Our top picks for 2024, for beaches, family, new adventures, culture and more.
Some are off the beaten path countries, with new infrastructure making it easier for discerning travellers. Other are well known destinations, now revitalised with new hotels and experiences.
Bhutan
A spiritual adventure for couples
Absolute authenticity and genuine five-star hospitality. It’s rare to find a destination that combines both. And rare is the best word to describe the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
This is a soulful destination for curious minds, a journey into a beautiful and alternative way of living, in a country that very few people have explored.
With a policy of high-value, low-impact tourism, Bhutan remains virtually untouched by foreign visitors. Its serene culture is distinct from everywhere else in the world.
It’s a top choice for couples who want to escape. Explore the great Himalayas. Immerse yourself in its Buddhist spirituality, exploring monasteries, temples, villages, fables and legends.
Then enjoy some outstanding five-star lodges, small boutique properties by brands like Aman, Six Senses, COMO and andBeyond.
Bhutan is a world leader when it comes to intimate and romantic accommodation. You will be spoiled for choice. And yet, hardly anybody knows about this little country bordering Tibet.
Peru
A new adventure for anyone
Peru has been through a lot in the past few years, but stability has firmly returned and the future looks bright in this spectacular South American country.
The greatest highlight of Peru is its diversity.
Capital city Lima is the world’s trendiest foodie destination right now. Machu Picchu is deservedly famous and there’s an incredible breadth of Incan and pre-Incan culture to discover elsewhere.
One day you could be on a houseboat in the Amazon. Another day you could be taking a luxury train across the high Andean plateau (it’s operated by Belmond and on par with their Venice Simplon-Orient-Express).
There are beaches, charming old cities, indigenous traditions and communities, a whole array of spiritual experiences, dozens of outdoor experiences and so much more.
Peru has long had a reputation as being a destination for backpackers. That’s simply not true anymore. Most visitors are surprised by the level of ease and luxury Peru offers. Travelling here is as comfortable as just about any other major country.
Rather than think of Peru as an adventure destination, we see Peru as the opportunity for anyone to have a new adventure, regardless of their age. It’s a good destination for families, especially with teenage children.
Some of our clients have explored Peru and we already see increased interest for holidays in 2024. It’s an easy destination for stretching your comfort zone into somewhere truly extraordinary, on so many levels.
Rwanda
Wild yet easy, wildlife experiences
Rwanda has been trending for 12 – 18 months now and it’s only getting stronger as a destination.
It combines remarkable once in a lifetime experiences, like gorilla trekking, with stunning design-forward lodges, such as Bisate Lodge, One&Only Gorilla’s Nest and Singita Kwitonda.
Previously Rwanda was seen as an add on to safari in Kenya or Tanzania. That’s still a good option if you have at least two weeks.
Rwanda is a standalone destination. Spend at least two days with the gorillas, discover the history and culture, then spend a few days in the Congo Basin Rainforest, at One&Only Nyungwe House. It’s the best place in the world to do chimpanzee trekking.
That’s a great itinerary for a week. Then you can add on a big game safari in Akagera National Park. Imagine getting close up to lions, gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants, on one holiday.
Note that Rwanda is for couples, as most of these wild wildlife experiences have a minimum age of 15.
Namibia
For big open spaces & complete silence
Namibia also captured the hearts of some of our clients in 2023. Wild open spaces, absolute seclusion, real adventure and a sense of exploring the unknown.
Like Rwanda, it’s amazing the quality of service and accommodation you can enjoy, when it feels like you’re at the end of the world. You don’t find standard resorts here. You find real one-of-a-kind properties.
Just compare Zannier Hotels Sonop with Shipwreck Lodge and Little Kulala Camp. Safari is an important part of the trip too and we recommend Little Ongava, a private concession towards the north of the country.
For 2024 there’s a new highlight as well. Starting April 2024, there’s a direct Fly Namibia connection between Victoria Falls and Namibia’s capital city Windhoek. This is ideal for either an experience at Victoria Falls, or combining Namibia with a safari in Botswana.
Lapland
For a family holiday
Normally we’re predicting islands in southern Europe to be the year’s big destination, like Montenegro and Sicily, our top two destination picks for 2022.
This year we expect a lot more clients to travel north for their holidays. After some crazily hot summers on the Mediterranean, we’re already seeing clients change their summer holiday destinations to countries like Norway and Iceland.
Warmer temperatures hit popular ski resorts and last year we were rebooking ski holidays from the Alps to Lapland. And every client returning from Lapland has the most incredible stories.
It’s amazing how little Lapland has been discovered, except for perhaps Santa Claus in Rovaniemi, Finland. There is so much up there!
The wilderness is big and it’s comfortable. Take Octola Lodge for example, where exclusive-use properties are deep inside 300 hectares of private forest.
Getting around is relatively straightforward, especially with private jet charters operating out of very remote airports.
The overall standard of accommodation is high, especially in Finland, where we love the glass igloos at Levin Iglut, just perfect for watching the northern lights.
Exceptional design properties like Arctic Bath, TreeHouse Hotel and of course the ice hotels, make for a very interesting trip. Plus we know of many private serviced accommodations in the wild.
Lapland is an opportunity to fully reconnect with yourself and the earth. It’s nature, adventure, exploration and going out to places that don’t even have names, never mind visitors.
Lapland is traditionally visited in winter, although we think spring is best.
You still have all the snow and snow related activities, like reindeer, husky sleds, skiing and snowmobiles. But the days are longer and the northern lights are still dancing in the sky.
Summer is the time of the midnight sun. If you don’t want to be in a busy tourist resort or seek something different, you should definitely explore what a holiday in Lapland could be.
Uzbekistan & Mongolia
For going beyond your comfort zone
Both Uzbekistan and Mongolia are already trending with travellers from Central and Eastern Europe.
Their tourist infrastructure has developed significantly over the last ten years. Now is a good time to go, before these remarkable countries are changed by tourism.
Uzbekistan’s Silk Road cities and monuments will transport you to another time and place. Bukhara and Samarkand are unmissable but there is standout ancient architecture across the country.
How about some wine tasting? Or heli skiing? Or discovering a graveyard of ships in the Aral Sea? Uzbekistan has always had these surprises, yet they weren’t really accessible. Now they are.
Mongolia is all about wild empty landscapes and a cultural interaction with nomadic people. How about a week-long horseback trek across the steppes? Seeing camels in a snowy desert? Or a 4WD adventure in a huge country with hardly any roads.
Neither Uzbekistan nor Mongolia offer five-star accommodation. Their capital cities have big brand hotels like Kempinski, but the capital cities are entry points, not highlights.
Some smaller destinations offer simple and comfortable hotel accommodation. The highlight is staying in a wilderness ger camp, experiencing how nomads live. It’s basic yet comfortable. And the surrounding landscapes are simply magnificent.
Thanks to great flight connections with Turkish Airlines, Uzbekistan can easily be a one-week adventure holiday. Flying to Mongolia is more complicated and we recommend two weeks as the destinations to discover are much further apart.
Seychelles
For 2024 Beach Holidays
New private island resorts continue to grab our attention in the Indian Ocean. We anticipate 2024 being a big year for travel to the Seychelles.
White beaches, wild islands, adventures in nature and barefooted escapism…The Seychelles has always had it all.
Whereas every year there are new and amazing resorts to try in the Maldives, the Seychelles has a relative lack of top class resorts. It also only receives about a sixth of the total annual visitors.
This is starting to change. Waldorf Astoria Platte Island will open in February, a private island with 50 villas, mostly beachfront villas with private pools. We’ll be reporting back from the island in the new year.
It’s a truly natural island, covered in palm forests and surrounded by coral reef and lagoon. It’s also the first new five-star resort in the Seychelles since Four Seasons Resort Desroches Island.
Each Seychelles island offers a different beach holiday experience and people are finally realising the quality on offer. Plus, with Emirates, the total flight time from Prague is shorter to the Seychelles than Maldives.
Our favourite resort is Six Senses Zil Pasyon on Felicite Island, suitable for just about anyone.
Constance Lemuria Praslin is the best pick for golfers while Alphonse Island is for adventurous water sport lovers.
Anantara Maia and North Island are stunning for couples. The Anantara is better appointed and the villas are nicer, while North Island provides more space and (even more) privacy.
Another reason to try The Seychelles is the seasons, which are counter to the Maldives. April to December are good times to travel, provided you have the best facing resort for the changing, prevailing winds.
In 2023 the Maldives continued to be a very strong destination for our clients. We expect this to continue in 2024 too.
One resort is at the top of our list. Opening February 10th, Soneva Secret could redefine exclusivity in the Maldives. It has only 14 villas on an island some 300 kilometres north of Male, the only resort in the entire Haa Dhaalu Atoll.
What’s Your Top 2024 Destination?
What’s the new destination you’ve recently heard about?
Where’s top of your list for 2024?
