1. Santiago, Chile
Undaunted by an earthquake, a city embraces modern culture.
Undaunted by an earthquake, a city embraces modern culture.
Less than a year after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in Chile, its capital, Santiago, has largely recovered, the economy continues to grow, and tourism is in an upswing.
2. San Juan Islands, Wash.
Bold-face restaurateurs vie with unspoiled nature. Nature wins.
Bold-face restaurateurs vie with unspoiled nature. Nature wins.
The big draw for the San Juan Islands this year just might be its dining scene. Blaine Wetzel, a former chef at the wildly acclaimed Copenhagen restaurant Noma, took the reins at Willows Inn on Lummi Island (due to reopen on Feb. 10), while Lisa Nakamura, who has trained with big-name chefs like Thomas Keller, opened Allium on Orcas Island.
But the eternal lure of the San Juans — what brings chefs out as well as tourists — are the landscapes. On islands from Shaw to Decatur, pastoral hills give way to broody forests and scrappy escarpments that overlook fjordlike inlets. Thanks to an active land preservation effort by organizations like the San Juan County Land Bank, each year new areas are protected from logging or unruly development, and in turn provide fresh terrain for the public to explore.
3. Koh Samui, Thailand
A toned-down version of Phuket, heavy on wellness and food.
A toned-down version of Phuket, heavy on wellness and food.
As Thailand’s third-largest island, Koh Samui isn’t exactly off the radar. But the 95-square-mile tropical gem in the southern Gulf of Thailand, whose white sand beaches, abundant coral reefs and seas of palm trees were once a backpackers’ secret, has emerged as the stylish luxury alternative to crowded Phuket.
4. Iceland
Where a country’s hardships are a visitor’s gain.
Where a country’s hardships are a visitor’s gain.
Iceland’s economic crash has had an upside, at least for tourists. After the devaluation of the krona that followed the country’s 2008 financial crisis, the breathtakingly beautiful island is a lot more affordable, meaning that a hotel room that was $200 before the crash might cost $130 now.
5. Milan
A reborn cathedral joins fashion-forward galleries and hotels.
A reborn cathedral joins fashion-forward galleries and hotels.
Compared with the Italian troika of tourism — Florence, Venice and Rome — Milan is often an afterthought. But with novel, eye-catching design emerging around the city, that should soon change.
6. Republic of Georgia
A rustic ski wonderland on the verge of discovery.
A rustic ski wonderland on the verge of discovery.
Ski buffs don’t usually think of Soviet Georgia when planning their next backcountry outing. But some ambitious plans in the Caucasus are trying to change that fast. Tucked between the Black and Caspian seas and smattered with mountains, Georgia has the kind of terrain adventurous skiers yearn for: peaks reaching 16,000 feet, deep valleys and largely untouched slopes. Known best for spectacular off-piste and heli-skiing, Bakuriani and Gudauri — each a short drive from Tbilisi — saw 30,000 visitors in 2009 and are expanding fast.
7. London
Anticipating the 2012 Olympics, a slew of new hotels and restaurants.
Anticipating the 2012 Olympics, a slew of new hotels and restaurants.
There is never a bad time to go to London. But this year may be better than most: the 2012 Summer Olympic Games has prompted the construction of 12,000 hotel rooms, and several hotels that have been around for a while are burnishing their appeal with notable new restaurants.
8. Loreto, Mexico
A beach hideaway with sport fishing gets a luxury resort.
A beach hideaway with sport fishing gets a luxury resort.
Long known for sport fishing, Loreto, on Baja California Sur’s eastern coast, is poised to become one of Mexico’s next luxury destinations.
9. Park City, Utah
Beyond the film festival, a growing group of top-tier resorts.
Beyond the film festival, a growing group of top-tier resorts.
Many film aficionados have been lured to Park City for the annual Sundance festival, missing the slopes entirely, which is a shame. This year, new hotels, expanded terrain and events at area ski resorts make on-mountain exploration imperative.
10. Cali, Colombia
Cafe culture is on the rise while salsa fuels the night life.
Cafe culture is on the rise while salsa fuels the night life.
Cali has always felt like the grittier stepsister of Medellín, but tucked amid the colonial homes of the barrios of San Antonio or Granada are a number of new jewelry boutiques, low-key cafes and salsotecas teeming with crowds as sexy as any in South America.
11. The Danube
From Budapest to the Black Sea, new cruises on a storied river.
From Budapest to the Black Sea, new cruises on a storied river.
For years, high-end river travel in Europe has focused on western European waterways like the Rhine and the Rhone. But recent developments have brought the high life to the principal river of central and eastern Europe: the Danube.
12. Niseko, Japan
An Aspen emerges in Asia, with luxury to spare.
An Aspen emerges in Asia, with luxury to spare.
It was the snow that first brought the Australian ski bums here, the great powder blown in by Siberian cold fronts. Then chefs and designers discovered that this sleepy town on Japan’s northern Hokkaido island was actually a lovely spot in itself, with natural hot springs, family-owned inns and spectacular views of impossibly symmetrical Mount Yotei.
13. Oahu
Hawaii’s most developed island adds resorts and attractions.
Hawaii’s most developed island adds resorts and attractions.
The nature that abounds on Maui and rural Kauai often overshadows the attractions on Oahu, the most populous Hawaiian island. But this year Oahu offers travelers fresh incentive in the form of name-brand resorts and other tourist attractions.
14. Antwerp, Belgium
A new breed of boutiques have made it a fashionista’s paradise.
A new breed of boutiques have made it a fashionista’s paradise.
There hasn’t been so much fashion buzz in Antwerp since the dawn of the Antwerp Six, a group of designers including Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester who rose to prominence in the mid 1980s. And while the city’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts is still churning out avant-garde talents, it’s Antwerp’s latest crop of shops that is causing the current buzz.
15. Melbourne, Australia
New hotels plus big-name chefs put Sydney on notice.
New hotels plus big-name chefs put Sydney on notice.
With a bunch of new hotels and restaurants led by notable chefs cropping up, Melbourne has been stealing the spotlight from its sister city, Sydney.
16. Tlemcen, Algeria
An ancient Islamic city dresses up for a gala year.
An ancient Islamic city dresses up for a gala year.
There’s a buzz of anticipation — and power tools — in the streets, squares and souks of this ancient Algerian city. Named a Capital of Islamic Culture for 2011 by Isesco (Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), Algeria’s spiritual heart is preparing for a yearlong gala that will include some 300 exhibitions, concerts, screenings, theater performances, lectures and readings. The ruins of medieval ramparts and towers are being refurbished. Time-worn mosques and hammams are being dusted off. Cultural centers and museums are being started. And a first generation of five-star hotels — notably aRenaissance by Marriott— is rising from the ground.
17. Sopot and Gdansk, Poland
Poland’s Baltic coast welcomes party hoppers and soccer fans.
Poland’s Baltic coast welcomes party hoppers and soccer fans.
Every country with a coastline has its version of the Hamptons. In Poland, it’s Sopot. In the summer, the small city — with its white beach, fin-de-siècle villas and lively cafe- and club-lined boulevard — is packed with young party hoppers from all over Poland and Scandinavia, dancing at flashy venues like the new Dream Club. Vladimir Putin has been known to stay at the palatial Sofitel Grand, which looks over the sea and nearby pier, the longest on the Baltic.
18. Erzurum, Turkey
Skiing in Turkey? A winter sports capital emerges in Anatolia.
Skiing in Turkey? A winter sports capital emerges in Anatolia.
Turkey may not be the first place people think of for skiing, but it’s got mountains — big, snowy ones. Now the government is making a push to turn Erzurum, a city of 785,000 in eastern Anatolia, into a winter sports capital in time for this month’s 2011 Winter Universiade (sort of an Olympics for university students).
19. Hyderabad, India
Dynastic grandeur in the heart of modern India.
Dynastic grandeur in the heart of modern India.
Even in the 16th century, Hyderabad, in southern India, famous for its diamond trade and sultans’ palaces, was a city with serious bling. In the last decade, a new sort of wealth has arrived — the outsourcing of international companies, which has inspired a boom of sleek cafes and restaurants such as Fusion 9.
20. Manchester, England
An industrial city reinvents its famed musical past.
An industrial city reinvents its famed musical past.
The cold and gritty factory city that famously inspired the post-industrial anguish of bands like Joy Division and the Smiths has transformed into a thriving cultural hub.
21. Tallinn, Estonia
The beautiful capital city aims to shed its stag-party past.
The beautiful capital city aims to shed its stag-party past.
Soon after EasyJet began flights from London and Berlin to the Estonian capital in 2004, Tallinn became known as the Las Vegas of the Baltics, luring hordes of party tourists with its cheap liquor and wild seaside night life. But now, with the city’s selection as a 2011 European Capital of Culture, cash is flowing in and pulling Tallinn out of its stag party adolescence.
22. Fogo Island, NewfoundlandAn art colony blooms on remote and rugged shores.
A remote island off the coast of Newfoundland with a dwindling population of 3,000 residents might not strike you as an important cultural enclave.
23. Singapore
With new resorts and casinos, the city lets its hair down.
With new resorts and casinos, the city lets its hair down.
For years, this island country was considered oppressive and humorless. But recently Singapore has started to have some fun with new supersized resorts, design hotels and restaurants.
24. Port Ghalib, Egypt
A low-key beach escape with clear water and sea creatures.
A low-key beach escape with clear water and sea creatures.
The once unspoiled beauty and calm of Sharm el-Sheikh, on the Red Sea in Egypt, has suffered from an influx of tourists (not to mention a recent series of shark attacks). Those looking to skip the crowds should turn to Port Ghalib, across the Red Sea from Sharm, on the eastern Egyptian coast. Ghalib’s beaches offer soft, snow-hued sand and translucent water that divers love.
25. Whistler, British Columbia
The Olympians are gone. Now it’s your turn.
The Olympians are gone. Now it’s your turn.
You don’t need a lifetime of training or a Spandex unitard to retrace the strides of the best Nordic skiers in the world. The 2010 Winter Games left behind a tremendous structural legacy: Whistler Olympic Park, which is now open to the public. The park, and its partner facility, the Callaghan Country Lodge, offer some 55 miles of trails that range from easy to Olympian.
26. Guimarães, Portugal
A city of youth is fired up by its art scene.
A city of youth is fired up by its art scene.
Considered the birthplace of Portugal, this picturesque northern city has long been of great historical importance to the country. Now, with half its inhabitants under 30, it is also one of the youngest cities in Europe.
27. Olympic Park, Wash.
Bad weather is good for skiers and storm-watchers.
Bad weather is good for skiers and storm-watchers.
It’s a La Niña year, which means that storms are hitting the Pacific Northwest in a big way. And Olympic National Park offers two ways to take advantage of the wild weather. Skiers can tackle Hurricane Ridge, the mile-high ski and snowboard area, which has massive bowls and glades with 400-plus inches of snow each year. Lifts operate only on weekends, but Hurricane Ridge Road and its visitor center will be open seven days a week for the first time during the 2011 season, so cross-country skiers and snowshoers have all-day, everyday access to the unmarked and ungroomed trails in the forests and meadows around the ridge.
28. Dresden, Germany
A new museum leads the way to a historic city’s future.
A new museum leads the way to a historic city’s future.
This city, devastated by bombing during World War II, has meticulously refashioned itself into a prewar picture postcard. Now, with most of the costly historic renovations finished there is finally time for a little reflection. In fall 2011 the city will open a comprehensive new Military History Museum, with a striking glass and steel extension by the architect Daniel Libeskind added to the existing 19th-century building.
29. Oualidia, Morocco
On a Moroccan lagoon, oysters, flamingoes and no crowds.
On a Moroccan lagoon, oysters, flamingoes and no crowds.
The seaside Moroccan village of Oualidia is almost exclusively for the birds — and that’s exactly what’s special about it.
30. Zanzibar
On an African isle, luxury lures the après safari set.
On an African isle, luxury lures the après safari set.
Zanzibar. The name alone evokes images of spice markets and swaying palms. Newly renovated palace hotels in Stone Town and exotic villa hotels by the sea are adding to the allure of this Tanzanian island.
31. Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
The ranches beyond a historic village offer a dose of rural chic.
The ranches beyond a historic village offer a dose of rural chic.
Colonia del Sacramento, on the southwestern shores of Uruguay, has long been a popular detour from Buenos Aires. Reachable by ferry across the Río de la Plata, this UnescoWorld Heritage site offers centuries-old stone houses, casual restaurants with riverside patios and boutiques selling crafts. In the last few years, its appeal has spilled into the surrounding countryside, where tastefully decorated ranches and locavore offerings are attracting travelers in search of rural chic.
32. Tozeur, Tunisia
Camel racing, souks and eco-lodging in a Saharan oasis.
Camel racing, souks and eco-lodging in a Saharan oasis.
With its luxury hotels and glittery events — film festival, art fair, Formula One race — many feel that Marrakesh, Morocco’s “jewel of the south,” has lost its authentic North African luster. Fortunately, there is an alternative: Tozeur, Tunisia’s desert gem. Compared with its Moroccan cousin, Tozeur is smaller, quieter, more remote and (for now) less touristed — though a few luxury hotels have begun to sprout there. Set in an oasis of date palms, this former Roman outpost and caravan hub is awash in Saharan culture, from traditional souks to a zoo of desert animals. No glammed-out red-carpet events animate the streets, only the annual Oasis festival of traditional dance and music. The closest that the region has come to a star turn were cameos in “Star Wars” movies, thanks to its otherworldly dunes and dried-up salt lake.
33. Hangzhou, China
An hour from Shanghai, a historic jewel goes five-star.
An hour from Shanghai, a historic jewel goes five-star.
Although Hangzhou is only now coming into the global spotlight, its gorgeous pagodas, historic temples and lush gardens have been inspiring Chinese poets and painters for centuries. Recently, the feverish growth of Shanghai has sparked the rediscovery of Hangzhou as a peaceful retreat and a cultural masterpiece.
34. Iraqi Kurdistan
Safety, history and a warm welcome in a stable corner of Iraq.
Safety, history and a warm welcome in a stable corner of Iraq.
As United States forces withdraw from Iraq, a handful of intrepid travel companies are offering trips to the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north, which has enjoyed relative safety and stability in recent years.
35. Durham, N.C.
A downtown turnaround means food worth a trip.
A downtown turnaround means food worth a trip.
A decade ago, downtown Durham was a place best avoided after sundown. But as revitalization has transformed abandoned tobacco factories and former textile mills into bustling mixed-use properties, the city has been injected with much-needed life. In the heart of downtown, a crop of standout restaurants and cafes has recently sprouted around West Main Street, where low rents have allowed chefs and other entrepreneurs to pursue an ethos that skews local, seasonal and delicious.
36. Kosovo
Mountains, medieval architecture and unexpected night life.
Mountains, medieval architecture and unexpected night life.
Just over a decade ago, this Albanian enclave was a troubled province of Serbia; Slobodan Milosevic’s Serbian forces destroyed myriad towns and cities and killed thousands in their pursuit of independence fighters. NATO ended the fighting, but flare-ups continued.
37. Pingyao, China
Ming architecture is intact as contemporary culture takes root.
Ming architecture is intact as contemporary culture takes root.
While other towns in China have modernized, Pingyao, in China’s coal-rich Shanxi Province, has clung to its old ways, barring cars within its 33-foot-tall Ming dynasty walls and preserving the traditional architecture of incense shops, courtyard houses and 19th-century bank buildings. Named a Unesco World Heritage site in 1997, Pingyao has become a major destination for Chinese and foreigners alike.
38. Salonika, Greece
Out of the country’s economic woes, a new wave of artists.
Out of the country’s economic woes, a new wave of artists.
It may come as cold comfort to the Greeks, but the country’s financial woes have made it prime territory for bargain-hunting tourists. The coastal city of Salonika, often overlooked by tourists in favor of Athens, has been gaining momentum for the last several years with its prolific cultural scene. Now, with British Airways adding a direct route from London and a new mayor pushing forward a spate of major cultural and tourism initiatives, Salonika is hotter than ever.
39. Okinawa, Japan
A ‘Japanese Amazon’ with some luxury thrown in.
A ‘Japanese Amazon’ with some luxury thrown in.
The latest news about Okinawa might focus on the future of the American military base there, but the cluster of coral-lined islands has long been a uniquely lovely place to experience wild Japan. Few foreigners make it here, though Okinawa is a popular vacation spot for Japanese mainlanders as it’s just a few hours from Tokyo by plane and has excellent diving, hiking and palm-fringed white-sand beaches.
40. Budapest
A scene pops up in abandoned buildings, and glamour rises.
A scene pops up in abandoned buildings, and glamour rises.
From Castle Hill to Heroes’ Square, Budapest is renowned for its grandeur. But in areas blighted by poverty and neglect, a surging bohemian culture revels in the wreckage at “ruin pubs.” Originating in the scruffy old Jewish quarter downtown, these bars occupy abandoned buildings and their courtyards, hosting hipsters quaffing German and Czech beers while reclining on cast-off furniture amid haphazard flea market finds. Szimpla Kertepitomizes the “romkocsma” (“ruin pub”) movement, which has exploded beyond the district to encompass not just vacant lots, but rooftop bars such as Corvintet, which bills itself as an underground club in the open air.
41. Miami
Big-time music arrives in a town known for beaches and art.
Big-time music arrives in a town known for beaches and art.
Between the white-hot Art Basel festival and the growing Design District, south Florida’s city on the sea is slowly earning must-stop status on the global arts circuit.
