Remote islands, sleepy backwaters, snaking rivers, mighty oceans—we’re embracing the power of water in 2025. Culturally, physically, and spiritually, its waves and currents have shaped these eight diverse destinations. Experience them for yourself this year.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Wat Xieng Thong Temple in Luang Prabang, Laos, surrounded by lush greenery.
Discover the timeless beauty of Wat Xieng Thong Temple in Luang Prabang, Laos, surrounded by lush greenery and vibrant tropical blooms.

Calm and charming Luang Prabang offers a different kind of city experience in Southeast Asia. While regional neighbors Hanoi and Bangkok sprawl for miles, this ancient city sits among tree-cloaked mountains where the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers converge.

Nature feeds into its slow-paced, spiritual aura with one legend stating that Buddha rested here during his travels, musing that it would one day become a great city. The strong links with Buddhism remain today, with many wonderfully ornate temples dotting the town. For travelers seeking to understand the significance of religion in the region, be sure to include a private Baci ceremony and monks-led meditation at a hidden temple on your Laos trip itinerary.

From here, set sail aboard Gypsy Cruise, a traditional Mekong river vessel that accommodates just four passengers in two cabins. On an overland adventure from Laos to northern Thailand, call on small villages as you drift along this remote stretch of river in luxury. 

Kerala, India

A houseboat floating on the calm backwaters of Kerala, India, framed by misty palm trees and golden morning light.
Drift through Kerala’s tranquil backwaters on a houseboat, surrounded by lush palm trees and the serene beauty of India’s emerald waterways.

Largely cut off from the rest of India by the Western Ghats mountain range, Kerala has developed a distinct culture. Centuries of integration between Aryans, Dravidians, Arabs, and Europeans have created a tolerant, progressive place where its people’s warmth and outstanding hospitality are matched only by the soul-soothing beauty of its landscape.   

Slowly cruise along its emerald backwaters aboard an eco-friendly houseboat where time trickles by, and kingfishers ripple the surface as they dive. Along the coast, palms sway above the blissful beaches of the Arabian Sea; inland, hills, and mountains are carpeted in the vibrant green of tea and spices, and nature reserves, such as Periyar Tiger Reserve, provide cover for tigers, elephants, and ultra-rare lion-tailed macaques.  

Base yourself at the Brunton Boatyard, a Victorian shipbuilding yard transformed into a historic hotel, and cleanse your body and mind with traditional Ayurveda treatments at its on-site wellness center. 

Travel Itineraries Featuring Kerala:
Highlights of India: North to South

Southeast African Coast, Madagascar

A landscape of towering baobab trees surrounded by dense, green forest in Madagascar.
Discover Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity, home to beautiful baobab trees, rare lemurs, and exclusive retreats like Miavana on Nosy Ankao. Image courtesy of Time + Tide.

Madagascar is for travelers searching for a completely different kind of wildlife experience. The southeast African island is a beacon of biodiversity, ringed by pristine waters and dotted with pockets of life-rich rainforest. 

The vast majority of animals and plants here (90 per cent) are endemic to Madagascar, but it is best known for its distinctive lemurs and towering baobab trees. At Mandrare River Camp, you can observe five species of lemur, including the iconic ringtail and the critically endangered Verraux’s Sifaka. 

Escape to a private slice of paradise at Miavana, an exclusive sanctuary on Nosy Ankao, a small island off the northeastern shore of Madagascar. Lapped by turquoise waters, spend your days diving and snorkeling beneath the waves and your nights in total luxury at one of its 14 breathtaking sea-view villas. 

Travel Itineraries Featuring Southern Madagascar:
Madagascar for Nature Lovers | Madagascar: Lemurs, Rainforest, and Beach

Easter Island, Chile

Visitors walking among the moai statues on Easter Island, surrounded by a green landscape.
Discover the mystery of Easter Island, home to its iconic moai statues, rolling green landscapes, and a rich history waiting to be unraveled.

With its iconic moai heads punctuating a sweeping landscape of lava-sculpted terrain, Easter Island is one of a kind. A remote Chilean island adrift in the Pacific, Rapa Nui (as it’s known to locals) is a cultural marvel, with experts still scratching their heads about a) how the Polynesians moved its iconic 10-ton sculptures around the island, and b) why they canoed thousands of miles to get to there in the first place. 

From Explora Rapa Nui, a peaceful luxury lodge with a reputation for excellent experiences (the guided hikes across the island help paint a picture of its mysterious history), you’ll learn about the island through some of the best guides in the business.  

Uncover parts of the puzzle, day by day, bit by bit, through journeys such as clifftop bike rides to the island’s lava tubes and caves,  and visits to the Rano Raraku quarry, where the moai were carved. Since the pandemic, flights have become sporadic, meaning fewer crowds on Easter Island. Now is the time to see it, the tranquility only adding to its mystique.

Tayrona National Park, Colombia

A view of Tayrona National Park's turquoise waters, surrounded by lush jungle, and Sierra Nevada mountains in the background.
Hidden beneath jungles and framed by the Sierra Nevada mountains, Tayrona National Park’s untouched beaches are a paradise of adventure and serenity.

Some of Colombia‘s best beaches lie secreted away beneath the palms of Tayrona National Park on the country’s Caribbean coast. Enclosed by thick jungle and dense mangroves, dense and dripping with life, Tayrona’s perfect white-sand coastline can only be reached on foot, horseback, or by boat.  

Besides adding to the adventure, being hard to get to has played a major part in keeping the beaches so pristine. Standing on the shore, looking back at the steamy jungle peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the hum of civilization slips far from your mind.  

The park’s rich biodiversity has also been protected: extremely rare cotton-top tamarins (small primates with a shock of white mane), poison dart frogs, and blue-billed curassow are just a few endemic species living here. The park also has strong cultural significance, with the ancient ruins of Pueblito, a village built by the Indigenous Tayrona civilization, located inside the park.

Quy Nhon, Vietnam

A peaceful beach in Quy Nhon, Vietnam, with turquoise water, golden sand, and a resort nestled among greenery.
Relax at Zannier Bai San Ho and soak up the untouched beauty of this coastal paradise. Image courtesy of Frederik Wissink for Zannier Hotels.

Deserted, untouched beaches, mouthwatering cuisine fresh from the ocean, archeological sites of tremendous significance—it’s a wonder Quy Nhon and its surrounds have remained undiscovered for so long.  

Even its location, conveniently situated in Vietnam‘s central Bình Định province, suggests it should be a stop-off point for travelers making their way down (or up) country—and yet so many breeze right by, missing out on one of Southeast Asia‘s undiscovered coastal cities. For seafood lovers, it’s a must.  

Explore the area’s deep connection with the sea by visiting a fish market with a chef, learn to cook regional classics during a cooking class, and visit local fishing communities with an expert guide. We recommend basing yourself at Zannier Bãi San Hô, a luxury beach resort just south of the city. Sitting on a secluded peninsula overlooking a perfect crescent of golden sand, it’s close enough to Quy Nhon to explore and far enough away to lose yourself fully in nature. 

Travel Itineraries Featuring Quy Nhon:
Vietnam Active Adventure

The Skeleton Coast, Namibia

n oryx standing in the golden light of sunrise on Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, with endless desert and distant mountains in the background.
Set your sights on the raw beauty of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, where desert landscapes, adapted wildlife, and the wild Atlantic create a truly otherworldly experience. Image courtesy of Philip Harvey, Wilderness.

The Skeleton Coast of northern Namibia is breathtakingly desolate. Littered with shipwrecks and bleached animal bones, its beauty is raw and incredibly powerful. Despite its stark, inhospitable landscape, wildlife has adapted even here. Elephant, giraffe, brown hyena, and even lion have learned to live in its extreme desert conditions. Only a handful of properties have access to this remote stretch of southern Africa: Shipwreck Lodge is one of the best. Plus, the drive from the camp to the coast is quick—it’s just 28 miles to Mowe Bay.  Moving through eerie empty river beds, bone-dry floodplains, and soaring sand dunes, you arrive at the end of the world: the Atlantic, thrashing and churning, towering sandbanks, and not another soul. Looking to truly get off the beaten track? This is it.

Travel Itineraries Featuring The Skeleton Coast:
Icons of Namibia

Mana Pools, Zimbabwe

Elephants wading through the shallow waters of Mana Pools National Park.
Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe offers unforgettable adventures, from walking alongside elephants to canoeing through the wildlife-rich waters of the Zambezi River.

Walking in the footsteps of elephants; canoeing in waters teeming with crocodiles and hippos. If adventure is on the agenda, look no further than Mana Pools National Park, where safaris come with an added dose of adrenaline. Though not for the faint of heart, the conditions here (and the exceptional guides, some of the industry’s best) allow for some intense, up close and personal encounters with very large animals, such as elephants, hippo, and buffalo. The scenery, too, is epic. Carved out by the powerful currents of the Zambezi River, the park is a rugged mix of islands, oxbow lakes, and channels in northern Zimbabwe.

From the Mana Pools side of the river, Zambia‘s imposing escarpments stand out in full view. The proximity to water attracts wildlife in great numbers, and you can hope to see elephant, lions, leopard, hippo, crocodiles, and, if you’re very lucky, wild dog. Stay at Ruckomechi Camp in a private concession on the banks of the Zambezi for a wonderful experience that combines wildlife and luxury.

Travel Itineraries Featuring Mana Pools National Park:
Zambia & Zimbabwe: Barefoot Luxury Adventure | Zimbabwe’s Hidden Gems

Where to Go in 2025 On a Map

Luang Prabang

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Kerala

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Southern Madagascar

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Easter Island

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The Caribbean Coast

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The Vietnam Coast

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Skeleton Coast, Kaokoland and Kunene

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Mana Pools National Park

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