THE 20 MOST FASCINATING DESTINATIONS FOR 2023 From under-the-radar regions ready to shine to well-visited metropolises burnishing their credentials in creative new ways, here are the places to add to your itinerary this year 16
1 THE HIMALAYAS NEW HEIGHTS PHOTO ISTOCK Closed off to foreigners for much of the pandemic, the mightiest mountain range is emerging as a coveted destination in 2023, thanks to impressive developments in both Nepal and Bhutan. In the former, it’s the Mustang district: Shinta Mani Mustang is a new Bill Bensley-designed hotel that is slated to open in May, a 29-key retreat bordering the Tibetan plateau and offering unparalleled views of this relatively untouched region. In Bhutan, one of the world’s great hiking routes, the 400km Trans- Bhutan Route, has reopened to the public for the first time in 60 years. The nation has upped its per diem traveller fee to avoid overtourism (now US0, formerly US) and more luxe hotel groups are joining the in-country offerings, with &Beyond unveiling its Punakha River Lodge in late 2023. 17
