THE 20 MOST CAPTIVATING DESTINATIONS FOR 2024 Burgeoning global cities with turbo-charged hospitality scenes, remote islands replete with ecological treasures, and mountaintop idylls with perspective-changing panoramas. Here’s a closer look at our favourite travel destinations for the year ahead 18
1 SEYCHELLES PURE SHORES PHOTO ISTOCK It’s not hard to understand why this clutch of 115 jewel-box islands has been honoured as the most romantic destination on the planet at the World Travel Awards for four years running. Difficult to get to, its remoteness – 1,500 kilometres off the coast of mainland Africa – has worked in its favour: the land remains pristine, with untouched white-sand beaches, awe-inspiring rock formations and vast, luscious forests forming a spectacular mise-en-scène like nowhere else on Earth. This year will see the arrival of two of its most exciting destination resorts to date: the solar-energy-powered Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island, boasting 50 seaside villas on a secluded island along a lagoon teeming with rare wildlife, and a Cheval Blanc resort, slated for opening late in the year. 19
