by Elaine Glusac October 25, 2024
(Mongolia) Crookes And Jackson, (Dakar) Tim White, (Chile) Nils Schlebusch, (Hudson Valley) Storm King Art Center, (Yellowstone) Brown W. Cannon III/Intersection Photos, (Stockholm) Getty Images, (Southern Italy) Patrick Locqueneux, (West Papua) Stevie Mann, (Zanzibar) Dan Kullberg
A guide to chasing new horizons in the year ahead.
A new year is a beautiful thing for devoted travelers: A blank calendar begs to be inked with departures to parts unknown. At Antietam WorldTravelService‘s consortia partner Virtuoso, we’re on the case, polling our travel advisors and industry contacts for their on-the-rise, get-there-first vacation spots that deserve a slot on 2025 agendas. Whether it’s heli-skiing South America’s untrammeled slopes, diving the Technicolor reefs of West Papua, or taking to southern Italy by train, the time to book for next year is now. (That 12-casita private island in Zanzibar and 22-passenger Peruvian riverboat will fill up fast.) Let this guide be your starting point for a year of new places.
Powder pursuits in Valle Nevado. Getty Images
Point your skis to pristine powder in South America.
When the end of Northern Hemisphere ski season comes too quickly, Virtuoso travel advisor Melissa Wu sends skiers seeking off-season thrills to the Chilean Andes, where lift lines are rare. While most resorts here are less developed than their North American counterparts, their mix of slopes, from beginner to expert, makes the Andes particularly family friendly. At 10,000 feet, with wide-open terrain and access to Santiago 90 minutes west, Valle Nevado gets great snow and is included on the Ikon Pass: a must-try for mountain chasers on the hunt for something new.
Get There: Virtuoso on-site tour connection Bespoke Journeys by Sportstour works with advisors to arrange one-to-seven-day Andes heli-ski trips from resorts such as the 29-room Vik Chile, set on an 11,000-acre nature reserve. Four passengers and one guide fly out in search of powder caches south of Santiago in Cajón del Maipo and Machalí. Departures: Any day through 2025.
FYI
“The après-ski tradition in Chile, unlike in France or the States, skews to relaxing pursuits such as getting a massage or enjoying the mountain scenery over a tasting of Chilean carmenère wines.” – Virtuoso travel advisor
Dakar’s UNESCO-listed Île de Gorée, once the largest slave-trading center on the West African coast, is now home to the House of Slaves museum and memorial. Getty Images
Feel the rhythm of the cosmopolitan Senegalese city.
Cruise calls are increasing at one of Africa’s largest ports, with lines such as Swan Hellenic, Seabourn, Azamara, and Ponant introducing passengers to the Senegalese capital of Dakar – famed for its art and culture scene – during West African cruises. “Dakar’s architecture, history, beaches, and food make it worth a visit,” says travel advisor Joelle Petit. Visitors can spend a day in port exploring Lake Retba (locals call it “Pink Lake” for its rosy hue) and offshore preserves such as Madeleine Islands National Park and its sea-carved cliffs. Back in town, check out contemporary art at The Museum of Black Civilisations, browse the historic medina’s artisan shops for teak sculptures and leather goods, and sample street food at stalls grilling meats and juicing baobab fruit. In the evening, mbalax, Dakar’s percussive dance fusion of African drumming and Latin pop, radiates through the streets. “Try Castel Night Club for good vibes, music, and dance,” Petit says.
Get There: Linking Africa and Europe, Swan Hellenic’s 192-passenger Diana begins a nine-night intercontinental sailing with a full day in Dakar to explore its art-filled markets and unblemished beaches before continuing to the Canary Islands and the Madeira archipelago en route to Lisbon. Departure: May 3, 2025.
Villa life at Secret Bay.
The Caribbean’s Nature Island doubles down on adventure.
The wild child of the eastern Caribbean, Dominica holds a lake that boils and a reef that bubbles, evidence of the geothermal activity around the tiny, mountainous island. In contrast with the manicured tropics of the Bahamas or Grand Cayman, “Nature Island” offers an adrenaline-packed alternative for those seeking some under-the-radar adventure where their friends haven’t been, according to Virtuoso advisor Katy Chadwell. In 2025, a new marine reserve will protect Dominica’s resident sperm whales, and a cable car will open access to Boiling Lake for those unable (or not in the mood) to make the strenuous six-hour hike.
Get There: Growing its collection to 22 villas, Secret Bay resort plans to open three new tree-house-style accommodations – each with a private pool and reached via funicular – by the end of 2024, and four more by the end of 2025. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily, one complimentary lunch or dinner, and one massage for two.
FYI
“For a relaxing pairing, swim through Morne Trois Pitons National Park’s Titou Gorge, then follow up the cold plunge with a visit to the hot springs at Ti Kwen Glo Cho.” – Virtuoso travel advisor
Arlene Shechet’s Girl Group at Storm King Art Center.Storm King Art Center
The historic Empire State valley expands its artistic appeal.
The artistic culture of New York’s Hudson Valley stretches from the mid-nineteenth-century Hudson River School of painters (founder Thomas Cole’s National Historic Site has a new Catskill Mountains-oriented welcome center) to contemporary showcases such as Storm King Art Center, which celebrates its 65th anniversary in 2025. The community invests in art: Next year, gallery Dia Beacon will reveal an eight-acre grounds expansion ideal for reflection on exhibitions such as a Renée Green retrospective, which opens in March, and construction is underway for the 2026 launch of Art Omi Pavilions @ Chatham, a 190-acre outdoor museum. “Everywhere you look in the Hudson Valley, there’s beautiful architecture and historic sites,” says travel advisor Emily Slater. “It’s also an up-and-coming area for film production, with shows such as The Gilded Age filming around Albany.”
Get There: Saddle up with DuVine, which guides four-day, small-group cycling tours of the valley with overnights at 37-room Troutbeck. Departures: Any day, May 1 through October 31, 2025.
Family vacay gold: Yellowstone Falls and River.Getty Images
Road-trip in style to a Wyoming retreat.
A centerpiece of classic road trips, the recreational vehicle has undergone a luxury makeover in its post-Covid renaissance. Amenity-filled models from Goss RV promise trips with all the nostalgia – campfires, picnics, and dark-skies stargazing – plus high-end appliances and downy beds. Road trippers seeking room to roam, national park adventures, and mountain-town chic will find it all in Jackson Hole. Head to the western Wyoming destination – gateway to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks – when the crowds die down in fall and spring. “The Jackson area is still on the down-low – 10 to 15 miles out of town, you’re paddling on the Snake River, climbing in the Tetons, or off-road biking with no one around,” says Virtuoso advisor David Petlin.
Get There: Goss RV offers custom and preplanned itineraries in chauffeured or self-drive recreational vehicles with well-kitted kitchens and room for two to ten passengers – these are not your grandmother’s Winnebago. A nine-day tour visits Jackson along with five national parks: Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Departures: Any day through 2025.
FYI
“Jackson Hole has a great culinary scene. Two favorites are the Lebanese-Mediterranean Figs at Hotel Jackson and The Bistro, serving Parisian-style dishes.” – Virtuoso travel advisor
Isla Espíritu Santo.Getty Images
Sail through a living aquarium in Mexico’s next resort hot spot.
Roughly 100 miles north of Los Cabos, its quieter cousin, La Paz, draws those in the know as a nature-forward, year-round destination. “La Paz is a cool spot off the beaten path in Baja,” says Julie Danziger, a Virtuoso advisor. A wave of new hotels includes Chablé Sea of Cortez, slated to open in 2026. Go before everyone else catches on to enjoy Balandra Beach, a protected lagoon that’s among Baja’s best, and snorkel in the crystal-clear Sea of Cortés, where playful sea lions and mammoth – but harmless – whale sharks share the waters. Next February, yacht charter The Moorings will station a fleet of six- and ten-passenger bareboat or skippered charter catamarans (both sail and power models) in La Paz. “The addition of The Moorings’ yachts will provide the destination’s sole luxury accommodations,” notes Danziger.
Get There: Deserted islands, sandy anchorages, and quiet fishing villages await sailors on The Moorings’ five-plus-night itineraries, highlighted by a visit to Isla Espíritu Santo, a UNESCO World Heritage site ringed with teeming reefs. Departures: Multiple dates, February 3 through December 31, 2025.
Ulaanbaatar’s Buddhist Gandantegchinlen Monastery. Getty Images
Travel slow on a pioneering East Asian tour.
From the rugged Khentii Mountains to the vast Gobi, Mongolia – where nomads make their living driving livestock under cloudless skies – is for going off the grid. “Think of the country as one large national park,” says Virtuoso advisor Geoffrey Ravoire. Though wilderness and tradition frame Mongolia’s essential appeal, a few modern developments make it a 2025 pick, including the emerging art scene in the capital of Ulaanbaatar, showcased at the Mongol Art Gallery (Ravoire urges collectors to get in on the ground floor), and plans for direct flights from San Francisco.
Get There: Next year, Nomadic Expeditions will launch a private 15-day Mongolia trip. Cessna flights speed transit for eight passengers to the remote Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area B, home to wild Przewalski’s horses, and to ger (yurt) camps in the Altai Mountains to meet Kazakh nomads who hunt with trained eagles. Departures: Any day, June 1 through September 30, 2025.
FYI
“Many top luxury brands source their cashmere from Mongolia. Save some space in your luggage for unbranded, high-quality knits.” – Virtuoso travel advisor
An Amazon mascot: The squirrel monkey.Getty Images
A new riverboat navigates the Amazon wilderness.
Pink river dolphins. Scarlet macaws. Villages built on stilts. There’s little to rival the vivid biodiversity and cultural distinction of a trip down the Amazon River, in the world’s largest tropical rainforest. “The Peruvian Amazon is one of the most rewarding experiences of virgin nature,” says Rosario Flórez, a Virtuoso travel advisor. Next year, Abercrombie & Kent will offer a new way to see it aboard its 22-passenger Pure Amazon, where Indigenous art and locally made furnishings fill light-flooded cabins. The vessel’s three skiffs serve as aquatic safari vehicles, heading down tributaries in search of three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, and brilliantly colored birds. Kayak excursions explore winding waterways, evening river game drives follow sundowners, and naturalist guides lead forest walks and community visits in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, accessible only by boat.
Get There: Abercrombie & Kent combines time at Machu Picchu with four days aboard the Pure Amazon on its new 13-day, 18-person trips, featuring pre-opening-hours access to the fifteenth-century citadel, as well as adventures in piranha fishing. Departures: Multiple dates, July 4 through December 12, 2025.
Suite cabins bring peak midcentury modern vibes.Patrick Locqueneux
Take in uncrowded scenery by rail.
Amid the resurgence of train travel, Orient Express brings romance to the rails with its new 62-passenger luxury train, inspired by twentieth-century Italian design. “This train is for travelers drawn to immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences,” says travel advisor Rachel Stankovic. “The brand’s appeal is legendary, and now it offers access to some of Italy’s most beautiful, harder-to-reach gems.” The two- and three-day itineraries aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express, launching in spring 2025, visit southern Italian destinations including Basilicata, where Matera, the world’s third-oldest city, is still marked with cave dwellings in its hillsides. A trip to Sicily involves decoupling the train in mainland Calabria to load onto a ferry before it resumes its traffic-free rail route to the island’s capital of Palermo for arancine and architecture; then it’s on to clifftop Taormina with its ancient Greek theater.
Get There: La Dolce Vita Orient Express’ routes begin in Rome, Palermo, or Catania. Between excursions, guests on the 12-car train can linger over games of chess and backgammon in the Lounge Bar and dine on dishes from Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck. Departures: Multiple dates to be announced, beginning spring 2025.
Sunrise in the archipelago.Getty Images
Hike the Scandinavian way via a soon-to-open island-hopping trail.
Mild when other destinations are sweltering, the Nordics are turning into summer’s newest must-visit. “There’s so much depth – you can find adventure, but you still have culture, history, and an elevated experience of fine dining and architecture,” says travel advisor Christy Menzies, who touts Sweden to travelers looking beyond the usual summer suspects. Opening this November, the Stockholm Archipelago Trail offers a new way to explore the capital city’s islands – more than 30,000, offering quick escapes into nature close to the capital. The 170-mile hiking trail crosses 21 islands linked by public ferries.
Get There: The Luxury Travel Designer crafts private guided day trips by kayak and Zodiac-style boats among some of the archipelago’s smaller islands. After foraging for herbs and edible plants, assist a wilderness chef in preparing a gourmet dinner to savor by candlelight before returning to the city. Departures: Any day through 2025.
FYI
“Submit to the cinnamon buns: In Sweden, fika is the custom of pausing to catch up with friends over desserts best enjoyed slowly with coffee.” – Virtuoso travel advisor
Aqua Blu takes to the Arafura Sea.Stevie Mann
An expedition cruise opens up a quiet slice of paradise.
Next year, explorers tempted by Indonesia can go farther, reaching the remote and biodiverse province of West Papua with new voyages from Aqua Expeditions. “People are loving the adventure of traveling to more-distant areas of the world, and West Papua is difficult to reach,” says Esther Fraser, a Virtuoso advisor. Calling at areas only reachable by ship, the sailings include swims with 40-foot whale sharks, rainforest hikes to spot rare birds of paradise, and speedboat river excursions to traditional Asmat villages for encounters with members of one of Papua’s largest tribes, renowned for their spiritual rituals and intricate wood carvings.
Get There: Aqua Expeditions’ 30-passenger superyacht Aqua Blu – stocked with kayaks, paddleboards, and scuba and snorkeling gear – will visit West Papua for the first time in 2025 on three new 7-, 9-, and 12-night itineraries. Departures: Multiple dates, October 11 through November 15, 2025.
Zanzibar’s original Uber: A dhow cruise.Getty Images
A coastal companion to mainland safaris polishes its appeal.
With white-sand-beach breaks; populations of turtles, dolphins, and reef sharks; and relative proximity to “big five” hot spots, Zanzibar, a Tanzanian archipelago in the Indian Ocean, is the ultimate safari complement. “It’s more low-key than the Seychelles or Maldives and much more accessible,” Virtuoso travel advisor Rhona Wendler says. Recognizing the destination’s draw, Four Seasons recently announced a new 126-acre resort on Pongwe Island, slated for 2027. Between aquatic outings, the cultural capital of Stone Town, a colonial trading center and UNESCO World Heritage site on Unguja Island, provides historical intrigue as a key spice trade port. Beginning in December 2025, Aqua Expeditions will link Zanzibar with the East African islands in the Seychelles aboard a brand-new ship.
Get There: With just 12 casitas on a private atoll, andBeyond Mnemba Isla
