The New York Times:The 53 Places to Travel In 2008（2）

The travel choices for global nomads have never been more varied，The New York Times said.
And here were the 53 places they suggested. (The second Part )

From left: Kahyam Traditional Restaurant, Tehran; Detroit Institute of Arts; Sossusvlei Sand Dunes, Namibia.
Picture From:The New York Times

19. TUSCANY

All those rolling fields of green. The cypress-lined fairways. It’s surprising that there aren’t more golf links in Tuscany. For better or worse, a new course has just opened for guests at the Terme di Saturnia resort in southern Tuscany. The nine-hole course covers 247 acres surrounded by wheat, sunflowers, oats and olive groves — that is, until the next nine holes go in.

20. ANGUILLA

Just when you thought the Caribbean island of Anguilla couldn’t get any fancier, the Kor Hotel Group is opening the Viceroy Anguilla — the latest offshoot of its Viceroy brand — in the spring. The hotel will have 172 luxury accommodations, a 15,000-square-foot spa and beach clubs set along 3,200 feet of private waterfront.

21. BOGOTÁ

Bogotá might be remembered for its death squads and gang violence, but this Colombian megalopolis — the fourth-largest city in South America — is cleaning up its act and drawing tourists with its cultural diversity and colonial charms. A new Hilton hotel is being built, and three U.S.-based airlines — JetBlue, US Airways and Spirit Airlines — recently applied for the chance to offer direct flights into Bogotá.

22. PLAYA BLANCA, PANAMA

Playa Blanca is about to hit the tabloids. Nikki Beach, the très chic beach club in South Beach and St.-Tropez, is opening a gated resort in the once-quiet fishing village on the Pacific coast of Panama. The developers are already calling it the “sexiest project in Panama.” Less fabulous families need not worry. Superclubs, the all-inclusive resort, is also dipping its toes into Playa Blanca with the 300-room Breezes Panama, scheduled to open in 2009.

23. ALEXANDRIA

The former home of Cleopatra is rising. Alexandria was among the ancient world’s greatest cities, but it had fallen into oblivion. Now a string of new monuments is bringing the so-called Pearl of the Mediterranean back. A gleaming $200 million library, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, resurrects the ancient library in steel and glass. A new Four Seasons stands in the stately Stan Stefano plaza. And throughout town, the city pulses with new shops and upscale cafes.

24. MAZATLÁN

A faded spring-break haven on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Mazatlán has been drawing American retirees and second-home buyers to its less-crowded beaches and cheap real estate. Few tourists show up, partly because there are few hotels. That’s changing. A half-dozen resorts are now in the works, including Diamond Beach, a $1.2 billion development with high-rise hotels, a golf course and condominiums.

25. ST. LUCIA

St. Lucia’s upscale progress marches on. After the arrival of eco-hedonistic resorts like Jade Mountain and Discovery at Marigot Bay (which just launched a solar-powered ferry), big-name resorts with $1,000 rooms are on the way. Scheduled to open next year are the Residences at Ritz-Carlton , the Westin’s Le Paradis and the RockResorts’ the Landings St. Lucia. There’s even a private jet terminal in the works.

26. OSLO

In addition to being one of the world’s most expensive cities , Oslo is burnishing its reputation as a design and architecture center. Next April, the futuristic National Opera House will open at the head of the Oslofjord, sheathed in white marble. It will be joined by two new design hotels: Thon Hotel Gyldenlove and Grims Grenka Hotel .

27. BUENOS AIRES

Marketed as the first five-star gay hotel in Latin America (but also “heterofriendly”), the new Axel Hotel Buenos Aires confirmed what many gay travelers already knew: the Argentine capital is becoming South America’s next party capital. Situated in the bohemian-chic neighborhood of San Telmo, the 48-room hotel features Eames furnishings, a gymnasium and a poolside bar.

28. RIMINI, ITALY

Rimini’s nine-mile stretch of sand along the Adriatic Coast once attracted holiday crowds. But the birthplace of Fellini has been reborn as Italy’s bling party capital, drawing style-conscious Romans to its raging club scene, cool boîtes and designer hotels, most notably the new DuoMo hotel designed by Ron Arad.

29. MALAWI

Blame Madonna. Safarigoers tended to overlook Malawi, but that has changed since she began her effort to adopt a 1-year-old boy from this tiny African country that lies within the Great Rift Valley. Next July, the luxury lodge Pumulani is set to open 10 villas on spectacular Lake Malawi, home to rare cichlids and pied kingfishers.

30. ROATÁN

The sleepy Honduran island of Roatán, known for scuba diving and fishing, is waking up with big plans, with both Royal Caribbean and Carnival building new cruise terminals there, and the Westin Resort & Spa Roatan scheduled to open in mid-2008.

31. MOZAMBIQUE

Since gaining independence in 1975, Mozambique has moved from a war-torn society to one of Africa’s economic success stories. Now its 1,500 miles of pristine coastline is being fashioned into a “fair trade” tourist destination. High-end lodges with low-environmental impact are being built along the Bazaruto Archipelago, home to endangered sea cows, staghorn coral and mangrove forests. Farther north, the Guludo Beach Lodge offers nine luxurious tented bandas along the beach, with proceeds going back to the local village.

32. KUWAIT CITY
Yes, there’s a war next door. But that’s not preventing Kuwait City, a bustling metropolis on the Persian Gulf, from welcoming new air service (direct United flights from Dulles Airport near Washington start this month), playing host to international boat shows, or opening a slate of opulent hotels. The most talked-about is the Hotel Missoni, the first of several for the fashion house. Designed by the Italian architect Matteo Thun, it is to open next year.

33. VERBIER

The Swiss ski village of Verbier will get decidedly more upper class when the Lodge , the newest addition to Richard Branson’s globe-trotting playgrounds, opens at the Alpine resort next month. The nine-bedroom chalet features a mini-ice rink, indoor pool and 24-hour driver — all for as little as £35,250 a week, well over $70,000.

34. LOMBOK

Lombok, a low-key Indonesian island east of Bali, is coming out of the shadows. With Bali oversaturated with villas and designer restaurants, tourists are hopping on short flights to find less-crowded beaches, a bigger volcano and better surfing. It’s also cheaper — not that visitors are slumming it. There’s already an Oberoi , and other high-end hotels are on the way.

35. NORTHWEST PASSAGE

Notwithstanding last month’s sinking of an Antarctic cruise ship, climate tourism is heating up. And few places are warming up faster than the Northwest Passage, the Arctic sea route over Canada. Adventure Life Voyages, for one, is already booking cruises for its Northwest Passage tour next August, with prices from $4,600 a person.

36. EASTER ISLAND

Remote Easter Island, famous for its enigmatic Moai statues, is getting its first luxury resort: Explora en Rapa Nui . The 30-room resort combines futuristic pod-like design with natural materials like native volcanic rock and Chilean raulí wood, and offers seamless views of the middle of the Pacific Ocean. A three-night stay for two people starts at $3,588.

File From: The New York Times