, Italy

I am a frequent traveler to Val Graziosa, a valley near the Pisan mountains and a part of Tuscany relatively unknown and terribly beautiful. Here there is Monte Pisano—“ che i Pisan veder Lucca non ponno, ” the poet Dante said, a small group of mountains that hides Lucca from Pisa and makes it impossible for the Pisan locals to see the city of Lucca. There are olive trees everywhere, producing the best olive oil on Earth in a splendid countryside. I love to walk around the surroundings of Montemagno—please read the book Maledetti Toscani, by Curzio Malaparte, and you will understand a lot about Italians from this region. I love to go to the grocery store in Patrizia for a glass of wine (the one and only épicerie of the village) and then to Certosa di Calci, a 14th-century monastery, and one of the many secret beauties in my crazy country of Italy. —Maddalena Fosati

Chiang Mai, Thailand

When I first went to Chiang Mai, I intended to stay a couple of nights and ended up staying more than a week; for me, that trip is a reminder of travel at its most impulsive and impetuous: the freedom to move on when you feel like it. There’s no beach pressure here, and inland Thailand always feels more interesting than the obvious hits of the beachfront. And, away from the beaches, there's the sense of a modern Thai city where young creatives are carving out a contemporary aesthetic, with the energy that a large student population gives a city. —Rick Jordan

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Where to Travel in 2022

The 22 locations that should land on your bucket list this year.

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

The pandemic has certainly taught us a lot about ourselves and the world, but we’ve unlearned quite a few things as well—like how the “work hard, play hard” ethos might not be the healthiest of mantras. We’ve rediscovered balance and the truly important things in life, and travel is very much a part of that, whether it’s voyaging across oceans to see family we’ve missed or venturing across continents to reconnect with places we’ve so enjoyed before.

Work and play are no longer mutually exclusive as we look toward a future with hope. We’re not going full digital nomad, but we’re certainly keen to check off a greater number of destinations in the upcoming year than we have over the last two. As such, we’ve organized this list—22 places to see in ’22—to suit every version of travel you can cram into your calendar: small hops for a quick weekend or midweek jaunt (and a handful of hassle-free choices if COVID variants continue to crop up), longer leaps for when you want to spend seven or 10 days with real palm trees as your Zoom background, and finally, far-flung adventures perfect for that well-deserved sabbatical; your reward for powering through what is hopefully the last of these strained and stress-filled years. Because let’s face it, a Catch-23 doesn’t make a whole lotta sense.

Easy lifts—accessible by car or a short flight, and without much red tape, if any, to enter or exit—when you need a few days to recharge your batteries.

Québec, Canada

Washington State

Although the National Park Service celebrated its centennial back in 2016, it felt like 2021 was the year of the national park, with millions of Americans flocking to classics like Acadia and Zion. Many of the parks, however, went overlooked, especially in Washington where places like Olympic and North Cascades saw only a fraction of the traction. For a journey into the wild without having to traverse the globe, look no further than the aptly nicknamed Evergreen State, then kick off your hiking boots with an Airbnb’d cottage on Orcas Island followed by a visit to Walla Walla , whose wine region is gaining notoriety as the next Willamette Valley.

Barbados deserves a look as it adeptly mixes a workaday urban vibe, unfussed with the tourism veneer, with seaside resorts on pearlescent sand. A trip to the island means you can luxuriate in both: Start at a high-end retreat, then head into capital city Bridgetown. The newly opened O2 Beach Club has enlivened the south side of the island, Saint Lawrence Gap, too; the quiet neighborhood is now becoming the choice hideaway for the vacationing elite.

The Berkshires, Massachusetts

With the Catskills almost back to their Dirty Dancing bustle, thanks in large part to the regional travel renaissance spawned by the pandemic, it’s now the Berkshires’ turn. Western Massachusetts has long been a bastion of the Gilded Era—the hilly retreats of New York and New England’s elite families—the Blantyre , one of the most lavish of these estates, has begun an ambitious renovation set to be completed in fall 2022. The project will rival Hyatt’s recent transformation of the Cranwell into the luxury wellness getaway, Miraval Berkshires Resort & Spa . The smaller hotel portfolio Life House is also taking a big swing in the area, renovating the Wheatleight by spring, opening the retro-inspired Life House Lenox for May, and redesigning the Rookwood Inn in time for 2022’s fall foliage season.

The opening of the Montage Big Sky has solidified Montana as the next great destination of the American West, with the help of two buzzy television shows, Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner, and Big Sky, from showrunner David E. Kelley . It won’t be long before Hollywood movie stars start colonizing Bozeman and its surrounding areas, much like they already have in Aspen and Park City.

U.S. Virgin Islands

Navigating the always-changing COVID health protocol has been one of the most exhausting aspects of the pandemic and a palpable travel deterrent for many. With the future still uncertain, the U.S. Virgin Islands are a more carefree Caribbean option. Start with St. John: Often overlooked in favor of St. Barts or Anguilla, the chic island was once the Rockefellers’ playground and is now blanketed in jungly national park that leaves room for only a few well-appointed resorts. Stay at Lovango , which opened during the pandemic just offshore on its own islet. It’s a 20-minute boat ride to raucous St. Thomas, which promises adrenaline sports and nightlife in equal measure. Additionally, the freshly redesigned Ritz-Carlton St. Thomas has brought a more upmarket vibe back to the island. Round out your stay with a stop on sleepy St. Croix and find your way to the secluded beach where they shoot those legendary Corona beer commercials.

Columbus, Indiana

The recent supply chain issues have made us grapple with our rampant consumption—fast fashion is largely taboo; fast furniture is becoming a swear word as well. So it may not be surprising, then, that of all the places Dominic Bradbury, author of Atlas of Interior Design , is excited to visit in 2022, it’s a little town in Indiana that’s on the top of his list. “Columbus is home of Eero Saarinen and Alexander Girard’s Miller House, which is now open to the public and can be visited, along with some other prime examples of mid-century architecture, including Saarinen’s iconic North Christian Church,” he writes.

Bigger Jumps

Carve out a week for these beauties: worthy escapes from the grind or ideal “bleisure” destinations to mix work and fun.

Before the pandemic, it seemed like everyone took advantage of the bargain-basement airfares (so low they bankrupted the airline offering them) for a long weekend of fun under the midnight sun. And just as rocketing visitor numbers became unsustainable for the little nation of less than 400,000 inhabitants, the global pause in travel gave the island a rare opportunity to push the reset button on how it wanted to present itself to the rest of the world. No longer for the mass market, Iceland is scaling back its crowds and focusing on its cardinal tenet of wellness—hot springs—to entice the jet set for longer, more indulgent stays.

Major investments will amp up Iceland’s luxury spa offerings over the next few years; in the meantime, start your soaking at the Retreat at Blue Lagoon , a lavish resort seemingly birthed from volcanic ash and rubble, then fly up to Akureyri—northern Iceland’s biggest town—for a small circuit that includes Geosea in Húsavík, Hofsos’s infinity-edge pool , the lapis waters of Myvatn Nature Baths , and the brand-new Skogarboðin set to open in 2022 with fjord views and plenty of pines to block the wind. End up in Reykjavík with one last swim at Sky Lagoon , best enjoyed in the evening with the capital’s glittering lights in the distance, and stay at the newly opened Reykjavík EDITION , which is helping establish the city as Europe’s next see-and-be-seen hangout for the jet set.

The Maldives is making a bid to be the world’s premier resort destination—a hundred properties and counting, most situated on their own private atoll. The last two years have proven just how far luxury travelers will go for optimal COVID-free conditions: halfway around the world, where isolation’s a cinch in one’s overwater bungalow with little else to do besides swimming in the infinite blue. And even if new variants cause further travel sanctions and closures, a holiday in the Maldives still seems like a sure bet.

Practically every major hotel brand has planted its flag in the Maldives’ sand over the last few years, giving guests the choice of any type of high-end experience they desire. Recent openings include the Ritz-Carlton Fari —with an oval of mod bungalows, all designed using conch shells as inspiration—and the Patina Maldives—part of the Capella hotel brand where found materials and slatted wood decorate the minimalist villas. Joali Being opened only weeks ago, focusing on sustainable practices and embracing the surrounding nature. And Emerald Faarufushi Resort & Spa is set to open in 2022 with beachside and overwater villas, and a strong Balinese wellness angle.

Paris, France

Faithful readers of our annual travel list will spot the City of Light among our picks practically every year. That’s because France’s capital continues to find ways of reimagining itself—always an icon; a modern city in spite of its museumified Haussmannian boulevards. With “Grand Paris” plans in full swing—a massive urbanization project aimed at widening the breadth of the metropolis beyond the 20 arrondissements—the eye of tourist storm has relaxed its focus as visitors spread out among the truer neighborhoods around town. And a spate of new hotels has followed suit, from the hotly anticipated Cheval Blanc Paris in the geographic center of town, then snailing outward to brand-new Bulgari Hotel Paris , the 1 Hotel Paris , and the portfolio of quartier- inspired boutique stays by Orso Hotels .

Rosario Islands, Colombia

This winter at EMBARK Beyond, a luxury travel planning service, founder Jack Ezon is nudging his clients toward Cartagena as a worthy alternative to the islands of the Caribbean. An easy direct flight from the United States, Colombia’s coast remains upwardly trending, despite a few unsavory headlines of rising crime elsewhere in the country. UNESCO-protected Cartagena is the jumping-off point to the Rosario Islands, where the Sofitel Barú Calablanca Beach Resort has opened as the first major luxury property. “The Four Seasons is also planning to open a property next to Cartagena’s Old Town,” Ezon adds. “This is be another game changer, raising even more international awareness for the region.”

The introduction of Northern Pacific Airways could transform Alaska from an American outpost to the epicenter of transcontinental travel. Like the new Iceland or United Arab Emirates, Anchorage is likely to become the next big layover destination as international tourists make their way from North America to Asia, breaking up the journey in the Great White North along the way. Even without new air routes, 2022 is the perfect time to experience all the touchstones of the North including world-class heli-skiing , northern lights viewing, and luxury fishing lodges that go far beyond the age-old spate of cruises.

Rome, Italy

When one thinks of Italy, it’s usually a rural Tuscan villa or the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, so it’s no surprise that most visitors make a beeline for Florence or Positano as soon as they touch down. Rome’s trying to change the dialogue, reminding travelers that the heart of Roman culture is far from being an ancient relic. Italy’s capital will welcome 16 new hotels in 2022, from a variety of acclaimed international brands like Bulgari and Six Senses . Don’t miss Palazzo Poli , once an aristocratic mansion steps from the Trevi Fountain.

2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the constitution establishing Ireland as a free state. On this centennial year, new openings, elevated experiences, and ease of travel make the Emerald Isle an obvious destination (when traveling from the United States, you clear customs before you land). Cashel in County Tipperary has always drawn visitors to the Rock of Cashel, a dramatic grouping of medieval buildings dating back to the 900s, but the Cashel Palace Hotel , a new Relais and Chateau property that opens in March of 2022, promises to make the site more than just a day trip. The 18th-century Palladian manor has been meticulously restored with 42 rooms, a luxury spa, fine dining, and sprawling greens to roam.

Continue the castle-life cosplay at the stunning Dromoland Castle , a restored 16th-century castle in County Clare, grandly appointed but with such warm hospitality. Of the many experiences on offer, golf is surely a draw for the beautifully maintained course on its grounds, and the locally sourced food is exquisite, but try the falconry for a truly unique experience. Dublin’s food scene is worthy of a several-days-long crawl to experience the creativity, variety, and quality (particularly the seafood) on display. You will not find a better fish and chips than at Fish Shop , a tiny counter-only airy spot with a great wine selection. Between dining destinations—which you can walk to, as Dublin is small enough to cover serious ground by foot—soak up the city’s incredible literary legacy (Joyce! Wilde! Yeats! Beckett!) with a visit to the newish Museum of Literature , MoLI for short.

Long-Haul Leaps

These far-flung places are well worth the journey. Stay a while and explore before coming back.

In a rather ambitious move, the Sri Lankan government has declared 2022 the official “Visit Sri Lanka Year” as part of a five-year campaign to ramp up traveler numbers. Also announced are plans to overhaul Bandaranaike International Airport with the help of Japanese investors—a project that could establish nearby Colombo, the capital, as the next great layover destination. In the meantime, Sri Lanka’s relaxed entry restrictions and high vaccination rates makes it a worthy schlep around the globe, not to mention the continent’s worth of wonders scattered around an island about a tenth the size of Texas: rambling tea farms, sprawling leopard-filled jungles, the ancient ruins of celestial Sigiriya, and beautiful beaches scalloping the coastline. Book a circuit of stays through Resplendent Ceylon , a collection of sustainable luxury properties including a handful of tea farm residences and a tented coastal camp abutting Yala National Park.

Cabo Verde & West Africa

There’s been a reckoning in Africa’s international tourism; a shift to amplify cultural pursuits instead of merely conceiving of the continent as a safari destination. Much of the attention is pointed toward West Africa, where travel circuits tie together its many disparate cultures from the souks of Dakar to the voodoo markets of Benin. Variety Cruises has been championing the region for years with its weeklong sailings where guests can choose between exploring Senegal and The Gambia’s namesake river, or journey around Cabo Verde, an archipelago of volcanic islands just off the coast with its own distinct flavor of Afro-Portuguese culture. Now, other luxury operators are charting a course for Africa’s Atlantic coast as well including Hurtigruten , which will launch an ambitious two-week journey that ties all the aforementioned destinations together.

For Americans, forays to southern Africa are usually a multi-country affair—see as much as possible after traveling such a great distance. But COVID protocols have made destination hopscotch almost impossible, Elizabeth Gordon, cofounder of travel planning service Extraordinary Journeys , notes. Instead, she’s been encouraging her high-end clients to avoid the extra tests and quarantining, and explore a single nation in a deeper fashion.

Botswana is emerging as the region’s prime candidate, especially with the launch of United’s direct flights from the United States to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa, from where it’s a quick hop to Maun, the jumping-off point to explore Botswana’s vastness, either along the wildlife-filled Okavango Delta or the wild and isolate salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Basin. Don’t miss Wilderness Safari’s newly opened DumaTau Camp , which aptly means “the lion’s roar.” Vumbura Plains, also a Wilderness property, is set to be stripped to the studs and rebuilt from scratch before the end of the year. Then take your pick of the luxurious Jack’s Camp or San Camp, both part of the coveted Natural Selection portfolio, and venture out into the soundlessness of the Kalahari in search of sacred baobabs.

José Ignacio, Uruguay

“ There are few places more chic than José Ignacio,” Tom Marchant, the cofounder of luxury travel service Black Tomato, says. “It’s certainly the poshest place in South America.” For years, the bolt-hole has quietly grown both in size and reputation as a design enclave; its modish villas stretching along the sand. And now, the brand-new Posada Ayana has lifted the area to international acclaim with its very own Skyspace, one of James Turrell’s much-lauded light installations. Stop in the village of Garzón nearby before you leave to check out Campo , an artists’ retreat; the area is also home to one of famed chef Francis Mallman’s restaurants.

Northern Thailand

Southeast Asia’s land of consummate hospitality was one of the first nations in the region to experiment with innovative COVID protocols, allowing travelers in and trying to keep the virus out. The so-called Phuket Sandbox kept inbound tourists on the large island under quasi-quarantine before they were allowed to venture further beyond. Now, with broader entry, we’re most excited about venturing north, where ancient forests and ruins sprawl across the Land of Smiles. Both Smiling Albino and InsideAsia Tours have prepared new spates of tours that blend cultural awareness with responsible animal care among the borderlands’ elephant sanctuaries.

French Polynesia

With Hawaii trying to repel its onslaught of tourists in an attempt to restore its identity, French Polynesia is also reimagining itself as another cultural bastion of Polynesia and as the great custodian of the wild Pacific seas—arguably the last great unexplored realm of the planet. Limited carrier service has long kept traveler numbers low relative to the 50th state, but most of the tourism has centered around Tahiti, Moorea, and Bora Bora. There are four more archipelagos to explore, including the crushed coral atolls of the Tuamotus (think the Maldives before they were completely developed) and sacred volcanic spires of the Marquesas, where luxury small cruise operators Lindblad Expeditions and Paul Gauguin intend to travel later this year.

New South Wales and Victoria, Australia

While pandemic peaks and troughs have opened and closed myriad borders around the world, those around Australia’s shores have remained firmly shut since COVID began to spread in earnest. We’re eager to get back, and rumor has it that the country will start rolling out its reopening in a state-by-state fashion, likely starting with New South Wales and Victoria. Home to Sydney and Melbourne respectively, Australia’s most populous states make a worthy holiday in their own right, even if their neighbors remain shuttered. You’ll get all the Aussie touchstones—incredible turquoise beaches, desolate orange outback, world-class wineries, and plenty of flat whites and avo toast, not mention first dibs on the new Ritz-Carlton Melbourne and W Sydney ; the brand’s largest property worldwide.

Everywhere at Once …

Ultra-exclusive private jet itineraries have long been the choice way to travel for those short on time but big on budget—imagine hitting a handful of the world’s wonders in less than two weeks. But now, these six-digit excursions are becoming the preferred way for the glitterati to see the world: Leave the logistics to someone else, go to sleep at the Taj Mahal, and wake up in Angkor Wat. We’re most excited about Abercrombie & Kent ’s slate of 2022 trips, especially the itinerary handcrafted by A&K founder Geoffrey Kent, which includes stops in Japan, Brazil, and Eritrea.

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9 Best Places To Travel In 2022 According To Experts

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Forecasting travel trends is an annual tradition for us here at TravelAwaits , but as we all know, 2020 travel didn’t go as predicted . In 2021, we didn’t even bother gazing into our crystal ball. As travel starts to open back up in 2022, though, we reached back out to tour operators to find out where they are planning on going this year.

Not only did they share their upcoming adventures, but they also let us in on the travel trends that are emerging for this year. Global guided vacation company Trafalgar , for instance, reports that summer 2022 is going to be a big one, as travelers are already filling their vacation calendars predominantly in May/June 2022.

Meanwhile, Intrepid Travel has seen a 144 percent increase in customers booking domestic trips in the U.S. and the UK vs. 2019, prior to the pandemic. The company expects domestic travel will be popular in all regions in 2022, as different COVID variants continue to cause uncertainty with international travel, as we’ve seen most recently with the Omicron variant causing swift border closures and new travel restrictions. While flexibility with travel plans will be key, Intrepid asserts that travelers will continue to opt for more adventures within their home borders to avoid these headaches. Time will tell!

From far-flung locales to domestic destinations, here’s where tour operators plan to travel in 2022.

Bali, Indonesia

“I’m headed to Bali as soon as I can,” says Steve Lima, the Marketing Director for G Adventures . “We all could use a little wellness in 2022, and Bali is a great place to recharge, relax, and also get active. My plan is to hit the beaches first, then travel north to some of the less touristy parts of the island. Perhaps hike up to Mount Batur, and of course cycle through the incredibly calming and linear rice paddies in Ubud . Bali is exercise for the body and mind, and hopefully will leave me recharged and ready for whatever 2022 throws my way!”

Tom Armstrong from tour company Tauck says 2022 offers a fantastic opportunity for the slightly more intrepid traveler to experience the wonders of Europe before the crowds return en masse.

According to our recent State of Travel survey , Italy was the number one international destination that our readers want to visit in 2022. Trafalgar’s top 15 trips for 2022 thus far are all European itineraries, with the 13-day Best of Italy tour taking the number 1 spot. Armstrong says Italy is one of Tauck’s most popular destinations in Europe, and this year presents a wonderful chance to explore it.

For an in-depth Italian experience, spend two weeks touring Naples , Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast , Rome , Umbria, Tuscany, Cinque Terre , Florence , and Venice on Tauck’s Classic Italy tour. If you don’t have two whole weeks to spend in Italy, try A Week In… Venice, Florence & Rome , a shorter tour that explores three iconic Italian cities. Both tours feature exclusive experiences, including an after-hours guided visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel sans crowds.

Spain And Portugal

Armstrong tells us “this will be a great year to visit Spain and Portugal — two of Europe’s rising stars!” Spend a week in Spain , a week in Portugal , or explore them both on Tauk’s Spain and Portugal tour .

“My wife and I did a Tauck river cruise on the Rhine a few years ago, and it was without a doubt one of the very best vacations we’d ever experienced,” says Armstrong. “We’re still in the discussion phase, but we’re really hoping to do a river cruise on either the Danube or the Douro this year. Both rivers offer incredible culture and amazing scenery. However, Tauck just launched our brand-new  MS Andorinha  riverboat on the Douro last August, so that may tip the scales a bit toward Portugal! Either way, we’re huge fans of river cruising, and we know we’re in for a wonderful trip.”

Armstrong suggests the Northern Spain, The Rioja Valley, and Madrid tour. This popular itinerary spends two weeks traveling from Barcelona across northern Spain, exploring Montserrat, Cardona, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Bilbao , Leon, Santiago de Compostela, and more before concluding in Madrid .

Ireland And The UK

According to Trafalgar, travelers are using their vacation days to book trips that are longer than a standard week-long getaway to really immerse themselves in the destinations. At 15 days and 10 days respectively, Best of Ireland & Scotland and Britain & Ireland Highlights are two of the company’s top-booked tours.

“My first trip this year will be to Ireland to celebrate a milestone birthday with my two childhood best friends who are also celebrating the same big birthday this year,” Trafalgar’s president, Melissa DaSilva, divulges. “We’ll be visiting Dublin, Galway, and beautiful Ashford Castle. I can’t wait to travel again, but especially to share it with my friends who I have not seen since the pandemic started, as our last two trips have been canceled due to lockdowns and restrictions,” she says.

“This year my goal is to soak up the beauty of this world with wildlife and nature,” Heidi Durflinger, president of EF Go Ahead Tours , tells us. “I’d like to return to Kenya. The connection to nature is surreal, and you’ll leave feeling renewed and refreshed.”

For some inspiration, refer to Sarah Kingdom’s Ultimate Guide To Planning Your First African Safari.

“There’s a great energy emerging … a resolve to make the leap, chase your passions, and take action on your ‘someday’ plans,” says Steve Born, CMO of the Globus family of brands. “And taking that dream trip to the place you always wanted to visit captures that spirit and has inspired me. Next month, I am heading to Jordan on a Jordan Escape trip along with my fellow Globus guests, hosting an amazing group of social media influencers to share the experience and spread the word about this spirit and this amazing destination.”

The week-long guided tour of Jordan begins in one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, the capital city of Amman, and ends at the Dead Sea, one of the lowest spots on Earth. Highlights include exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra (one of the New 7 Wonders of the World), sipping tea in a real Bedouin tent, and driving across Wadi Rum ‘s incredible desert landscape.

Pacific Northwest

Within the past year and a half, Intrepid Travel has added nearly 200 new tours around the world built specifically with domestic audiences in mind. This goes along with another of Intrepid Travel 2022’s goals: reducing the carbon output of its trips. For example, this year, the carbon-neutral tour operator is expected to remove more than 3,000 individual flights from its itineraries where there is a better land-based alternative.

Kicking off in June of this year, Intrepid Travel’s six-day Portland to San Francisco Discovery journey encompasses several of the 2022 travel trends it has identified. This foodie-friendly tour runs between two cities that boast outstanding culinary scenes. Share a river-to-table meal with the First Nations people of Warm Springs. The picnic lunch experience serves up Indigenous culture preservation, acknowledging the role salmon played in tribal history and answering the trend of businesses embedding purpose within their offerings. According to Intrepid, the majority of its top-selling trips contain “purpose-led” experiences like this — activities that directly support environmental or wildlife conservation, preserve minority indigenous culture, or support marginalized social groups.

Other highlights of Intrepid’s Pacific Northwest tour include the tactile treat of shucking oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co., a visit to Crater Lake National Park to see the deepest lake in the U.S., and a stop at Muir Woods National Monument to hang out with the tallest living things in the world. The latter two experiences are in line with another 2022 travel trend according to the company — the great outdoors.

Did we miss one of your favorite destinations? Nominate it below!

“With COVID as our new reality,” Intrepid shared, “many travelers are opting for trips that allow them to soak in fresh air away from the crowds, while also staying active and on their feet — a far cry from their homes and computer screens that have become the norm as careers and home life blur in this new world dominated by remote work.”

Feeling inspired? Reach out to our travel advisors Carie Skerritt and Bill Sharo of Dream Vacations to talk about where 2022 could take you!

Laura Ray has lived in Atlanta, the Bay Area, SoCal, and Austin. After moving from Texas, she and her husband rambled about the Midwest in a camper for a couple of years before finally settling on 35 acres in their home state of Kentucky. When she isn't clacking around on the keyboard (cat in lap), you can find her practicing yoga, gardening, or playing the ukulele. This travel-lover's favorite destinations include Italy, the Greek isles, and Kentucky Lake.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

8 Places to Travel in 2022

By Elise Taylor

Where are the best places to travel in 2022? That’s the question Vogue posed to a set of hospitality experts, and their answers are quite literally all over the place. Some are classic destinations that have buzzy new hotel openings, others are emerging areas on the cusp of becoming trending tourist attractions. ( Black Tomato —a tour operator known for providing over-the-top, once-in-a-life trips —is keeping an eye on Romania.)

Below, 8 ideas on where to go in 2022, from an under-radar-Caribbean island, to a vibrant Mexican city, to the top of the globe.

Merida, Mexico

“Merida, Mexico still manages to fly under the radar, despite its proximity to incredible Mayan ruins and neon-blue cenotes. Plus, it has a unique culinary scene that runs the gamut from perfectly fried street cart churros to haute takes on traditional dishes by chefs like Pedro Evia, whose restaurant Kuuk is a critical darling. Look around for some excellent lodging options, including rooms in sprawling historic haciendas and sleek little city apartments.” -Laura Motta, Senior Director of Content at Lonely Planet

“We’ve long admired the gorgeous Caribbean island of Grenada for its under-the-radar appeal with powdery shores and sensorial stimulation on arrival, where the sweet air smells of sea salt, nutmeg, and mace. But now more than ever before, the massive popularity of the Caribbean makes Grenada primed to be the ‘in-the-know’ place to visit, with so much more to do than a ‘fly and flop’ on the beach. To boot, it’s an easy 4 hour and 30-minute direct flight from NYC. Miles of unfettered beaches juxtaposes with rich, virgin rainforests that are ripe for intrepid experiences and opportunities to give back.” -* Black Tomato*

Easter Island

“Due to its small, remote location, Easter Island has been closed off for most of COVID. As of now, the plan is to reopen to visitors in February. 2022 also marks the 300th anniversary of when the island was first “discovered” by Europeans (1722). Nayara Hangaroa is the perfect home base to explore the island—from guided hikes to Taharoa to ATVing solo around the island, to seeing secret caves and remote beaches, to catching sunrise over the moai.” -Misty Belles, Managing Director, Virtuoso

Bethlen Estates in Romania.

By Emma Specter

By Christian Allaire

“Home to Bram Stoker’s Dracula (in actuality, Vlad the Impaler), Transylvania is steeped in an extraordinarily rich history and this year, Romania welcomes its ninth UNESCO WorldHeritage site, the Roșia Montană Mining Landscape. The area has seen a recent uptick in interest from clients and Romania is in fact the most bio-geographically diverse country in the EU, and one of the best places in Europe to go wildlife watching, for those in the know.

Newly opened Bethlen Estates , a vividly reanimated, luxurious ancestral manor house, is where to stay. The brainchild and vision of Gladys and Nikolaus Bethlen, the wife and son of the late Count Miklos Bethlen, they have made it their life’s work to keep their ancestral ties alive and help preserve the region’s unbelievably important biodiversity.” -Black Tomato

“I do think Antarctica is going to be a place to go in 2022. There are new and interesting ways to explore the White Continent: Ponant and its new ship , Silversea’s Antarctica Bridge cruise that bypasses the Drake Passage, and White Desert for the land experience. There is an untouched purity to the destination that makes it feel worlds apart from the rest of life, let alone a global pandemic, making travelers want to make the journey.” -Misty Belles, Managing Director, Virtuoso

Napa Valley

“The hotel scene in Napa Valley is heating up. Stanly Ranch , an Auberge Collection Resort, will make its debut on the historic Stanly Ranch Winery estate, a 700-acre private ranch that dates to the 19th century, in Spring 2022. This is on the heels of other openings like Napa Valley's first Four Seasons . Meadowood recently re-opened their doors and there's been a handful of big renovations at properties like Solage and Poetry Inn .” - Misty Belles

Okavango Delta, Botswana

“We’re seeing a huge increase in clients booking epic 2022 trips to Botswana , marking safari’s great return in a truly bucket-list locale. Botswana is the ultimate safari destination, an ideal place to tap into a more slow, deliberate pace of travel and perfect for multi-generational families too. Kick off the adventure in the fabulous Okavango Delta, which just welcomed the stunning new Xigera Safari Lodge , and make your way to the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans for unbelievable day and night game drives, encountering remarkable wildlife that inhabit this seemingly barren landscape.” -Black Tomato

Paris is also pulling visitors back into its fully vaccinated restaurants and museums, with a stay at LVMH’s new gem Cheval Blanc a must. -Misty Belles

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More than 171K patients traveled out-of-state for abortions in 2023, new data shows

More than 171,000 patients traveled out-of-state to receive abortion care last year, according to new data from the Guttmacher Institute, which underscores the widespread impact of state abortion bans that followed the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 .

Out-of-state travel for abortion care has more than doubled since 2019 when 73,100 patients traveled across state lines for abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute's Monthly Abortion Provision Study project . The project estimates the number of abortions in each state without a total ban from January 2023 to March of this year.

The project found that over 1 million clinician-provided abortions took place in 2023. Of that figure, 171,300 people traveled out-of-state to have abortions, according to the data .

"What’s striking about this new data is how often people are traveling across multiple state lines to access abortion care," Isaac Maddow-Zimet, Guttmacher data scientist and project lead, said in a statement Thursday. "Traveling for abortion care requires individuals to overcome huge financial and logistical barriers, and our findings show just how far people will travel to obtain the care they want and deserve."

The new data revealed a trend of patients, mostly residents in southern states with strict abortion laws, traveling across multiple state lines to receive abortion procedures or dispensed pills. Before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, patients had traveled for abortion care due to legal barriers or the availability of providers within their state, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

But the significant increase in 2023 was a result of abortion bans and restrictions in individual states that were quickly implemented after the Supreme Court's decision, the Guttmacher Institute said. Patients have been forced to travel for abortion care because of the lack of access in their home states.

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Abortion laws 'affect thousands of people beyond that state’s borders'

The number of patients that travel out-of-state for abortion care has "always been particularly high" in states with restrictions, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

"Historically, however, many of the people traveling from restrictive states went to states that now have total abortion bans," the Guttmacher Institute said in a news release . "For instance, in 2020, more than 800 Louisiana residents traveled to Texas for abortion care; following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, that was no longer possible. In 2023, more than 3,500 Louisianans traveled across multiple states to get care in places like Florida, Illinois, and Georgia."

Data showed that most patients in states with strict policies traveled to the nearest or neighboring state that allowed abortions. But patients in southern states, which have the most restrictive laws compared to the rest of the country, had to travel across multiple state lines to receive care.

The state that had the most patients leave for abortion care was Texas, according to the data. A majority — more than 14,000 — traveled to New Mexico but thousands of others crossed several state lines for the procedure.

The state that received the most patients traveling for abortion care was Illinois, the data found. It showed that about 37,300 from 16 states went to Illinois to have an abortion.

Kelly Baden, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute, noted that Florida had a significant role last year in "maintaining some level of abortion access in the Southeast." More than 85,000 abortions occurred in the state in 2023.

But that figure is expected to drop because of Florida's six-week abortion ban that took effect in May. Currently, the closest state that provides abortion care later than six weeks in pregnancy is North Carolina, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

"The state of residence data makes it clear that this policy change will be devastating not only for Floridians, but also for the thousands of others who would have traveled there after being denied care in their home states," Baden said in a statement. "Once again, we see that a state’s abortion policies affect thousands of people beyond that state’s borders."

States with near-total bans on abortion

As of June, 14 states have near-complete bans on abortions with limited exceptions such as when the parent's life is at risk, rape, incest, and/or fetal anomalies. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia.

In Missouri, abortion is prohibited in nearly all cases, except for medical emergencies, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Last April, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed one of the country’s  most restrictive abortion measures  into law. The bill abortion at any stage of pregnancy, allowing exceptions only within the first six weeks for cases of rape, incest, or medical emergencies.

In Oklahoma, abortion is banned in almost all cases, without exceptions for rape or incest. In 2023, the State Supreme Court permitted the procedure for only when the parent's life was at risk.

Contributing: Cy Neff, USA TODAY

• Best overall
• Best for cruises
• Best for reputation
• Best for preexisting conditions
• Best for digital nomads
• Best low-cost
• Best for road trips
• How we reviewed travel insurance companies

Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance in June 2024

Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate insurance products to write unbiased product reviews.

Traveling is an adventure, a leap into the unknown, a story waiting to unfold. But every story needs a safety net, and that's where travel insurance comes in. In this guide to the best travel insurance, we'll embark on a journey to help you better understand travel insurance and uncover the benefits that make it an indispensable companion for any traveler.

Our Picks for the Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best overall: nationwide travel insurance.

• Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA
• Best for Cruises: Travel Guard
• Best Reputation:  C&F Travel Insured
• Best for Pre-existing Conditions:   Tin Leg Travel Insurance
• Best for Digital Nomads:   WorldTrips Travel Insurance
• Best Low-Cost Option:   Trawick International Travel Insurance

Best for Road Trips: Travelex Travel Insurance

How we rate travel insurance »

Compare the Best Travel Insurance Companies

The best travel insurance companies offer comprehensive coverage options for a wide range of people and needs. For this guide, we looked at coverage options, customizability, and the best companies for specific situations, such as pre-existing conditions.

Here are Business Insider's picks for the best travel insurance companies in 2024. 

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of trip costs (for cruises) or up to $30,000 (for single-trip plans)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Three cruise-specific plans to choose from
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Annual travel insurance plans available
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Strong trip cancellation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancel for any reason coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR insurance not available with every single plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is lower than what some competitors offer

Nationwide Travel Insurance offers many of the standard benefits you might see with a travel insurance policy. This can include things like trip cancellation coverage, so you can recover pre-paid costs or trip interruption in the event your vacation is interrupted by an unexpected event. There's also baggage delay coverage and medical coverage.

• Cancel for any reason coverage available

Nationwide Travel Insurance is of the largest players in the travel insurance space, offering nearly endless options for any customer on the travel spectrum, including annual travel insurance plans which can offer frequent travelers the flexibility to "set it and forget it" on their travel insurance coverage.

Nationwide Essential also offers some of the most affordable policies in the market compared to similar plans from competitors, which makes it a great pick for just about anyone. Buyers can discuss bundling options as Nationwide also sells homeowners, auto, pet, and other insurance products. Its travel insurance quoting is just as easy as it has been with other Nationwide insurance products.

Read our Nationwide Travel Insurance review here.

Best Travel Insurance Runner-Up: AXA Assistance USA

• Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the trip cost
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical evacuation coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1,500 per person coverage for missed connections on cruises and tours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Covers loss of ski, sports and golf equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage ceilings per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Cancel for any reason (CFAR) coverage only available for most expensive Platinum plan
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. CFAR coverage ceiling only reaches $50,000 maximum despite going up to 75%

AXA Assistance USA keeps travel insurance simple with gold, silver, and platinum plans. Emergency medical and CFAR are a couple of the options you can expect. Read on to learn more about AXA.

• Silver, Gold, and Platinum plans available
• Trip interruption coverage of up to 150% of the trip cost
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $250,000

AXA Assistance USA  offers consumers a great option for no-stress travel insurance: low-priced plans, generous coverage limits on key categories including primary insurance on lost luggage, and up to 150% reimbursement for qualifying trip cancellations.

While add-ons are limited and rental car coverage is not included by default on cheaper plans, AXA is a perfect fit for travelers who don't plan to drive (or who already hold a travel credit card with rental car coverage), and don't need any additional bells and whistles.

Read our AXA Assistance USA Travel Insurance review  here.

Best for Cruises: AIG Travel Guard

Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost and trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip cancellation coverage of up to 100% of the cost, for all three plan levels
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. CFAR covers up to 75% of total trip costs (maximum of $112,500 on some plans) 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Medical coverage of up to $500,000 and evacuation of up to $1,000,000 per person
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes COVID coverage 
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Above average baggage loss and delay benefits
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. High medical evacuation coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Premiums may run slightly higher than competitors

Travel Guard is a well-established and highly rated name in the travel insurance industry. It offers three main coverage options to choose from, and in general its policies have above-average coverage for baggage loss and baggage delays, plus high medical evaluation coverage limits.

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of the trip cost
• Trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Preexisting medical conditions exclusions waiver must be purchased within 15 days of initial trip payment
• Annual travel insurance plan and Pack N' Go plan (for last-minute trips) available

Travel Guard is well-known insurance provider, and a great fit for travelers who want to ensure that they can get their money back in the event of canceled or interrupted travel plans.

While the company's policies can be pricey compared to its competitors, the high medical and evacuation limits make AIG a solid choice for older travelers who value peace of mind and simplicity over highly customizable plans that may be bolstered with medical upgrades.

Read our AIG Travel Guard review here.

Best for Reputation: C&F Travel Insured

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers 2 major plans including CFAR coverage on the more expensive option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Cancellation for job loss included as a covered reason for trip cancellation/interruption (does not require CFAR coverage to qualify)
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Frequent traveler reward included in both policies
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million in medical evacuation coverage available
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage is only $100,000
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Reviews on claims processing indicate ongoing issues
• C&F's Travel Insured policies allow travelers customize travel insurance to fit their specific needs. Frequent travelers may benefit from purchasing an annual travel insurance plan, then adding on CFAR coverage for any portions of travel that may incur greater risk.

While every travel insurance company has negative reviews about its claims process, C&F Travel Insured 's claims process has a consistent stream of positive reviews. One customer wrote that C&F processed a claim within 48 hours. Additionally, C&F regularly responds to customer reviews within one business week, making reviews a consistent way to reach the company.

Additionally, in C&F's fine print, it mentions that any claims that take more than 30 days to pay out will begin to accrue interest at 9% APY.

C&F's reputation isn't the only thing to speak highly of. It offers an array of add-ons uncommon in the travel insurance industry, such as Interruption for Any Reason insurance and CFAR coverage for annual plans. C&F also offers discounts for children on its Protector Edge plan and free coverage on its Protector plan.  

Read our C&F Travel Insured review  here. 

Best for Pre-Existing Conditions: Tin Leg Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Policy coverage includes most pre-existing health conditions
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous medical and evacuation amounts for peace of mind
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. COVID coverage included by default on all insurance plans
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Offers a wide range of plans for various budgets and travel needs
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some plans offer CFAR, “cancel for work reasons,” financial default, and unemployment coverage
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited add-on coverage options
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage loss and delay coverage is low compared to competitors

Tin Leg travel insurance offers eight travel insurance plans to meet the unique needs of travelers.

• Tin Leg was founded in 2014 by the travel insurance industry experts at Squaremouth. Designed to meet the most common needs of travelers, these policies offer comprehensive Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption benefits, and a range of Emergency Medical and Medical Evacuation limits.

Tin Leg Travel Insurance is a great fit for travelers with medical issues in particular. Seven of Tin Leg's eight travel plans include coverage for pre-existing conditions as long as you purchase your policy within 15 days of your initial trip payment.

Thanks to coverage for pre-existing medical conditions as well as for potential COVID-19 infection while traveling, this company offers some of the best financial investment options for travelers who are or will be exposed to higher health risks and issues.

Read our Tin Leg Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Digital Nomads: WorldTrips Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable base plans that can be customized with add-ons including rental car, pet care, hunting and fishing, and vacation rental coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Insurance plans available for international student travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage benefit that kicks in after just five hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Pre-existing conditions waiver can be purchased within 21 days of initial trip payment
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Lower medical, evacuation and accidental death limits
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Limited, secondary baggage loss coverage although baggage protection can be upgraded at a low cost
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. No special coverages for pets, sports equipment, etc.

WorldTrips has been a reputable travel insurance provider for more than 20 years. Unsurprisingly, it boasts an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and positive reviews from thousands of customers.

• Travel medical insurance (Premium, Group, Annual, and International Student options)
• Trip cancellation insurance
• Trip protection insurance

WorldTrips Travel Insurance has affordable premiums, highly customizable add-ons, and generous coverage for core categories of travel insurance. All this makes it a great option for digital nomads, students studying abroad and backpackers.

However, travelers should keep in mind that plans are not particularly flexible, and coverage amounts are limited unless you plan ahead to pay for the areas and amounts that you need.

Read our WorldTrips Travel Insurance review here.

Best for Affordability: Trawick International Travel Insurance

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Useful for adventurous travelers headed to higher-risk destinations
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable plans with varying levels of coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. 10-day free look option
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Generous baggage loss replacement policy
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Trip delay coverage kicks in after just six hours
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Some policies allow a CFAR add-on
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Up to $1 million medical evacuation coverage limit
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Baggage and trip delay coverages don’t kick in until after the 12-hour mark
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. International student policies available for temporary stints abroad
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Complaints about claims not being paid or involving an intermediary to resolve claims

Trawick International travel insurance offers plans customized to diverse travelers' needs. We look at coverage options, claims processing, pricing, and other important factors for savvy travelers.

• Travel medical insurance
• Trip protection and cancellation
• International student insurance
• Visitor medical insurance (for traveling to the US)

Trawick International Travel Insurance is another insurance provider with robust medical travel insurance that can help higher-risk and anxious travelers find peace of mind while on the road. This company offers one of the most generous medical evacuation policies in the market, although travelers will need to remember to add on rental car coverage if they need it.

Read our Trawick Travel Insurance review here.

• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Options to cover sports equipment
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Option to increase medical coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Can cancel up to 48 hours before travel when CFAR option is purchased
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Affordable coverage for budget-conscious travelers
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Includes generous baggage delay, loss and trip delay coverage
• Check mark icon A check mark. It indicates a confirmation of your intended interaction. Optional "adventure sports" bundle available for riskier activities
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Only two insurance plans to choose from
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Medical coverage maximum is low at up to $50,000 per person
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Pricier than some competitors with lower coverage ceilings
• con icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. Some competitors offer higher medical emergency coverage

Travelex travel insurance is one of the largest travel insurance providers in the US providing domestic and international coverage options. It offers a basic, select, and America option. Read on to learn more.

• Optional CFAR insurance available with the Travel Select plan
• Trip delay insurance starting at $500 with the Travel Basic plan
• Emergency medical and dental coverage starting at $15,000

Travelex Travel Insurance  offers three plans:

• Travel Basic
• Travel Select
• Travel America

The Travelex America plan is meant for trips limited to the U.S., but it has the highest coverage limits in many areas compared to its other programs. If you're flying somewhere, the lost baggage limits are higher. Its natural strengths shine for road trippers, though. Travelex America adds coverage for roadside service and rental car coverage for unexpected accidents. It also covers pets should you be involved in an accident while on the road.

While your standard auto insurance does extend to car rentals within the U.S. for a limited time, any accident would affect future rates. Travelex would eliminate the risk of reporting to your auto insurance provider for minor incidents within its purview.

Read our Travelex Travel Insurance review  here.

Introduction to Travel Insurance

Why travel insurance is a must-have.

The unpredictable nature of traveling – from flight cancellations to medical emergencies – can turn your dream vacation into a nightmare. Travel insurance acts as a personal safeguard, ensuring that unexpected events don't drain your wallet or ruin your trip.

Understanding Different Types of Travel Insurance

Not all travel insurance policies are created equal. From single-trip travel insurance policies to annual travel insurance plans , from minimal coverage to comprehensive protection, understanding the spectrum of options is your first step in finding the right fit for your journey.

Key Features to Look for in Travel Insurance Coverage

Travel insurance for medical emergencies.

Imagine falling ill in a foreign country; daunting, right? A robust travel insurance plan ensures you don't have to worry about how much emergency medical care while traveling will cost, even in the most remote corners of the globe. This coverage will often come in tandem with emergency medical evacuation coverage.

Trip Cancellation and Interruption Benefits

Life is full of surprises, some less pleasant than others. Trip cancellation and interruption coverage ensures that you're not left out of pocket if unforeseen circumstances force you to cancel or cut your trip short. You may also look for cancel for any reason and interruption for any reason options, which will reimburse you for a percentage of your nonrefundable fees, but expands the covered reasons you can cancel a trip. You can find our guide on the best CFAR travel insurance companies here.

Coverage for Personal Belongings and Baggage Loss

Losing your belongings is more than an inconvenience; it's losing a piece of your world. Insurance that covers personal belongings and baggage loss ensures that you're compensated for your loss, helping you to rebound and continue your adventure.

Support and Assistance Services

In times of trouble, having a lifeline can make all the difference. Look for insurance that offers 24/7 support and assistance services, giving you peace of mind that help is just a phone call away. Also, check websites that field customer reviews like Trustpilot, the Better Business Bureau, and InsureMyTrip , to see how well a company responds to customer requests.

Choosing the Best Travel Insurance

Reputation and reliability of the travel insurance provider.

A provider's reputation is not just about being well-known; it's about reliability, customer satisfaction, and the ability to deliver on promises. Researching and choosing a reputable provider is a cornerstone in ensuring your safety and satisfaction.

Understanding the Policy's Fine Print

The devil is in the details, and understanding the fine print of what your travel insurance policy covers is crucial. Be aware of coverage limits, exclusions, and the process for filing a claim to avoid any unpleasant surprises.

Customer Reviews and Feedback

In the age of information, customer reviews and feedback are goldmines of insight. Learn from the experiences of others to gauge the reliability and customer service of the insurance provider you're considering. While the ratings are important, you should also look at whether or not a company responds to customer complaints.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Travel Insurance

Knowing your policy inside out.

Familiarize yourself with every aspect of your policy – what it covers, what it doesn't, how to file a claim, and who to contact in an emergency. Being informed means being prepared. 

Steps to Take When a Problem Arises

If you face an issue during your travels, knowing the immediate steps to take can make all the difference. Keep important contacts and your policy details handy, and remember, your insurance provider is there to assist you.

How to Pick the Best Travel Insurance Company for You

There isn't a one-size-fits-all policy that works perfectly for every traveler. Young, healthy solo travelers can opt for much cheaper plans that offer bare-bones coverage, while families juggling complex itineraries will do best by investing in a robust policy that can help defray any costs associated with lost baggage, delayed transportation or other trip-impeding obstacles.

That being said, you can't go wrong with a travel insurance provider that boasts a reputable history and offers a wide range of customizable plans. In some cases, you may be comparing plans that are only a few dollars' apart from each other. In such situations, you should generally opt for the insurance company that offers the strongest customer service. It's also worth considering whether or not the travel insurance provider has been reviewed by other travelers with similar itineraries to your own. 

An insurance aggregator like InsureMyTrip or Squaremouth is one of the best tools for searching travel insurance policies. Once you input the specifics of your travel itinerary, you'll be able to see hundreds of search results to compare the ones that catch your eye. If the options are too overwhelming, use the filters to the left of your search page to eliminate as many irrelevant plans as possible.

How We Reviewed the Best Travel Insurance Companies

To come up with our list of the best travel insurance companies, we evaluated each insurer based on the following factors:

Guide Methodology: What We Considered

Policy Types

Travel insurance is essential, but often underused partly because people aren't getting what they want. Business Insider's 2023 travel study showed 10.65% of travelers surveyed bought cancel for any reason insurance. Cost may be a factor, but in many cases, the coverage is more affordable than you might think. Regardless, companies must offer a diverse range of coverage options. We award five stars to companies offering all standard coverages and additional options like pet and sports equipment protection.

Our 2023 travel study indicated the majority of purchases were made through the travel provider (ex: flight protection insurance when you're purchasing your airline tickets). While these may be sufficient for some customers, we look for companies offering a more comprehensive range of services.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, the average cost of travel insurance will be between 4% and 8% of total travel expenses. Anything beyond that price point should include additional benefits beyond the standard inclusions, such as CFAR protection or upgraded medical coverage. Anything below that 4% threshold may leave you lacking important or sufficient coverage in an emergency.

Convenience and Flexibility

Whether you're an infrequent traveler or a suitcase warrior, a good travel insurance company should have you covered. In many cases, you might not even have to talk to a person in order to purchase your policy.

Many people think of travel insurance in context with specific trips, but most of these top contenders sell both single-trip and multi-trip policies, also known as annual travel insurance. Some companies also offer plans specifically designed for cruisers, students abroad, and business travelers. (Read our guide to the best cruise travel insurance companies for more details.) Finally, all of these providers offer multiple options for getting the specific areas and amounts of coverage that you want.

Claims Handling

Most travelers never have a large claim. Premiums are low, and it provides peace of mind for the just in case situations. So they leave reviews based on their reduced stress levels. But what happens if you lose your luggage or have to stay a few extra days due to an unexpected accident? Will your insurance carrier cover your claim without all the hassle? We check real customer reviews to sort this out for you.

Ease of Use and Support

When purchasing, during your trip, and throughout the claims process, you may need extra support. Does the company have a 24/7 help line? Does it have an online or mobile system allowing you to self-manage? Essentially, what are the options when you need help? We look at the big picture to evaluate the average customer experience with each company.

You can read our full insurance rating methodology for even more details.

Best Travel Insurance FAQs

There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every traveler. Determine the benefits that are most important to you, like baggage delay coverage, medical coverage, and trip delay coverage, then look for a company with solid customer ratings, especially when it comes to processing claims.

Travel insurance will pay out if you experience a covered event, such as a travel delay or delayed or lost baggage. If you're looking to get travel insurance for a specific reason, such as needing to potentially cancel your trip due to work reasons, make sure your policy will cover you in that situation before purchasing it. You should also check customer reviews to see other travelers' claims experiences, as it varies wildly from company to company.

The average cost of travel insurance is 4% to 8% of your total trip cost, so it could vary widely depending on where you're traveling and the length of your trip. Your age, the number of people in your group, and other factors can also influence how much you'll pay.

Most comprehensive travel insurance policies include travel medical coverage that can come in handy if an emergency occurs and you need medical evacuation. Some travel insurance plans offer more specialized coverage for travelers with pre-existing conditions , so shop around if medical coverage is a top priority for you. 

$100,000 should be a sufficient medical coverage limit for travel insurance. If you're planning on doing extreme sports or anything particularly risky on your trip, you may want to increase your coverage level. A high medical coverage limit is especially useful when you're purchasing cruise travel insurance, since medical evacuations are more involved at sea.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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Ukraine-Russia Peace Is as Elusive as Ever. But in 2022 They Were Talking.

Representatives from the warring nations held peace talks in the early weeks of the Russian invasion. They fizzled. Documents from those talks show why any new ones will face major obstacles.

By Anton Troianovski ,  Adam Entous and Michael Schwirtz

A draft Ukraine-Russia treaty from April 2022, published here in full for the first time.

With Russia and Ukraine locked in their third year of all-out war, there is no clear path to military victory for either side. Nor are there immediate prospects for a ceasefire and an eventual peace plan, with both sides sticking to irreconcilable positions.

Yet the issues that would need to be tackled in any future peace settlement are evident, and in fact were at the center of negotiations two years ago that explored peace terms in remarkable detail.

Documents reviewed by The New York Times shed light on the points of disagreement that would have to be overcome.

The documents emerged from negotiating sessions that took place in the weeks after the start of the war, from February to April of 2022. It was the only time that Ukrainian and Russian officials are known to have engaged in direct peace talks.

The talks failed as both sides dug in on the battlefield, but not before negotiators produced multiple drafts of a treaty that was supposed to guarantee Ukraine’s future security while fulfilling some of President Vladimir V. Putin’s demands.

Today, even with hundreds of thousands dead and wounded, Moscow and Kyiv appear further from peace than at any other time since the full-scale invasion. On Friday, Mr. Putin said Russia would agree to a ceasefire only if Ukraine handed over four regions the Kremlin has declared part of Russia and dropped its NATO aspirations. It was essentially a demand for capitulation, which the Ukrainian government immediately denounced.

Ukraine’s current demands — a withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory — also appear unrealistic given Mr. Putin’s apparent resolve and his army’s current advantages. This includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Mr. Putin annexed in 2014 in a swift operation that he considers central to his legacy.

But at some point, both sides could return to the negotiating table again — a scenario that is expected to be discussed as Ukraine gathers scores of countries, though not Russia, for a peace conference in Switzerland this weekend. If and when Ukraine and Russia resume direct negotiations, the issues raised in the documents produced at the start of the war, including the status of occupied Ukrainian territories and Ukraine’s future security guarantees, would remain relevant.

Russia initially wanted Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia.

“Ukraine recognizes the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as an integral part (subjects) of the Russian Federation and, in this regard, shall make comprehensive changes to the national legislation.”

By April 15, both sides agreed to exclude Crimea from their treaty — leaving it under Russian occupation but without Ukraine recognizing it.

“Paragraph 1 of Article 2 and Articles 4, 5 and 11 of this Treaty shall not apply to Crimea and Sevastopol.”

An examination of the documents shows that the two sides clashed over issues including weapons levels, the terms of Ukraine’s potential membership in the European Union, and specific Ukrainian laws on language and culture that Russia wanted repealed. Ukraine’s negotiators offered to forgo NATO membership, and to accept Russian occupation of parts of their territory. But they refused to recognize Russian sovereignty over them.

Ukraine proposed never joining NATO or other alliances.

“Ukraine does not join any military alliances, does not deploy foreign military bases and contingents …”

Russia demanded that Ukraine make Russian an official language.

“Ukraine, within 30 (thirty) days after signing this Treaty, shall remove all restrictions on the use of the Russian language in any area in accordance with Annex 2.”

Russia, stunned by the fierce resistance Ukraine was putting up, seemed open to such a deal, but eventually balked at its critical component: an arrangement binding other countries to come to Ukraine’s defense if it were ever attacked again.

The Sticking Points That Kept Russia and Ukraine Apart

Documents from 2022 shed new light on what prevented Ukraine and Russia from ending the war — and what would complicate a future negotiation.

At the time, little about these peace negotiations was known, and what has leaked out in the two years since has been shoehorned into wartime talking points by each side. Mr. Putin contends the West pressured Ukraine to reject a peace deal; Ukraine's Foreign Ministry says that “if Russia wanted peace in 2022, why had it attacked Ukraine in the first place?”

The Times is publishing the documents it obtained in full. They are treaty drafts dated March 17 and April 15, 2022, showing the two sides’ competing proposals and points of agreement; and a private “communiqué” at in-person talks in Istanbul on March 29 that summarized the proposed deal.

The documents were provided by Ukrainian, Russian and European sources, and confirmed as authentic by participants in the talks and other people close to them. Some aspects of these documents have emerged , but most of the material has not been previously disclosed.

In addition to reviewing the documents, The Times spent months interviewing more than a dozen Ukrainian, Russian and Western current and former officials and others close to the talks; they include three members of Ukraine’s negotiating team. Many spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the negotiations.

“We managed to find a very real compromise,” Oleksandr Chalyi, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team, said at a panel discussion in Geneva last December. “We were very close in the middle of April, in the end of April, to finalize our war with some peaceful settlement.”

The Talks Begin

On Feb. 28, 2022, aides to Poland’s president met a group of senior Ukrainian officials at the border and ferried them by helicopter to a military base near Belarus. The Ukrainians then entered Belarus on their own and met a delegation of Russians led by an adviser to Mr. Putin, Vladimir Medinsky.

It was an unusual moment in the history of warfare: the start of direct talks between the invaders and the invaded, just days after Europe’s biggest war of aggression in three generations had begun.

Some of the Ukrainian negotiators who spoke to The Times thought that Mr. Putin had come to the table so quickly because he never expected his army to stumble so spectacularly. But as far as they could tell, the Russians sitting across from them had little sense of how badly their troops were doing.

Ukraine’s defense minister, Oleksii Reznikov, third from right; with an adviser to President Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Medinsky, and a Russian official, Leonid Slutsky, in Belarus. The photo was released by Belarusian state media.

BeITA, via Shutterstock

When Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister at the time, said his side had tallied 3,000 Russian soldiers killed in action, Mr. Medinsky appeared surprised and looked over at the top Russian military official at the table.

“No, we only have 80 soldiers” killed, the military official, Aleksandr Fomin, said, Mr. Reznikov recalled.

The negotiators soon shifted to video calls, with the Ukrainians dialing in from a conference room at Mr. Zelensky’s presidential offices, Ukrainian negotiators said, or, a few times, from an underground bunker.

Ukraine made a significant concession: it was ready to become a “permanently neutral state” that would never join NATO or allow foreign forces to be based on its soil. The offer seemed to address Mr. Putin’s core grievance — that the West, in the Kremlin’s narrative, was trying to use Ukraine to destroy Russia.

An Early Draft

Though the two sides engaged in regular video sessions after meeting in Belarus, a treaty draft dated March 17 shows how far apart they remained. The Times reviewed an English-language version that Ukraine provided to Western governments.

Ukraine sought Russia’s assent to international “security guarantees,” by which other countries — including Ukrainian allies who would also sign the agreement — would come to its defense should it be attacked again. It wanted the treaty to apply to Ukraine’s “internationally recognized borders,” even as Russian troops were still trying to take Kyiv.

Ukraine wanted its allies to be treaty-bound to intervene if it was attacked again, such as by…

“…closing airspace over Ukraine, providing necessary weapons, using armed forces in order to restore and subsequently maintain the security of Ukraine as a permanently neutral state.”

The Russian team wanted Ukraine and every other treaty signatory to cancel the sanctions against Moscow they had been levying since 2014 and to publicly call on other countries to do the same. Ukraine was to cede its entire eastern Donbas region and recognize Crimea as part of Russia. A seven-point list targeted Ukraine’s national identity, including a ban on naming places after Ukrainian independence fighters.

The latter demand illustrated one of Mr. Putin’s stated rationales for going to war: he had described Ukraine as an artificial country that should be considered part of Russia.

Russia’s treaty proposals read like a laundry list of Kremlin demands, including that Kyiv-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine be ceded to Russia’s proxy “people’s republics.”

“Ukraine recognizes the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic within the administrative boundaries of the former Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine and, in this regard, shall introduce comprehensive changes to the national legislation.”

“Ukraine shall cancel and henceforth not impose, and also shall publicly call on all states and international organizations to cancel and henceforth not impose, any and all sanctions and restrictive measures imposed since 2014 against the Russian Federation.”

“Ban, with the introduction of criminal liability, the glorification and propaganda in any form of Nazism and neo-Nazism, the Nazi movement and organizations associated therewith, including holding public demonstrations and processions, construction of monuments and memorials and naming toponyms, in particular, streets, settlements and other geographical objects.”

The draft included limits on the size of the Ukrainian armed forces and the number of tanks, artillery batteries, warships and combat aircraft the country could have in its arsenal. The Ukrainians were prepared to accept such caps, but sought much higher limits.

A former senior U.S. official who was briefed on the negotiations, noting how Russian forces were being repelled across northern Ukraine, said Mr. Putin seemed to be “salivating” at the deal.

American officials were alarmed at the terms. In meetings with their Ukrainian counterparts, the senior official recalled, “We quietly said, ‘You understand this is unilateral disarmament, right?’”

Pro-Russian demonstrators in front of seized government building in Simferopol, Crimea, in 2014.

Sergey Ponomarev for The New York Times

Leaders in Poland — early and strong supporters of Ukraine — feared that Germany or France might try to persuade the Ukrainians to accept Russia’s terms, according to a European diplomat, and wanted to prevent that from happening.

To that end, when Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, met with NATO leaders in Brussels on March 24, he held up the March 17 text, said the diplomat, who was present.

“Which of you would sign it?” Mr. Duda asked his counterparts, the diplomat said.

None of the NATO leaders spoke up.

A Breakthrough in Istanbul?

A few days later, on March 29, Russia and Ukraine’s representatives met at an Istanbul palace on the Bosporus. To some, the talks felt like a breakthrough driven by Russia’s battlefield struggles.

After each military setback, a member of Ukraine’s negotiating team said, Mr. Putin “reduced his demands.”

A photo released by the Turkish government showed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the opening of Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul in March 2022.

Murat Cetin Muhurdar/Turkish Presidential Press Service, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In Istanbul, the Russians seemed to endorse Ukraine’s model of neutrality and security guarantees and put less emphasis on their territorial demands. Afterward, Mr. Medinsky, Russia’s lead negotiator, said Ukraine’s offer of neutrality meant it was “ready to fulfill those principal demands that Russia insisted on for all the past years.”

Ukraine summarized the proposed deal in a two-page document it called the Istanbul Communiqué, which it never published. The status of Crimea was to be decided over a 10- or 15-year period, with Ukraine promising not to try to retake the peninsula by force; Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin would meet in person to finalize a peace treaty and strike a deal on how much Ukrainian territory Russia would continue to occupy.

Zelensky and Putin would meet to hash out final differences, according to the discussions in Istanbul.

“The parties consider it possible to hold a meeting on ... ... 2022 between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia with the aim to sign an agreement and/or make political decisions regarding the remaining unresolved issues.”

The communiqué, provided to The Times by a Ukrainian negotiator, described a mechanism in which other countries would intervene militarily if Ukraine were attacked again — a concept that the Ukrainians pointedly designated as Article 5, a reference to the mutual defense agreement in Article 5 of the NATO treaty.

To the Ukrainians, binding security guarantees were at the core of a potential peace deal that multiple countries would sign on to.

“Possible guarantor states: Great Britain, China, Russia, the United States, France, Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, Israel.”

“The Guarantor States and Ukraine agree that in the event of aggression, any armed attack on Ukraine or any military operation against Ukraine, each of the Guarantor States, after urgent and immediate consultations between them … will provide … assistance to Ukraine, as a permanently neutral state under attack…”

But Russian officials sent mixed signals in public on whether the Kremlin was really ready to sign onto the deal. The Russians and Ukrainians returned to hourslong negotiating sessions by video call, exchanging treaty drafts via WhatsApp, negotiators said.

In early April, after Russia withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv, images of massacred civilians in the suburb of Bucha, some with their hands tied with white cloth, shocked the world. For Ukrainians, the idea that their country could strike a compromise with Russia seemed more remote than ever.

But Mr. Zelensky, visiting Bucha on April 4, said the talks would go on, even as Russia dismissed the Bucha atrocities as a staged “provocation.”

Bodies in Bucha being taken away for forensic examination in April 2022.

Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times

“Colleagues, I spoke to RA,” Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Davyd Arakhamia, wrote on April 10 in a WhatsApp message to the Ukrainian team. “He spoke yesterday for an hour and a half with his boss.”

“RA” was Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who played a behind-the-scenes role in the talks. His “boss,” Mr. Putin, was urging the negotiators to concentrate on the key issues and work through them quickly, Mr. Arakhamia wrote. (A member of the WhatsApp group showed that message and others to reporters for The Times.)

A spokesperson for Mr Abramovich said his role “was limited to introducing representatives from both parties to each other” and that following that initial stage, he “was not involved in the process.”

Mr. Arakhamia’s message suggested that Mr. Putin was micromanaging not only Russia’s invasion, but also its peace talks. At another point, Russia’s lead negotiator, Mr. Medinsky, interrupted a video conference by claiming that Mr. Putin was phoning him directly.

“The boss is calling,” Mr. Medinsky said, according to two Ukrainian negotiators.

Mr. Putin’s involvement and intentions during the 2022 talks were subjects of debate in Kyiv and Washington, Ukrainian and American officials said. Was he truly interested in a deal? Or was he merely trying to bog Ukraine down while his troops regrouped?

There were signs that Mr. Putin was micromanaging not only the Russian invasion but also the peace talks.

Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times

“We didn’t know if Putin was serious,” said the former senior U.S. official. “We couldn’t tell, on either side of the fence, whether these people who were talking were empowered.”

One Ukrainian negotiator said he believed the negotiations were a bluff on Mr. Putin’s part, but two others described them as serious.

On April 15, five days after Mr. Abramovich told the Ukrainians about his meeting with Mr. Putin, the Russian negotiators sent a 17-page draft treaty to their president’s desk.

Sticking Points

Similar to the month-earlier version, the April 15 draft includes text in red highlighting issues in dispute. But such markings are almost entirely absent from the treaty’s first pages, where points of agreement emerged.

Negotiators agreed that Ukraine would declare itself permanently neutral, though it would be allowed to join the European Union.

Russia dropped its earlier objections to Ukraine’s full-fledged E.U. membership.

“The Parties to this Treaty share the understanding that Ukraine's status as a permanently neutral state is, subject to the provisions of this Treaty, compatible with Ukraine's possible membership in the European Union.”

Much of the treaty would “not apply” to Crimea and another to-be-determined swath of Ukraine — meaning that Kyiv would accept Russian occupation of part of its territory without recognizing Russian sovereignty over it.

But crucial sticking points remained. Russia wanted the firing range of Ukraine’s missiles to be limited to 25 miles, while Ukraine wanted 174 miles — enough to hit targets across Crimea. Russia still wanted Ukraine to repeal laws related to language and national identity, and to pull back Ukrainian troops as part of a cease-fire.

Russia’s ceasefire proposal declared that Ukraine would need to withdraw its troops on its own territory.

“Ukraine carries out the withdrawal (return) of units of its armed forces, other armed formations, weapons and military equipment to places of permanent deployment or to places agreed upon with the Russian Federation.”

The biggest problem, however, came in Article 5. It stated that, in the event of another armed attack on Ukraine, the “guarantor states” that would sign the treaty — Great Britain, China, Russia, the United States and France — would come to Ukraine’s defense.

A military vehicle making its way toward the Polish border from Germany for NATO exercises in April.

Laetitia Vancon for The New York Times

To the Ukrainians’ dismay, there was a crucial departure from what Ukrainian negotiators said was discussed in Istanbul. Russia inserted a clause saying that all guarantor states, including Russia, had to approve the response if Ukraine were attacked. In effect, Moscow could invade Ukraine again and then veto any military intervention on Ukraine’s behalf — a seemingly absurd condition that Kyiv quickly identified as a dealbreaker.

Russia tried to secure a veto on Ukraine’s security guarantees by inserting a clause requiring unanimous consent.

“The Guarantor States and Ukraine agree that in the event of an armed attack on Ukraine, each of the Guarantor States … on the basis of a decision agreed upon by all Guarantor States , will provide … assistance to Ukraine, as a permanently neutral state under attack…”

With that change, a member of the Ukrainian negotiating team said, “we had no interest in continuing the talks.”

Two years later, there are still no signs that Russia and Ukraine might return to the negotiating table. At a Swiss resort this weekend, Mr. Zelensky will seek to persuade dignitaries from about 100 countries and organizations, including Vice President Kamala Harris, that victory remains realistic.

Russia is not invited, and China, its most powerful partner, opted not to attend . Mr. Zelensky has pledged to keep fighting, describing his peace plan as one in which Russia withdraws from all of Ukraine’s territory, pays reparations and is punished for war crimes.

“If we don’t make progress this year, then we will try again next year,” Mr. Zelensky privately told a European counterpart recently, according to a European diplomat who was present. “And if we don’t make progress next year, we will try again the following year, and the one after that.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine is to meet with dignitaries from over 100 countries and organizations in Switzerland this weekend.

Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times

Mr. Putin in recent months stepped up efforts to stoke Western divisions by portraying peace as having been within reach in 2022 — and saying he was prepared to restart those talks. Ukraine’s leaders have dismissed Mr. Putin’s statements on the subject as deception.

“Putin is a habitual liar, and his recent rants are no exception,” Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Mr. Putin shifted to a harder line on Friday, insisting that he would order a cease-fire and negotiate only if Ukraine withdrew from the four regions that Moscow has claimed as its own and dropped its aspirations to join NATO.

Even before Mr. Putin’s latest demand, experts said it was hard to imagine going back to the kind of deal discussed in 2022. Ukraine is more determined than ever to join NATO, a message it will reinforce when leaders of the alliance meet in Washington next month.

Instead, the more likely end to the fighting could be an uneasy truce. Marc Weller, a Cambridge international law professor who specializes in peace negotiations, said he expected leading Western countries to focus on defending Ukraine’s future battle line with Russia “rather than seek accommodation across it.”

“The Iron Curtain will now fall on the line of occupation administered by the Russians across Ukraine,” Mr. Weller said.

Original documents

To omit identifying markings, these documents have been retyped to resemble the originals. Typographical errors in the original documents have been retained.

March 17, 2022, treaty draft An early draft of a Ukraine-Russia treaty. The document is an English translation that Ukraine provided to Western governments at the time. [ English ]

March 29, 2022, Istanbul Communiqué The proposed agreement that was discussed at in-person talks in Istanbul, as summarized by Ukrainian negotiators. [ English translation ] [ Russian original ]

April 15, 2022, treaty draft A later draft of a Ukraine-Russia treaty. The document’s header shows this was a version that landed on President Vladimir Putin’s desk. The map referred to as Annex 6 is not included. [ English translation ] [ Russian original ]

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Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

President Biden and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, announced that a record number of allies were meeting their military spending commitments  as they sought to present a united front against Russia.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia will visit North Korea  for a meeting with its leader, Kim Jong-un, as the two countries deepen military ties to support Putin’s war in Ukraine with North Korean weapons .

Scores of countries at a two-day summit in Switzerland joined Ukraine in calling for “dialogue between all parties” to end the war , but world leaders were divided on how to engage Russia.

Narrowing Press Freedoms: Journalists in Ukraine say they are subject to increasing restrictions and pressure from the government , adding that the measures go beyond wartime security needs.

Images From the Border: Photographs from two trips along Ukraine’s northeastern border regions, in the months before Russia renewed an offensive there, reveal loss and transformation .

A Russian City Adapts:  While in Moscow the fighting feels far away, residents of Belgorod, 25 miles from the border with Ukraine, have learned to duck for cover when the sirens wail .

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The 18 Cheapest Places to Travel in 2022

Plan an exciting vacation without spending an arm and a leg.

Looking to catch a cheap flight this year? Kayak , one of the world's leading travel search engines, shared with Travel + Leisure a list of the cheapest places to travel this year.

To determine the most wallet-friendly destinations, Kayak analyzed the searches for flights from Nov. 20, 2020, through Nov. 19, 2021, for travel between Jan. 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022. Kayak then considered the top 100 most-clicked destinations with the lowest average flight price, excluding outliers based on criteria such as travel restrictions and security concerns.

Fly against the grain and get rewarded with major savings.

Unsurprisingly, Mexico makes the list of the cheapest places to travel in 2022. The country has long ranked as an affordable and easy-to-reach destination for many Americans; reasonably priced direct flights are abundant.

Within Mexico, San José del Cabo (in Baja California Sur), Puerto Vallarta, and Cancún come out on top as the cheapest places to fly, with January being the most affordable month to visit for each. Fortunately, January is nothing short of glorious in each of these beachy destinations — warm, balmy, and filled with rich colors, textures, and flavors to beat the winter blues.

Searching for a city break instead of a beach retreat? Mexico City, with its rich Aztec heritage and generous smattering of museums, is another affordable option in Mexico. May is the cheapest month to book a flight there.

Chicago, Illinois

Who wants to visit Chicago in winter? You will, once you see the rock-bottom prices you can score in January and all there is to do in this Midwest winter wonderland. Spend an afternoon on the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon, then warm up with a slice of deep-dish pizza.

Colombia is a beloved travel destination for its rich history, vibrant culture, and mouthwatering food. It's also well priced against what many Americans are used to paying for, say, a fresh arepa and cup of Colombian coffee.

February is the least expensive month to fly to the country's capital, Bogotá. The weather here is chilly, but not too cold to stroll the painstakingly maintained Bogotá Botanical Garden, which dates back to 1955 and is filled with almost 20,000 plants (and costs just over $1 USD to enter).

In January, head to Cartagena, a port city on the country's Caribbean coast. You don't have to spend much to enjoy your time here — simply walking the picturesque streets is enough for most visitors.

Nashville, Tennessee

There's a reason bachelorette parties and reunions of every sort flock in droves to the Music City — it's not hard to have a boot-scootin' time on a budget. Mural-hopping is free, hot chicken will only set you back a few bucks, and there's lots of live music to be heard (free of cover charge) along Honky Tonk Highway . January is the cheapest month to book.

New York City, New York

New York City isn't known for being a cheap destination, but go in January and you'll get the best prices they've got. The city never sleeps, but it does slow down during the cold winter months — the perfect time for you to swoop in and take advantage of the decreased demand for flights and hotel rooms. Plus, there are plenty of free things to do in New York City , too.

Mexico isn't our only neighboring country with deals aplenty — Canada also makes for an easy getaway, with well-priced flights widely available from most of the U.S.

In Montréal, Quebec, the must-try food is the steamé — the city's take on a hot dog — served steamed in a side-loading bun (which is also steamed). It's the perfect food to gobble up during freezing February, when the flights are cheapest. Best of all, each delicious (and filling) hot dog will only set you back a couple of dollars.

February is also the cheapest month to fly to Toronto, Ontario. The weather may make you leery, but don't let it: During February, the annual installation of art and lights, known as the Toronto Light Festival (totally free), takes place in the walkable and historic Distillery District. It's also a good time for The Bentway Skate Trail under the Gardiner Expressway overpass, which will set you back only $5.

And while Vancouver, British Columbia, is gorgeous in the summertime, January is the cheapest month to fly there. Take the ferry for an affordable "tour" of the city from the water.

Atlanta, Georgia

Jackson Vance/Travel + Leisure

Atlanta has all the big-city perks at prices far more wallet-friendly than most of its counterparts. Splurge on a SkyView Ferris wheel ride for views of Centennial Olympic Park and beyond, and go in January for the lowest possible prices. There are lots of things to do in Atlanta during this time of year, from visiting the marine animals at the Georgia Aquarium to learning about local history at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Baltimore, Maryland

Head to Charm City this year to keep costs low and still have a memorable travel experience. Chilly January may be the cheapest month to visit, but luckily, you can still check out places like the Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens ($5 donation encouraged) in the urban oasis of Druid Hill Park.

San José, Costa Rica

The capital and largest city of Costa Rica, San José is a must-visit for any intrepid traveler. Expect Victorian mansions, nightlife in El Pueblo, lots of culture, and surrounding historic coffee plantations.

Check out the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum for a glimpse into what it might look like to have an unlimited jewelry budget. Admission is $15 for non-residents, but offers access to more than 1,500 gold objects and artifacts. Head to San José in May for the cheapest airfare to this lively (and affordable) city.

Dallas, Texas

This year, visit Dallas outside of Cowboys football season — like in January, when prices are at their lowest. During this time, you can expect more reasonable rates, but still get in on the sports action by catching a home game for the Mavericks (basketball) or the Stars (hockey).

Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be, but if you prefer to devote the majority of your dollars to slots and shows rather than airfare and accommodations, go in January. Just don't expect hot temps, as even the desert gets cold in the winter. Here are some more tips to keep in mind and mistakes to avoid on your next trip to Sin City.

Panama City, Panama

Panama City, the capital of Panama, is an impressively modern Central American destination framed by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Panama Canal on another — best viewable from the Miraflores Locks. Visit in January for great flight deals, and don't miss the cobblestone streets of historic Casco Viejo.

Tampa, Florida

Florida as a destination is hotter than ever, but Tampa isn't as inundated with crowds as the state's other major cities — plus, its location on the western coast promises gorgeous sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. Go in January for a good deal, warm (but not sweltering) temps, and plenty of sunshine.

Hamilton, Bermuda

If January's chill has you dreaming of pink-sand beaches, you're in luck, as it's a great month to visit Bermuda. Fly into Hamilton and stroll Front Street for a peek at the pastel buildings that are iconic to this glitzy British island territory, but stick to window-shopping if you want to keep your trip cheap. Biking and beach-hopping are the name of the game here.

Boston, Massachusetts

January may be the cheapest month to fly to Boston, but it's not the best season for strolling its idyllic Common or touring the Freedom Trail. Luckily, many stops along the historic route are indoors — and cheap (like the Paul Revere House, which is just $6 per adult).

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is another popular destination for American travelers. January is the least expensive month to visit the two most affordable cities to fly into: Santo Domingo and Punta Cana.

Though Santo Domingo is the country's capital, it doesn't have to be an expensive visit. Take in the architecture that dates back to the late 1400s and stroll the Colonial Zone for a memorable (and free) experience.

Punta Cana, on the other hand, is known as a tourist hot spot with plenty of resorts (and ways to spend lots of money). However, some of life's greatest treasures — like sandy beaches and waterfall hikes — are as free in Punta Cana as they are anywhere else.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

You don't need a passport to fly to St. Thomas, but you'll have a hard time believing this jaw-dropping, colorful island is technically U.S. soil. Make sure to visit Magens Bay, climb the 99 Steps in Charlotte Amalie, and marvel at the sheer blueness of the water surrounding this popular cruise ship port. Go in January for the best flight prices; you'll be glad for the savings when you see what accommodations cost on this luxurious island.

Denver, Colorado

Denver has a ton to do, even in January, which is the cheapest month to visit. Hitting the slopes is hard to do at a discount (unless you go in the summer to hike instead of ski), but at least you'll save money on airfare if you visit Denver during this snowy month.

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First stage · Group A

CFPB Proposes to Ban Medical Bills from Credit Reports

Rule would remove as much as $49 billion of medical debts that unjustly lowers credit scores for 15 million Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today proposed a rule that would remove medical bills from most credit reports, increase privacy protections, help to increase credit scores and loan approvals, and prevent debt collectors from using the credit reporting system to coerce people to pay. The proposal would stop credit reporting companies from sharing medical debts with lenders and prohibit lenders from making lending decisions based on medical information. The proposed rule is part of the CFPB’s efforts to address the burden of medical debt and coercive credit reporting practices.

"The CFPB is seeking to end the senseless practice of weaponizing the credit reporting system to coerce patients into paying medical bills that they do not owe,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra. "Medical bills on credit reports too often are inaccurate and have little to no predictive value when it comes to repaying other loans."

In 2003, Congress restricted lenders from obtaining or using medical information, including information about debts, through the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. However, federal agencies subsequently issued a special regulatory exception to allow creditors to use medical debts in their credit decisions.

The CFPB is proposing to close the regulatory loophole that has kept vast amounts of medical debt information in the credit reporting system. The proposed rule would help ensure that medical information does not unjustly damage credit scores, and would help keep debt collectors from coercing payments for inaccurate or false medical bills.

The CFPB’s research reveals that a medical bill on a person’s credit report is not a good predicter of whether they will repay a loan. In fact, the CFPB’s analysis shows that medical debts penalize consumers by making underwriting decisions less accurate and leading to thousands of denied applications on mortgages that consumers would repay. Since these are loans people will repay, the CFPB expects lenders will also benefit from improved underwriting and increased volume of safe loan approvals. In terms of mortgages, the CFPB expects the proposed rule would lead to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional, safe mortgages every year.

In December 2014, the CFPB released a report showing that medical debts provide less predictive value to lenders than other debts on credit reports. Then in March 2022, the CFPB released a report estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. In that report, the CFPB announced that it would assess whether credit reports should include data on unpaid medical bills.

Since the March 2022 report, the three nationwide credit reporting conglomerates – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – announced that they would take many of those bills off credit reports, and FICO and VantageScore, the two major credit scoring companies, have decreased the degree to which medical bills impact a consumer’s score.

Despite these voluntary industry changes, 15 million Americans still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system. The complex nature of medical billing, insurance coverage and reimbursement, and collections means that medical debts that continue to be reported are often inaccurate or inflated. Additionally, the changes by FICO and VantageScore have not eliminated the credit score difference between people with and without medical debt on their credit reports. We expect that Americans with medical debt on their credit reports will see their credit scores rise by 20 points, on average, if today’s proposed rule is finalized.

Under the current system, debt collectors improperly use the credit reporting system to coerce people to pay debts they may not owe. Many debt collectors engage in a practice known as “debt parking,” where they purchase medical debt then place it on credit reports, often without the consumer’s knowledge. When consumers apply for credit, they may discover that a medical bill is hindering their ability to get a loan. Consumers may then feel forced to pay the medical bill in order to improve their credit score and be approved for a loan, regardless of the debt’s validity.

Specifically, the proposed rule, if finalized would:

• Eliminate the special medical debt exception: The proposed rule would remove the exception that broadly permits lenders to obtain and use information about medical debt to make credit eligibility determinations. Lenders would continue to be able to consider medical information related to disability income and similar benefits, as well as medical information relevant to the purpose of the loan, so long as certain conditions are met.
• Establish guardrails for credit reporting companies: The proposed rule would prohibit credit reporting companies from including medical debt on credit reports sent to creditors when creditors are prohibited from considering it.
• Ban repossession of medical devices: The proposed rule would prohibit lenders from taking medical devices as collateral for a loan, and bans lenders from repossessing medical devices, like wheelchairs or prosthetic limbs, if people are unable to repay the loan.

The CFPB began today’s rulemaking in September 2023 with the goals of ending coercive debt collection practices and limiting the role of medical debt in the credit reporting system. The CFPB additionally published in 2022 a report describing the extensive and debilitating effects of medical debt along with a bulletin on the No Surprises Act to remind credit reporting companies and debt collectors of their legal responsibilities under that legislation.

Read today’s proposed rule, Prohibition on Creditors and Consumer Reporting Agencies Concerning Medical Information (Regulation V) .

Read the Unofficial Redline of the Prohibition on Creditors and Consumer Reporting Agencies Concerning Medical Information (Regulation V) .

Comments must be received on or before August 12, 2024.

Learn more about Credit Reporting Requirements and the CFPB’s work on medical debt .

Consumers can submit credit reporting complaints, or complaints about financial products or services, by visiting the CFPB’s website or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372 ).

Employees who believe their company has violated federal consumer financial protection laws are encouraged to send information about what they know to [email protected] .

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that implements and enforces Federal consumer financial law and ensures that markets for consumer financial products are fair, transparent, and competitive. For more information, visit www.consumerfinance.gov .

More From Forbes

The 22 best places to travel in the u.s. in 2022.

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What’s on your travel list for 2022? For the past two years, with many borders closed around the globe, Americans have been rediscovering destinations in our own backyard. As a result, domestic travel has never been stronger—or more exciting. According to recent data from Destination Analysts , 87.2% of Americans are planning a vacation in the next 12 months. “While the road to full recovery may be longer than we would like, we are already looking far beyond the pandemic to a brighter, more globally competitive, sustainable, diverse and innovative future for the whole of the U.S. travel industry,” says Tori Emerson Barnes , executive vice president of public affairs and policy for the U.S. Travel Association.

Note: This story is from 2022. To read about the best places to travel right now, see “The Best Places To Travel In The U.S. In 2023, According To The Experts”

Every year, I round up the best places to visit in the U.S. and around the world. This year, in honor of Women’s History Month in March, I tapped into leading women travel experts and influencers to find out the best places to travel in America in 2022. I also opened my own little black book to give a sneak peek at the destinations that I’m most excited about. The picks are vast, from buzzing cities to mountain getaways to some up-and-coming locations that you might not know—but that you’ll want to put on your own travel wish list.

Timbers Kauai at Hokuala on Kauai, one of the top places to go in 2022.

For those of you who want to explore beyond the U.S., check out “The 22 Best Places To Travel Around The World In 2022,” where travel experts select the year’s most compelling destinations, from Europe to Africa and beyond.

And a note: Travel in the U.S. is still in a state of flux. So if you’re planning a trip anywhere these days, you should check travel restrictions for the destination you are hoping to visit and consider warnings from the CDC .

Best Travel Insurance Companies

Best covid-19 travel insurance plans, the best places to travel in the u.s. in 2022.

Biking in Alaska—one of the best places to travel in the U.S. in 2022.

Where: Alaska

Chosen By: Laura Cole, Top Chef season 15 alum, three-time nominee for a James Beard Best Chef Northwest award and owner of 229 Parks in Denali National Park.

Why: Alaska has always been popular as a cruising destination, but 2022 is the year to get out and explore on land. “Travel throughout the state is allowing people like myself to explore Alaska through the lens of both adventure and food, enjoying fishing, farming and foraging,” says Cole.

Luxury lodges with new year-round experiences include Tordrillo Mountain Lodge on Judd Lake, Eagle’s Nest by Third Edge Heli overlooking the Knik Arm in Wasilla and Sheldon Chalet in Denali National Park, as well as luxury tour operators like Pelorus offering experiences to see rare wildlife and wonderful landscapes in remote Alaska.

“I highly recommend visiting Sheldon Chalet in 2022 as they now offer ice cavern exploration in Denali National Park and you can see the aurora from the comfort of your bed from September through April,” says Cole. “It is a truly unique and life-altering place that connects the awe and scope of Denali and the extreme of the range; fosters a connection to natural splendor, engineering and architecture; and allows visitors to indulge through food, wine, hospitality and Alaska history.”

In other exciting Alaska news: This May will see the release of Sanctity of Space , a new movie that will share the adventures of alpinists Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson as they explore the Moose’s Tooth and the history and wonders of Denali National Park, giving a great perspective on the last frontier.

Mia Herman in Los Olivos, a town in the Santa Ynez Valley—one of the best places to travel in 2022.

Where to Go: Santa Ynez Valley, California

Chosen By: A self-described “California girl making her way around the world,” Mia Herman is a writer, traveler, eater, drinker and part-time flight attendant. Follow along on her journey at @travelwithmia or travelwithmia.com .

Why : Made famous by the movie Sideways , the Santa Ynez Valley is the buzzing wine region for 2022. It’s best known for the Danish-themed village of Solvang, but there are also plenty of other small towns connected by rural roads, sprawling farms and vineyards—all just two hours north of Los Angeles. “The Santa Ynez Valley feels like classic California wine country, but with a more laid-back, approachable vibe,” says Herman. “It’s less crowded than the other wine regions and still feels like an undiscovered secret, making it the perfect go-to for new wine enthusiasts and devoted wine lovers alike.”

Besides the wine, the food here is spectacular. “Many chefs moved to the area in recent years, and this influx of diverse artistry coupled with the chef-inspired local agriculture allows the Santa Ynez Valley to rival any metropolitan city,” says Herman, who calls the smoked brisket sammie at Industrial Eats in Buellton a “don’t miss.” Other essential stops: Casa Dumetz Wines , Babi’s Beer Emporium and (dim)SAMA in Los Alamos, “which is worth the trip in and of itself.”

Where to go when it’s time to put your feet up? “At Hotel Ynez , you’re in the middle of it all (minutes from Solvang), but you’re tucked away in your own little oasis with a rustic outdoor pavilion, fire pits and a private patio with a hammock,” says Herman. Coming soon: The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern, Auberge Resorts Collection , opening this spring in an 1880’s stagecoach stop in Los Olivos. The historic site is being reimagined with a modern farmhouse design set amid acres of old-growth palm trees.

The new Sensei Porcupine Creek in Palm Springs.

Where to Go: Palm Springs, California

Chosen By: Melissa Curtin is a freelance travel and food writer who madly loves California. She is the founder of LaLaScoop.com . Follow her adventures at @lalascoop

Why: Long revered as California’s resort oasis and a hub for arts and design, Greater Palm Springs is the desert hot spot for 2022. “I adore Palm Springs for the peace and quiet, the nonstop fun you can easily seek out and the perpetual sunshine,” says Curtin. “Palm Springs feels like a small community, but has the culture and vibrancy of a large city. There is always something new to discover.”

In 2022, Greater Palm Springs will welcome a number of new hotels and resorts. “I’m super excited about several new properties coming to the desert this year like the 14-room Azure Sky and Hotel ZOSO ’s revamped design and refresh, with a new food and beverage program.” Also on the horizon: Sensei Porcupine Creek , Hermann Bungalows and The Paloma Resort, each offering their own unique vibes, from ultra-luxe to wellness-minded.

From Coachella to the BNP Paribas Open, world-renowned events are also coming back on the scene and better than ever. “ Modernism Week has expanded to offer more special programming and exclusive tours and events by extending dates to other months like May 12-15 this year,” says Curtin. “Plus, a new Modernism Museum highlighting the best of the modernist era from the 50s to the early 70s is coming soon as an inspirational modernist hub.”

Additionally, in late 2022, the new Coachella Valley Arena will open, serving as the future home of the Seattle Kraken’s American Hockey League (AHL), residencies and major concerts. Another exciting arrival: “Soon surfing in the desert will be possible as the Palm Springs Surf Club arrives—designed by surfers for surfers,” says Curtin.

Exploring the peaks of Aspen in ASPENX gear.

Where to Go: Aspen, Colorado

Chosen By: Katie Jackson has somehow made a living as a full-time travel writer since 2015 when an African safari turned into seven years of living out of a suitcase. In between trips, she can be found recuperating in Montana. She shares her adventures, and misadventures, on IG @katietalkstravel .

Why: Aspen has always been on the map but, from a celebratory standpoint, 2022 is special as Aspen Snowmass turns 75 years old. New this year is ASPENX —a performance product line by artist and innovator Paula Crown (the Crown family owns Aspen Snowmass). Visitors can rent ASPENX equipment and partake in its unique experiences like a chef’s table, full-moon tour, stargazing and even a “snow beach bash.”

“What I love about Aspen is it’s a four-season destination,” says Jackson. “I can visit any time of the year and still feel like I’m experiencing the best it has to offer.” While it’s easy to spend your entire time in Aspen browsing in art galleries and boutiques that attract international shoppers, it seems sacrilegious not to take advantage of the area’s world-class outdoor pursuits. In addition to skiing, this alpine escape offers hiking terrain for all abilities and some of the best leaf peeping west of the Mississippi. Cyclists also flock here to pedal up nearby Independence Pass.

“If I could pull an Eloise and move into any hotel it would be The Little Nell ,” says Jackson. “I’ve seen many a minibar and few can top its impressive fridge and cabinet filled with specialty drinks and snacks—all included in the nightly rate.” She also enjoys crashing at the historic Hotel Jerome , where she camps out at J-Bar and people watches. “You never know which celeb will wander in. Of course, no sighting excites me as much as the hotel’s resident Bernese Mountain Dog/mascot named Rocky.”

Another option for accommodations in 2022: a new collection of chalets recently unveiled by onefinestay , where guests receive 24/7 support from a dedicated concierge team that can arrange everything from winter warmers and aprés-ski nibbles to grocery delivery and ski lessons for the children, as well as tailored getaways with adrenaline-pumping experiences such as heli-skiing or dog-sledding in Snowmass.

Taria Pritchett in Wilmington, Delaware, one of the top places to travel in 2022

Where to Go: Wilmington, Delaware

Chosen By: A self-proclaimed foodie from Wilmington, Taria Pritchett is a pasta lover and local influencer. Follow her adventures @wilmdegirl.

Why: “Wilmington has the charm of a big city with local favorites that make people feel at home,” says Pritchett. Hometown to President Joe Biden, Greater Wilmington is known for its many gorgeous public gardens; Nemours Gardens & Mansion resembles Versailles in France.

Wilmington’s Riverfront offers breathtaking views, a riverwalk, many restaurants, new hotels, a contemporary art museum, mini golf, a beer garden and tiki boat cruises along the Christina River. The boat sails past Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park , named to honor Harriet Tubman, who traveled along the Underground Railroad in Wilmington, and a local abolitionist named Thomas Garrett, who assisted her multiple times. The Riverfront buzzes with excitement when Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball season is in full swing.

The city’s food scene has emerged as one of the hottest on the East Coast. Bardea and The House of William & Merry’s chefs have been nominated as “Best Chef'' semifinalists by the James Beard Foundation this year. Bardea Steak is one of the most highly anticipated openings. One bustling spot that offers a trifecta of goodness is Miller Road Station, home to Italian favorite La Pizzeria Metro , Wilmington Brewworks and Sleeping Bird Coffee . Other local favorites that shouldn’t be missed are the comedy lounge House of Laffs ; New Orleans-style dishes and duck-pin bowling at Wilma’s ; flat white coffees at Milk & Honey Coffeehouse ; and a revived French brasserie at Le Cavalier , housed in the historically iconic Hotel DuPont .

Downtown Fort Myers.

Where to Go: Fort Myers & Sanibel Island, Florida

Chosen By: Chloe Caldwell, senior travel writer for UPROXX , social media coordinator @uproxxlife and freelance copywriter. Follow her on Instagram/Twitter: @chloeicaldwell

Why: “Fort Myers totally surprised me,” says Caldwell. “While it may be lesser known than some other Florida hotspots like Miami or Tampa, there’s still so much to see and do. Aside from the endless sunshine, beautiful beaches (make sure to visit Sanibel Island) and fresh seafood, it’s the unique selection of activities that stood out to me.”

In Downtown Fort Myers , history meets the modern era. A hidden gem along the Gulf Coast, the area is best known for the pristine beaches and wildlife found along its barrier islands, the downtown River District and brick-paved streets lined with Art Deco buildings that preserve the city’s history, while a mix of galleries, micro-breweries and local eateries offer endless opportunities for visitors to explore.

"Sports enthusiasts can catch a spring training game at JetBlue Park , beer lovers can hit up the variety of local breweries and history buffs can tour Thomas Edison and Henry Ford's old digs ,” says Caldwell. “There’s truly something for everyone.” This is especially a great year for West Coast travelers to visit the destination, as United Airlines has launched nonstop daily flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). The new service will be running seasonally through May 5, 2022.

Disney World's Cinderella Castle, transformed for the resort's 50th anniversary.

Where to Go: Orlando, Florida

Chosen By: Laura Begley Bloom, travel expert and author of this column.

Why: It’s a banner year for Orlando, and big credit goes to Walt Disney World Resort. For the past 50 years, The Most Magical Place On Earth has been enchanting generations of travelers with its special brand of happiness. So Disney World’s 50th anniversary event—dubbed “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” —couldn’t come at a better moment. You’ll find special touches big and small, from 50th anniversary branded Keurig coffee pods in hotel rooms to pop-up parades in the parks to new rides like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure (a reimagining of Paris inspired by the film) and a Guardians of the Galaxy coaster coming to Epcot this summer.

In the Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle has never been more dazzling, thanks to a 50th anniversary refresh that includes gold bunting and other enhancements inspired by the art of Disney legend Mary Blair. Cinderella Castle is also the backdrop for the new “Disney Enchantment” fireworks and lighting projection show (just one of many new shows in honor of the big celebration).

There are also exciting new restaurants, from La Crêperie de Paris in Epcot to Steakhouse 71 , a sophisticated steak spot at the Contemporary Resort (tip: It’s an ideal place to eat, just a short Monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom). On the hotel front, the big news is Star Wars : Galactic Starcruiser , which welcomes guests for immersive, all-inclusive two-night adventures that include secret missions, character bonding and intergalactic cuisine. It’s like being in a galaxy far, far away.

Beyond Disney World, there’s lots of news in Orlando itself, including the world’s first Peppa Pig Theme Park at Legoland, Steinmetz Hall (an acoustically perfect theater at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts), ette Hotel Orlando (a wellness property with culinary experiences in partnership with Michelin-starred chef Akira Back) and Art² (an urban park featuring a two-story shipping container).

The Boca Raton in Florida.

Where to Go: The Palm Beaches, Florida

Chosen By: Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Atlanta-based freelance journalist, editor and author. Follow her on her website or on Instagram: @jenniferbfranklin .

Why: “The Palm Beaches surprised me in the best possible way,” says Franklin. “I’ve had the pleasure of visiting twice in the last year for assignments, once in Palm Beach and once in Boca Raton. Part of the joy of the destination is that each town within The Palm Beaches has its own flavor and personality, and there are plenty of properties that let you tailor your stay however you want. Plus, it’s hard to complain about the tropical weather and seemingly endless miles of beaches to enjoy.”

“If you’re looking for a resort with so much to explore that you’ll never need to venture off-property, it's hard to do better than The Boca Raton (in Boca Raton, naturally),” says Franklin. Originally built by architecture visionary Addison Misner in 1926, the resort now comprises five distinct hotels totaling more than 1,000 rooms. “Now under new management, the upgrades are evident, from restoring the Cloister back to its original coastal white to bringing on new restaurant partners. Speaking of dining, don’t miss Major Food Group’s The Flamingo Grill (Instagram heaven with waiters in pink dinner jackets and dishes such as Caesar salad and bananas foster prepared tableside) and Sadelle’s, of NYC brunch fame,” says Franklin. Spend the day on the wide beach or in a private cabana in the newly renovated Harborside Pool Club, not to mention miles of golf courses and the 50,000-square-foot Spa Palmera, with 44 treatment rooms designed by Colin Cowie.

“To stay in the thick of things on Palm Beach itself, I wholeheartedly recommend White Elephant Palm Beach ,” says Franklin. The new art-filled 13-room, 19-suite Mediterranean revival property was originally the Bradley Park Hotel, built in 1924 but got a top-to-bottom renovation in 2020. “Positioned conveniently downtown, you can be at all of the best Worth Avenue shops in a few minutes. Some of my favorites, aside from every A-list designer you can imagine, include il Sandalo of Capri, Blesk Jewelry and Coastal Girls ,” says Franklin. “The hotel will set you up with chairs, umbrellas and towels at the nearby beach, and they’ll even bring you anything you want from the hotel’s menu—the service is to die for.”

Other things not to miss: Have a drink poolside at Swifty’s delightfully retro (and pink!) The Colony hotel , visit the sprawling 75-room Henry Morrison Flagler Museum for a glimpse at the area’s Gilded Age roots and spring for a meal at HMF (named for Flagler) at The Breakers. “You won’t be disappointed,” says Franklin.

Where to Go: Kauai, Hawaii

Chosen By: A Dallas-based travel blogger, Jasmine Alley is a nature-obsessed wanderer and photographer (she’s a sucker for a great view). See her travel adventures and recommendations at jasminealley.com or @jasminealley .

Why: With Hawaii recently dropping restrictions related to its Safe Travels program, travelers are officially welcomed back to the idyllic island chain, with Kauai rising as a standout destination for those looking for a strong dose of authentic Hawaiian culture while escaping the typical crowds of its sister islands. Affectionately known as “The Garden Island,” much of Kauai is a pristine emerald escape, and according to Alley, it’s “a lush paradise great for both adventure-seekers and those looking to simply relax.”

The breathtaking landscapes—from mountains and canyons to lapping azure beaches—offer something for everyone. “For those Jurassic Park-esque views that Kauai is known for, you’ll want to see the rugged Napali Coast. There are three main ways to see it: a boat tour, helicopter tour (we loved the Jurassic Falls Landing Adventure with Island Helicopters) or hike,” says Alley. “You’ll need to reserve a day pass to hike the Kalalau Trail, located at Haena State Park at the end of the road up north.”

Craving a beach day? Check out Hanalei Bay. “Located on the North Shore, it offers the perfect mix of dramatic mountain views, lush palm trees and gorgeous sand lining the crescent-shaped bay,” says Alley. “Drive a bit further north and you’ll reach Tunnels Beach, a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.”

As for lodgings, Alley recommends staying in a central location like Kapa’a or Lihue. “If you’re looking for luxury, Timbers Kauai at Hokuala is an incredible oceanfront property,” says Alley. “Even if you don’t stay there, their restaurant, Hualani’s , is a must, serving up a fresh menu with local ingredients from their on-site organic farm, Hōkūala. To this day, their Hanalei Bae cocktail is the best cocktail I’ve ever had. And I highly recommend the Banana Lumpia for dessert.”

In terms of culinary offerings, Alley advises both beloved and under-the-radar locales along the north shore: “While in Hanalei, don’t miss out on some great North Shore food spots. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Holey Grail donuts (made from Hawaiian-grown taro root), Wishing Well Shave Ice (their organic, housemade coconut flavor pairs perfectly with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top) or Nourish Hanalei (a tiny orange hut that serves acai bowls and smoothies with arguably the best views over Hanalei).”

Twin Falls, Idaho—one of the top places to go in 2022.

Where to Go: Idaho

Chosen By: Emily Mandagie, a Pacific Northwest-based travel writer and photographer behind the site “The Mandagies.” Follow her on Instagram .

Why: This is a big year for Idaho. “It often gets overshadowed by its epic neighbors to the west, but Idaho is very much worth its own adventure, too,” says Mandagie. “From high desert terrain to ancient cedar groves (yes, these exist outside of the Redwoods), to epic backpacking and rafting trips, there’s something for everyone.”

For your own private Idaho, you’ll find more options than ever to get off the grid in secluded mountain settings. Sun Valley Trekking wilderness yurts is an amazing way to get into the backcountry but with luxuries like a wood-fired sauna. If that’s too extreme, the Crystal Peak Lookout is a fire lookout tower stay, accessed via a vintage snowcat (as a small add-on to the Airbnb’s winter price). “For an iconic mountain experience, plan a weekend backpacking trip in the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley. After 10+ miles on the trail, venture out to one of many natural Idaho hot springs and soak away your sore muscles,” says Mandagie.

Need even more space and privacy? There’s a new option to book an entire ski resort to yourself for a day with Soldier Mountain’s My Mountain package. Speaking of skiing, Schweitzer Mountain Resort (with some of the best powder in the Northwest) has welcomed the modern Humbird Hotel, while independently-owned Tamarack Resort has new snowmaking capabilities and a brand-new spa aimed at helping guests recover from big days on the slopes.

“Looking for warmer weather? Southern Idaho boasts high-desert terrain mixed with roaring waterfalls in every direction,” says Mandagie. “Spend a few days in Twin Falls to explore more than 10 waterfalls right in the vicinity. Shoshone Falls is the most iconic, followed by Perrine Coulee Falls and Pillar Falls, to name a few. The Perrine Memorial Bridge is also a famous spot for base jumping .”

Other developments: Boise has a Basque history and 2022 marks the return of a huge cultural festival, Jaialdi . Outside of the festival, Boise’s Basque scene can be enjoyed at newcomer restaurant Ansots , which is making its own Basque sausages and bacon from family recipes.

A bird's-eye view of Bloomington, Indiana.

Where to Go: Bloomington, Indiana

Why: A must-stop on any Midwest road trip and one of the best small towns in the U.S., this Hoosier city should be on your radar for 2022, thanks to its buzzing cuisine and rich culture.

Turkish, Tibetan, Venezuelan, Burmese, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, French, Japanese—if you can find it on a globe, you can find that food in Bloomington. Big culinary news includes The Elm , a new restaurant serving up spice profiles from the Mediterranean and North Africa, plus Small Favors Bar , a new farm-to-fork restaurant with a goal to source ingredients from farmers within a 50-mile radius. The city is also home to one of the Midwest’s best Tibetan restaurants, Anyetsang’s Little Tibet (operated by a Tibetan refugee and former monk), and Oliver Winery, Indiana’s largest and oldest winery, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

On the culture front, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University recently completed a three-year, $30 million renovation that added another permanent gallery to the I.M. Pei-designed museum. Explore the country’s only Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center with self-guided walking tours, meditation classes and a stay in an onsite yurt (no TVs or electronics). Other big news: Bloomington’s first park, Cascades Park, and the historic Buskirk-Chumley Theater both celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2022.

Louisville, Kentucky's downtown skyline on the Ohio River.

Where to Go: Louisville, Kentucky

Chosen By: Kay Kingsman, travel writer and blogger at The Awkward Traveller .

Why: “Picture your favorite getaway destination, now subtract the crowds,” says Kingsman. Louisville has plenty of charm and relaxation along with attractions to please a variety of travelers. “Sports fans will enjoy the Slugger Museum and the Muhammad Ali Center , history buffs can see the meeting spot of Lewis and Clark (and York) and there are tons of unique boutique shops down on Market Street for those who like to shop and support locals,” says Kingsman.

Other essential new stops include The Black Heritage Tour Collection , which celebrates its second year with programming and exhibits showcasing African American contributions to the city’s history and culture, and the new Roots 101 African American Museum , which calls itself a “healing place” where visitors can come and experience art, music, artifacts and education.

Louisville’s real showstopper is the food, especially the mom-and-pop establishments. “Definitely check out Yummy Pollo , The Black Italian , SuperChefs and Mack Bros BBQ —you gotta try the BBQ,” says Kingsman. Other new entries include Ashlee Northington’s Happy Belly Bistro , which started as a food truck, and is now serving her rotating menu of fusion foods as a permanent kiosk inside Ten20 Craft Brewery . The Urban Bourbon Trail added Brough Brothers , the first Black-owned distillery in Kentucky, along with The Craftery , its first DIY bar.

When it comes to places to stay, downtown’s new Grady Hotel has a décor that pays homage to one of the 1883 building’s original tenants, the Swann-Abram Hat Co., designer of world-famous Kentucky Derby hats. After an $80 million renovation, the city’s only waterfront hotel, the Galt House , is open once again and features Swizzle Dinner & Drinks , a revolving restaurant with spectacular Ohio River views. Kingsman is also a fan of the 21c Museum Hotel : “It’s walking distance to the nearest bourbon tasting room.”

The fun doesn't have to stop at the city limit. An hour outside of Louisville is Mammoth Cave National Park , the longest known cave system in the world. Over the past year, the National Park Service has implemented an updated tour reservation system for a more organized visit. “The National Park sometimes sells out weeks in advance, so you can also check out a few of the nearby caves like the American Cave Museum that have same-day tours and have also expanded their cave routes to provide visitors with new experiences,” says Kingsman.

Sunset over Lake Charles.

Where to Go: Lake Charles, Louisiana

Chosen By: Danielle Granger Nava, creator of DanielleNava.com , the Front Porch Series and social media accounts for the Charpentier Historic District in Lake Charles. Follow her on Instagram .

Why: After 18 months of recovery from back-to-back hurricanes, Lake Charles, Louisiana is ready to welcome back visitors and show them what they’ve been missing. Known for its juxtaposition of luxury and the great outdoors, Lake Charles has a blend of cultures, music, cuisine and traditions that make this southwest corner of the state a must-visit when traveling along Interstate 10 between Houston and New Orleans.

The area boasts two side-by-side gaming resorts— L’Auberge Casino Resort and Golden Nugget —each with a wide array of dining selections, entertainment options, lazy rivers with swim-up bars, golf and spa facilities. Along the Creole Nature Trail All-American Road , you’ll find alligators, nature’s bounty and gorgeous Gulf beaches.

“If you’re looking for the ultimate Louisiana experience, then do not sleep on Lake Charles. You can start your day spotting the wildlife down in Cameron and then come downtown for amazing food—I highly recommend the boudin quesadillas at Tia Juanitas —and end your night with some music, cocktails and a great sunset view at the casinos,” says Nava. “At some point you might want to consider getting a daiquiri to-go, just to complete the experience.”

The arts community is strong, too, thanks to all the Cajun and Creole influences and cuisine here is an attraction in and of itself, from the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail to the Crying Eagle Brewing Company (complete with a beer garden and an outdoor stage) to jazz brunches with over-the-top Bloody Marys. “The best part about living downtown is being able to walk to all the festivals we have. One day it’s all the free gumbo your stomach can handle and then the next weekend it’s live music at our open-air theater,” says Nava. “It never stops.”

The backside of the entrance sign mounted to a building roofline outside of the MassMOCA art museum ... [+] in North Adams, Massachusetts.

Where to Go: North Adams, Massachusetts

Chosen By: Melissa Klurman —travel expert and contributor at Reader’s Digest , The Points Guy and Travel Awaits .

Why: “I fell in love with this art-infused town in the Berkshires when I first visited MASS MoCA ,” says Klurman. “This contemporary arts center is home to both visual and performing arts and sports massive installations in the roomy former Sprague Electric Company Plant (think an entire building devoted just to wall-size Sol deWitt murals and whole rooms devoted to Jenny Holzer, Louis Bourgeois and James Turrell).” With 28 buildings spread over 16 acres, there’s an enormous amount to see and experience—and eat, too. On the premises are food trucks, an ice cream and coffee shop and a craft brewery. “And after a long pandemic hiatus, 2022 brings the return of the live summer shows that the museum complex is known for,” says Klurman. “First up: Memorial Day’s Solid Sound Festival headlined by Wilco, featuring multiple stages and several days of live music.”

The best spot to stay in North Adams is Porches Inn , a series of mill worker houses transformed into a boutique hotel bed and breakfast. “Each room is cozy and unique—and yes, there are plenty of porches (with views of MASS MoCA) where you can sit and rock, plus there’s a nicely landscaped pool out back,” says Klurman. New for 2022, Porches’s owners have transformed an old Main Street hotel into the hip and affordable Hotel Downstreet, just around the corner from the arts center. It’s scheduled to open its doors in April.

The skyline of Jackson, Mississippi.

Where to Go: Jackson, Mississippi

Chosen By: Kristin Luna, Tennessee-based journalist. Follow her on Camels & Chocolate .

Why: Celebrating 200 years of history, Jackson has earned a reputation for being the “City with Soul.” As this year marks its bicentennial, visitors are making the pilgrimage to this vibrant community to experience its culture, thriving arts scene, annual events and exciting dining destinations. “Jackson is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the South’s universal appeal thanks to being a cultural region that's both approachable and affordable, in addition to being central to the majority of the U.S. population,” says Luna.

From its early beginnings where First American settlements dominated the landscape to its social justice initiatives during the Civil Rights Movement, every street has a story waiting to be revealed. History buffs will find that they’re in their element as they explore the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. “The Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, in particular, is a must-visit for those wanting to learn more about Black history from the slave trade up to the present—the majority of Jackson's population is Black, and the city is on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and the Mississippi Freedom Trail,” says Luna. “Jackson is also a hub for creative entrepreneurs with a burgeoning public arts scene driven by the untapped talent of such visual artists as Reshonda Perryman and Birdcap.”

With an array of yearlong events that reflects Jackson’s past while embracing its future, visitors will gain a better understanding of the people and events that have shaped this city. Exhibitions, such as “A Movement in Every Direction: Legacies of the Great Migration ,” showcases the works of 13 renowned African American artists while examining the deep impact of the Great Migration. Jackson’s public art installations add to the city’s streetscape, giving passersby a reason to pause and appreciate the works before them. And epicureans can tantalize their taste buds at some of the city’s most notable restaurants, including Walker’s Drive-In , Lou’s Full-Serv and the Pig & Pint .

Overlooking the Catskills.

Where to Go: The Catskills, New York

Chosen By: Tyler Wetherall is a journalist, screenwriter, teacher and author.

Why: “The Catskills is stunning. It has waterfalls, forests, and the lot, and that’s why tourists have visited in droves—especially artists—for well over a hundred years,” says Wetherall. “Just try to visit in fall and not feel in awe.” A period of economic decline, however, followed the demise of Borscht Belt-era resorts, leaving main streets across the region boarded up. In a familiar story, the last two decades have seen proactive creative folk buying up properties and transforming them into local business ventures across all four counties ( Ulster , Sullivan , Delaware and Greene )—going into overdrive these last two years, as city dwellers flocked upstate. Now those once-boarded up main streets in towns like Livingston Manor, Kingston and Windham are thriving, dotted with new independent shops, restaurants, breweries and bars, becoming destinations in their own right.

“So much of this change has been driven by people relocating to the Catskills with a vision, as well as the gumption and resources to enact it,” says Wetherall. Just look at the cluster of design-forward hotels that have opened in recent years: Urban Cowboy , Eastwind Hotel & Bar , Hutton Brickyards and and revitalized Glen Falls House , with more to come in 2022 like AutoCamp Catskills ’ newest airstreams, Wylder Windham , luxurious Chatwal Lodge and Wildflower Farms . A collection of new restaurants, breweries and tasting experiences are found at the sweet Seminary Hill Orchard & Cidery , picturesque Hudson House Distillery , Southeast Asian-inspired Good Night , unassuming yet eclectic Hollow and massive TAP New York Craft Beer & Food Festival at Bethel Woods.

The natural beauty, of course, remains—thankfully protected and even more easily accessible with the recently completed Empire State Trail , the ever-evolving fly-fishing scene and updated rail trails like Ashokan . Best of all: You can road trip through the region, hopping from one great town to the next.

Writer Cathy Carroll on the grounds of the Minam River Lodge in Eastern Oregon's Wallowa Mountains.

Where to Go: Central Oregon

Chosen By: Cathy Carroll, Bend-based journalist and managing editor of Statehood Media ’s 1859-Oregon’s Magazine and 1889-Washington’s Magazine . Follow her on Instagram to soak up the best of a broadened horizon (@cathycarroll21).

Why : “Like a mountain man who’s gotten in touch with his feelings, Bend has come of age with trending new microbreweries, hotels, spas and boutiques,” says Carroll. Add in some of America’s best landscapes and this area will make your heart pound year-round. “ Mt. Bachelor is known for its powder wow factor with one of the country’s longest ski seasons,” says Carroll. “In summer, it rolls out a green carpet for hiking, downhill mountain biking, paddling impossibly clear lakes, ziplining and a chairlift ride to one of the best dining experiences at nearly 7,000 feet.”

According to Carroll, that’s just the tip of the (dormant) volcano when it comes to adventures. “Climb or meander amid Smith Rock State Park ’s towering spires. Paddle through Bend on the Deschutes River and hop out on the banks of the Old Mill District to hit the shops, dine and hear national acts at outdoor concerts. Get up close to magnificent raptors at the nationally acclaimed High Desert Museum ,” says Carroll.

Where to stay? “Hop on a snowcat for an idyllic winter’s night at Elk Lake Resort or spend a summer’s day boating and swimming through the reflection of snowcapped mountains,” says Carroll. You can also gather the extended family in a mountain-chic home at Tetherow or Brasada Ranch . “Or soak up vintage camp vibes right in Bend at the new Campfire Hotel ,” says Carroll. “Hang at the fire pit, strum a locally made Breedlove guitar and sip local spirits after a swim or soak in the saltwater pool and hot tub.”

Downtown Houston at nighttime.

Where to Go: Houston, Texas

Chosen By: Mariana Cano is a bilingual lifestyle, travel and parenting blogger at yomariana.com and podcaster at Ciudad H . She was born and raised in Mexico City, has lived in Houston for the past 17 years and travels the world with her family of five. Follow her on Instagram @yomarianablog .

Why: “As one of the most diverse cities in the United States, Houston boasts an exciting mix of cultures, food, art, sport and green space to explore,” says Cano. “The city’s harmonizing diversity is what makes ‘H-town’ truly unique.”

In 2022, foodies from near and far will find paradise in Houston’s vast culinary scene. “The famous culinary show, Top Chef , recently named Houston as one of the top gastronomic cities in the country,” says Cano. “From an intimate Asian dining experience meticulously curated at Hidden Omakase to a majestic food-centric journey through India at Mussafer , or an authentic Oaxaqueñan mole flight at Xochi to a cosmopolitan design escapade with exquisite, reinvented paellas at MAD , Houston transports food lovers to faraway countries with one instantaneous bite.”

For art enthusiasts, Houston’s new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building at the Museum of Fine Arts has created a buzz with its masterful architectural design and one of the world’s largest Latin-American art collections. “ The Menil Collection and Rothko Chapel are also must-visit art destinations,” says Cano. “Compelling social spaces like downtown’s POST , a renovated post office transformed into a multi-use complex, offers Houstonians and visitors a place to co-work, enjoy cultural events, grab a bite from the expansive food hall or listen to live music at the brand-new 713 Music Hall .”

The Virginia Beach boardwalk.

Where to Go: Virginia Beach

Chosen By: Robin Catalano , a travel writer who specializes in coastal and waterfront experiences.

Why: Stretching for 35 miles along the Atlantic coast, Virginia Beach is easygoing and eclectic, with attractions to satisfy travelers of all ages. “Picturesque beaches, outstanding outdoor recreation, growing arts and food scenes—all within a few hours’ flight from most of the United States,” says Catalano.

Pick up the Get Outdoors Pass for discounted admission to whale watching, dolphin kayaking tours, nature preserves and more. Watch 17 sailing teams glide for glory in the Worrell 1000, a 1,000-mile catamaran race that returns to Virginia Beach in May. Or ride the waves in the East Coast Surfing Championship , the world’s longest-running competition, in August.

Back on land, the small yet mighty Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art will host a solo exhibition by renowned sculptor and architect Maya Lin. Meanwhile, the flourishing ViBe Creative District is home to vibrant public art, open studios and shops. In October, nearly 200 artists take over the city’s iconic Boardwalk for the three-day, juried Virginia MOCA Boardwalk Art Show .

In a city with more than 250 restaurants, it’s easy to find a palate-pleasing option. “I’m looking forward to the June debut of Waterman Spirits Distillery, from Waterman’s Surfside Grill , originator of Virginia Beach’s signature drink, the Orange Crush ,” says Catalano. Other new food and drink venues include the Shipyard at 17th Street Craft Brewery and pizza crafter the Mellow Mushroom .

Among the many waterfront hotels, the newly remodeled Sheraton Virginia Beach Oceanfront Hotel offers family- and pet-friendly accommodations mere steps from the sand and sea.

A Walla Walla landscape in Washington state.

Where to Go: Walla Walla, Washington

Why: When you say “Washington State,” people immediately think of Seattle—but that’s not the only place worth visiting. “On the drier, sunnier side of the Cascades is Walla Walla , the town so nice they named it twice,” says Herman. “The perfect mix of rural-chic and classic Americana, Walla Walla is known as the capital of Washington wine country.” Home to more than 120 wineries, Walla Walla has been named “America’s Best Wine Region” two years in a row by the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

This small town is bursting with historical and cultural sites, art galleries, artisan shops and farm-to-table dining that highlights the region’s agricultural roots including the famous Walla Walla Sweet Onion. “One of the best places to eat is TMACS , a pioneer of the culinary renaissance in Walla Walla that’s famous for its locally-inspired dishes,” says Herman. And don’t miss a stop at Walla Walla Bread Company , but be sure to bring your appetite. “The portions are large and the flavors are abundant,” says Herman. “Go for traditional bacon and egg breakfast or opt for one of their incredible pastries made by co-owner and recent Food Network Best Baker in America contestant, Michele Pompei.”

When it comes to accommodations, look no further than Eritage Resort with 10 sleek bungalows. “It’s located amidst rolling vineyards just minutes from downtown, but it feels like you’re worlds away,” says Herman. For something grander, try Yellowhawk . “This rustic, luxury resort sits on 84 acres and features farm-style dining, an array of sparkling wines, a pool with cabanas, waterfalls and lush gardens,” says Herman.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa.

Where to Go: Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Why: The holy grail of astronomy, indoor glamping, a pair of giraffes, Dungeons and Dragons—there’s a lot going on in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

The big news here is Yerkes Observatory—the birthplace of modern astrophysics and home to the world’s largest refracting telescope—which reopens for public tours this year. The 50-acre campus, designed by landscape architect pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted, is also being restored to its original plan as part of the “Olmsted 200” campaign to honor the bicentennial of his birth. “Most people visit Geneva Lake for a vacation, but astronomers know of it as an extraordinary place to work,” says Mary Bergin , whose upcoming book, Small Town Wisconsin: Fun, Surprising and Exceptional Road Trips (Globe Pequot Press), includes Yerkes Observatory.

After a day of seeing stars, check out Grand Geneva Resort & Spa , with award-winning dining, two championship golf courses, indoor and outdoor pools, horseback riding, scooter rentals, hiking trails, a WELL Spa + Salon, state-of-the-art fitness center, award-winning dining and an on-site waterpark at sister resort Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark . Another exciting new place to stay: The Main Street Loft by Keefe Vacation Rental s, an indoor glamping experience.

Other big news in Lake Geneva: For Fans of Dungeons & Dragons, The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum is now open in the original 1976 home of TSR, the founding company of the famous role-playing game. And at the family-owned Safari Lake Geneva , two giraffes have been added to its animal menagerie.

Shadows at Crested Pool, Upper Geyser Basin.

Where to Go: Wyoming

Why: Yellowstone National Park , the Cowboy State’s unofficial crown jewel, turns 150 years old in 2022. This summer, visitors can be the first to see the new Teepee Village, courtesy of a partnership with several Tribal Nations, which will be at the Roosevelt Arch July to August. In August, Old Faithful will be the site of the Yellowstone Historic Vehicles Display, showcasing all the vehicles people have used to see the park since it was founded in 1872.

Summer is peak season, so book your accommodations ASAP. Yellowstone’s accommodations —some of the most iconic examples of “parkitecture”—include Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel & Cabins, Old Faithful Inn and Lake Yellowstone Hotel & Cabins. Neighboring Grand Teton National Park also belongs on every national park bucket list. To visit both parks on the same trip, make Jackson Hole your home base.

“Last July, my dad and I had a blast staying at Snow King Resort in downtown Jackson,” recalls Jackson. “We rode its popular Cowboy Coaster down the mountain—I’ve never seen my 66-year-old father laugh so hard—and I can’t wait to return in August when Snow King debuts its new 9,000-square-foot spa.”

In addition to national parks, Wyoming has Cheyenne —famous for its Frontier Days (July 22-31) which claims to be the largest outdoor rodeo in the world—and Cody , home to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West , which boasts five world-class museums under one roof. In Cody, Jackson recommends staying at the historic Chamberlin Inn . “As a writer, one of my fondest memories is the time I got to spend the night in the Hemingway room—where Ernest Hemingway stayed during his visit to Cody.”

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