Casablanca, Morocco

Morocco’s largest city has emerged as the gateway between Europe and Africa—and not just for the corporate types moving into the upcoming Casablanca Finance City complex. The Four Seasons has opened its doors at Anfa Place, a mixed-use development by Foster & Partners that abuts the city’s beachfront Corniche area. The building has 186 rooms and suites with Fragonard bath amenities and customizable beds, shops ranging from Moroccan fashion label Diamantine to Marks & Spencer, and more than a dozen cafés and restaurants (head straight to the Philippe Starck–designed Paradis du Fruit). Within a few years, the city skyline will be dominated by Africa’s tallest skyscraper, the $1 billion, 114-story Al Noor Tower. Go now for uncrowded access to architectural wonders like the seaside Hassan II Mosque, with its magnificent marble interiors and the world’s tallest minaret—the mosque is among a small number in the country that are open to travelers of all religious backgrounds. —Nikki Ekstein

Iberá Wetlands, Argentina

Argentina is home to endless pampas, Patagonian desert, and the world’s second-largest wetlands, with an indigenous wildlife population that’s been drastically dwindling, until now. Mammals and avians native to Esteros del Iberá—a 3.2 million-acre watery network located in the northeast province of Corrientes—such as giant anteater, giant otter, pampas deer, and red macaw, are at the heart of an intensive repopulation program led by Kristine and Doug Tompkins’ Conservation Land Trust and backed by the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. The undisputed star of this rewilding is the jaguar, the largest feline in the Americas, and previously wiped out from Corrientes. The first female settled into her new home at the San Alonso reserve last May; a mate will join her by the end of 2015. Key to a healthy ecosystem, the jaguar’s repopulation is great news not only for those eager to see the rare animal but also for conservationists keen to see the reserve attain national park status. Esteros del Iberá recently unveiled three new access routes in its northwestern basin. Guests staying at eco-lodges such as Puerto Valle can now traverse this northern sector by kayak, horseback, or 4 x 4. On the southwestern basin, wildlife lovers should head to luxury lodge Rincón del Socorro for the best sightings, while fly-fishing fans should make a beeline to Pirá Lodge to catch golden dorado. —Sorrel Moseley-Williams

Liège, Belgium

Once a blue-collar paradise for coal miners and steelworkers, Liège is the surprising new destination for art and food this summer. The Boverie art museum opens in May, showcasing the best of Belgian art and working in conjunction with the Louvre to curate a huge exhibition of international greats like Renoir, Manet, van Gogh, and more. The Boverie is the crowning piece on a public development in southwest Liège, between the Santiago Calatrava–designed train station (Liège Guillemins, the largest in the city) and an urban mall called the Médiacité, about a 20-minute walk from the center of town. By the Boverie’s opening, the Design Station of Wallonia—a local artists’ showcase focusing on design collaborations celebrating the city’s economic and cultural heritage—will also be in full swing. June sees the first annual Generation W Food Festival, in nearby Namur, where French-speaking chefs and producers from the Wallonia region of Belgium will showcase their regional cuisine. Look out for expert cuisine from Liège native Philippe Fauchet, whose namesake restaurant in St.-Georges-sur-Meuse focuses on terroir, and 10 high-profile chefs from the region including Maxime Collard, Pierre Résimont, and Benoit Neusy. Regardless of when you visit, the must-try foods include sugary Liégeoise waffles at Sandwicherie Pollux, on the Place de la Cathédrale, and the city’s traditional meal—meatballs with fries—at Café Lequet, near the river and the Cathédrale St.-Paul. —Jennifer Billock


 



 

 

Seattle, Washington

 



This year Seattle is not going to let Portland, its little sister three hours south, get all the foodie-destination credit. One culinary neighborhood to watch is Capitol Hill, and in 2016, it'll be easier than ever for visitors to get there. The Seattle streetcar system is adding a line to connect the area, and Link, the light rail, is also building a line to take visitors right from the SeaTac airport to Capitol Hill. The most in-demand tables there include Lionhead, a Sichuan-inspired spot by Jerry Traunfeld (former chef at the Herbfarm), and Soi, a husband-and-wife team serving Thai food from the Isaan region. Don’t miss the new Capitol Hill Hot Cakes—though it sounds like a brunch destination, it's actually a "molten chocolate cakery" nighttime spot that also has soft-serve you can top with potato chips and roast-your-own marshmallows for s'mores. Seattle’s exciting news expands past the city proper as well: 16 miles northeast is the McMenamins Anderson School, a 1931 Art Deco–style former junior high school in the town of Bothell that’s now a hotel. The classrooms and ball fields are gone, replaced with three restaurants, two bars, a brewery, movie theater, indoor pool, and outdoor fire pits—making it a school you actually want to spend the night in. —Sarah Z. Wexler


 

Mie Prefecture, Japan

Intriguing developments are under way in Mie Prefecture, a four-hour ride from Tokyo on the bullet train, which until now had mostly lured domestic travelers. The area’s draws: the Ise-Shima National Park, on the coastline; the pearl-producing oysters; the richly marbled Matsusaka beef; and sacred, ᴜɴᴇsᴄᴏ-protected Shinto pilgrimage sites. In 2016, world leaders will converge in the city of Shima for the G7 summit. Leisure travelers should head to Amanemu, a plush reinterpretation of a classic ryokan opening in the first quarter. Expect an understated, utterly Zen aesthetic and a focus on wellness. All 24 suites and four villas in the intimate property come equipped with private onsen—rejuvenating pools filled with mineral-rich waters from the region’s hot springs. Soak in the serenity before the secret gets out. —Diana Hubbell