Gather round, some hot new travel inspo just dropped. TIME magazine has just released its annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, and we’re here to tell you the where, the why and the what behind its picks.
The nominations came from TIME’s international network of correspondents and contributors, which were then vetted by the publication’s editors who also “combed through local news from the Arctic Circle to Brisbane, Australia, to find the most-buzzed-about openings,” Emma Barker Bonomo, senior editor at TIME, tells CNN Travel.
“The list we selected reflects a couple big trends in travel right now: sustainability, and authenticity. Many locations on this list are finding ways to let tourists visit with a more limited environmental impact. And many have responded to travelers’ desire to have unique, local experiences by offering indigenous-led tours or curated home stays.”
Here’s our pick of their picks — and you can see the full list at the bottom of the story.
The Americas
Canada’s Vancouver is known for outdoor adventure but it’s the indoor attractions that are catching TIME’s eye this year. The city just got its first Michelin Guide (the first Canadian city after Toronto to do so) and the Chinese Canadian Museum will open in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown this summer.
The little city of Bozeman, Montana, is “turning into a Rocky Mountain hub,” says TIME, following a rush of pandemic relocation. “Downtown is experiencing a growth spurt, with boutique fitness and yoga studios, alternative health-care outposts … and high-end beauty stores … setting up shop.”
Washington D.C. wins praise for its stylish new hotels and booming arts and culture scene, while Puerto Rico’s Rio Grande offers Americans the chance to visit the rainforest without leaving the country. And there’s more to Guadalajara, Mexico, than mariachi and tequila, says TIME. In November it’ll become the first Latin American destination to host the Gay Games worldwide sporting event.
Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park is the place to go for a puma safari, while the village of Ollantaytambo in Peru‘s Sacred Valley deserves to be a destination in its own right, says TIME, rather than just a stopover on the way to Machu Picchu. Visit it for crowd-free ruins, sustainable accommodation options and authentic local restaurants.
Europe
We all know about the mustard, but Dijon, France, has long-standing culinary clout beyond yellow condiments. In 2022, it launched its Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin, a mammoth 16-acre site dedicated to the glories of French cuisine.
Italy‘s newest national park opened in 2016 on Pantelleria, kickstarting this quiet island’s transformation into a year-round adventure destination. It’s easier to get to now, too: there are new summer flights from Rome and Milan.
Timisoara, Romania, is a 2023 European Capital of Culture and will be celebrating with an array of concerts, exhibits and festivals.
The Albanian town of Berat was a place of refuge for the country’s Jews during World War II and, unusually, the country’s Jewish population actually increased during the conflict. Exceptional hospitality is still key to the local culture, says …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
