TIME reveals its first annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, which highlights 100 destinations that are breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering visitors an extraordinary experience.
World’s Greatest Places is the latest addition to TIME’s robust lineup of editorial franchises, which also includes the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Best Inventions, Person of the Year, Next Generation Leaders, and more.
Highlights from the 2018 World’s Greatest Places:
Morgan's Inspiration Island, San Antonio — the world's first water park built for people with disabilities: "The words ultra-accessible guided the park’s design, from wheelchairs that are waterproof and powered by compressed air to water areas that are set to different temperatures, for those who can’t handle the cold.”
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives (pictured) — featuring the world’s firs transparent-walled, underwater restaurant and soon, an underwater residence: "Following its opening of the first transparent-walled, underwater restaurant in 2005, the Conrad is now on track to unveil an underwater residence in November.… the $15 million, two-story hotel villa will be partially submerged more than 16 ft. below the surface of the Indian Ocean.”
Generator Madrid, Madrid — reinventing the hostel: "Generator Madrid, which opened in June, sits on the edge of the trendy Malasaña district and boasts a bar, a rooftop lounge with whirlpool baths and even a quirky origin story: the building itself, which was built in the 1930s, has also been a parking garage and a gas station…. beds in shared rooms at Generator Madrid start at $11."
Sunder Nursery, New Delhi — the city’s first arboretum: "Between the pollution and the crowds, it’s hard to get away in Delhi. But now the Indian capital offers a respite: the city’s first arboretum… The eventual goal is to link up with a neighboring zoo and fort to create a 900-acre sanctum of greenery.”
Icehotel 365, Jukkasjärv, Sweden — the first year-round ice hotel: "There’s no hotel quite like Sweden’s new Icehotel 365, whose suites—featuring ice sculptures of animals, staircases and more—remain open all year. To prevent melting, the structure relies on solar-powered controls, which keep temperatures at 23°F.”
Giraffe Manor, Nairobi – a hotel that also serves as a sanctuary for endangered giraffes: "At this Kenyan retreat, guests can get up close and personal with a local herd of Rothschild’s giraffes who roam the grounds—140 acres of indigenous forest—and even pop their heads into the main dining room during meals.”
Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, Idaho — America’s best place for stargazing: "Last year, a 1,400-sq.-mi. region in the central part of [Idaho] became the first site in the U.S.—and only the 12th in the world—to be named a Dark Sky Reserve by the International Dark-Sky Association, meaning that its traits (clear air, 10,000-ft. elevation) are ideal for stargazing."
Oriental Science Fiction Valley, Guizhou, China — China’s first virtual-reality theme park: “The park will eventually feature 35 virtual- and augmented-reality attractions, enabling guests to battle aliens on distant planets, fly through Guizhou and more.”
Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg – a concert hall with next generation acoustics: "As visually striking as the Herzog and de Meuron–designed concert hall is… it’s the acoustics that steal the show… The central auditorium is covered in 10,000 gypsum-fiber white acoustic panels, each with a unique series of divots that scatter or absorb sound. No two panels are alike, but together the undulating, interlocking panels create an optimal sound map across the entire auditorium.”
Binhai Library, Tianjin, China — the library of the future: “The nearly 363,000-sq.-ft. facility… looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, replete with stark white interiors and terraced shelves that cascade from floor to ceiling… Binhai Library remains one of China’s buzziest new attractions, which could help reduce the country’s already low adult literacy rate.”
Wilderness Safaris Bisate Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda — a luxury lodge that brings guests to gorillas: “The lodge invites guests on daily treks where a face-to-face encounter with families of ambling primates is all but guaranteed—baby gorillas are known to reach out to touch visiting humans… Part of the rate goes to reforestation and conservation efforts…”
Norwegian Bliss – the cruise with the longest go-kart track at sea: "If this ship’s 984-ft. go-kart track—the longest at sea—sounds like something a kid might concoct, that’s because it is: the idea originally came via the grandchildren of Frank del Rio, president of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. But this $1 billion, 4,000-guest ship… offers attractions that cater to adults too, including an onboard casino and a 20,000-sq.-ft. observation lounge.”
Pandora: The World of Avatar, Bay Lake, Florida — a next-gen theme park that brings Avatar to life: "The World of Avatar is reinventing the modern theme park… The park’s flagship is Flight of Passage, a ride that combines 3-D projections and virtual reality to create the illusion that guests are flying atop a living, breathing mountain banshee... The park says it’s the highest-rated attraction at Walt Disney World, per guest surveys.”
Snow Bear Chalets, Whitefish, Montana – the world’s first ski-in, ski-out treehouses: "At these chalets… the ski-in, ski-out convenience is only half the draw. The rest is the whimsical design aesthetic, which owner Gail Goodwin describes as Harry Potter meets Hansel and Gretel—think wood paneling, turrets and murals of constellations on the ceiling.”
COO Boutique Hostel & Sociatel, Singapore — a hostel that helps guests connect in real life: "Once travelers book stays at this hostel… they can access COO Connect, an online platform that enables them to meet other guests based on mutual interests, such as food, photography and music.”
Cycling Through Water, Genk, Belgium — a bike path that leads cyclists through a pond: "The 212-m track… slices through a large pond in the De Wijers nature reserve; in the middle, it dips low enough to put riders at eye level with the water. The project, which was completed in 2016, is part of the Limburg province’s efforts to bolster its 1,240 miles of biking trails.”
See the full list of the World’s Greatest Places here: https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2018/
