44 of 50 Courtesy of Six Senses Zil Pasyon
Seychelles
There are beaches, and then there are beaches. This 115-island nation off Africa’s eastern shore has some of the world’s most beautiful white sands—and lavish new resorts, so you can experience them in style. On the private island of Félicité, Six Senses Zil Pasyon is paradise for honeymooners, with five open-air spa pavilions and a plunge pool adjoining each of the 30 villas, which face the ocean. Later this year, Desroches Island’s sole resort will become a Four Seasons: guests can stay in an airy, eclectic-chic beach suite or one of 11 palatial villas. Also ideal for families: the new Presidential Villa on Cousine Island. —Jacqueline Gifford
45 of 50 Daniel Traub/Gallerystock
Suzhou, China
A half-hour from Shanghai by bullet train, 2,500-year-old Suzhou has two faces. Most know of its classical gardens (nine UNESCO-designated), celebrated in Chinese art and poetry for centuries, and its canal-filled Old Town with traditional white-washed buildings. But there’s also the high-rise-filled Suzhou Industrial Park (built in partnership with the Singaporean government), which has lured many Fortune 500 companies and is a recreational spot for locals and expats. It has a shopping and entertainment district named Times Square, a London Eye–like Ferris wheel, multiple Western and Asian restaurants, bars, theaters, and a concert hall, plus colorful musical fountains on Jinji Lake at night—and it’s all just a 20-minute subway ride from the heart of Old Town. Over the next two years, W Hotels, Sheraton, and the Luxury Collection join a stampede of Western hotel brands that include the stylish Tonino Lamborghini, a Hilton, and a Hyatt Regency. —Sharon McDonnell
46 of 50 Courtesy of Sofitel Tamuda Bay
Tamuda Bay, Morocco
A mélange of cultural and geographic influences has given this string of seaside towns on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast a uniquely European flavor, and recent upscale openings have turned the area into a bona fide resort destination. Last spring in the town of Mdiq, Sofitel debuted Tamuda Bay Beach & Spa, a 104-room hotel with a palette inspired by the mid-20th-century Côte d’Azur. It’s a lively contrast to the subdued Moorish aesthetic of Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, a new all-villa resort 20 minutes north in Fnidek. But there’s more to the region than sun and surf: the nearby port city of Tétouan has several museums and one of Morocco’s best-preserved medinas. Head there now—with a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on the horizon, Tamuda Bay won’t stay under the radar for long. —Lila Battis
47 of 50 Andrew Hetherington
Tofino, British Columbia
Known for its year-round swells, Canada’s surf capital comes with a cold-water reputation that has helped to keep it a relative secret from the rest of the world. But lately, this remote Vancouver Island gem is seeing more visitors for a new reason: wild food. Chefs are using ingredients foraged straight from the Pacific Ocean and huge swaths of temperate rain forest—Tofino’s front and backyard. The salmon is so recently caught that chefs try not to grumble over the fact that the still-tense flesh is difficult to clean. Check out the new Sea Monster Noodle Bar, where the broth simmers with dried kelp and the poke is made with fresh-caught tuna. At Wolf in the Fog, order smoky potato-crusted oysters and sourdough toast topped with just-plucked chanterelles. Pair it with forest-fresh beverages, like the rye infused in-house with raw cedar or Tofino Brewing Company’s seasonal Spruce Tree Ale, steeped with locally foraged Sitka spruce tips. And stay at Long Beach Lodge Resort, where magical days on Cox Bay Beach include foraging treks with chef Ian Riddick—so you can see what the same food looks like in the wild. —Nina Kokotas Hahn
48 of 50 DarioEgidi/Getty Images
Turin, Italy
Best known for its historic cafes and the Shroud of Turin, the city is also a vibrant contemporary art destination. Last year, superstar curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev was named director of two major institutions, Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna, Italy's first modern art museum, and Castello di Rivoli, its first contemporary art museum, featuring works from powerhouses like Michelangelo Pistoletto and Paul McCarthy. Earlier eras can be explored at two other newly overhauled museums: the Galleria Sabauda, where visitors can see more than 500 works once owned by the royal Savoy family, and the Egyptian Museum, which houses one of the most extensive Egyptian-artifact collections in the world. Early in 2017, Turin's medieval roots will be revealed at Lavazza coffee's new headquarters in the Aurora neighborhood, when the company unveils a fourth-century basilica discovered during construction. —Carol Kino
49 of 50 Courtesy of Baja California Ministry of Tourism
Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
This wine region 80 miles south of San Diego is known for its red blends, but most bottles can’t be exported, so a visit is the best way to try the coveted pours. Start at Decantos Vinícola, which uses a flavor-preserving antigravity decanting method for its rich Malbecs. There are several new design-forward hotels here, too: chef Javier Plascencia runs Finca La Divina, a four-room B&B with a pool. It’s just a few miles from his acclaimed Finca Altozano restaurant and Lupe, his torta truck, housed in an Airstream. And in the summer, hacienda-style El Cielo Winery will open a 58-suite hotel where you can sip its traditional varietals with abandon. —Archana Ram
50 of 50 Witold Skrypczak/Getty Images
Veracruz, Mexico
In lieu of the crowded beaches of Cancún and Cozumel, make your way to the state of Veracruz, where the seafood alone is enough to warrant a visit. Enjoy dishes like spicy crab broth on the Emerald Coast, a 12-mile stretch of beach free of crowds and lush with vegetation. Stay at the Maison Couturier, a Design Hotel surrounded by the banana plantations of San Rafael. The French community that’s been there since 1833 sells artisanal cheese and pan de agua, a French-style bread baked in wood ovens. Then venture to Papantla, a well-known Mexican village famous for its pre-Columbian architectural ruins and centuries-old vanilla farms. —Diana Spechler