Zhangjiajie, China

Editor’s letter

There’s always a lot of speculation at this time of

READER AWARDS

We asked you to name the city or region that’s currently

THE COOL LIST 2019

FEATURING EVERYTHING FROM FUTURISTIC CITYSCAPES AND MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE TO PRISTINE RAINFOREST AND REHABILITATED WILDLIFE, WE BRING YOU THE 19 DESTINATIONS SET TO HIT THE HEADLINES IN 2019

Pulse of the jungle, call of the sea

THE ISOLATED PACIFIC VILLAGES IN THE NORTH OF CHOCÓ PROVINCE CRY OUT TO THOSE WHO DREAM OF BEING CAST AWAY, OF EXPLORING THE EQUATORIAL RAINFOREST, AND OF SPENDING CAMP FIRENIGHTS DANCING CHAMPETA. THIS IS ONE OF COLOMBIA’S LAST TRULY OFF – GRID CORNERS

COME IN FROM THE WILD

Off-radar and crammed with opportunities for adventure, Quebec’s Outaouais and Abitibi-Témiscamingue regions are a world away from Montreal. Even taking a short road trip feels like crossing a new frontier

ICELAND

The snow is fal ling lightly in the Kolbeinsdalur Val ley. Everyone is waiting; anticipation lies heavy in the air. A distant rumble of hoofs breaks the silence and over the horizon, r ight on cue, a herd of more than 500 wild horses thunders into view. Welcome to Laufskálarétt, Iceland’s biggest annual horse round-up

MARRAKECH

From art galleries and boutiques, to cafes, restaurants and secret gardens, new life is sprouting within the ancient walls of Marrakech’s Medina.here’s never been a better time to visit Morocco’s most enchanting city

TAIPEI

Taiwan’s capital is alive with tropical urban parks, buzzing night markets, and a new wave of bars and boutiques led by the city’s young, creative crowd WORDS: Nicola Trup PHOTOGRAPHS: Duncan Longden

Editors’ picks

We’ve been here and we’ve been there, and our team have found a few things we thought we’d share

Foz do Douro, Portugal

Just a short bus or tram ride west of downtown Porto

STATE OF THE ART

With Madrid’s most famous museum turning 200 this year, there’s a wealth of celebratory events, new openings and more to tempt you to the Spanish capital

ROOMS WITH A VIEW

Fancy a five-star view with your morning coffee? Check out and check in to these new rooms, where the views are just as first-class as the digs themselves

Out of this world

As we gear up to celebrate 50 years since the first moon landing, there’s a whole range of ways you can get starry-eyed in 2019

JUMP RIGHT IN

For the best views of the sea, veer of the coastal footpath and dive straight in

Veneto

Prosecco producer Sandro Bottega gives his tips on what to eat — and drink — in Venice, Treviso and beyond

Franconia

This bucolic Bavarian region is Germany at its most iconic, full of over-the-top palaces and a booming beer scene. Words: Connor McGovern

BRISBANE

The Queensland capital is reinventing itself with a host of new developments, and the city’s hotel scene is following suit

THINGS TO TRY FOR 2019

We’ve picked a few unusual New Year’s ideas for the family, from the creative to the cultural

Like a local

From murals and street art to cuttingedge galleries, Denver’s River North (RiNo) Art District is a true hub of creativity — here’s our pick of where to go

Porthleven

A thriving food scene and seaside setting makes this Cornish town the perfect coastal escape

TOP TRAVEL TITLES FOR 2019

We’ve searched high and low for the books hitting the shelves this year that’ll shape your world view in 2019. Words: Sarah Barrell

KERMADEC ISLANDS

This secluded Paciic archipelago has all the paradise promise of a castaway idyll. But sometimes, fantasy can be surprisingly close to reality

BARN IN THE USA

I fell in love in a barn in Tennessee. It was an hour

TOWERS OF STRENGTH

Trying out the Catalan tradition of building human towers reveals it to be more than mere daredevil lunacy

EVENTS

WHERE: Wallacespace Clerkenwell, 18 Clerkenwell Green

GRAND DESIGNS & GREAT PLAINS

BUDAPEST MIGHT BE HUNGARY’S STAR ATTRACTION, BUT VENTURE BEYOND THE CAPITAL’S BORDERS AND YOU’LL DISCOVER ACOUNTRY THAT REMAINS RURAL AND REMARKABLY UNTOUCHED. AND THERE’S OFTEN A SIMPLICITY TO THE PLEASURES ON OFFER — WHETHER IT’S THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, LOCAL HISTORY OR A GENEROUS DINING CULTURE. FROM BOBBING IN THE HEALTH - GIVING WATERS OF ONE OF THE MANY BATH HOUSES TO CLIMBING UP TO FAIRY TALE CASTLES, THERE’S PLENTY TO EXPLOREIN THI S BREATH -TAKING COUNTRY

A WALK IN THE PARK

FOLLOW THE GLOW TO GRAND, GRACEFUL BALBOA PARK, SAN DIEGO’S REMARKABLE CULTURAL HEART

BORNHOLM

With a well-stocked larder, rolling countryside and balmy climate, this beach-beautiful Danish island makes a delicious weekend escape. WORDS: Charlotte Wigram-Evans

RICHMOND

Virginia’s capital is undergoing a gastronomic revolution, with local chefs locking back to cook up everything from barbecued brisket to French-inspired fancies. Words: Audrey Gillan

KUALA LUMPUR

Malaysia’s capital has long been one of Southeast Asia’s best places to eat, and the city’s melting-pot cuisine is now sharing the stage with hip hotels and thriving street markets. Words: Lee Cobaj. Photographs: Saskia Wesseling

PRAGUE

With its photogenic medieval core, the past is never far away in the Czech capital. While the city does a ine line in historic hotels, it’s rich in modern digs too, from techy hostels to a room in an old TV tower. Words: Hannah Summers

ASK THE EXPERTS

NEED ADVICE FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP? ARE YOU AFTER RECOMMENDATIONS, TIPS AND GUIDANCE? THE TRAVEL GEEKS HAVE THE ANSWERS…

SOLO TRAVEL

TRAVELLING ALONE IS ON THE RISE YEAR-ONYEAR ACCORDING TO ABTA’S LATEST HOLIDAY HABITS REPORT. BUT WHAT’S THE BREAKDOWN? WORDS: TAMSIN WRESSELL

THE RISE OF cannabis tourism

CANADA RECENTLY LEGALISED THE RECREATIONAL USE OF CANNABIS, AND IT’S ALLOWED IN 10 US STATES. HIGH TIME, THEREFORE, TO LOOK AT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR TOURISM IN NORTH AMERICA. WORDS: JAMES DRAVEN

7 ways to REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHILE TRAVELLING

IT’S EASY TO BECOME A GREENER GLOBETROTTER. ALL IT TAKES IS SOME SIMPLE CHANGES AND A LITTLE EXTRA PLANNING TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Tech traveler

TECHNOLOGY REPORTER FOR.BBCCLICK AND AUTHOR OF WORKING THE CLOUD, KATE RUSSELL PICKS THE LATEST INNOVATIONS

ROUND-THE-WORLD TICKETS

THE WORLD CAN BECOME EASIER TO NAVIGATE, WITH THE CHANCE TO SEE MORE FOR LESS WITH ROUND-THE-WORLD TICKETS, BUT JUST HOW EASY ARE THEY TO BOOK? WORDS: DAVID WHITLEY

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

Nowhere does cool like California. Home to superlative

THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL

HOW WILL WE BE TRAVELLING IN 2040? WILL WE HAVE SWAPPED THE ALPS FOR OUTER SPACE AND HOTEL STAFF FOR CYBORGS? OR MIGHT WE SIMPLY BE ON THE WAY TO GREENER, MORE EFFICIENT, MORE MINDFUL TRAVEL? WE ASKED THE EXPERTS WHAT TO EXPECT WORDS: JULIA BUCKLEY

UP IN THE AIR

From glass-fronted, batterypowered planes to the death

WHERE DO WE GO?

As a direct result of climate change, our traditional

SPACE & SUPERSONIC

Much has been made of the return of supersonic travel

ENVIRONMENT

Environmentally friendly lying is already in the oing

BEDDING DOWN

A hotel stafed by robots? It’s already happened in

THE WAY WE TRAVEL

“There’s been a fundamental change in the last 100

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