Compendium Volume 8

THE 20 MOST FASCINATING

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 0, formerly ) and more luxe hotel groups are joining the in-country offerings, with &Beyond unveiling its Punakha River Lodge in late 2023. 17