Where to go in 2024?
If you’ve been following this website or the YouTube channel for some time, you knew this was coming.
This year we have a list of places for thoughtful and curious travelers to consider in 2024 Maybe this list will inspire you to see the world in a new way in the coming year.
Now, let’s get to the list.
For Cultural Immersion
Metis Corssing, Alberta Canada
This isn’t a place where you look at old things behind glass.
Meta Crossing in Alberta, Canada is an immersive destination where you experience the culture and the warmth of the Métis people through their land, water, skies, buildings, food, and more.
The 688-acre retreat, is home to a 40-room lodge, a cultural center, and campgrounds. Depending on the season, visitors can learn about traditional crafts, enjoy festivals held on-site, or head out for bird-watching, canoeing, or snowshoeing.
A new addition to Métis Crossing is a collection of eight Sky Watching Domes, luxe stand-alone suites with panoramic skylight windows. From the Domes guests can listen to Indigenous stories of the night skies, see the stars, and view the aurora borealis.
For Food and Drink
Sonoma County, California
More than double the size of Napa, Sonoma might offer twice as much to do.
It’s not just about the wine though. There’s also a long coastline to explore, from Bodega Bay up to Sea Ranch, where the dreamy, and newly renovated Sea Ranch Lodge is located.
Inland, the opening of Dawn Ranch shines a spotlight on Guerneville, a crunchy town along the Russian River known for its LGBTQ+ scene and proximity to the Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Tear yourself from the 22-acre haven, with tree house–like cabins, creekside glamping tents, and alfresco redwood tubs at the idyllic spa, to bike into town where the reimagined Piknik Market.
The changes coming to Sonoma County in 2024 are largely shaped by the area’s most famous chefs: in Healdsburg, California, with the opening of multiple new restaurants.
For City Thrills
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is the classic Asian megacity: frenetic, neon-lit, and overwhelming to the senses.
But change is coming to Bangkok, in the form of many megaprojects, including Dusit Central Park, which is slated to open in 2024, with the 259-room Dusit Thani Bangkok Hotel and a multi-terraced roof park.
Also coming soon will be King Rama IX Memorial Park, a park that honors the sustainability initiatives of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Meanwhile, Lumpini Park, Bangkok’s original public green space, is getting a massive refresh next year that will add a new food hall, a vegetable farm, and a sports club ahead of its centennial.
Even while sprinting to finish these new developments, Bangkok is finding time to slow down and prioritize wellness. Luxury travel network Virtuoso recently named Thailand as just one of five emerging self-care destinations worldwide, noting that travelers are seeking a more spiritual journey, turning to Thailand for more than the traditional Thai massage.
For the Water Lovers
Queen Anne
Few voyages are as iconic as a transatlantic crossing aboard a Cunard ocean liner.
So when the new Queen Anne departs Southampton, England, in May 2024, expectations will be sky-high for the first new Cunard ship to launch since the Queen Elizabeth in 2010.
The 1,498-cabin vessel is slated to sail to Lisbon and will then spend its first summer in the Mediterranean.
It’ll also represent an evolution for the 183-year-old brand: Queen Anne will have four new restaurants, including an omakase venue and an Indian dining room, alongside more familiar options such as the Princess Grill and Queens Grill.
A top-deck wellness studio, with yoga and other fitness classes, will be another noteworthy addition to the ship.
But, for all the new, some familiar traditions will remain, including proper high tea service and, naturally, an outpost of the Golden Lion pub pouring Cunard’s own microbrews.
For the Nature Lover
New Zealand
It’s time to take it off your once-in-a-lifetime list and just go.
Any time of year is a great time to visit. New Zealand summer months of December to March are always popular, but those who come at other times are well-rewarded with captivating colors during autumn harvest season, snow-capped adventures and spectacular stargazing in the winter, and fabulous fishing and hiking in spring.
There’s a growing number of enticing stays, including the new exclusive-use villas at Flockhill Lodge, set on a working sheep station, and the Clifftops at Anderson Cove, a tented camp above the Northland coast.
Christchurch has recently seen the opening of two new boutique properties, the sleek, modern Mayfair and the artsy Observatory Hotel.
If the outdoors are a priority, turn an eye to the North Island’s Wairarapa Dark Sky Reserve.
For Beach Vibes
Dominica
The self-declared Nature Island, thanks in part to its serene tropical rain forests, enticing hot springs, and gushing waterfalls.
There’s also an ever-growing number of resorts and hotels, such as the InterContinental Dominica Cabrits Resort & Spa, which opened this year, and the forthcoming Anichi Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, and Tranquility Beach Resort — Curio — a Collection by Hilton.
Also of note is the new 32-nautical-mile Waitukubuli Sea Trail, which takes sea-kayakers along the island’s western coast from Scott’s Head to Capuchin.
But, there’s another element to Dominica’s story that’s capturing the attention of travelers who care about sustainability. The volcanically active country plans to commission its first geothermal power plant in 2024, and in the meantime gets about a quarter of its overall power from hydroelectric sources.
For the Adventurer
Northern Pakistan
The northern reaches of this South Asian nation have a growing profile in the adventure-travel world, thanks to striking topography, high-elevation lakes, and precipitous peaks.
In 2023, Intrepid Travel launched a 12-day women-only expedition to the region, the expedition takes women to ancient villages, alpine lakes, and historic forts where travelers will have ample opportunity to meet with locals in areas that would be off-limits if men were part of the group.
Other outfitters are heading to Northern Pakistan as well. Wild Frontiers will debut a brand-new, 14-day walking adventure that will no doubt challenge the bodies and minds of those who are up for it, with several full-day hikes, some above 4,000 meters (13,123 feet).
The payoff comes in the form of staggeringly beautiful landscapes — not to mention the chance to make connections with people you meet along the way and see historic gems in Islamabad, the trip’s jumping off point.
