Anyone got $4,000 to throw away on a two-week walking tour of Pakistan?
That’s only one of dozens of eyebrow-raising destinations on a list entitled The Best Places to Travel in 2024, compiled by the editors of Travel + Leisure magazine.
One of the world’s most dangerous countries — hey, the President said it, not us — failing to fluff your feathers? Why not venture to one of America’s most dangerous cities, Cleveland, Ohio, where we’re told a new bike path awaits, or to Saudi Arabia, where a hotel with no electricity is named as a highlight. Of course, there’s always Warsaw, Poland, tapped for its vibrant art scene. (You learn something new every day!)
The mostly impractical list, an annual tradition for Travel.+ Leisure and the waning number of competing travel media titles it competes against, is not entirely aimed at impressing its dwindling pool of peers with esoteric picks, it seems — some more appealing options include affordable Merida, Mexico’s safest city, Portugal’s scenic Douro River wine region and Austria’s underrated (apart from the Alps) countryside, where there’s plenty more wine to sample.
Tried and true spots like Paris, New Zealand, Mallorca and California’s Sonoma County also made the list, mostly to spotlight new developments, with lots of discussion of luxury hotels costing more per night than some people pay in rent — though likely not in New York City in 2023.
Without leaving North America, eager jetsetters can venture to picturesque locations of the US, such as Aspen, Colorado, perfect for avid skiers; the underrated beaches of Anna Maria Island just south of Tampa Bay, Florida, or even a cruise off the coast of Alaska, where voyagers can take in the breathtaking, snow-capped peaks and scenic forests.
Montana ski favorite Big Sky also made the list, alongside setting sail on the Mississippi River, basking in the LEDs under the brand-new, MSG-built Las Vegas Sphere and the emerging entertainment hotspot of Kansas City, Missouri.
Meanwhile, Fort Worth, Texas, was highlighted for its sprawl of luxury lodging and the National Cowgirl Museum, and Cleveland, Ohio, was lauded for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and its hosting of multiple gaming events in 2024.
For those eager to get out of the country but not stray too far from home, the travel index also featured Montreal, located in Québec, Canada, which was dubbed “one of the greenest and most visitor-friendly spots in North America.”
Métis Crossing, a new, Indigenous-owned resort destination in Alberta also made the cut, delivering an immersive learning experience of the region’s First Nations culture and people.
The retreat, spanning 688 acres and featuring a lodge with 40 rooms, allows visitors to partake in crafts and festivities on the grounds, providing activities such as canoeing, bird watching and show shoeing, depending on the time of year.
“This is not a place where you look at old things behind glass,” Juanita Marois, the CEO of Métis Crossing, told Travel + Leisure.
Lucky travelers may even catch a glimpse of the spectacular aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights.
