20 of 50 Richard I'Anson/Getty Images
Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
The city of Lucerne’s medieval charms continue to draw busloads of tourists, but neighboring Lake Lucerne is full of developments that entice visitors to venture out as well. Make your base the ultramodern Bürgenstock, a $480 million project that opens in mid 2017 with scenic lake views, four hotels, and a massive yet tranquil spa. From there, explore the craggy summit of Mount Pilatus—once thought to be a dragon den, it’s become more accessible lately (its popular cog railway will be included in the Swiss Travel Pass starting this year). At the lake’s southern arm, called Lake Uri, the 36-mile-long Gotthard Base Tunnel (the world’s longest train tunnel) opens for passenger service in December 2016—it has shaved 40 minutes off the trip from Milan. Hikers to the region won’t be disappointed either: the nearby village Engelberg has created the Buiräbähnli Safari, a two-night Alpine trek that utilizes farmer’s gondolas and aerial cable cars to visit remote farms, where you can sample cheese and Alpine butter. —Adam H. Graham
21 of 50 Getty Images/AWL Images RM
Laos
Despite its many allures (milky-blue terraced waterfalls, mountains blanketed with jungle, centuries-old golden stupas, and crumbling temples) landlocked Laos has always been overshadowed by its tourist-magnet neighbors. But that’s changing: in the fall, the country was thrust into the international spotlight with a historic visit from Barack Obama, the first sitting U.S. president to set foot in the nation. Recent negotiations with Thailand opened up additional flights from Bangkok, and new upscale lodgings have made Laos’s two major cities—the temple-studded capital of Vientiane and Luang Prabang, a UNESCO-protected town prized for its natural sights and mix of traditional and French-colonial architecture—much more accessible. In 2017, the President by Akaryn—the area’s first five-star hotel—arrives in Vientiane just steps from the temple of the Emerald Buddha, followed by a Rosewood in Luang Prabang. —Lila Battis
22 of 50 Nick Ballon
La Paz, Bolivia
Once beleaguered by frequent strikes, roadblocks, and a paucity of amenities, the backpacker haven of La Paz has emerged as a true culture capital. Infrastructure has played a key role: in 2014 the city introduced Mi Teleférico, a network of aerial trams that transport riders across the city in minutes on routes that once took an hour by bus. The city’s culinary scene is being driven by fine-dining restaurant Gustu, launched by Noma cofounder Claus Meyer in 2013. Since then, the restaurant scene has exploded with ventures from Gustu alums: elevated vegan fare at Ali Pacha,locally inspired pastas at Propiedad Pública, and house-roasted, single-origin coffee at Typica. Stay in the city’s first Design Hotel, the Atix. Each of the 53 rooms doubles as a gallery, displaying works by Bolivian artists like Gastón Ugalde. It’s a microcosm of the city’s thriving contemporary art scene: galleries like Mérida Romero, Mamani Mamani, and the reopened Salar Galería de Arte showcase much of the country’s top talent. —Nicholas Gill
23 of 50 Courtesy of Miavana
Madagascar
Madagascar is sometimes overlooked as just another safari destination. But this massive island is home to thousands of species that are found nowhere else on earth—more than 90 percent of Madagascar’s flora and fauna are endemic—and with the threat of climate change and deforestation looming ever larger, this is one trip that shouldn’t be delayed. Reinstated Airlink flights from Johannesburg to Nosy Be have expanded access to the northern stretches of the country just in time for the April 2017 opening of Miavana, Madagascar’s most well-appointed property yet. Situated on the island of Nosy Anko, the eco-friendly resort includes 14 villas designed by Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, the architects behind similarly luxe African retreats like Chinzombo and Angama Mara. Between seaside pursuits, guests are whisked by helicopter to Ankarana National Park for lemur-spotting or Amber Mountain National Park to explore its waterfalls and crater lakes. —Jane Broughton
24 of 50 Courtesy of Museo Picasso Málaga; Photo by Ake Lindman
Málaga, Spain
Málaga, in Spain’s Andalusia region, is now a veritable museum-goer’s paradise. The first wave included a Picasso museum (the artist was born here) and the sprawling 8,000-square-foot CAC (Centro de Arte Contemporáneo), which has hosted exhibits by Ai Weiwei and Marcel Dzama. Since then, the Carmen Thyssen, an outpost of Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum that houses the famous baroness’s extensive private collection, has opened; so has a five-year pop-up of Paris’s Centre Pompidou displaying works by Magritte, Chagall, and Kahlo. The Pompidou’s location along Málaga’s renovated waterfront is marked by a hypermodern, rainbow-hued glass cube. And in the industrial space of a former tobacco factory is a sister site of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Archaeology buffs can comb the extensive collection at the Aduana Palace (it houses both a fine arts and archaeological museum) or head to the Antequera Dolmens (a prehistoric burial site that earned its UNESCO World Heritage nod in 2016). Unwind afterward at the lavishly appointed Gran Hotel Miramar; it opened at the end of 2016 in a historic 1926 Art Nouveau building across from Málaga’s most timeless attraction: Malagueta Beach. —Fiorella Valdesolo