The world’s greatest places to visit during 2018 have been revealed by Time magazine.
For its new issue it has come up with 100 destinations that it believes are breaking new ground, leading industry trends and offering visitors an extraordinary experience.
To create the list, Time asked for nominations across a variety of categories including museums, parks, restaurants and hotels — from experts around the world.
Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, which has been included on Time magazine’s list of the world’s greatest places to visit in 2018
It then evaluated each one based on several key factors, including quality, originality, innovation, sustainability and influence.
The result is a list as diverse as the world it reflects, with entries spanning six continents and 48 countries.
One of the entries on the list is Morgan’s Inspiration Island in San Antonio, Texas, which is the world’s first water park built for people with disabilities.
Experts were impressed with the waterproof wheelchairs that are powered by compressed air and water areas that are set to different temperatures so visitors with different tolerances are all catered for.
The Sunder Nursery in New Dehli, the city’s first arboretum, made the list for offering a respite in the busy Indian capital
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island hotel was picked out by Time because it features the world’s first transparent-walled, underwater restaurant and it will soon boast an underwater residence
Another entry on the list is the Sunder Nursery in New Dehli, which is the city’s first arboretum.
Time said: ‘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.’
The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, a hotel that also serves as a sanctuary for endangered giraffes, is another destination on the list.
The Kenyan retreat allows guests to get up close and personal with the creatures who roam the grounds and even pop their heads into the main dining room during meals.
The Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, a concert hall with ‘next generation’ acoustics – another highlight on the list
The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is another resort to make the list.
The hotel features the world’s first transparent-walled, underwater restaurant and will soon boast an underwater residence.
Another highlight is the Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve, which is billed as America’s best place for stargazing.
Time said: ‘Last year, a 1,400-square-mile 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, 10,000ft. elevation) are ideal for stargazing.’
Also making the list is the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, a concert hall with ‘next generation’ acoustics.
The September issue of Time magazine, out on Friday, which features the list of 100 places it says are the world’s greatest locations to visit this year
The magazine praised the Herzog and de Meuron–designed concert hall and its acoustics that ‘steal the show’.
It added: ‘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.’
To see the full list of the World’s Greatest Places click here.