Five Best Places to Visit

1. Malta

The island country of Malta, a mashup of Sicily, North Africa, and colonial England, was all over our Instagram feeds this year, as our most globetrotting friends sought out its superlative scuba diving sites and ornate baroque architecture (seriously, St. John’s Co-Cathedral, in the capital of Valletta, is as gilded as it gets). 

Expect the world to double down on Malta coverage next year when the cobbled streets of the more than 450-year-old capital city, designated a European Capital of Culture in 2018, erupt in celebration. 

We’d plan around Valletta’s International Baroque Festival, held every January since 2013, with classical performances staged in—what else?—some of Valletta’s best baroque venues. (Think: Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” at the Teatru Manoel.) You can also plot your own course to get the most of Malta’s diverse heritage and food: Take the ferry to the Maltese island of Gozo for a swim and grilled seafood lunch; back on the mainland, visit the prehistoric ruins of the Hagar Qim Temples (circa 3,600 B.C.), and don’t leave without trying the national dish of stuffat tal-fenek, a rabbit stew, or pastizzi, a fluffy pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese or a paste of peas—a legacy of the Brits’ love of anything in a pie.

2. Guadalajara, Mexico

Often overshadowed by sprawling Mexico City, Guadalajara is well worth paying attention to—and not just because it’s the birthplace of tequila. 

The city has long been known for Mercado San Juan de Dios, the largest indoor market in Latin America, and the UNESCO-listed Hospicio Cabañas, where José Clemente Orozco murals line the walls, but the past few years have seen Mexico’s second largest metropolis emerge as an art and design destination, as well as a home to lively food, cocktail, and party scenes. A perfect knot of all those things can be found within the city’s artsy Colonia Lafayette district. 

Explore the neighborhood on foot: Colonial-era buildings and exemplary pieces of modernist architecture punctuate the boulevards, colorful bougainvillea droops lazily over walls, and bars brim with locals and expats. (Meat lovers shouldn't miss dinner at Hueso, with its melt-in-your-mouth short rib.)

If you have time, tack on a day or two in Tequila to visit La Rojeña, the 200-year-old Jose Cuervo distillery, and the region’s dusty blue agave fields, which lie below the looming Volcán de Tequila.

3. New Orleans

There are so many reasons to have New Orleans on your to-do list every year: Mardi Gras in February, Jazz Fest in April, and Tales of the Cocktail in July.... But in 2018, we’re heading south for the city's 300th anniversary and all its accompanying fun (Beignet Fest?!).

We'll bounce between our favorite restaurants and bars—Herbsaint, Seaworthy, Bacchanal and classic Arnaud’s French 75—and then eat and drink some more, because if you’re not eating, you’re talking about where to eat next. 

Plus, the city’s sculpture gardens, galleries, and activist Brandan Odums' 35,000-square-foot portrait gallery warehouse Studio Be will give you more than enough to do in a weekend. Just means you’ll have to plan two trips to NOLA this year.

4. Bratislava, Slovakia

In December 1992, the one country of Czechoslovakia dissolved into two—the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

The former is undoubtedly more famous. Yet what the Czech Republic has in cool cities, picturesque small towns, and stately fortresses, Slovakia has, too—only without the crowds. 

Bratislava, Slovakia's capital and largest city, is so beautiful you'll wonder why you haven't heard of it before: Bordering both Austria and Hungary, it sits surrounded by vineyards and the lush Little Carpathian mountains and has a pastel, pedestrian-only, 18th-century Old Town. (It's also only an hour's drive from Vienna.) Don't miss the big ones on the "to do" list—that aforementioned Old Town, the reconstructed Bratislava Castle, the 50-blue-hued Blue Church—but make time for the modern Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum and a cruise down the River Danube. When you've had your fill of the capital, hike up to waterfalls in Slovak Paradise National Park, or take a traditional wooden boat down the Dunajec Rive. 

After a glass or two of Tokaj wine and a few bowls of bryndzové halušky (dumplings with sheep's cheese), you'll wonder why you didn't visit sooner.

5. Bahamas

It was an unforgiving hurricane season this fall, and much of the Caribbean is still in recovery. But we'll say it over and over again—one of the best ways to help is to visit. Start in the Bahamas: Just north of the hurricanes' wrath, the islands are courting visitors with a big 2018 planned. On Nassau, head to the recently opened SLS Baha Mar, a proper oceanside retreat with two pools, an ESPA spa, and restaurants by Katsuya Uechi and Michael Schwartz (the latter opening soon). 

Come April, it will have competition with the Rosewood Baha Mar, a long-awaited collection of sizeable villas, upscale dining, and exclusive beach access. Off the main island, a mix of chic boutique hotels and resorts are coming to Harbour Island, Eleuthera, and Exuma Cays. 

Considering a visit? Delta recently added direct service between Atlanta and The Exumas, Out Islands, The Abacos, and Eleuthera. Meanwhile, Bahamasair has added nonstop flights between Houston and Nassau, and will introduce direct service from Chicago next year. In Miami-Fort Lauderdale, a new ferry will shuttle you to Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, in four hours.