Hottest Travel Destinations of 2012

Courtesy of Maya 
Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s lush hill towns and pristine beaches have long appealed to a certain breed of worldly traveler, but the flare-ups of the country’s brutal on-again, off-again 26-year civil war kept all but the most devoted of them away. The conflict ended three years ago, and as a prolonged peace finally takes hold, this Indian Ocean island is on the cusp of a tourism boom.

Sri Lanka’s beach-lined southern coast, centered around the popular town of Bentota, is the country’s strongest draw—and big developers are moving in. The Minor Hotel Group chose the area to debut its sister brand to Anantara with last month’s launch of the 75-room Avani Bentota Resort & Spa (94-34/227-5353; doubles from $180) in a restored Geoffrey Bawa–designed building. A second Avani, a Six Senses resort, and a Shangri-La property are also in the works.

In the meantime, a handful of designers have opened boutique hotels, including the 15-room Villa Bentota(doubles from $224), the latest project from Sri Lankan tastemaker Shanth Fernando. Farther south, in Beliatta, Hong Kong decorator Niki Fairchild has turned a century-old house into the glamorous five-suite Maya (94-47/567-9025; doubles from $170).

In the northwest, an ambitious government scheme aims to transform the Kalpitiya peninsula into the country’s next big resort destination. Until those plans are realized, the laid-back Bar Reef Resort (94-777/352-200; doubles from $125) has airy cabanas and a quiet one-mile beach.

Perhaps the biggest peace dividend has been the reopening of the leopard- and elephant-filled Wilpattu National Park, in the northwest. Stay at the two-year-old Ulagalla Resort (doubles from $374), which has 20 thatched-roof bungalows on 58 acres an hour from the park. —Jennifer Chen
The Breakdown

Who It’s For: Beach lovers with a yen for culture and wildlife.

How to Do It: Many international airlines fly to Colombo, though none directly from the States.

When to Go: Nov.–April

Exotic Factor: Foreign/Far-Flung

Hottest Travel Destinations of 2012

Whitney LawsonThere's always someplace new on the horizon. From southern China to Arkansas, here are the must-see travel destinations of 2012.

From January 2012By Colin Barraclough, Vinita Bharadwaj, Jennifer Chen, Jonathan Durbin, Eleni N. Gage, David Kaufman, Alexandra Marshall, Ralph Martin, David SwansonAppeared as "12 for 2012: The Places to Go This Year" in T+L Magazine

Imagine lazing in a hammock on a remote beach in Panama, where boldface names like Angelina Jolie and Michael Jordan have been spotted. It’s a trip within reach—rustic-but-stylish hotels start at $99—and a country that’s remaking itself for 2012.

Discovering new destinations might seem next to impossible, but one of the wonders of travel is that there’s always someplace new on the horizon. And even when you think you know a place, there’s a hidden side ripe for exploration. To uncover 2012’s most exciting destinations, T+L crisscrossed the globe, bringing back everything from Toronto’s new hot spots to secluded resorts in northern Mozambique.

Some of our picks reflect travelers’ increasing thirst for adventure and desire to immerse themselves in local ways. “Our clients are interested in remote, off-the-beaten-path destinations that still retain their traditional culture,” says Scott Wiseman, president of Abercrombie & Kent USA.

Take Xishuangbanna, at the foot of the Himalayas in China’s southern Yunnan province. Though often overlooked in favor of Lijiang and Tibet, it’s home to an ethnically diverse population that still follows age-old customs—making it the place to get a cultural fix without the crowds. And a luxurious new Anantara resort means roughing it is not required.

Looking for something even more remote? It’s hard to top Corumbau in Brazil’s southern Bahia. The original inhabitants named it "far from everything" for good reason: a sojourn requires a bone-rattling, four-hour drive from the nearest airport. The rewards—deserted beaches, super-fresh seafood—make up for the journey.

For each destination, we’ve provided a breakdown of the kind of traveler it’s well suited to, the best time to go, and how to get there. Not all the destinations for 2012 are exotic and far-flung. Cutting-edge architecture and youthful creative energy are driving a renaissance in Guimarães, one of Portugal’s oldest cities.

Culture is also making over places such as Bentonville, AR, which Walmart heiress Alice Walton has graced with a free world-class museum of American art on 120 wooded acres.

Whether you’re a jet-setting sybarite, a design buff, or a thrill-seeking flashpacker, the places we’ve collected here will inspire you to make 2012 a year of new discoveries. —Jennifer Chen