Kiwi Curated
10 Best Places to Go in 2019
by Joy PecknoldAll the major 2019 travel guides have come out, but we’ve got our own take. Dialing it down to a more manageable top 10, we’ve selected the buzziest destinations to visit this year along with, of course, cool hotels.
10 Best Places to Go in 2019
Safari destination du jour for 2019, Namibia provides wide open spaces, clear skies and all kinds of wild animals. Knowing the democratic country was the first in Africa to write environment protection into its constitution also ups the feel-good factor. Private NambiRand Nature Reserve, to which &Beyond-Sossusvlei Desert Lodge has special access, and Etosha National Park are the hot spots.
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Go for Hoi An, the picturesque, preserved port town that carries a UNESCO designation, but also the growing food scene and hot new hotels in Danang which has it being called the Miami of Vietnam. Explore the Marble Mountains and stay at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort where their hillside villas complete with plunge pools overlook a private cove.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
The new Muscat International Airport certainly makes visiting Oman extra enticing. Then there’s the mind-blowing list of luxury properties, including Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz Carlton Hotel fresh off a major 18-month renovation. More staggering views and adventures beckon two hours away in the Al Hajar mountains at Alila Jabal Akhdar.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
Been there, Tulum’d that? Look a little further south and sample Belize’s sandy beaches and turquoise waters. The small Caribbean country has the second largest reef system in the world so it’s a choice place to snorkel and dive. Make an ancient Mayan site in the jungle your home at Chan Chich Lodge or splurge on private island living at Cayo Espanto off Ambergris Caye.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
Adventure might as well be New Zealand’s middle name—after all, it’s home to Queenstown, The Adventure Capital of the World, and scores of tucked-away luxury lodges such as Helena Bay Lodge. Between the ocean and mountains near Kaikoura, Hapuku Lodge & Treehouses is literally uplifting. By day, surf, swim with seals or whale watch.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
Everybody’s talking about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as the next “it” exotic beach escape. In India’s Bay of Bengal, these isles are lush with mangroves and lined with pristine white sand and clear water. The new Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Andamans here beckons with private villas, an Olympic-sized pool and floating spa.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
The everything-is-bigger state is doing, well, big things. San Antonio is one of two UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy in the US. In Houston, they’re expanding museums and restoring Apollo Mission Center for July’s 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Venture an hour out to Washington County for horseplay at the 300-acre ranch The Inn at Dos Brisas.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
There’s so much to love about Japan—all those Michelin-starred restaurants and cherry blossoms for starters. Take in Tokyo now before it swells with tourists for the 2020 Summer Olympics. Utilizing their superior, speedy rail system, tack on a relaxing ryokan experience amongst the Mt. Fuji foothills in Hakone at Gora Kadan.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
Head north or south, Germany is full of cultural experiences. Berlin celebrates the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and kicks off the big Bauhaus Centennial. Here, retreat to the colorful, design-forward 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin every evening. A fan of traditional arts? Munich is lauded for its theaters, museums and opera house.
VIEW HOTELS10 Best Places to Go in 2019
The comeback story of the year belongs to Puerto Rico, which is rebounding after the devastation of 2017’s Hurricane Maria. Visiting now—just as Lin-Manual Miranda did with his fundraising reprisal of Hamilton the musical—will help the island continue to rebuild. Choose historic property Condado Vanderbilt, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, or the slick new O:LV Fifty Five.
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