Top 10 places from the New York Times' 52 picks of destinations to inspire, delight and motivate you to explore the world
1. Washington
Suffragists are remembered, and a culture and dining scene blooms.
One hundred years ago, on Aug 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, and American women had won the right to vote. In Washington, institutions like the Library of Congress, the National Museum of American History and the National Archives Museum have long-running exhibitions either under way or planned to commemorate the milestone. (Admission to all three is free, as it is to most of the city's museums and monuments.) In a US election year of perhaps unprecedented political angst, some might find visiting the American capital fraught. But in recent years Washington has watched its already-rich culture and dining scene blossom, offering a vast menu of fresh sights and tastes. Away from the halls of government, Washington presents a diverse identity as a majority-minority black city and a cosmopolitan crossroads where American society blends with international influences. The U Street area, sometimes referred to as Black Broadway, is packed with historic theatres and concert halls where jazz flourished and go-go music was pioneered. Beyond a small but growing set of pricier Michelin-starred restaurants, the district has also seen a younger, forward-thinking crop of restaurants emerge, with Ethiopian and Lao food well represented. Even as a modern, home-grown and ever-changing culture percolates below the surface, though, Washington holds to its historical ideal of a city built on a common heritage -- a place for all Americans to reflect on a shared identity, even in a contentious election year.
-- ZACH MONTAGUE
2. British Virgin Islands
An island chain devastated by hurricanes rebounds.
Hit by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, the British Virgin Islands have been slow to recover. But this year, a number of resorts will reopen, including Rosewood Little Dix Bay, the iconic resort originally developed by the conservation-minded Laurance Rockefeller in 1964 and was under renovation when the storms hit; it is set to reopen in January. On Norman Island, planned developments for 2020 include three hotels, a marina and an observatory. Offshore, the ship William Thornton, which once housed the floating bar known as Willy T, was damaged and is now part of an artificial reef, but a new vessel has replaced it. Many properties have a new environmental focus. Necker Island, the private island owned by Richard Branson, will finish rebuilding by April, and it will introduce uniforms made from recycled plastic found in the ocean; in 2019, the resort installed wind turbines that have enabled it to run on up to 90% renewable energy. This summer, the Bitter End Yacht Club will open a new marina using recycled materials and a market to provision boat crews; accommodations are scheduled to follow in the fall. Cooper Island Beach Club on Cooper Island, a 15-minute water taxi ride from Tortola, plans to offer packages combining island stays with emissions-free sailing trips aboard a new electric-powered yacht from Voyage Charters.
-- ELAINE GLUSAC
3. Rurrenabaque, Bolivia
A new protected area invites visitors to see rare wildlife.
The small town of Rurrenabaque is the gateway to a lush and thrillingly beautiful part of northwestern Bolivia that offers a twofer for tourists passionate about supporting efforts toward sustainability and protecting endangered species. Bolivia just won an award for best green destination from World Travel Awards for its efforts in making this entire region -- packed with roaring waterfalls and rare wildlife, and home to many indigenous groups -- sustainable while starting programmes for eco-tourism. Here visitors will find Madidi, one of the world's most biodiverse protected areas, and Rhukanrhuka, an area of tropical rainforest and natural grasslands almost as large as Yellowstone. In June, the Reyes municipal government (in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Rainforest Trust) designated Rhukanrhuka a protected area, one that will conserve endangered titi monkeys, pink river dolphins and other rare wildlife. Go now to take advantage of this newly inviting area before other tourists arrive; the Wildlife Conservation Society has a list of operators it recommends.
-- NELL McSHANE WULFHART
4. Greenland
Like Iceland, only more vast, more remote and without the crowds (for now).
President Donald Trump's desire to purchase Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory, unleashed jokes and diplomatic strains -- and piqued interest in this little-visited island (which counted fewer than 50,000 guests during the first half of 2019). This year, new sustainably focused expedition cruises, some with on-board naturalists and conservationists, are making it easier than ever to explore the least densely populated territory on Earth. Witness the tremendous glacier feeding into the Ilulissat Icefjord, a Unesco World Heritage site, from the MS Fridtjof Nansen. The new hybrid electric-powered ship from Hurtigruten's cruise fleet, based out of Norway, reduces carbon emissions by 20%. Set course for Northeast Greenland National Park, with its glacial lagoons and shaggy-haired musk oxen, on Lindblad Expeditions' new ship, the National Geographic Endurance, which won't have any single-use plastic bottles, cups, straws or stirrers on board. And trek on the Greenland Ice Sheet with famed mountaineer Alex Pancoe off Abercrombie & Kent's new Ultimate Iceland & Greenland Cruise on Le Boréal, which features an on-board wastewater treatment system. With that mile-thick ice sheet melting fast, and two new international airports slated to open in 2023, the time to explore an untrammeled, intact Greenland is now.
-- RATHA TEP
5. Kimberley Region, Australia
The country's last frontier teems with grand landscapes and ethereal corals.
The least touristy part of Australia is now in bloom with an easier-to-reach bucket list of natural wonders: the Bungle Bungle Range in the Unesco World Heritage-listed Purnululu National Park; the waterways of the mighty Ord River and Lake Argyle (one of the largest freshwater lakes in the Southern Hemisphere); and El Questro's waterfalls, gorges and epic landscapes. There are new itineraries, too, including Narlijia Experiences' history tours highlighting aboriginal culture, and Kingfisher Tours' outings to the unique and soon-to-close Argyle Diamond Mine. Other options include scenic flights over the Bungles and Lake Argyle, as well as Indian Ocean cruises to three untouched coral atolls in the Rowley Shoals Marine Park. But there's more: The city of Broome's Chinatown area is now revitalised, and the Western Australia Gourmet Escape food festival is extending its reach to the wine and foodie favourites Swan Valley and Margaret River. The area's new accommodations are Call of The Kimberley's outback glamping at Yeeda Cattle Station and the refurbished Kimberley Sands Resort and Spa, which is now for adults only. New air service includes direct flights from Melbourne and Darwin to Kununurra.
-- DANIEL SCHEFFLER
6. Paso Robles, California
The Central Coast does its best Tuscany.
California's Central Coast has been known as California's other wine country since actor Paul Giamatti went on a road trip and swore off merlot in Sideways 16 years ago. But while Paso Robles in particular is undoubtedly an accomplished wine terroir with more than 300 wineries (L'Aventure and Adelaida wineries recently expanded), to assume it is a string of tasting rooms would be to underestimate it. Last year, artist Bruce Munro created Field Of Light, a show of 60,000 illuminated glass orbs spread over 15 acres that has turned the city into an art destination (until June 30, when the show ends). Meanwhile, the Paso Robles has turned the good life -- of wine, olive oil, cheese and boutique hotels -- into an identity. The star hotel here, Hotel Cheval, is adding 20 guest rooms, a luxury spa and an infinity pool in 2020, while the new Hotel Piccolo has brought exposed brick walls, a rooftop bar and a hipster crowd to downtown. Two blocks away, chef Julien Asseo (of Guy Savoy in Las Vegas) just opened Les Petites Canailles, a buzzy new farm-to-table restaurant, in November. And Paso Market Walk, a 1,600m² marketplace, is expected to open this year -- bringing a bakery, microbrewery, gelateria, vegan cheese shop, olive oil tasting room, coffee roasters and artisanal, local specialities to the city.
-- DANIELLE PERGAMENT
7. Sicily
Sustainable rebirth and culinary heritage on a volcanic island.
There's some rumbling on Sicily, and it's not just Mount Etna, which began erupting again in 2019. A new wave of green tourism is washing over the Mediterranean island, where non-profit grassroots groups have begun to spearhead sustainable volunteer tourism initiatives like EtnAmbiente, which started an app in 2019 to help locals and tourists photograph and report pollution, increasingly an island-wide problem. These initiatives grew from five concerned individuals in 2018 to a powerful network to help reduce plastics and preserve the unique landscapes and marine habitats. Sicily's Tasca d'Almitra wine family have converted a derelict farmhouse into a winery on the lower slopes of Etna to open in 2020, offering workshops and wine tastings. The family's Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School is also starting the Food Heritage Association, a non-profit group celebrating Sicilian ingredients. Last year had the opening of Historic Trains of Taste, a series of scenic rail excursions that recently teamed up with Slow Food Sicily to take visitors on trips to lesser-known food and wine spots. Among them is Zash, a hotel and restaurant in the heart of a local citrus grove at Etna's base that received its first Michelin star in the 2020 guidebook. Uncovr Travel, a small-group tour operator (up to eight guests) specialising in Sicily, launches electric-car tours to local food producers and artists this year. Palermo will get more lodging accommodation, including Rocco Forte's Villa Igiea, which has committed to plastic-free amenities like straw flip-flops and boxed water, while the NH Hotel Group, a chain devoted to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, will give its Palermo property a significant refurbishment.
-- ADAM HARNEY GRAHAM
8. Salzburg, Austria
A renowned music festival celebrates its centennial.
The hills are still alive with you-know-what. Salzburg, Austria, draws hordes each year to the bright yellow town house where Mozart was born and to the Mirabell Gardens, where Julie Andrews taught a troupe of ersatz von Trapp children their do-re-mi's in The Sound Of Music. But it's worth the pilgrimage this year for another reason: The Salzburg Festival, the Davos or Disneyland of classical music, will celebrate its centennial this summer. There will be diva turns by Anna Netrebko and Cecilia Bartoli and performances by some of the finest maestros and soloists in the world; the house band, as ever, will be the incomparable Vienna Philharmonic. The charming Salzburg Marionette Theater offers smaller scale (and prices). And the tone-deaf can enjoy the Baroque splendour of the Old Town; the sublime Wiener schnitzel at Herzl; and the addictive local street food, bosna sausages. A nearby alpine peak, Untersberg, is reachable by city bus and cable car. A different kind of summit can be enjoyed in its grand cafes: the Salzburger nockerl, a sweet soufflé whose sugar-dusted peaks suggest nearby snow-capped hills.
-- MICHAEL COOPER
9. Tokyo
The Olympic Games are just the beginning.
All eyes will be on Tokyo as the city hosts the 2020 Summer Olympics from July 24 to Aug 9. In addition to the games -- with all the new hotels, sporting venues, transport upgrades and general excitement they confer -- the Japanese capital is a top pick for travellers hungry for a taste of its unmatched food scene, rich cultural heritage, cutting-edge architecture and see-it-here-first fashion. In this ultra-modern metropolis, endless adventures await: Watch the tuna auction at the new Toyosu fish market, wait in line for Japanese soufflé pancakes at Flipper's, try the chocolatey coffee at the cult roastery Bear Pond Espresso and browse one-of-a-kind clothing at the eclectic Kitakore complex. You can satisfy your pop-culture predilections at Nakano Broadway, walk through a bygone era in the traditional Yanaka district, and admire the futuristic facade (and excellent reading selection) at a bookstore called Daikanyama T-Site. And don't miss slurping Michelin-starred ramen at Tsuta. To get the big picture, check out the view from 634m at the Skytree. Then drink craft beer in a treehouse at Nakano Beer Kobo, unwind at the discreet record bar Track, or simply forge your own path. The options are endless.
-- INGRID WILLIAMS
10. Caesarea, Israel
"Pompeii By The Beach" is an impressive archaeological complex.
Herod the Great named this ancient port city Caesarea in honour of Caesar Augustus more than 2,000 years ago. Today it preserves many of the world's most impressive Roman ruins, including an amphitheatre, an aqueduct that runs parallel to the Mediterranean Sea and a hippodrome with an Egyptian obelisk. A flurry of recent restoration work -- spearheaded mainly by Ariane de Rothschild -- has now made the city a leading historical tourism destination on par with the Acropolis in Athens. Visitors to Caesarea National Park can walk atop a fortress built in the 13th century and view the newly restored ruins of one of the world's oldest synagogues. A visitor centre unveiled last June, in four 8m-tall vaults dating to the 1st century BC, includes a theatre and a room filled with antiquities, like a cache of gold coins divers found in Caesarea's underwater archaeological park. This summer archaeologists plan to unveil eight more vaults, a vast platform containing the ruins of a temple devoted to Emperor Augustus and a monumental staircase. After exploring, travellers can stay at the nearby Dan Caesarea, a midcentury hotel that recently reopened with contemporary art installations and a poolside Greek taverna.
-- CASEY HATFIELD-CHIOTTI
