Time Magazine (remember them?) is out with a list of its top 50 destinations for 2023.
Some of my fave places made the list, including Vancouver, Vienna, surprising Tampa and the Caribbean island of Dominica, where I spent five days in January.
Also making the list on the Canadian side of the ledger was Churchill, Manitoba, which I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting. For Australia, placements went to Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Brisbane, the capital of Queensland.
There are six U.S. places on the list but none from the United Kingdom or Ireland, which is a little surprising.
Here’s some of what Time said about Vancouver: “Long appreciated by outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy everything from kayaking to skiing, Vancouver’s indoor attractions are finally getting the recognition they deserve. The northwestern city (I guess they mean northwest North America, because it’s southwest Canada) received its first Michelin Guide last year (Toronto is the only other Canadian city with this claim), highlighting a diverse dining landscape, including Published on Main (also voted Canada’s best restaurant) and Burdock & Co, both of which were awarded stars and are celebrated for their use of local products.”
For Brisbane, Time said, in part, that the city is making major infrastructure improvements as it gets ready for the 2032 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. “This year, it cuts the ribbon on Queen’s Wharf, a $2.6 billion project that repositions the riverfront as the central commercial corridor of the region. The integrated resort cityscape will be home to four luxury hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton and the Rosewood, 50 bars and restaurants, and 2,000 new residential apartments.”
Hundertwasser House in Vienna, Austria. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Here’s the full list, with a few comments of my own.
Dominica (probably my fave island in the Caribbean; still unspoiled and so much natural beauty)
Barcelona (only there once, and that was 34 years ago, but I loved the food and architecture)
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Ladakh, India’
Churchill, Manitoba
Aarhus, Denmark
Roatan, Honduras
Aqaba, Jordan
Kyoto, Japan (a truly lovely city)
Musanze, Rwanda
Luang Prabang, Laos
Sylt, Germany
Willamette Valley, Oregon (haven’t been, but I love their wines)
Budapest, Hungary (a handsome city; try to arrive on a river cruise if you can)
Mayurbhanj, India
Yosemite National Park, California (one of the world’s most beautiful places)
Giza and Aqqaba, Egypt
Medellin, Colombia (haven’t been, but friends who visited told me they had a great time)
Isan, Thailand
Freetown Peninsula, Sierra Leone
Naples, Italy (fabulous food, especially the pizza)
Kangaroo Island, Australia (on my bucket list)
Vienna, Austria (much more hip than you might imagine)
Bozeman, Montana
Mexico City
Dakar, Senegal
Jeju, South Korea
Berat, Albania
Pantanal, Brazil
Rabat, Morocco
Loango National Park, Gabon
Phuket, Thailand
Dijon, France
Tampa, Florida (they’ve done a wonderful job with the waterfront)
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
Tucson, Arizona (a great food city)
Washington D.C. (fabulous museums, most of them free)
Vancouver
Pantellaria, Italy
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Timisoara, Romania
Brisbane, Australia (Been to Queensland, but not Brisbane)
Guadalajara, Mexico
Ollantaytambo, Peru
Nagoya, Japan
Chyulu Hills, Kenya
The Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Jerusalem, Israel (On my bucket list)
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Tuamoto Archipelago, French Polynesia (Time said they’re only allowing one visitor per resident to cut down on over-tourism.
