9 luxury destinations around the world to add to your bucket list
- Toyo Odetunde
Published: September 10, 2026 at 4:28 PM
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Luxury takes on many forms around the world – these are some of our favourites
Long gone are the days when luxury travel was synonymous with gigantic resorts isolated from local culture, or hopping from coast to coast only to be presented with the same interpretations of ‘continental’ cuisine.
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Today, luxury travel can take many forms. It means experiencing a compelling homegrown food culture, with creative chefs transforming regional produce with reverence for indigenous food traditions. It means staying in thoughtfully constructed spaces that tell a meaningful story with exceptional design features and artistic touches that you cannot easily replicate at home.
From safari lodges immersed in the wilderness to ambitious restaurants rewriting the rules of haute cuisine, these are nine destinations where indulgence is informed by a sense of place.
For more travel inspiration, check out our picks of the UK's most luxurious hotels and 8 luxury hotels that will change your mind on an all-inclusive holiday.
9 of the best luxury destinations around the world
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is one of the winners of our olive Travel&Taste Awards 2026, find the full list here
Sri Lanka has long had the ingredients for an exceptional luxury escape: cinematic beaches, a misty tea country, ancient cities and wildlife-rich national parks, all complemented by a food culture that is renowned for its fragrance, variety and vibrancy.
Travellers can move between very different landscapes without sacrificing comfort. One day might mean breakfast overlooking emerald paddy fields, the next a private safari through Yala National Park or a train journey winding through the central highlands on the Viceroy Special, a vintage steam train. At Ceylon Tea Trails, visitors can enjoy plantation walks, private butler service and leisurely meals among the tea estates, while Wild Coast Tented Lodge places luxurious tented suites on the edge of Yala, where the surrounding wilderness becomes part of the stay.
Credit: Nomadic Lodge
Food is an equally compelling reason to visit. Expect dishes that announce themselves with aromatic scents before they hit the table – fiery coconut sambols, hoppers, rice and curries of jackfruit, crab and meat with plenty of warm spices. In Colombo, chef Dharshan Munidasa’s Ministry of Crab turns local lagoon crab into a memorable experience, whilst Gini centres a live-fire kitchen bringing seafood, meats and seasonal ingredients to the fore in a leafy garden setting. Avartana at ITC Ratnadipa, in Colombo, puts a contemporary spin on Southern Indian cuisine, with Sri Lankan flavours woven through its elaborate tasting menus.
For another taste of the island’s high-end hospitality, stay at Fort Bazaar in Galle’s UNESCO-listed old town, or Kahanda Kanda above Koggala Lake, where private pool villas are bordered by tropical gardens. Uga Riva, just outside Colombo in Negombo, is a characterful boutique stay set in a restored 180-year-old manor house, with seven rooms surrounded by coconut palms.
Switzerland
Switzerland may conjure images of immaculate snow-dusted ski resorts and chocolate-box chalets, but its luxury appeal extends beyond winter. Hiking trails threading through storybook alpine scenery, glimmering blue-green lakes, time-honoured craftsmanship and world-class hospitality continue to draw travellers looking for an elevated break year-round, as well as an increasingly sophisticated restaurant culture. You’ll also find grand dame hotels offering the kind of old-school service that is becoming increasingly rare.
Rail journeys such as the Glacier Express provide a slower way to explore. In 'Excellence Class', a personal concierge, a guaranteed window seat for film-worthy views, private bar access and a five-course menu with wine all accompany the journey between St Moritz and Zermatt.
The food scene is becoming another reason to make the journey. There’s more to it than fondue and raclette – though who can resist the allure of warm, bubbling cheese! Innovative chefs are putting alpine produce under a brighter spotlight, from mountain herbs and mushrooms to freshwater fish, regional dairy and carefully aged meats.
In the mountains, Schloss Schauenstein in Fürstenau is one of the country’s great culinary destinations, where chef Andreas Caminada has built an internationally respected restaurant around precise, contemporary cooking. Opened this year, Chesa Marchetta in Sils Maria is a 13-room boutique art hotel occupying a restored 16th-century guesthouse. The rustic-luxe restaurant draws from Engadine and Northern Italian traditions, set inside the exposed stone walls and timber beams of old cattle barns.
You can also stay at The Chedi Andermatt for an exceptionally polished Alpine retreat, or Badrutt’s Palace in St Moritz for old-world glamour, lake views and the full spectacle of Switzerland’s luxury hospitality. The Woodward Auberge is an all-suite address in Geneva, home to double-Michelin-starred L’Atelier Robuchon. You’ll also find special guest experiences here, from pre or post skiing preparation or recovery sessions, to fragrance masterclasses at the Guerlain spa, or curated trips to local watchmakers or the vineyards of Lavaux.
Fürstenau
South Tyrol, Italy
South Tyrol, or Alto Adige, is a gorgeous stretch of vineyard-clad valleys, forested slopes and soaring peaks where Italy meets Austria – and its luxury appeal lies in this cultural collision. Vineyards climb the hillsides around Bolzano, parts of the jagged Dolomites rise dramatically beyond them and villages appear improbably neat beneath church spires and wooded slopes.
It’s a destination especially well-suited to a slower pace of travel, whether that means cycling between wineries, hiking through flower-filled meadows, soaking in a mountain spa such as the 2,000-square-metre spa at FORESTIS, or taking the cable car into the high country before settling down to lunch with a view.
The cuisine is similarly dual-natured, with Italian ingredients and techniques blending with Austrian and Germanic traditions. Think speck, canederli dumplings, mountain cheeses, apple strudel and rye breads alongside delicate pastas, Alpine herbs and superb local wines such as white Gewürztraminer and red Lagrein.
For serious food travellers, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler in Brunico is a destination in itself, where the three-Michelin-starred chef’s cooking is rooted in the landscapes and produce of the Dolomites. Meanwhile, Haller in Bolzano combines a winery and dining into its boutique hotel experience, with vineyard views and Restaurant AO serving South Tyrolean-inspired cuisine.
Stay at aforementioned FORESTIS, high above the Puster Valley, for a serene wellness retreat surrounded by the pine forests, rugged peaks and high-altitude meadows of the Dolomites, or choose the San Luis Lodges for private cabins and treehouses scattered around a mountain lake.
FORESTIS hotel
Tanzania and Zanzibar
Tanzania offers one of the most thrilling combinations in luxury travel. You can spend days watching elephants, lions and wildebeest on the plains before moving location and swapping safari dust for beachfront dinners looking out across the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.
The country’s best safari lodges offer excellent amenities for exploring the surrounding wilderness, such as private game drives, expert guiding and rooms positioned to bring the landscape directly into the experience. The Laba Grumeti Art Lodge, which opened in 2025 in the Serengeti’s Grumeti ecosystem – a biodiverse region in the western Serengeti, famed for its river crossings and large concentrations of game – takes a distinctly contemporary approach, surrounding its hilltop setting with an impressive collection of pan-African art and design. Singita Grumeti’s Sasakwa Lodge brings a more traditional kind of safari glamour, with private cottages, infinity pools and sweeping views across the plains.
Across Zanzibar, a new wave of design-conscious luxury hotels are putting local materials, wellness and top-notch food at the centre of the experience. Newly opened this year, Envi Paje is an appealing arrival, with private villas, plunge pools, beachside yoga and a seafood-focused menu drawing on the island’s spices and produce. Look out for dishes such as lobster wrapped in cassava tortillas with fiery spiced mango, tamarind-glazed chicken, generous seafood platters and Swahili staples like pilau, before spending an afternoon swimming or kitesurfing.
For established high-end stays, The Residence Zanzibar offers private-pool villas along a long stretch of white sand, while Park Hyatt Zanzibar puts five-star service inside a beautifully restored Stone Town setting – meaning you’re steps away from both historic Zanzibari architecture and the beach. Spots like The Rock Restaurant are loved for their barefoot luxury feel, offering freshly caught seafood on a tiny rock islet, or head to Emerson on Hurumzi for rooftop dining above the old spice-trading city.
Stone Town
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest cities for a mix of opulence and sensory adventure. Its luxury appeal comes from the wide range of elevated culinary experiences available – from gleaming skyscraper restaurants and gilded rooftop bars, to masterclasses in traditional confectionary or fine-dining restaurants hidden within historic architecture. Travel itineraries can move between Michelin-starred tasting menus, colourful flower markets and sundowners with fruity and fragrant cocktails overlooking the Chao Phraya.
The high-end restaurant scene is particularly compelling. Sühring continues to champion polished, international contemporary dining with its innovative German-inspired tasting menus, while Potong from chef Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij explores Thai-Chinese heritage through an exhilarating tasting menu (anchored by the house-aged roast duck) in a masterfully restored 120 year-old shophouse. Both restaurants are Michelin-starred.
Capella Bangkok provides one of the city’s most refined places to stay, with riverfront suites, private wine tastings and masterclasses in local cuisine, and superb dining with restaurants like Côte by Mauro Colagreco bringing a taste of Mediterranean bliss. The Mandarin Oriental also remains a classic choice for old-school sophistication.
Of course, spa rituals are one of the city’s signature luxury experiences. Head to Oasis Spa off Sukhumvit 31, a leafy sanctuary hidden behind the buzz of the surrounding upbeat neighbourhood for a host of restorative treatments and herbal therapies.
Colombia
Colombia has transformed into one of Latin America’s most exciting luxury and culinary destinations, with Bogotá and Medellín at the centre of the movement. The appeal goes beyond restaurants, as this is a country of extraordinary biodiversity, dramatic landscapes and deeply regional ingredients, all making a travel experience that feels adventurous, educational and rewarding.
In Bogotá, cool high-altitude mornings and sophisticated restaurants give way to day trips into the surrounding Andes, while Medellín’s green valleys, coffee culture and increasingly stylish hotel scene provide a warmer counterpoint.
Colombia’s diversity is especially apparent in its food, from Amazonian fruits and Andean tubers to Caribbean seafood, cacao and coffee. Bogotá’s El Chato, led by chef Álvaro Clavijo, has become a global gastronomic force, reaching No. 1 in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025, while Leo from chef Leonor Espinosa crafts dishes using ingredients sourced from across the country. Dishes might include Amazonian fish, tucupi (a piquant yellow sauce made from fresh wild bitter cassava), crab from the Caribbean coast, tart corozo fruit, nutty and starchy chontaduro and hormigas culonas – the large toasted ants traditionally eaten in Colombia’s Santander region. In Medellín, Carmen has earned a reputation for polished contemporary cooking in an intimate setting.
As for where to stay, Casa Medina offers a luxurious base in Bogotá behind a stately red-brick facade – a characterful former mansion with an excellent restaurant, or Elcielo Hotel in Medellín is celebrated as an immersive food-led stay.
Slovenia
Slovenia is small enough to explore without rushing and varied enough to feel like several destinations rolled into one. Alpine peaks, emerald rivers, vineyards and the Adriatic coast create an unusually concentrated landscape, while Ljubljana provides a charming urban base for exploring the country’s history and diversifying food culture. It’s an especially appealing destination for travellers who prefer their luxury rooted in the landscape, with boutique hotels, restaurants based around freshly supplied ingredients and experiences that make the most of Slovenia’s mountains, forests and vineyards.
The country’s growing culinary reputation rests on chefs who treat Slovenia’s forests, mountains and coastline as their pantry. Hiša Franko, in the Soča Valley, recently retained its three Michelin stars under chef Ana Roš, while Milka in Kranjska Gora has become another essential destination for sophisticated tasting menus shaped by Alpine ingredients. It’s also an intimate boutique hotel, with six individually designed rooms overlooking the Julian Alps and the surrounding forested landscape, allowing diners to turn a special occasion meal into a complete stay.
At Monstera Estate in the Goričko hills, chef Bine Volčič offers another expression of modern Slovenian cooking, with foraged ingredients, produce from nearby farms and a zero-waste approach at its core. Slovenia’s wineries deserve equal billing. One example is family-run Medot in Goriška Brda, offering private tastings and cellar visits centred around Rebula, an indigenous white grape variety that is a signature of the Brda region.
Norway
Norway’s combination of fjords, forests, Arctic landscapes and exceptionally clean waters provides travellers with an excellent choice of stunning environments to explore, and provides local chefs with an extraordinary natural larder – from king crab and cold-water prawns to berries, mushrooms, game and wild herbs.
In Oslo, the fine dining scene ranges from the precise modern cooking of Kontrast to newer destinations such as Izakaya by Vladimir Pak, while the city’s restaurants are increasingly interested in Norwegian ingredients without being constrained by tradition. For a popular urban stay, The Thief in Oslo combines contemporary design with waterfront views.
But the country’s gastronomic ambition extends far beyond the capital. One of the most memorable ways to experience it is the Golden Road in Trøndelag, a scenic route through the countryside of Inderøy where farm shops, cheesemakers, distilleries and restaurants punctuate views across the Trondheimsfjord – less a road trip than a full day of grazing your way through Norway’s agricultural heartland. Follow the route between fields, forests and the magnificent Trondheimsfjord, stopping at small farms and producers along the way – including Gangstad Gårdsysteri for its farmhouse cheese Nidelven Blå, and Berg Gård and Inderøy Brenneri for locally distilled aquavit and other spirits. It’s an immersive way to taste the landscape rather than simply pass through it. For overnight stays, Øyna Kulturlandskapshotell turns the landscape itself into a luxury experience, with timber-clad rooms and panoramic views across the fjord.
Trondheim, meanwhile, is becoming increasingly recognised as a serious food and luxury destination in its own right. Britannia Hotel delivers grand historic luxury (once being a retreat for salmon-fishing British aristocrats) with its flagship restaurant Speilsalen serving intricate creations full of flavour like parcels of sweet king crab in gleaming pastry. By contrast Storfjord Hotel near Ålesund is an intimate timber-clad retreat overlooking the fjord.
Trondheim
Wales
With its rugged coastline, ancient forests, awe-inspiring mountains and tiny villages, Wales makes a persuasive case for luxury travel, while a new generation of chefs is turning Welsh produce into plates certainly worth travelling for. Luxury here can mean a refreshing, unhurried postprandial coastal walk, a snug and thoughtfully decorated country house surrounded by hills or a tasting menu full of surprises built around ingredients sourced from within a few miles of the kitchen.
In Cardiff’s Pontcanna neighbourhood, Gorse is the city’s first Michelin-starred restaurant, having opened in 2024 before earning its star in 2025. Chef Tom Waters builds his tasting menus around Wales’s abundant wild larder, with ingredients including seaweed, seafood, subtly citrusy Perl Wen cheese and Gower salt-marsh lamb.
Home in Penarth by chef James Sommerin is praised for its constantly evolving secret menus and spirited approach to fine dining. At Ynyshir, chef Gareth Ward has created one of Britain’s most distinctive dining experiences, with a multi-course menu that draws on Welsh produce but refuses to be bound by convention, along with subterranean salt chambers, a DJ spinning from a library of vinyls, and rooms on site for guests looking to extend their experience. Newly reopened earlier this year, 8-seat sister restaurant Gwen, also in Machynlleth, presents an omakase-style menu with chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias at the helm.
For elegant stays, Palé Hall offers grand country-house hospitality beside the mountains, forests and waterfalls of Eryri National Park, while Grove of Narberth is a contemporary idyllic retreat in Pembrokeshire. Check out our guide to the best hotels in Wales for more.
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Grove of Narberth
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Toyo Odetunde
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