Top 10
Places to Go This Year
Whether you’re looking for clubs, coast or culture, these 10 international destinations are hot – we’ll tell you why.
Getting to this beautifully rugged coastline in the southwest corner of the U.K. takes some dedication – it’s a six-hour train journey from London – but patient travelers will be rewarded with quiet beaches, like Watergate Bay, and narrow roads winding through charming towns and villages, some with stone houses dating back to the 14th century. Naturally, the Cornish coast is a haven for laid-back surfer types, but there’s also a flourishing art scene. (St. Ives even has a Tate outpost.)
For oenophiles, an easy day trip from Paris is the Loire Valley, France’s third largest wine region. In between visiting vineyards and sipping Sancerre and Vouvray, squeeze in a few history lessons. The valley is known for its splendid topiary gardens, fairy-tale-esque Renaissance châteaux and the Clos Lucé, a medieval manor where Leonardo da Vinci spent his final years.
Night after night of juicy grass-fed beefsteaks and tango sessions may be enough incentive to head to Buenos Aires, but Argentina’s European-style capital is also known for some of the best parties in South America. The bohemian bar-packed enclave of Palermo Hollywood, with hangouts like Miloca, is renowned for nocturnal carousing.
One of Europe’s more expensive cities, Stockholm attracts well-heeled design aficionados with its radically minimalist aesthetic (think stark simplicity and lots of blond wood). Of course, they check into modern, alluring accommodations like Hotel Hellsten and shop at cutting-edge boutiques like Filippa K.
Tiny, orderly Singapore is hard to trump when it comes to street food. Ditch the white tablecloths and hit the pavement for authentic Chinese, Indian and Malay delights, like chili crabs and oyster omelettes from pushcarts at Makansutra Gluttons Bay.
To drink in the extent of Moscow’s cultural transformation, visit communist icons like the Seven Sisters towers and the Kremlin; then sip a cocktail (vodka, naturally) at one of the city’s cosmopolitan, contemporary nightspots, like Bosco Bar. Situated right on Red Square, this bright and quirky bar wouldn’t look out of place in Berlin or Brussels.
World-class art shrines the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza have put Spain’s capital on Europe’s culture map. Post-siesta, though, it’s all about the tapas on the reveler-filled sidewalks of the Chueca.
Shanghai’s so 2007. With the buzz surrounding the Summer Olympics and a cutting-edge arts scene that includes the new Paul Andreu-designed National Centre for the Performing Arts and the galleries of the 798 Art District, it’s Beijing’s turn to shine. Check off must-sees like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, then head to sprawling Silk Street and join the crowds of thrifty fashionistas scouring the 1,000-plus vendors for faux couture.
Undeterred by the region’s political troubles, energetic Tel Aviv has emerged as a thriving Mediterranean metropolis. In gentrified Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv’s oldest neighborhood, fashionable cafés on the square and artist studios hidden in alleys intermingle with plaster walls covered in spray-painted poetry. Be sure to stop by the Nachum Gutman Museum, a tribute to the iconic Israeli painter.
Tokyo’s highrises are impressive, but charming Osaka is emerging from their shadow. Surrounded by mountains and ancient holy sites, this elegant, modern city is filled with historic treasures, like the sixth-century Shiten’no-ji Temple and the striking Osaka Castle, which dates from the 16th century. For nighttime adventures, head to Dotombori, a riverside entertainment district known for its tempting restaurants.
(Alia Akkam is a New York-based editor and writer covering food, travel, drinks and design.)
Getting there
Air Canada has an extensive network of flights around the world. Go see it! Plus, take advantage of our deals on hotel rooms and car rentals.
TOP PHOTO: DAVID HUGHES / DREAMSTIME.COM
LOIRE VALLEY : DEMID / DREAMSTIME.COM
BUENOS AIRES : CHLOEY ACCARDI
STOCKHOLM : HOTEL HELLSTEN
SINGAPORE : MAGALIE L'ABBÉ
MOSCOW : ALEXEY SHULIKA / DREAMSTIME.COM
MADRID : JOSÉ MANUEL BALLESTER / MUSEO DEL PRADO
BEIJING : MIKHAIL NEKRASOV / DREAMSTIME.COM
TEL AVIV : VLADI ALON / ALAMY
OSAKA : GROVEB / ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
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