At the beginning of 2016, I left my job at a travel magazine to strike out on my own as a freelance travel writer. What I didn’t know at the time is where this leap of faith would take me. This year alone, I’ve gone to all seven continents, visiting some of the most remote stretches of the world along the way. From kayaking with orcas in British Columbia to exploring the fast-paced streets of enigmatic Ho Chi Minh City, I laced up my hiking boots and took my notebook and camera out to document the world.
One continuous feeling I sought in each new country was the ability to feel small. Whether glimpsing a remote mountain peak in an area few have traversed or spending an afternoon at an al fresco café in a busy city while quietly enjoying a latte as the horns and patter of feet fill the air, I revelled in the moments where I receded into the background and the destination I inhabited put on an unbeknownst show before me.
As tensions rise around the world, it may feel easier to stay home than venture out. After all, the unknown can be scary. But by exploring the lands that make up our Earth, we’re connecting with cultures and experiencing traditions different from our own, which, in turn, will make us more enlightened global citizens.
In 2017, I urge you to go. You can go alone, with a partner, or with a friend — all that matters is you go. Here, 15 destinations that will make the trip worth your while.
Canada
Next year marks the 150th celebration of the Canadian Confederation, prompting Parks Canada to declare free admission to all of the country's national parks throughout 2017. That means now is the perfect time to get your camper van in perfect working order for a cross-country Canadian adventure.
Discover the best of eastern Canada in Torngat Mountains National Park in Newfoundland and Labrador, home to indigenous caribou herds and glacier-flanked mountains. In the country’s centre, go on an expedition with Frontiers North Adventures in July and August for your best chance to spot polar bears in their native environment in Churchill, Manitoba. Cross through Alberta’s Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park and British Columbia’s Glacier National Park before arriving in Vancouver Island, where you can kayak the Inside Passage for your chance to spot wolves, orcas, bears, and eagles.
If the outdoors isn’t your thing, a trip to Toronto is the remedy. Enjoy pastries at Barcelona-inspired Bar Raval, Tiki-style libations at Miss Thing’s, and begin your exploration of Toronto’s craft-beer culture at local favourites Bellwoods Brewery and Indie Ale House.
Photo: Getty Images.
Casco Viejo, Panama
If you love the charm of fortressed Cartagena along Colombia’s Caribbean coast, then you will swoon for Casco Viejo. The old town and UNESCO World Heritage Site is full of thriving cultures, colourful façades, and an enigmatic, convivial hum in true Central American fashion.
Set in stark contrast to Panama City’s raucous, casino-clad skyline, Casco Viejo is a retreat within the city and American Trade Hotel and Hall is its forthright sanctuary. The 50-room property is a photographer’s delight and is home to cultural and culinary outposts like Danilo’s Jazz Club, The Dining Room, and The Lobby Café and Bar.
Visit L'Osteria for homemade burrata and gnocchi, Manolo Caracol for an 8-to-12 course prix-fixe menu, and Caliope for fine dining and creative cocktails in an artsy setting. In the evening, hit up Tantalo Hotel to dance the night away on the rooftop bar, with its incredible views of neighboring Panama City.
Photo: Getty Images.
Oregon
Home to a verdant wine region, 363 miles of public beaches, and snowcapped mountains, Oregon has it all. Explore the state with Evergreen Escapes, beginning in Portland, one of America’s burgeoning food capitals. Enjoy Middle Eastern cuisine at Tusk, wood-fired Italian fare at Renata, and cocktails at Ace Hotel Portland’s Pepe Le Moko.
Leave the city to cycle the Willamette Valley Scenic Bikeway, stopping at vineyards along the way and ending with a stay at The Vintages Trailer Resort. In Central Oregon, find endless adventures, like mountain biking at Mt. Bachelor and rock climbing at Smith Rock State Park. Stay at The Suttle Lodge in the Deschutes National Forest and take your adventure up a notch along The Bend Ale Trail. On the Oregon Coast, stop in Cannon Beach to experience farm-to-table fare at bed and breakfast North Fork 53.
In Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge, explore the outdoors while staying in trendy cabins at Mt. Hood Tiny House Village. In Eastern Oregon, rest your head at the newly renovated historic Jennings Hotel, a perfect base for whiskey and chocolate tastings at Stein Distillery and Arrowhead. Save the best for last at Crater Lake National Park in southern Oregon, home to America’s deepest lake.
Photo: Getty Images.
Alaska
All eyes are on Alaska as the state celebrates the 100th anniversary of Denali National Park and Preserve next year. Visit in the summer months, where you can board the Alaska Railroad ’s main line, connecting southern Alaska to the northern wilds. Begin in Homer, a small artist and fisherman community on the edge of the Kenai Peninsula off Kachemak Bay.
Take a boat ride for stays at Stillpoint Lodge or Tutka Bay Lodge (where cooking classes feature the best of Alaska’s seafood and foraged berries) or head north to Anchorage for a night at The Jules before arriving at Willow in the Mat-Su Valley. Here, Vern Halter’s Dream a Dream Iditarod kennel and training facility hosts dogsled rides. You can even snuggle Alaskan husky pups, many of which will go on to race in the state’s famed competition.
Before touring Denali by bus to see grizzly bears and eagles, stop at 229 Parks Restaurant and Tavern for reindeer chorizo flatbread by chef Laura Cole. End your Alaskan adventure with a flight to the southeast capital of Juneau to glacier walk on the Mendenhall by day and tour the town’s many eateries, breweries, and distilleries by night.
Photo: Getty Images.
Barcelona, Spain
Located on the Mediterranean coast and oozing with charm, culture, and culinary prowess, Barcelona is seaside seduction, found. Locals jog one of seven beaches. Outdoor enthusiasts kayak the coast. Hikers and bikers weave throughout the rolling Collserola Hills. This, combined with centuries of complex architecture spanning from the Roman Empire to the Middle Ages.
Opt for a stay at Casa Bonay, tucked within the Dreta de l’Eixample borough, minutes from the tree-lined boulevard of Passeig de Gràcia. Take a leisurely stroll through trendy El Born, with its brimming undercurrent of alternative outposts. Stop by Museu Picasso to see the most impressive collection of the 20th-centruy artist’s work, and visit El Born Cultural Centre for a unique view of Barcelona's Catalan history.
After your afternoon siesta, sip vino at Can Cisa, dine on Michelin-star cuisine at Comerç 24, and drop by Mercat Princesa, a weekly Saturday market, to sample cuisine from the city’s up-and-coming food creatives. Cap off your experience at Mercat de Santa Caterina, the second-oldest market in the city.
Photo: Getty Images.
Raja Ampat Islands, Indonesia
For the Pisces at heart, the Raja Ampat Islands are a dream. Located off the coast of Sorong in Indonesia’s West Papua province, this 1,000-island sanctuary is largely uninhabited and blissfully remote.
Explore the mushroom-shaped island chain with Travass Life to get intimately acquainted with the marine life inhabiting a pristine stretch of coral-lined beaches. Begin at a meeting point in Sorong before setting out to explore the hidden islands of East Indonesia for a stay at Doberai Private Island. Spend a day island-hopping, hiking, and snorkeling around Wayag before arriving at Kri Island for a sunset view and dinner.
Trek to Pianemo Island, snorkel the crystalline waters surrounding Arborek Island, and swim with manta rays before departing to the iconic limestone formation of Batu Pensil. Cap off the trip with a relaxing respite on a secluded sand bank in Koh Island.
Photo: Getty Images.
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne often draws comparisons as Australia’s version of Brooklyn. Next year, the city is set to host the coveted World’s 50 Best Restaurants award ceremony, prompting even more interest in Australia’s most creative city.
Visit during the awards in March, when the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival will also be taking place, bringing visionaries in global gastronomy to Melbourne's labyrinthine network of restaurants, laneways, lights-turned-down basements, and bohemian rooftops. To honor the distinguished culinary events, Melbourne will establish five permanent food-truck precincts to house a mix of 17 rotating trucks. Sites will be scattered throughout town in locales like Les Erdi Plaza on the Yarra River, Batman Park, and the underpass on the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets.
To begin a culinary crawl in the city, start with a sample of the famed Australian flat white at the alleyway coffee outpost Switchboard Café. Venture on for tapas at Bar Lourinha or MoVida, Mediterranean fusion at The Botanical, and Italian cuisine and wine at Café Di Stasio. Stay at the Adelphi Hotel, a trendy, '60s-inspired spot with a rooftop pool overlooking Flinders Lane below.
Photo: Getty Images.
Chile
Known as the land of contrasts, Chile encompasses an array of natural wonders, from its northern deserts to its southerly mountain ranges. Begin with a foray into metropolitan life in Chile’s capital of Santiago. Stay at the new Hotel Magnolia and dine at Bocánariz before departing to the nearby wine region of Casablanca Valley with Pionero Travel.
Stop at Matetic Vineyards for the finest organic and biodynamic Syrah. Then, venture further north to the bohemian port town of Valparaíso for a street-art tour of the town’s mural-clad façades. Spend a day getting lost in Alegre and the Concepcion hills and visiting Chilean poet Pablo Neruda’s house, La Sebastiana. Coming back to Santiago, take a direct flight to the desert outpost of San Pedro de Atacama to see flamingos resting on salt flats and to photograph the Milky Way unobstructed while staying at Awasi Atacama.
If you have your sights set on the south, it’s easy to get to most towns, but all flights likely route through Santiago. Start at Vira Vira Hacienda Hotel in Pucon. Raft, kayak, and horseback ride; then, return to cheese-and-bread-making classes with a Michelin-starred chef while sampling Chilean wine from the property's 10,000-bottle cellar. Next, venture to Tierra Chiloé on Chiloé Island. Learn about local fishing culture and visit 16 different 17th-century UNESCO World Heritage Sites. To end your adventure, fly to Patagonia for a lodge-to-lodge trek with EcoCamp Patagonia and rest each evening in glass-domed igloos in Torres del Paine National Park.
Photo: Getty Images.
Azores, Portugal
The Azores are home to a chain of nine unspoiled archipelagic islands, located nearly 1,000 miles west of mainland Portugal in the heart of the North Atlantic Ocean. Here, green volcanic landscapes combine with European-influenced urban spaces, resulting in cities like Angra do Heroísmo, full of historical buildings, colorful houses, and dreamy cafés.
Home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Azores is the go-to locale for thrill seekers who enjoy off-the-map adventures, from active volcano and caldera hiking to geothermal hot spring hopping. If you’re on a budget, book a holiday with Azores Getaways to experience whale watching, wine tasting, Jeep touring, sea kayaking, volcano hiking, and the best surfing in the Atlantic.
If you’re looking for a healing holiday, dip into the Azorean ancestral waters of the Furnas Hot Springs. Located in Furnas on the island of São Miguel and uniquely positioned at the largest confluence of thermal waters in Europe, opt for a stay at Furnas Boutique Hotel. Drawing from the ancestral power of the famous Furnas thermal spring waters “Quente das Quenturas,” the Furnas Boutique Hotel’s Thermal Center and Spa leads travelers on a cleansing, sensorial journey through the ancestral healing power of thermal spring waters.
Photo: Getty Images.
African Great Lakes Region
The waterways of the African Great Lakes Region meet in the Rift Valley of the East African Rift. Lake Victoria, arguably the most famous of the lakes, is the second largest freshwater lake in the world, creating a vital lifeline to the surrounding region. Here, safari adventures on the continent are at their best, including experiences in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.
On a trip with Volcanoes Safaris, join eco-tourism pioneers during a lodge-based exploration of Uganda and Rwanda to see the critically endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Track chimpanzees in the Kyambura Gorge, see the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and come face-to-face with mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, all while supporting community projects in Kyambura and Bwindi.
If you wish to get active, join Intrepid Travel on its cycling tour in Tanzania to traverse a newly minted route in Arusha National Park. Go past the famous Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to speed down the Great Rift Valley escarpments. The route weaves through local villages, offering a glimpse into life of the local Maasai. For the ultimate safari experience and a chance to see the Great Migration, opt for a stay at Angama Mara, a 30-room safari camp suspended above Africa’s Great Rift Valley overlooking Kenya’s Maasai Mara homeland.
Photo: Courtesy of Justine Goodman.
Montenegro
Montenegro is set to be the next Balkans country to boom in popularity, as Croatia isn’t the only locale with looming, seaside cliffs offering blissful views of the Adriatic Sea. Even if you have your heart set on an island-hopping sailboat trip to Croatia, consider a visit to Montenegro, where you’ll discover calm waters, historic charm, and offbeat excursions.
There’s a reason Montenegro is becoming a hot spot for stars like Rita Ora and Harrison Ford: With over 180 miles of coastline and ancient towns set on rock cliffs above the sea, the country is steeped in rich, history, thanks to the confluence of eastern and western culture that merged here. The result is an eclectic mix of Romanesque villas and ornate mosques and churches.
In 2017, G Adventures will become the first operator to offer small group sailing trips around the Adriatic coast, stopping in cities like historic Kotor. Sail the Bay of Kotor, docking to explore this UNESCO World Heritage town and ancient Mediterranean port. You won't be sorry.
Photo: Getty Images.
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Most locals in Ho Chi Minh City still refer to it as Saigon, a name more evocative of the vibrant and enigmatic charm the city holds. With a population of more than eight million people, it’s easy to get lost in the chaotic cadence of motorbikes sweeping the streets. The area is a perfect stop for history buffs, located right at the intersection between old and new: You can still find locals congregating near street-side food carts and traditional markets and temples while towering skyscrapers loom in the distance.
Plan to go during the dry season — December to April — and opt for a stay along the Saigon River at Villa Sông Saigon or head inland to The Alcove Library Hotel in the city’s Phú Nhuan District. To learn more about the city's past, visit Reunification Palace for '60s-inspired architecture and the War Remnants Museum to read of the atrocities during the Vietnam War. Although the shocking photos are hard to view, it’s important to see, as the museum does a fine job of illustrating the conflict between the U.S. and the Viet Cong. Next, visit the Cu Chi Tunnels, the vast, underground network of tunnels and trapdoors first built as a defence against the French, which later expanded during the Vietnam War.
Photo: Getty Images.
The Nordic Islands
For landscape photographers, the Nordic Islands present an unparalleled opportunity to document scale in the wild. Mirrored images dance in the icy outlying waters, creating surrealist photos almost too beautiful to be real. In Norway’s Lofoten Islands, small fishing villages are the backdrop for adventurous pursuits. Explore the area’s mountains, fjords, and surf-friendly beaches set on the waters of the Norwegian Sea with 68 North, a photography workshop led by Cody Duncan.
Because the area is north of the Arctic Circle, it’s best to visit during summer, but if viewing the aurora borealis is on your bucket list, visit in winter for the chance to see the sky illuminate in streaks of green and gold. Next, venture to the Faroe Islands, home to remote, towering cliffs and a pounding surge from the Atlantic Ocean. Halfway between Norway and Iceland, the constant change in light and weather in the islands presents the perfect chance for photographers to document four seasons worth of conditions within a short window of time, perhaps even in one day.
Photo: Getty Images.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is brimming with creative talent and thoughtful lodging, making it the perfect stateside locale for a weekend getaway. Stay at Thompson Nashville in the Gulch neighbourhood or book a room at East Nashville's new Urban Cowboy B & B, housed in a restored 1800s Victorian mansion.
Once a derelict district of the city, East Nashville is experiencing an uptick due to a crop of new restaurant and bar openings. Dine at Rolf and Daughters for Southern-inspired dishes like chicken livers, try Husk for charcuterie plates with cheddar biscuits, and go for Mexican-style popsicles at Las Paletas.
Visit the White’s Mercantile to shop collections from Nashville creatives and Hey Rooster General Store for modern goods in an old-style Southern setting. Hit up Imogene + Willie for quality denim and shop for jewellery and housewares from talented designers and artisans at Two Son. Before heading home, sip flash-chilled coffee sodas at Steadfast Coffee.
Photo: Getty Images.
Göthenburg, Sweden
Far from the cobblestoned streets of Sweden’s capital of Stockholm, bohemian Gothenburg has long been home to the country’s most innovative thinkers and doers. Traditionally known as a seaport city where Volvo and Hasselblad control the scene, Gothenburg is emerging as a treasure trove for new-age cafés, restaurants, and a system of tucked-away bars.
Go during summer, when Trädgårdsföreningen park’s 4,000 roses are in bloom. If you’re on a budget, stay at the communal hostel and hotel STF Götenborg City or splurge on luxe accommodations at the Italian-inspired Bellora Hotel. Visit Da Matteo for home-roasted coffee and Café Kringlan in the Haga District for brunch and fresh-baked pastries. People watch all afternoon at Bar Centro and sip Champagne beneath the chandeliers at Champagnebaren Forssén & Öberg.
Explore Gothenburg’s vibrant arts scene at the Hasselblad Center in the Gothenburg Museum of Art, visit Artilleriet for Scandinavian interior-design inspiration, and snag eco-conscious denim from Nudie Jeans. End with a night out at the multi-floor music venue Yaki-Da or enjoy a live set at Nefertiti Jazz Club.
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