Weather and political change are the drivers behind 2013's new travel hot spots. Global warming is transforming many destinations, such as Greenland, and the window for seeing them in their original state is closing fast. An even briefer window is offered by the once-in-a-lifetime appearance of comet ISON, which will provide the ideal excuse to get out of town in search of dark skies when it swings by in late 2013. Politically, a growing openness and shifts toward democratic government are opening destinations such as Madagascar and Myanmar to tourism—offering glimpses of fantastic natural landscapes and untainted cultures.
Pictured: Quito, Ecuador – Courtesy of Kaushal Karkhanis via flickr
Myanmar
Get a glimpse of a virtually pristine culture in a country that is only now opening its doors to the world after decades of seclusion. Thanks in large part to the efforts of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung Saan Suu Kyi, the country's longtime military dictatorship is giving way to a civilian government and opening up its borders to tourism. Sartorially speaking, it's a place apart: Many men still wear sarong-like skirts while facial tattoos are common for women. Traditional culture and colonial architecture mix in the capital Yangon (also known as Rangoon). Travelers should also get out of the city and hop on a boat up the Ayeyarwady River, which reveals villages largely unchanged by the past 50 years, and a collection of 4,000 Buddhist temples in Bagan. Travel inland can take the form of small planes or rickshaws, depending on distance. Mobile phones won't work and ATMs are virtually unknown, so on a trip like this you'll have to go old school when it comes to planning or select an operator who'll organize the trip for you.
Tour operator: Intrepid Tours offers a 15-day trip that includes travel by hot air balloon.
Where to stay: Yangon offers colonial-era palaces including the 30-room Savoy.
Pictured: Ayeyarwady River, Myanmar – Courtesy of Dominiqueb via flickr
Ecuador
With volcanoes, rain forests, and beaches, Ecuador packs an astonishing array of travel experience into a country the size of Colorado. In 2013, the national railway will put the finishing touches on $250 million in improvements, offering travelers easy access to the country's diversity. Among the planned offerings is a new link between the Pacific port town of Guayaquil and the capital Quito, one of the best-preserved historic colonial centers in Latin America. Most tickets on the country's national network are under $20, allowing travelers to crisscross the country as well as experience some gravity-defying train rides. Top among those is the Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) descent—the steepest stretch of train track in the Western world.
Where to stay: The seven-suite Hacienda Rumiloma in the hills above Quito also organizes llama and horseback tours of the Andes.
Pictured: Imbabura Volcano, Ecuador – Courtesy of Richar Ijzermans via flickr
Greenland
Greenland's shrinking ice sheet is an alarming sign for climate-watchers; daytime average temperatures have increased by five degrees in some areas. So, if you want to see the country's vast frozen interior before it melts, now's the time. Getting around is anything but humdrum—Greenland is the size of Mexico but has few paved roads. A dogsled is a viable and eco-friendly form of transport that also happens to be the way the local Inuit population gets around the ice sheet. The island's coastline is also spectacular: Disko Bay on the western side allows visitors to watch icebergs form and float out to sea.
Where to stay: The Arctic Hotel is a four-star hotel with seven cozy rooms on the edge of the Ilulissat Ice Fjord. From May to October you can also stay in one of the five two-person cabins shaped like igloos.
Pictured: Ilulissat, Greenland – Courtesy of Ludovic Hirlimann via flickr
Madagascar
For years Madagascar has been a potential tourist paradise hobbled by political instability. But presidential elections starting in May 2013 offer the chance to change that. That makes the coming year the ideal time to beat the developers to the punch, before easy access dulls the island's still-virgin natural offerings: Thousands of miles of sandy coastline, excellent snorkeling, and more biodiversity than almost any other place on earth. A four-wheel drive vehicle is essential to access many spots, and some resorts can only be visited by air. A day's drive can take visitors from primeval forests full of lemurs (the island's dominant mammal) on the eastern coast, to the inland Isalo desert's stunning rock formations.
Tour operator: World Expeditions offers tours that explore the variety of Madagascar's landscapes and habitats.
Pictured: Belo Sur Mer, Madagascar – Courtesy of Franck Vervial via flickr
Comet ISON
Comet ISON will show up in North American skies in late 2013, and scientists say it may be the brightest comet in centuries. It is expected to whip around the sun on November 28, lighting up the sky and possibly outshining the moon. For a better shot at cloud-free skies, and to appreciate the full effect of ISON's journey, stargazers may want to leave light-polluted urban areas and head to destinations such as the Granite Gap, a mountainous wilderness preserve with an observatory in the southwest corner of New Mexico. Set your alarm for an early wake up, as visibility is expected to be best just before dawn.
Where to stay: Silver City is like a mini-Taos, with plenty of B&Bs, including four-room The Inn on Broadway.
Pictured: Comet Lovejoy – Courtesy of Jia Hao
Roros, Norway
Fresh off a major award for sustainable tourism, the Norwegian town of Roros offers a fascinating experience of historic Scandinavian culture. One of the few remaining wooden towns in Europe (think Game of Thrones), it consists of 80 wooden houses built around courtyards, and sits on a high plateau at the northern end of one of Norway's biggest lakes. You can go on a "northern safari" in the surrounding nature preserve, which consists of two-day sightseeing trips to spot wild reindeer and elk. Dogsled tours are available in winter while husky-pulled dogcarts are used during the summer. The area was one of the pioneers in developing local and seasonal cooking for the tourist market, with Arctic char and reindeer (sorry, Rudolph!) among the specialties.
Where to stay: Vertshuset Røros, in the center of town, is an upscale restaurant, bar, and 16-room hotel in a converted textile factory.
Pictured: Roros – Courtesy of Vertshuset Roros, Tom Gustavsen
Leipzig, Germany
With Berlin getting ever more expensive, Leipzig is looking like the next European creative hot spot for the young and adventurous. One of the most economically successful cities of the former East Germany, its abandoned industrial buildings offer artists space to set up shop. The Spinnerei, a former factory complex in the western part of town, has been converted into galleries, performance spaces, and artists' studios. In warm weather, visitors can take advantage of the nightly informal outdoor party that spills across the city, with one dependable gathering spot at the Saxony Bridge in Clara Zetkin Park. More established culture is available at the Museum of Fine Arts, where Neo Rauch, the painter who helped relaunch the local art scene, is well represented. The city takes its classical culture seriously too: Johann Sebastian Bach was a longtime resident, and the cathedral still features regular organ performances of his works.
Where to stay:Bed down at the 92-room Fuerstenhof Hotel, an elegant 18th-century property in the center of Leipzig.
Pictured: Maerz Gallery, Spinnerei – Courtesy of Spinnerei
Houston
If you haven't visited Houston in a while, perhaps you should consider dropping by; the population is younger and the vibe a lot cooler than you might remember. The combination of outdoor activities, a booming arts culture, and a lot of ethnic diversity (bringing with it a range of tasty cuisines including Ethiopian and Vietnamese), has made Houston a hot destination. The First Ward Arts District—home to artist studios and galleries in converted warehouses and factories—is the center of youthful creative culture, while Houston Ballet Center for Dance is the latest arrival in a scene richly endowed with high-culture institutions. The Montrose neighborhood, developed in the early 20th-century, offers a subtropical ambience, with heavy tree canopies hanging over streets lined with bungalows, boutiques, and upmarket restaurants. And though the city is huge, you needn't sit in traffic all day long. Electric bicycles are available for rent, perfect for exploring the city's 300 miles of bike trails.
Where to stay: In Montrose, the 12-room Modern B&B lives up to its name, with clean lines and an interior flooded with light.
Pictured: Houston Ballet Center – Courtesy of Houston Ballet Center
Mongolia
The central Asia of myth and legend—a land of steppes, deserts, and rocky peaks—is still alive in Mongolia, wedged between China and Russia. While access to Mongolia was once restricted, entry points have now opened up at China's Bulgan/Takashiken border, making it easier to visit western Mongolia. Join a tour leaving from the capital Ulan Bator—most depart from the Tuul River and head south to the Gobi desert, allowing for a taste of nomadic life in semi-permanent tents known as gers and yurts. From here, visitors can fully appreciate that this is country where horses outnumber people, as well as see wild camels, gazelles, and snow leopards. The classic way to view the country, however, is to take the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing—a 30-hour trip that promises plenty of old-school adventure.
Tour operator: Blue Silk Travel sets up tours that average two weeks and range from cultural exploration to more adventure-oriented travel.
Pictured: Mongolia – Courtesy of Tiarescott via flickr
Puerto Rico
Long outshone by its Caribbean neighbors, Puerto Rico is catching up fast. Combine a population eager to become the 51st state—a majority voted to appeal for statehood in a recent referendum—with serious investment at the high end of the hotel spectrum, and you have an island buzzing with new activity and luxury offerings. The reopening of the 305-room Condado Vanderbilt, a 5-star hotel on property originally owned by the American rail-tycoon dynasty, provides a shot of glamour. Competing is the new 139-room St. Regis resort, located between Bahia Beach and the El Yunque National Rainforest, which includes Fern, the hotel's Jean-Georges restaurant. Both resorts are part of a movement to make the island more competitive with St. Bart's and Anguilla. For American citizens, it's already an easy point of access to white-sand Carribbean beaches…no passport necessary.
Where to stay: Condado Vanderbilt, St. Regis resort
Pictured: Puetro Rico – Courtesy of Bruno Miranda via flickr
10 hot destinations to add to your checklist