From
January 2012
By Colin Barraclough, Vinita Bharadwaj, Jennifer Chen, Jonathan Durbin, Eleni N. Gage, David Kaufman, Alexandra Marshall, Ralph Martin, David Swanson
There's always someplace new on the horizon. From southern China to Arkansas, here are the must-see travel destinations of 2012.
Appeared as "12 for 2012: The Places to Go This Year" in T+L Magazine
Imagine lazing in a hammock on a remote beach
in Panama, where boldface names like Angelina Jolie and Michael Jordan
have been spotted. It’s a trip within reach—rustic-but-stylish hotels
start at $99—and a country that’s remaking itself for 2012.
Discovering new destinations might seem next
to impossible, but one of the wonders of
travel is that there’s always
someplace new on the horizon. And even when you
think you know a
place, there’s a hidden side ripe for exploration. To uncover 2012’s
most exciting destinations, T+L crisscrossed the globe, bringing back
everything from Toronto’s new hot spots to secluded resorts in northern
Mozambique.
Some of our picks reflect travelers’
increasing thirst for adventure and desire to immerse themselves in
local ways. “Our clients are interested in remote, off-the-beaten-path
destinations that still retain their traditional culture,” says Scott
Wiseman, president of Abercrombie & Kent USA.
Take Xishuangbanna, at the foot of the
Himalayas in China’s southern Yunnan province. Though often overlooked
in favor of Lijiang and Tibet, it’s home to an ethnically diverse
population that still follows age-old customs—making it the place to get
a cultural fix without the crowds. And a luxurious new Anantara resort
means roughing it is not required.
Looking for something even more remote? It’s
hard to top Corumbau in Brazil’s southern Bahia. The original
inhabitants named it "far from everything" for good reason: a sojourn
requires a bone-rattling, four-hour drive from the nearest airport. The
rewards—deserted beaches, super-fresh seafood—make up for the journey.
For each destination, we’ve provided a
breakdown of the kind of traveler it’s well suited to, the best time to
go, and how to get there. Not all the destinations for 2012 are exotic
and far-flung. Cutting-edge architecture and youthful creative energy
are driving a renaissance in Guimarães, one of Portugal’s oldest cities.
Culture is also making over places such as
Bentonville, AR, which Walmart heiress Alice Walton has graced with a
free world-class museum of American art on 120 wooded acres.
Whether you’re a jet-setting sybarite, a
design buff, or a thrill-seeking flashpacker, the places we’ve collected
here will inspire you to make 2012 a year of new discoveries. —
Jennifer Chen
Sri Lanka
Courtesy of Maya Villa
Sri Lanka’s lush hill towns and pristine
beaches have long appealed to a certain breed of worldly traveler, but
the flare-ups of the country’s brutal on-again, off-again 26-year civil
war kept all but the most devoted of them away. The conflict ended three
years ago, and as a prolonged peace finally takes hold, this Indian
Ocean island is on the cusp of a tourism boom.
Sri Lanka’s beach-lined southern coast,
centered around the popular town of Bentota, is the country’s strongest
draw—and big developers are moving in. The Minor Hotel Group chose the
area to debut its sister brand to Anantara with last month’s launch of
the 75-room
Avani Bentota Resort & Spa (94-34/227-5353; doubles from $180)
in a restored Geoffrey Bawa–designed building. A second Avani, a Six
Senses resort, and a Shangri-La property are also in the works.
In the meantime, a handful of designers have opened boutique hotels, including the 15-room
Villa Bentota (doubles from $224),
the latest project from Sri Lankan tastemaker Shanth Fernando. Farther
south, in Beliatta, Hong Kong decorator Niki Fairchild has turned a
century-old house into the glamorous five-suite
Maya (94-47/567-9025; doubles from $170).
In the northwest, an ambitious government
scheme aims to transform the Kalpitiya peninsula into the country’s next
big resort destination. Until those plans are realized, the laid-back
Bar Reef Resort (94-777/352-200; doubles from $125) has airy cabanas and a quiet one-mile beach.
Perhaps the biggest peace dividend has been
the reopening of the leopard- and elephant-filled Wilpattu National
Park, in the northwest. Stay at the two-year-old
Ulagalla Resort (doubles from $374), which has 20 thatched-roof bungalows on 58 acres an hour from the park. —
Jennifer Chen
Toronto
Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd / Alamy
If all you know of Toronto is that it’s
clean, safe, and able to double for New York City on film, then you
haven’t been here in a while. The city has undergone a dramatic change
in the past few years, led by remarkably hip restaurant, fashion, and
nightlife scenes. Three locals give T+L their take on Toronto’s new
style. —
Jonathan Durbin
Cameron Bailey, Codirector of the Toronto International Film Festival
What characteristics would you identify as uniquely Torontonian?We’re
voracious cultural consumers. To be well-versed in both vintage dub
reggae and different kinds of hot sauces from Asia is totally normal
here.
Where do the film-industry players hang out during the festival?The Hazelton Hotel’s
One Restaurant (416/961-9600; dinner for two $250) is the hot spot. Locals like quieter places;
Bar Italia (416/535-3621; dinner for two $95) is where director Atom Egoyan eats.
Has the city upped its style game?Men’s style here used to be jeans and a lumberjack jacket. Now there are boutiques and tailor-made clothes.
4
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Neil Selkirk / Courtesy of Petit St. Vincent
A string of 32 islands just south of St.
Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has long been an under-the-radar
getaway for the jet-setting elite. But recent developments—including a
$240 million airport set to open on St. Vincent next year—are making the
region accessible to a broader audience. Built on volcanic black sand,
the new
Buccament Bay Resort (St. Vincent; 877/502-2022; doubles from $1,024, all-inclusive, three-night minimum)
has 90 light-filled villas that gaze out on a secluded white-sand
beach. Twenty miles south, tiny Mustique remains a playground for the
likes of Mick Jagger and Tommy Hilfiger
(and was a runner-up honeymoon pick for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge). A handful of new villas are now available to rent from the
Mustique Company (villas from $7,000 per week),
including the four-bedroom Mimosa, a contemporary affair with a pebbled
infinity pool, private chef, and dedicated utility vehicle for
exploring the isle. A more affordable option is the four-bedroom
Liselund, on a hillside overlooking the sea. Nearby, the 44-year-old
private-island resort of
Petit St. Vincent (doubles from $1,050, all-inclusive)
has reopened after a top-to-bottom makeover: 22 stone-walled,
thatched-roof cottages are done up in earthy tones and driftwood palapas
now line the beach. There’s also a waterside restaurant and a
tree-house-style spa, where an open-air hot-stone massage is the perfect
end to the day. —
David Swanson
5
Guimarães, Portugal
Courtesy of Historico
A burst of cultural creativity and youthful
energy is breathing new life into one of Portugal’s oldest cities. Here,
how to make the most of your day there.
9 A.M.: Start the morning with breakfast on your private terrace overlooking the city at the hillside
Pousada de Santa Marinha (351/253-415-969; doubles from $210), a ninth-century monastery turned hotel.
10 A.M.: Hike the six-mile
Citânia de Briteiros, which leads to the dramatic ruins of an Iron Age settlement.
Noon: Don’t miss the small but high-quality selection of local products at
Verde Inveja (351/ 253-554-020), including artisanal chocolates, traditional pottery, and soaps by the century-old Antiga Barbearia de Bairro.
1 P.M.: What Guimarães lacks
in cutting-edge gastronomy it makes up for in well-executed traditional
fare. About 20 minutes from town, the intimate
São Gião (351/253-561-853; dinner for two $100) specializes in house-made foie gras; all manner of fish, roast meat, and game; and excellent Portuguese wines.
3 P.M.: For the latest in Portuguese music, theater, film, and art, take your pick between the
Vila Flor Cultural Center (351/253-424-700), in an 18th-century palace downtown, and the new
Center for Arts & Architecture Affairs, in the formerly industrial district of Rua Padre.
8 P.M.: Whether grilled, fried, or baked with bread crumbs,
bacalhau (salt cod) is the dish to order at
Histórico (351/915-429-700; dinner for two $65). Not a cod lover? The menu is also strong on other regional classics, such as cheese fondue and grilled octopus.
11 P.M.: Swing by the city’s oldest square,
Largo da Oliveira—it’s full of lively cafés where locals gather to drink and people-watch until the wee hours. —
Alexandra Marshall
6
Abu Dhabi
Courtesy of YAS Viceroy Hotel
Move over, Dubai: The capital of the United
Arab Emirates is booming, with starchitect museums and high-design
hotels on Saadiyat island and beyond remaking the skyline.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (2014): Frank Gehry’s new Guggenheim will be the foundation’s largest location, and will recall Arabian wind towers and courtyards.
Louvre Abu Dhabi (2014):
Created by Jean Nouvel, the floating domelike structure will showcase a
range of international artwork on loan from the Paris flagship.
Zayed National Museum (2014): Five soaring, wing-shaped towers designed by London-based Foster & Partners will house an exhibition on the UAE.
St. Regis:
Overlooking miles of white sand, the just-opened resort includes 377
spacious rooms and seven restaurants and lounges. stregis.com.
Park Hyatt: The new Park Hyatt is surrounded by an 18-hole golf course and a protected turtle-nesting habitat.
Rocco Forte Hotel: The wavy, blue-and-green glass building created by WS Atkins & Partners, of London, mirrors the colors of the gulf.
Yas Viceroy Hotel:
Made up of two steel-and-glass towers linked by a bridge, this
futuristic hotel, built by Asymptote Architecture, is now part of the
Viceroy chain.
Monte-Carlo Beach Club: Saadiyat’s first beach club has a spa, poolside cabanas, and gulf-front restaurants. —
Vinita Bharadwaj
7
Costa Navarino, Greece
Courtesy of Starwood
Hotels & Resorts
Greece’s economy may have seen better days,
but that hasn’t stopped the tourism industry from moving forward. Take
the region of Messenia, the westernmost finger of the hand-shaped
Peloponnese peninsula, filled with sun-drenched valleys, Byzantine
churches, and sandy dunes that border the crystal-blue Ionian Sea. The
area has remained virtually unknown to travelers, who have traditionally
preferred the white-sand beaches of the Greek islands. But Costa
Navarino, a new resort complex set on 2,500 acres, is aiming to change
that, turning this low-profile stretch of coastline into Europe’s newest
Riviera.
Costa Navarino
is ambitious and international, with several hotel partners. Starwood
opened a Westin resort and the Romanos, a Luxury Collection hotel, last
year; a Banyan Tree is slated to debut in 2013. But it’s also intensely
local. At the Starwood properties, more than 75 percent of the staff is
from surrounding villages and guests are encouraged to spend an evening
at the house of a Messenian family. The low-slung villas are made from
native stone and have Greek art from the 17th century, and treatments at
the 43,000-square-foot spa are based on 4,500-year-old recipes found at
King Nestor’s palace nearby. With rates much lower than at similar
hotels in Mykonos and Santorini, this quiet slice of the Peloponnese
might just experience a Greek revival.
Westin doubles from $276; Romanos doubles from $193. —Eleni N. Gage
8
Xishuangbanna, China
DBimages / Alamy
Yunnan is thronged with visitors both Chinese
and international—but this untamed corner of the province at the foot
of the Himalayas is still largely overlooked. With rain forests,
Buddhist temples, tribal villages, and China’s last remaining wild
elephants, it’s the place to get a cultural fix without the crowds.
Stay: Xishuangbanna enjoyed a brief vogue with domestic travelers two decades ago, so it has some basic hotels. But the
Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort & Spa (86-691/871-7777; doubles from $350)
will set a new standard when it opens this spring. The province’s first
luxury retreat faces the banks of the winding Luosuo River in the
bucolic town of Menglun. The 103 rooms, some with private pools, will
have gabled roofs and lotus motifs. The restaurant will showcase the
indigenous cuisine.
See: The local ethnic
groups—Dai, Hani, Yi, and others—share Southeast Asian ancestry, making
Xishuangbanna’s culture feel less Chinese and more a blend of Thai, Lao,
and Burmese. Stroll through Manfeilong, a traditional Dai village, at
dawn and you’ll hear the chants of Buddhist monks and watch the sun rise
over an 11th-century pagoda. Visit plantations growing Yunnan’s
coveted, smoky Pu-erh tea leaves. Nearby, the 2,200-acre
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden has more than 1,000 species, including fig trees, bamboo, and orchids.
Experience: For a more immersive trip,
Wild China
leads treks through Dai market towns and verdant river valleys, and
organizes stays with local families. Guests can extend their trip to
follow the Mekong into northern Thailand. —
Jennifer Chen
9
Southern Bahia, Brazil
Courtesy of Fazenda Sao Francisco do Corumbau
The Pataxó people got it right when they
named their Bahian village Corumbau—“far from everything.” It’s only
about 30 miles from Porto Seguro airport, but the dirt roads make for a
bumpy, four-hour drive. Yet the same venturesome Brazilians who turned
nearby Trancoso from sleepy to chic are calling Corumbau and neighboring
CaraÃva the country’s next hot spots. And the helicopter takes just 20
minutes.
Corumbau: Once you finally
get here from Porto Seguro—the most adventurous option requires a beach
buggy, wooden raft, and dugout canoe—you may want nothing more than to
lie on a beach, sipping an açai juice. But there’s plenty to keep you
busy: snorkeling the pristine coral reef; mastering the local
spearfishing technique; hiking through dense tropical forest. Clothing
designer Renata Mellão’s
Vila Naiá (55-11/3061-1872; doubles from $800, including meals)
has eight sexy bungalows and suites, outfitted in bold fabrics and
recycled driftwood and connected by boardwalks. A more secluded option
is
Fazenda São Francisco do Corumbau (55-11/3078-4411; doubles from $800, including meals), where 10 light-filled cabins face nine miles of deserted beach, and fresh seafood is matched with produce from the garden.
gatwick taxis
CaraÃva: Six miles north of
Corumbau is a town that’s the epitome of Brazil’s no-fuss beachside
life. Wooden houses splashed in shades of mustard, lime, and peach line a
tangled web of streets too sandy for cars; the chief mode of transport
is mule. Show up for a 4 p.m. lunch of moqueca (fish stew) at the
Boteco do Pará (55-73/9991-9804; lunch for two $40), whose tables are shaded by an almond tree. Hotels here are rustic; the best is
Pousada Lagoa (55-73/3668-5059; doubles from $86), where five brightly painted bungalows are scattered across a lush garden. At the other extreme is
Fazenda CaraÃva (55-21/2225-9476; from $4,810, including breakfast and dinner),
a three-bedroom villa designed by local architect Ricardo Salem. It
sits on a forested promontory, drawing publicity-shy execs and
celebrities. —
Colin Barraclough
10
Hamburg, Germany
Courtesy of HafenCity Hamburg GmbH
Hamburg has always been a cosmopolitan city,
with the famously louche St. Pauli district (where the Beatles played
some early club dates) rubbing up against the monied quarters built by
shipping and banking fortunes. Despite a slew of sleek postwar glass
towers, however, Hamburg has never been known for design. That’s bound
to change with the HafenCity development, a hypermodern showpiece that’s
rising on the city’s old docklands. The 388-acre mega-project is being
built in phases (it’s not due for completion until 2025), but it’s
already giving Hamburg a welcome jolt of architectural glitz, with a
handful of new hotels, boutiques, and restaurants drawing in the style
set. Herzog & de Meuron’s Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall, where
performances will start in 2014, is the star of the show, resembling an
enormous ship passing through fog—a trick of treated glass that seems to
bend and twist in the silvery light. The building looms over
HafenCity’s completed, visitor-ready Am Sandtorkai/Dalmannkai quarter,
an enclave of trophy apartments built over canals. Entering feels a bit
like going back in time; you cross over a canal and through a series of
enormous 19th-century brick warehouses. But beyond this historic ring,
everything is brand-new and topsy-turvy, with nary a straight line in
sight. The Marco Polo Tower, a luxury residential building, exemplifies
the off-kilter aesthetic: a narrow-waisted, broad-shouldered structure
with terraces angled so that the whole building seems to be wriggling
away. HafenCity is so new you can still smell the construction dust, but
it’s already shifting the city’s center of gravity.
Stay: Book a corner unit with a view at the ultrahip, nautical-style
25hours Hotel HafenCity.
49-40/257-7770; doubles from $144.
Eat: Carls serves French-accented German fare (lobster bisque; dill-scented haddock).
49-40/300-322-400; dinner for two $105.
Shop: Witty Knitters sells Jutta Schweiger’s cashmere knits in an
Alice in Wonderland setting.
49-40/211-117-911. —Ralph Martin
Panama
Whitney Lawson
Shedding its reputation as a sunny haven for
shady characters, Panama is courting high fliers by giving everything an
upgrade—hotels, museums, and even that famous canal.
The Beach Buzz: Solace
seekers typically head to Panama’s Caribbean coast, leaving the Pacific
beaches to the surfers. But boldface names—Angelina Jolie; Michael
Jordan—have been spotted in the remote Pacific village of PedasÃ, four
hours from the capital. Most visitors stay at the rustic-but-stylish
El Sitio Hotel (011-507/832-1010; doubles from $99) or in a beachfront loft at
Villa Camilla Hotel & Resort (011-507/232-0171; doubles from $200).
The Passion Project: Frank Gehry’s
Biomuseo will finally open this winter on Panama City’s
Amador Causeway after a decade of fits and starts. Gehry—whose wife is
Panamanian—was aided by industrial designer Bruce Mau and landscape
architect Edwina von Gal in the $90 million project, a series of
rain-forest-like gardens and biosphere galleries.
The Next Great Neighborhood:
Panama City’s atmospheric Casco Antiguo (Old Town) is being scrubbed up
for travelers lured by its 17th-century cathedral and crumbling
mansions. The six-room
Las Clementinas (011-507/228-7613; doubles from $250; dinner for two $50)—whose
owner is a pioneer in the area’s preservation efforts—captures the
colonial-chic vibe. Its restaurant serves Panamanian comfort food such
as coconut-spiked risotto and
ropa vieja.
The Luxury Boom: Five-star hotels are rising in Panama City to house business travelers and South Americans on weekend jaunts. The sail-shaped
Trump Ocean Club (855/878–6700; doubles from $319) opened last year, as did
Le Méridien (800/543-4300; doubles from $230). Also new: the South Beach–style
Hotel Manrey (011-507/203-0000; doubles from $224).
The Big Dig: The Panama
Canal is two years from completion of a $5.2 billion expansion that will
double its capacity—just in time for its 100th birthday—and fit
supersize cruise liners, such as Cunard’s flagship
Queen Mary 2 and nine Princess Grand Class vessels. The 2004
Miraflores Visitor Center (011-507/276-8325), located canalside 30 minutes from downtown, sheds light on the project’s history. —
David Kaufman
12
Mozambique’s Northern Coast
Courtesy of Azura
This stretch of Indian Ocean coastline has
upped the ante in recent years, with rustic-chic beach retreats giving
way to polished lodges and ultra-luxe resorts to rival those of
Mauritius and the Seychelles.
Vamizi Island Lodge:
Lining a mile-long beach in the far northern Quirimbas, a ribbon of 32
coral islands near the Tanzanian border, Vamizi has 15 villas decked out
with marble showers and ocean-view dining rooms. There’s no TV, but you
can watch the samango monkeys and tropical birds that make Vamizi home.
44-1285/762-218; doubles from $590.
Ibo Island Lodge:
Located in the cultural heart of the Quirimbas, Ibo’s trio of
colonial-era mansions reflects the island’s centuries-old Arab, Indian,
and Portuguese heritage. Wide verandas have hand-carved teak daybeds,
while the nine rooms come dressed with Indian silk throws. The lodge
takes guests on island-hopping dhow safaris.
27-21/702-0285; doubles from $730.
Azura at Quilalea Private Island:
The nine coral stone-and-thatch bungalows of Azura, set on the southern
end of the Quirimbas, look onto a protected deepwater bay where
Portuguese and Arab traders once docked their dhows.
27-76/705-0599; doubles from $1,190.
Coral Lodge 15.41:
This 10-villa property combines local woods and colorful African
accents with plush amenities such as a seaside spa and an infinity pool.
Perched on a peninsula a short boat ride from Ilha de Moçambique, the
16th-century Portuguese colonial capital, Coral Lodge arranges tours of
the island’s ruins.
258-266/60003; doubles from $850.
Nuarro:
Tucked into the lush dunes of the Baixo do Pinda peninsula, 100 miles
north of Ilha de Moçambique, Nuarro’s 12 thatched-roof bungalows have
sweeping bay views out front and a rugged panorama of bush and baobab
forest.
258-82/301-4294; doubles from $590. —Douglas Rogers
13
Bentonville, Arkansas
Courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum
Until now, Bentonville, Arkansas, has been
famous for one thing: it’s the home of big-box retailer Walmart. But
Alice Walton, youngest heir to the empire, is using a large share of her
wealth—estimated by Forbes at $21 billion—to transform the region into a
world-class cultural destination. The
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (479/418-5700),
opened in November, is a showcase for Walton’s impressive
collection—and an audacious gamble that a large-scale arts institution
can thrive in the Ozarks.
To hedge her if-you-build-it-they-will-come
bet, Walton hired architect Moshe Safdie to design the museum, set on
120 wooded acres just outside town. He created a series of gently
curving pavilions hovering dramatically around and over ponds fed by
natural springs. Walton also approached 21c Museum Hotels—which put
Louisville, Kentucky, on the art-world map—about opening a property in
town. (Designed by Deborah Berke, it’s due next January.) Her biggest
investment may be the collection itself, bought at often eyebrow-raising
prices and covering the full sweep of American art, from Colonial
portraitists Gilbert Stuart and John Singleton Copley to 19th-century
masters Winslow Homer and Thomas Eakins, with a splash of contemporary
art (Andy Warhol; Roxy Paine; Jenny Holzer) thrown in.
The museum is already being touted by some as
a countrified Guggenheim Bilbao—and Walton herself as a latter-day
Morgan or Frick, digging deep into her pockets and dreaming big. This
may be enough to attract culture seekers from around the country, if not
the world. But there’s another enticement. In true Walmart spirit,
they’re rolling back prices here, too: admission is free. —
Stephen Wallis
Heathrow taxis
