Nine of the hottest spots for 2025
Well-travelled names share good reasons why they love the destinations you should put on your wish list for next year
01/11/2024
Morning view of a Kedah paddy field, Langkawi. Opening image of Ghana
Finding magic in Malaysia
By writer and Langkawi resident Karina Robles Bahrin
Only an hour’s flight away from Kuala Lumpur (British Airways’ new route), Langkawi is perhaps one of the most underrated tropical island destinations in Southeast Asia. It’s not difficult to find something to do in the Langkawi archipelago: the omnipresent cable car ride up to the highest peak, the fun-filled sunset cruises, the white sandy beaches.
Langkawi’s traditional economy is agrarian, and the island is still dotted with working paddy fields that change in colour according to the planting season. Ditch the rented car and instead ride a bicycle through the narrow, winding roads that crisscross the rice fields.
Hike the island’s limestone peaks and be rewarded by vistas of the archipelago once you get to the top. Explore the forest trails of Langkawi’s highest peaks – Gunung Machinchang and Gunung Raya – or catch the sunrise on Kilim Hill. It is here in these places, far from the madding crowd, where the real magic of Langkawi lies.
Los Angeles viewed from Griffith Park; Well Court in Edinburgh’s Dean Village once housed mill workers
Breezy and beautiful: car-free Los Angeles
By LA-based author Lindsey Kelk
When I arrived in LA, I opted to live in Los Feliz purely due to its walkability factor. A dream day for me would start with coffee and pastries from Maru followed by an early hike through Griffith Park up to the Observatory. It’s an easy-to-follow trail but it can get hot and busy in the afternoon so it’s a good way to start your day. After checking out the observatory and enjoying the views of Downtown and the Hollywood sign, treat yourself to lunch at Little Dom’s, a laidback Eastside classic with rice balls almost as iconic as its celebrity clientele.
After lunch, wander over to Vermont Avenue and check out the independent stores and boutiques, such as Skylight Books and LaLaLing. Figaro is just a couple of steps down the street if you’re in the mood for an afternoon Aperol spritz, just make sure you don’t miss your movie at the Vista, an historic single-screen cinema that opened in 1923 and was recently acquired and renovated by Quentin Tarantino. The Vista often screens films from his private 35mm collection, so check the listings ahead of time because showings do sell out. After the movie, keep things old Hollywood at The Dresden Room for a bite to eat and a very strong cocktail and, if you still have room, end your night at Jeni’s Ice Creams. A perfect LA day, with no car required.
“Little Dom’s is a laidback Eastside classic with rice balls almost as iconic as its celebrity clientele”
Vinyl, whisky and Diagon Alley: Edinburgh
By author and local Ian Rankin
Edinburgh has everything you could ever want – stunning scenery, great places to eat and drink, culture, history – but it’s a walkable size. There are some terrific whisky bars. The Bow Bar on Victoria Street, one of the most photographed streets that some say was the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Diagon Alley, has a phenomenal range of whiskies and gets exclusive bottlings for the annual Islay Whisky Festival. I might have a Highland Park, a smooth whisky made on Orkney that’s redolent of the sea, or, for something peaty and powerful, a Laphroaig from the Western Isles. We’ve also got very good shops to buy vinyl. I can never walk past Thorne Records on Bruntsfield Place and not go in. It puts on occasional gigs as well. For second-hand, Elvis Shakespeare on Leith Walk has books, comics, CDs, LPs. There are quite a few Edinburgh musicians worth listening to, like Blue Rose Code, a mixture of John Martyn and Van Morrison.
One of my favourite things is climbing Calton Hill [a setting in Rankin’s book Mortal Causes]. It’s a nice and easy climb in the city centre, and, when you get to the top, you have a 360° view of Edinburgh. That’s at one end of Princes Street. At the other end, head to the Water of Leith path and Dean Village [featured in Rankin’s Set in Darkness], a little secret part of Edinburgh that used to be all water mills. It’s down in a valley, so the river runs through it, and it’s a beautiful stroll to some of Edinburgh’s nicest bits, including Stockbridge.
Dubai on a (futuristic) plate
By Sexy Fish chef director Bjoern Weissgerber
To compare the Dubai of my first visit in 2008 to the Dubai of now is amazing. Dubai must be the fastest growing restaurant city on earth. I always ask friends for recommendations of where I should go – there are always so many new places opening I just can’t keep up.
We’re opening Sexy Fish here because the city and people are vibrant, innovative and contemporary, and I think Sexy Fish is all of that and more. Rōhen – under chef Michael Hoepfl – at the Arts Club is an exceptional restaurant with a great team. I love it. Nammos at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach is 100 per cent Dubai. On my last trip I went to The Guild and the atmosphere and layout are fantastic and interesting, with a refreshing approach to all-day dining. On my upcoming trip, the Orfali Bros restaurant is at the top of my list.
Outside the city, I cannot recommend enough visiting the desert, whether during the day on dune buggies or overnight. It’s unique. To step out of the hustle, bustle and glamour of Dubai and experience the silence of the desert is a real treat.
“Dubai must be the fastest growing restaurant city on earth – there are always so many new places opening I just can't keep up”
Dusk falls over still fishing vessels in Barbados; Titanic Belfast tells the story of the doomed oceanliner
Family bonding in Barbados
By author Rachel Edwards
Barbados, you are undeniably a looker – palms shading pleasure palaces, yawning, white-sand beaches and lapping sapphire sea – but our love runs deeper.
A half-Jamaican Brit, I have spent time in Martinique, Cuba, St Lucia, Dominica: myriad sunshine isles. But Barbados was the first one I visited with my husband, Peter, and stepchildren. And this island gifted us true magic. We stayed west, on the Platinum Coast, home to lavish hotels and hideaways. Wandering from pool to waves, we dived in. We snorkelled and spotted turtles and had a blast at beach cricket with the locals. The children were transformed, set free, high-fiving Bajans before racing to the pier for afternoon tea. Our son’s inflatable, ‘Turt’, still floats high in family legend. For dinner, Oistins Fish Fry is fun, while foodies should head to The Cliff and Lone Star. At night, we parents toasted delectable days with Mount Gay’s finest rum. Barbados bonded us forever. We return soon. That Bajan magic lingers long, as powerful and sweet as rum on the tongue.
Belfast’s best Sunday Roast
By Game of Thrones actor and DJ Kristian Nairn
My friends are there, my house is there, my dogs are there – I’m uniquely privileged to travel the world and adore my job, but with every fibre of my being I love Ireland. I think it gives me power, actually. I didn’t really appreciate home until I started to be away so much.
One of the good things to do in Belfast is look up. We have a lot of beautiful architecture and façades that have been there since Victorian times. It’s a pretty city and not too big – you can go from one side to the other in 15 minutes, but there’s so much to do. I love the Titanic centre – definitely do that. And it’s about 30 minutes’ drive, but I would go to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour – it’s very good.
My friend owns Ben Madigan’s just outside the city centre. It’s a traditional Irish bar that he’s changed into a culinary Irish venue, and he does the best Sunday roasts in Belfast. The food is outrageous. Look at the pictures and you’ll be drooling.
I’m a nighttime person. When I get home from being away, I like to go for drives around the city at night to reacclimatise. I’ll pick up a friend and we’ll go for a coffee somewhere and I’ll drive round all the old haunts, or I’ll park my car at one of the mountains and look out over the Lagan Valley. That signifies that I’m home.
“Ben Madigan’s does the best Sunday roast in Belfast. Look at the pictures and you’ll be drooling”
At the Door with Stones by Ghanaian artist Arthur Timothy at Gallery 1957; the New Museum on the Bowery is expanding and reopening next year
Ghana in bloom
By writer and curator Ekow Eshun
I work as a curator and writer, and Ghana is in the middle of an art boom. Over the last five years, a generation of young visual artists has emerged, like Amoako Boafo. Boafo lived in Vienna for a few years and has done collaborations with Dior menswear; he creates figurative oil paintings reminiscent of Viennese artists like Schiele and Klimt. Or, Ibrahim Mahama, who recently did a project with the Barbican in London, and is known for his massive installations that think about space, presence and power. He’s also opened several sites for contemporary art in north Ghana in Tamale. It’s just an hour’s flight from Accra and worth a visit.
In Accra, there’s the Nubuke Foundation, ADA and the Dikan Centre, but the main spot for me is Gallery 1957, which stages exhibitions as well as Cultural Week alongside other galleries in autumn. Another good time to visit is over Christmas and New Year, when the city and its clubs (like Front/Back) and restaurants (such as Buka and vegetarian Tatale) are at their most vibrant and dynamic. It’s a city of style (Lokko House is fantastic for shopping), a place where people look good and being your best self is celebrated.
Design-driven New York
By creative designer and hotel mogul Gabriella Khalil
This is a ‘choose your own adventure’ city, which is as relaxed, as wild, as hectic, or as beautiful as you want it to be. From a design perspective, for a cocktail and a show, I love to go to Bemelmans Bar inside The Carlyle hotel. It’s a soulful piano bar transporting you to another era, all while experiencing Art Deco design and mural-lined walls by Ludwig Bemelmans. When I am seeking inspiration, I visit the Judd Foundation, immersing myself in Donald Judd’s living, working spaces, as well as his archives. The Swan Room at Nine Orchard is an intimate space for an unguarded drink with friends. Anyone who loves design would be intoxicated by the atmosphere. For shopping, The Somerset House is meticulously curated. Happier Grocery is my daily first stop – its yellow juice is a must have. In 2025, I’m looking forward to the New Museum of contemporary art opening. My top New York tip? Make restaurant reservations well ahead of time to avoid the disappointment of not getting a table. I recommend putting yourself on the waiting list on Resy.
“New York’s Swan Room is an intimate space for a drink with friends: anyone who loves design would be intoxicated by the atmosphere”
A road runs through Berlin’s Tiergarten Park towards the Brandenburg Gate
Berlin’s buzziest neighbourhoods
By Dialogue Books MD Sharmaine Lovegrove
When friends visit me in Berlin, I always recommend visiting three main districts, Mitte, Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg and using our reliable and cheap transport system to get around. Kreuzberg has great restaurants (my favourite is Ora), excellent one-street bar hopping (head to Weiser Strasse) and a unique mix of people – it’s both pretty and edgy.
I love Charlottenburg for its old-world charm, and beautiful tree-lined boulevards. Things are done properly, but with a sense of mischief, and you get a sense of when Berlin was a rival to Paris. The Literaturhaus and its grand building, beautiful garden and wonderful restaurant are a must visit, as is Schaubühne, which is one of Europe’s best avant-garde theatres. If schnitzel isn’t your thing, head to Kant Strasse for some of the best Asian food in Europe. Madame Ngo serves amazing Indo-Chinese.
For real East meets West energy, head to Mitte. It displays the best of modern European cool, with an edge of GDR nostalgia. Museum Island hosts world-class museums with a rotation of fascinating exhibitions and the area around Weinmeisterstraße U-Bahn is a paradise for shopping, people-watching and eating.
