Best Of The World 2023

Travel inspiration is everywhere. The question is where to go next. Here's our annual list of enlightened destinations for the year aheadplaces filled with wonder, rewarding to travellers of all ages, and supportive of local communities and ecosystems. Framed by five categories (Community, Nature, Culture, Family, Adventure), these destinations are under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring.

Coorg: A WILD ROAST

Back in another timber den of Karnataka, native wildlife and humble stories surprise Suhas Dwarkanath as he sips on a bold cup of robusta.

DIVING INTO RAS AL KHAIMAH

THE U.A.E'S NORTHERNMOST EMIRATE IS ALL ABOUT ENJOYING NATURAL TREASURES, FROM SOARING OVER THE AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS ON THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE TO PERUSING PRECIOUS PEARLS BY THE SEASHORE

OF SEA, SAND, AND SERENITY

Thrilling encounters with the ocean's unknown, wandering in paradise, and chasing sunsets defines a getaway at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa

ΑΝ OCEAN OF ZEN

At Ozen Reserve Bolifushi, days are coloured with surreal sunsets, fantastic feasts, and underwater adventures

A WADE IN THE WATER

Lavish indulgences over and underwater at Baa Atoll's the Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort pamper your senses

MUCH ADO OR NOTHING

At LUX South Ari Atoll, indulgence has no limits. Whether you choose the exhilaration of a shark chase or the lulling langour of a post-massage reading session

ALL-SEASON SPLENDOUR

At Four Seasons Maldives' twin properties of Kuda Huraa and Landaa Giraavaru, conservation and opulence go hand in-hand, allowing guests to immerse in a responsible holiday

Brewing on an Ancient Land: Wayanad

A coffee connoisseur's road trip across Kerala's Wayanad reveals the storied history of the beverage, rooted in spice trade and accidental discoveries.

From Bean to Cup CHIKKAMAGALURU

How far will you go for coffee-out of your bed to the bubbling moka pot in the kitchen, to your favourite café for that morning kick? The search for a perfect and flavourful start to the day sends some on an all-India road trip across the country's top plantations.

THE YEAR OF THE WAY

DURING THE AUSPICIOUS JACOBEAN HOLY YEAR, A WRITER HIKES WITH HIS DAD ALONG THE CAMINO PRIMITIVO IN NORTHERN SPAIN, BACKPACKING TO THE MEDIEVAL-ERA CITY OF SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA AND ENCOUNTERING ACTS OF KINDNESS EVERY STEP OF THE JOURNEY

Qatar's Field of Dreams

As host of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the entire nation is busy preparing for the grand event. But even beyond the Beautiful Game, the smorgasbord of experiences in the capital city of Doha will make it to any bucket list

BIG TIME RUSH

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH SHARKS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, FLOATING OVER A FOREST CANOPY LIKE A CLOUD, AND PLUNGING DOWN CLIFFS ON THE HIGHEST GORGE SWING KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE IS A HOTBED FOR THE ADVENTUROUS OF HEART

Copenhagen's Coolest Cribs

When it comes to hotels, the design-focused Danish capital has it all, from glamorous five-stars to futuristic pod hotels and eco-conscious urban hangouts in the heart of the action

THE BIG BINGE - GOOD OLD GOAN SPIRIT

Tavernas were once a pillar of Goan social life. Today, a new generation of Goans stand against the tide of their dwindling numbers, giving them hip makeovers while highlighting the sense of character that made them special in the first place

Indigenous INSIGHTS

Bribri leader, Bernanda Morales, explains how, in her village of Yorkin, just upriver from the Caribbean coast, she’s brought back the Bribri language from the brink of extinction, creating a sustainable tourism destination in the process

AGATHA'S AFRICA

MYSTERY WRITER AND INVETERATE ITINERANT AGATHA CHRISTIE'S GRAND TOUR COMPLETES 100 YEARS THIS YEAR. FOLLOW HER FOOTSTEPS ACROSS SOUTH AFRICA, FROM URBAN ESCAPES AND SEASIDE EXCURSIONS IN CAPE TOWN TO LUXURIOUS TRAIN JOURNEYS THROUGH THE SHIFTING LANDSCAPE

Hyper Local First-Timer's Guide To Nashik And Aurangabad

Merlot summers at Sula, bewitching kaala masala mutton, and unforgettable explorations at Ajanta and Ellora, the twin cities are a gateway to Maharashtra's underrated delights

VORACIOUS IN VIZAG

Andhra Pradesh's coastal city dishes up lively street fare, offering a glimpse of the region's exuberant flavour profile

For the Love of Mom - and - Pops

These classic New York institutions dish up fantastic meals alongside history and family legacy. Their loyalists, often spanning generations, keep returning for specialties just as invigorating as the owners' life stories

CLOSER TO THE EARTH

A foraging experience, just a couple of hours from Mumbai, shines a light on the sustainable food practices of local indigenous communities and provides a rich connect with nature

WALLABIES and WINE

Southern Tasmania's Huon Valley is blessed with fertile soil, a temperate climate and some of the world's cleanest air something farmers and growers are harnessing to transform the region into an agritourism hub

Explore The Marvellous Macau

The sometimes elegant, often elusive city on China’s Pearl River Estuary has long been a gateway between east and west, land and sea, past and present. Today, Macau is best known for its glittery casinos, card sharps and high rollers— but the hustle and bustle of the streets tells a different story

Best Beds In The Maldives

Framed by palms and with sparkling turquoise sea, nowhere does beachside bliss like the Maldives and with a string of new openings, the hotel scene at this nation of islands in the Indian Ocean has never looked better

TOUR DE FORT

Rajasthan’s latest grand heritage hotel’s claim to fame should be its stunning readaptation of six centuries of Chauhan and Rajput history and local arts, crafts, and cuisine—and not a Bollywood wedding

TIDES TURNING

DIG A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU’LL FIND THE INDIAN OCEAN’S PIN-UP PARADISE ARCHIPELAGO IS FAR MORE THAN LAZY, DIAMOND-DUST BEACHES AND TECHNICOLOUR REEFS. A NEW GENERATION OF DYNAMIC SEYCHELLOIS ARE CHANGING THE RECORD, CREATING ADVENTURE TOURS, EMBRACING CRAFTS, REVIVING CREOLE CULTURE AND TAKING CONSERVATION TO THE NEXT LEVEL

ON THE ROCKS

BOULDERS DON’T JUST HOLD RAW NATURAL GRANDEUR IN SURU VALLEY, BUT POSE FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES THAT EAGER CLIMBERS LOVE TO TAKE ON

THE FINAL FRONTIER

THE SEVERE, SERRATED NORTH SLOPE OF ALASKA LIES 250 MILES INSIDE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, FAR BEYOND THE TREELINE AND UNDER 1,400 MILES FROM THE NORTH POLE. RESILIENT IÑUPIAT COMMUNITIES AREN’T THE ONLY REASON TO VENTURE TO THIS ICY COASTLINE—THE ‘ROOFTOP OF AMERICA’ IS THE BEST PLACE ON EARTH TO SEE POLAR BEARS IN THE WILD

MY WAY IS THE HIGHWAY

THIRTEEN DAYS ON A MOTORCYCLE FROM MUMBAI TO KUTCH UNRAVELS A SHIFTING LANDSCAPE, FROM THE DUSTY RURAL OUTBACK TO LUMINESCENT WHITE SANDS

BACK TO THE FUTURE

NEARLY FOUR CENTURIES OLD, CHANDNI CHOWK, ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR MARKETS IN THE CAPITAL CITY UNDERGOES A REVAMP