Have new year, will travel. Here are 15 must-visit destinations to have on your bucket list for the 12 months ahead.
For foodies
- Bologna, Italy
The status of this city — already known as “la grassa” a k a “the fat one” — as a culinary capital was cemented with November’s opening of FICO Eataly World some 30 minutes outside of town. Dubbed “the world’s largest agri-food park,” the 25-acre complex includes production facilities for 40 farmers, but the real draw may be the 45 trattorias, bistros, restaurants, street-food kiosks, bars and cafés. It contains nearly 100,000 square feet of shops selling the best of Italian foodstuffs as well as 80 daily classes and events. Stay in town at the WE_Bologna (from $18 for a bed in a shared room and $47 for a private room), named a top design hostel by the Hostel Geek site this fall, or the contemporary, luxe I Portici (from $150). The latter has a Michelin-starred restaurant and a charging station for Teslas.
For luxury lovers
- Singapore
All eyes will be on the Southeast Asian city-state in anticipation of “Crazy Rich Asians.” The movie, opening in August and based on the best-selling novel, is set there and stars Michelle Yeoh (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and Ken Jeong (“Community”), among others. Fans can visit filming locations, like the rooftop infinity pool that stretches across the three curving towers of mega casino-resort Marina Bay Sands. And you can bet the high-flying characters would have loved the Duxton Club (from $240), a soon-to-open hotel designed by Anouska Hempel — the Bond girl actress-turned-designer and hotelier whose 1978-opened Blakes in London ushered in the age of the boutique hotel. Singapore Airlines will re-launch nonstop flights between NYC and its home airport, Changi, later this year, using a brand-new ultra-long-range Airbus A350 whose upgrades include features that allegedly minimize jet lag.
For river cruisers
- The Nile
This iconic African river — whose waters afford unbeatable opportunities to explore the stunning wonders of ancient Egypt — fell a bit off the priority list of American cruise companies and their guests in recent years due to safety concerns, but it’s making a comeback. In March, Viking will debut its Nile ship, the 24-suite Ra, which it’ll use on week-long cruises that are part of its new 12-day Egypt itinerary (from $6,429 per person). And Scenic will charter the recently refurbished 36-passenger Sun Boat III for 11-day Egypt journeys of its own, running from April through November this year (from $6,795).
For ocean cruisers
- Alaska
The waterways of the 49th state have long been hot — or, rather, cool — destinations for those who love cruises. There’s just no better way to access (and ogle) the wilds of its wide-open spaces. But cruising has been booming especially big as of late there, setting passenger records. This summer, Norwegian will launch Bliss, a 4,000-person ship purpose-built for Alaska (from $1,499), while Windstar will return to the area for the first time in two decades and Princess plots its largest-ever deployment in the state (from $609). In the summer of 2017, Lindblad Expeditions premiered its first-ever new-build ship, the 100-passenger, exploration-ready Quest, and this coming season will bring new family-specific programming aboard and ashore (from $5,990 per person; Expeditions.com). A port upgrade in Juneau, meanwhile, has meant a new seafront walk, upgraded berths and art installations.
For sports fans
- Detroit
The Motor City’s kick back into high gear continues in 2018, following the September opening of a $863 million home for the Red Wings (hockey) and the Pistons (basketball). The arena is part of the District Detroit: an ongoing 50-block development of parks, restaurants, entertainment and sports venues connecting the city’s downtown and midtown. This year, there will be more new and notable places to stay in the city than ever before. Closest to the arena will be a December-opening Element hotel occupying the landmark 1925 neo-Gothic Metropolitan Building (starting nightly rate not yet available). Farther afield will be the first stay from Shinola, the cult watch and bicycle brand based in Detroit (starting nightly rate not yet available; Shinola.com). It’ll boast a restaurant from NYC’s own Andrew Carmellini.
For outdoor adventurers
- Tasmania
The possibilities for al fresco explorations have been getting devilishly good on this Australian island. A bit over a year ago, Thousand Lakes Lodge opened amid the rugged alpine wilderness of the Central Plateau World Heritage Area, offering nine rooms — plus local grub, craft beer and wine — in a former training camp for Antarctic journeys (from $205). In the Southwest Wilderness Area, the seven-month-old Wild Peddler Walk combines three days of mountain climbing, lake kayaking and forest hiking with overnights at local lodges; and Gordon River Cruises’ day-long trips will soon operate aboard a new state-of-the-art ship whose environmentally sensitive engines let it sail in almost complete silence (from $96). The souped-up canvas tents of the just-opened Truffle Lodge bring glamping to a truffle orchard on the banks of the Derwent River, 24 miles outside of Tasmanian capital Hobart (from $1,230). And, later this year, the island’s most luxe adventure lodge, Saffire Freycinet, will debut 15 new rooms and suites on the edge of the east coast’s Freycinet National Park (from $1,640).
For wildlife watchers
- Southern Tanzania
The basically untouristed lower reaches of East Africa have become compelling alternatives to the relatively over-visited savannahs of the Maasai Mara and Serengeti in Kenya and Tanzania. Now, in southern Tanzania’s Ruaha (a national park the size of New Jersey that’s home to 10 percent of the world’s lions) and Selous (a massive, jungled reserve as big as Switzerland and known for hippos and crocodiles), higher-end lodgings have upped the comfort quotient. In Ruaha, Asilia Africa’s Jabali Ridge debuted a handful of modern, treehouse-like stilted suites on a rocky outcropping with endless views of baobab trees (from $714 per person per night). Nomad Tanzania’s Kigelia Ruaha offers six smartly appointed tented accommodations along the banks of a sandy riverbed (from $690 per person per night). Asilia has launched in the Selous as well, where Nomad has long had a presence, bringing eight canvas-roofed, stone-walled suites with environmentally friendly air-conditioning to a spit of land populated by baboons, giraffes and elephants (from $700 per person per night).
For history buffs
- Memphis
April 4 marks 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the National Civil Rights Museum — located in the Lorraine Motel, where he was shot — is marking the anniversary with three days of events featuring such notables as former attorney general Eric Holder, historian Taylor Branch and newscaster Tamron Hall. Nearby, you’ll find other landmarks from his historic marches, including Clayborn Temple, the church where King gave his final speech. Memphis also features prominently in the United States Civil Rights Trail, which officially launches this month and includes more than 100 southern sites that played a role in or otherwise commemorate the movement. Making it easier than ever to get to the city, United just increased capacity on its flights from Newark by 30 percent.
For voluntourists
- Puerto Rico
The Caribbean Island and US territory, which is home to more than 3.5 million American citizens, continues to recover following September’s Hurricane Maria. Already, more than 120 hotels are opened, the airport is fully operational and cruise ships have returned. Now, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company is helping visitors participate in the recovery effort, organizing a series of “Rebuild Days,” the next of which will be from Jan. 11 to 12 at the botanical garden in Caguas. Local hotels participate in these events, including one of the newest: San Juan’s March-opening Serafina Beach Hotel, a spin-off of the Manhattan-based Italian eateries and pizzerias of the same name (from $225).
For architecture and design lovers
- Mexico City
Held every October, Mexico City’s annual Design Week turns 10 this year, and the efforts of its organizers have now gotten the metropolis deemed one of the World Design Organization’s biennial “capital” cities — the first in the Western Hemisphere. This year, events will expand to fill much of October with exhibitions, awards and a show house, plus the creation of temporary architectural pavilions and site-specific installations — all exploring the sustainable future of cities. There’s also a design conference to start things off from Mar. 5 to 6, and an international design fair from Apr. 28 to May 6. While in town, don’t miss the city’s new and in-progress starchitect-designed buildings: Richard Meier’s soaring, glass and white steel Torre Cuarzo; Zaha Hadid’s torque-ing 50-story residential tower; and Norman Foster’s undulating airport terminal. Stay at Grupo Habita’s 2012-opened downtown, decorated by local workshop Paul Roco, because the hotel hosts a festival during Design Week (from $210). Or book Hotel Carlota, which opened in 2015 to great fanfare thanks to a unique, craft-led aesthetic exclusively featuring pieces by Mexican creators (from $135).
For contemporary art aficionados
- Cape Town
This South African destination significantly upped its cultural cachet with the late 2017 arrival of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa. The institution is the brainchild of former Puma CEO Jochen Zeitz, a committed conservationist and passionate art collector who commissioned English designer Thomas Heatherwick to turn a disused industrial granary on the city’s waterfront into a world-class museum. Now, it shows off work by the best artists of both the continent and the African diaspora. Schedule a custom guided tour of the city’s contemporary art scene with artist Talita Swarts (from $360 for a half-day tour). And, if you’re feeling especially flush, reserve a room at the gorgeous new Silo hotel, which shares the museum’s building (from $1,070).
For oenophiles
- Hungary
Hungarian vintages are cropping up on wine lists all over New York — even at restaurants like Le Bernadin and Terroir, according to importer Athena Bochanis, who specializes in bottles from the region. 2018 will be a great time to visit the country’s wine regions because 2017 was an impressive year, expected to produce one of the best vintages in recent memory. That means out-of-the-barrel tastings should be tops. In the wine-growing area of Tokaj alone, the number of producers has doubled in the last five years. This past February, the Hungarian government pledged more than $160 million to the area to refurbish and upgrade villages, hotels and B&Bs, rail infrastructure and more.
For winter sports enthusiasts
- Whistler Blackcomb
The snow has already been so good here — more than 15 feet as of last week — that this Canadian ski and snowboard mecca in British Columbia opened for the season ahead of schedule, in late November. Ski behemoth Vail Resorts took over the mountain last winter, which means you can use the company’s seasonal Epic Pass here. We’re really starting to see the effects of Whistler’s Vail-ification: New-this-season bells and whistles include Whiskey Jack’s Umbrella Bar, an indoor-outdoor space whose collapsible roof keeps it hospitable regardless of the weather, and a vertiginous 40-foot-long, 165-foot-high cantilevered lookout platform offering 360-degree views over one of the mountain’s 16 alpine bowls. By the start of next season — at the end of 2018 — a $52 million investment will result in three new lifts serving the heart of the mountain.
For intrepid explorers
- Kyrgyzstan
Wild Frontiers, a tour operator specializing in remote locales, reports rising interest in this former Soviet republic. It’s the host of this year’s World Nomad Games, the biggest gathering of nomadic people from around the globe. The event got its start in 2014, attracting athletes from 40 countries to compete in sports from archery to eagle hunting to kok buru, which is similar to polo — but played with a goat carcass. Wild Frontiers’ two-year-old, 15-day “Kyrgyzstan Explorer” trip takes guests through mountains, forests and grasslands, as well as along the Silk Road. Its Nomad Games-specific itinerary will be available as soon as the event’s dates are announced (from $2,539 per person).
For beach lovers
- Fuerteventura
The second-biggest (but least populated) of Spain’s tropical Canary Islands is sure to attract attention this year: Its white-sand beaches reportedly stood in for the desert planet of Tatooine in the Star Wars prequel, “Solo,” to be released in late 2018. (Just look at the buzz surrounding the shooting sites in Ireland and Bolivia used in December’s ”The Last Jedi.”) Favorite Fuerteventura hotels include the beachy blue-and-white 20-room Avanti, which overlooks turquoise waters and was refurbished and reopened in 2013 (from $195). There’s also the whitewashed bungalows of Katis, where many private pools were redone last year (from $205). For the last few years, British Airways has offered direct service between London and Fuerteventura, making it easier than ever to get here. Go now — before the force awakens on the island and it’ll be impossible to get a room.