17 FUKUOKA, JAPAN RISING STAR The largest city on the southerly isle of Kyushu, Fukuoka might just be the country’s most livable conurbation, with easy access to both sea and mountains and a bevy of top-quality fish, beef and vegetables, which are staples on the menus of many a Tokyo hotspot. It was these ingredients that attracted Bangkok-based Indian chef Gaggan Anand to open his latest restaurant, in combination with local celebrity chef Goh Fukuyama, in December, aptly called GohGan, which is set in a riverside building that also houses a theatre, cocktail bar and more. Coming later in 2023 is the 162-key Ritz-Carlton Fukuoka, which will serve as an indulgent base for exploring all the delights of Kyushu, from the traditional ryokans and modern minimalist rural escapes to the superlative restaurants, Unesco-listed islands and world-class contemporary art installations and institutions. PHOTO ISTOCK 40
18 SOUTH AFRICA FROM MOUNTAIN TO COAST PHOTO ISTOCK Cape Town is among the buzziest cities in the world at the moment, with a host of avant-garde restaurants and some of the best art-filled private villas anywhere. Stay at the new Future Found Sanctuary on the slopes of Table Mountain for a touch of nature not far from the city centre or venture out to wine country to Sterrekopje in Franschhoek for a rural retreat and fine dining at Dusk in Stellenbosch. For a fresh perspective on eco-conscious safaris, try The Homestead within the Nambiti Private Game Reserve near Durban, or venture up to Thornybush in the Greater Kruger National Park for the latest from Liz Biden, the immaculate 12-bedroom Waterside lodge at her original Royal Portfolio property, Royal Malewane. 41
