Condé Nast Traveler: 12/15/2021
1. Portugal
It’s not difficult to see why our readers love Portugal, which has spent the past decade transforming from a budget-minded underdog destination to a major player that can rival the likes of Spain and Italy. From the start, and even as it suffered under a forty-year authoritarian regime and a flailing economy, Portugal was brimming with delights that bordered on sensory overload: the intricate blue-and-white patterns of its traditional azulejo tiles, the intoxicating aroma of oven-fresh pastéis de nata, the mournful chords of live fado music, the bracing chill of a crisp vinho verde or the nectary sweetness of a port. With its jaunty yellow trams and hilltop São Jorge Castle, Lisbon is an easy-to-adore starting point for first-timers, but an increasing number of direct flights to Porto from the United States are inviting travelers to explore the second city’s contemporary cultural scene, including the newly opened World of Wine district. And then? Portugal rewards repeat visitors with a choose-your-own-adventure that might include the terraced hillsides of the Douro Valley, the underrated wineries of the Alentejo region, the surfer havens of the Algarve, and even the Hawaii-like volcanic landscapes of the Azores.
2. New Zealand
New Zealand has always been celebrated for its adventurous spirit: After all, Kiwis invented bungee-jumping (they spell it “bungy”), canyon-swinging, and zorbing—or, as you might know it, careening down a hillside in a transparent plastic ball. But last year, the country took a different tack, trading in thrills for caution, as it enacted some of the strictest lockdown measures on the planet. The gamble paid off, with New Zealand recording only 28 COVID-related deaths since January 2020. And while we can’t begrudge a pandemic strategy that worked, we still miss our favorite natural playground. As you await the country’s grand reopening, at least you can pass the time binge-watching The Lord of the Rings trilogy, diving into the filmography of native son (and Oscar winner) Taika Waititi, or sipping its famous sauvignon blancs and pinot noirs.
3. Japan
How much do our readers love Japan? Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto took the top three slots in our best big cities in the world list. Last year, the capital was poised to welcome the world for its Summer Olympics, complete with a new National Stadium designed by Kengo Kuma and inspired by Edo-period temples. But it, of course, didn’t go as planned. When you eventually return, you’ll still find the incredible restaurants, the ultra-relaxing onsens, the Shinto temples, the cherry blossoms, and the impeccably clean and efficient high-speed trains. But there’s always something new popping up in this whizz-bang nation of the future. A buzzy gin scene? Sure. A hilltop castle from 1599 where you can book overnight stays? Certainly. And now there are fantastic excuses to venture far out to the country’s extreme north and south: Among this year’s class of new UNESCO World Heritage designees are the Jomon Prehistoric Sites in the north and a chain of islands in the archipelago’s southwestern stretches that are entirely uninhabited by humans and filled with endangered species.
4. Morocco
For travelers from the West, Morocco has always been a gateway, not only to the African continent but to the Arab world as a whole. It’s easy to romanticize the centuries-old appeal of its riads, its thrumming marketplaces, and its maze-like medinas, but don’t ignore its equally vibrant 21st-century culture. These days, creatives of all stripes—including boutique hoteliers, jewelry designers, textile makers, and visual artists—are drawing on traditional motifs as they look toward the future, with Marrakech and Tangier emerging as hot spots for design lovers. The Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech, which debuted in 2017, has become a pilgrimage site for fashionistas, and the city now ranks among the most important contemporary art hubs in Africa, thanks to buzzy new institutions like the Museum of Contemporary African Art Al Maaden and the experimental Comptoir des Mines.
5. Sri Lanka
This South Asian nation packs a wallop into a teardrop-shaped island that’s only slightly larger than the state of West Virginia: Think high-elevation tea plantations that are eye-vibratingly green, national parks where sloth bears and endangered elephants roam free, and friendly surf towns that, if you squint, might remind you of Costa Rica or Nicaragua some 10 years ago. And then there’s the capital city of Colombo, where you can shop for local spices, fly kites along the waterfront, or even charter a yacht. As Sri Lanka has worked in recent years to secure its spot as a global tourism contender, it has faced quite a few challenges, from the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings to the pandemic, and it’s looking to regain the trust of visitors with its trademark hospitality and good nature—not to mention an ever-expanding roster of new hotels and resorts.
