15 Incredible Places to Visit Before They Disappear

Get yourself to San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico, now, before the inevitable gringo invasion (remember Tulum?). The small town in the state of Chiapas has cultural cachet, a superb food scene, and the new design-savvy Hotel Bo, which is a great starting point for the family-friendly activities all over Chiapas (think ziplining, ancient ruins, Mayan villages, and stunning lakes). Photo: Getty

You don’t have to endure frigid weather to get close to the tuxedoed wonders of the animal kingdom: There are colonies of Galápagos penguins in the waters off Bartolomé and Isabela islands. To see them, charter Princess Grace’s royal honeymoon yacht, the M/Y Grace, or settle at Santa Cruz Island’s luxe Pikaia Lodge. But you need to act fast: Climate change is taking a toll, and the birds’ numbers are declining rapidly. Photo: Latin Excursions

You may not feed or pet the horses, however—here, their boundaries are respected. But you can kayak in the salt marsh as dolphins swim alongside, explore an abandoned Carnegie mansion, and dine on cuisine (courtesy of a Top Chef alum) that even a kid will admit is worth wearing a blue blazer for. Then head to Savannah, two and a half hours to the north, for a private child-friendly architecture and history tour of this antebellum charmer. Photo: Getty

The wild horses of this island off Georgia have become so abundant there is talk the National Park Service may move them some day. Thanks to a series of regulations and shrewd deals, this ruggedly lovely island, which is four miles longer than Manhattan, may be inhabited full-time only by descendants of the Carnegies (who discovered it at the turn of the last century and claimed it as their winter playground) or the Candlers (founders of the Coca-Cola empire). Settle in at the stately 16-room Greyfield Inn, built for Andrew Carnegie’s niece in 1900 and the site of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s 1996 wedding reception, and take in the beauty of the island’s beasts on the live oak–lined trails and 18 miles of deserted beach. Photo: Jeffery Stoner

In Laos, the unsung jewel of Southeast Asia, change is moving faster than the Chinese high-speed train that will be roaring through the country’s tranquil landscapes in three years. But at Azerai, an elegant French colonial property in the heart of the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, you can still have front row seats to the spectacle of 1,400 monks spilling forth from temples at dawn each day to receive alms, a tradition dating back seven centuries. Photo: Getty

High in the Andes, three mummies are at the center of a debate about the proper resting place for the deceased. Thousands make a pilgrimage to Salta, Argentina, each month to view the 500-year-old Inca children, who are a link, they believe, to the eternal. But there’s a movement to return them to their original burial ground. Whatever happens, Argentina’s most historical region is a must-see—if you can tear yourself away from the House of Jasmines, a 250-acre estancia once owned by actor Robert Duvall. Photo: Getty

Then unwind at the Minzifa Hotel, a former merchant’s house studded with 15th-century mosaics. The rest of Uzbekistan—Tashkent, Samarkand, Khiva—is equally magical. And the food? Proximity to the Caspian Sea makes for some excellent caviar. (Non-direct flights from New York to Tashkent, the capital, take about 15 hours.) Photo: Hotel Bukhara

During his conquest of the Persian Empire in 329 BC, Alexander the Great paused to admire a city along the Silk Road. “Everything I’ve heard is true,” he said, “except it’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.” The glories of the ancient trade route survive in Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic with a diverse culture thanks to its Turkish, Persian, and Russian neighbors. It’s also a place where hospitality is a virtue that outranks courage. A high-speed intercity rail network is one of the government’s first measures to increase tourism. Next, inevitably, will be tour buses and megachain hotels. The 2,500-year-old city of Bukhara is most at risk, thanks to such dazzling architectural gems as the Kalyan minaret, which even Genghis Khan considered too precious to destroy—as he was razing everything else. In the 12th-century trade domes you’ll find silk (obviously), spices, carpets, and exquisite Suzani embroidery, which has been used in collections by Valentino and Oscar de la Renta. Photo: Huber Images

Tucked away in the Himalayas, the kingdom of Bhutan is one of the most isolated places on earth, but a soon-to-open airport in the remote eastern part of the country will likely change that. It’s still heaven for now, though: Aman, Uma, and Taj have wonderful properties from which to explore the off-the-beaten-path monasteries and interact with a genuinely happy people (the concept of Gross National Happiness was invented here). Photo: Como Uma Bhutan

The end of pétanque may not be up there with the demise of the ancien régime, yet the game is as central to French life as the baguette and Gauloise. So when we heard that the sand pitches on the Ile de la Cité would soon be cobblestone, we knew time was of the essence. Pick up equipment at Boutique Obut, watch the masters at play from your chic apartment overlooking the square, then try the way-classier cousin of bowling with your brood. Photo: Alamy

Wandering solo through the glittering meadow is the ideal way to take it all in, but so is sitting on the deck of the Dune Pavilion, the brand new suite at the ultraluxe Longitude 131 lodge. Recent upgrades to the resort include a spa that offers treatments incorporating Anangu traditions and a dunetop bar with breathtaking views of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the Field of Light runs only through March 2018, and, no, you can’t experience it vicariously on Instagram: It doesn’t photograph well, so you’ll just have to be there—in real life. Photo: Getty

As the sun sets over Uluru (a.k.a. Ayers Rock), the sacred ancient monolith in Australia’s Red Centre, the darkness surrounding it begins to sparkle with dots of purple, orange, red, blue, and yellow. Known as the Field of Light, it’s a sight that has been reported to make people weep. The man responsible for this magical display is the British artist Bruce Munro, who flew in 50,000 solar-powered bulbs from his studio in Wiltshire, England, and planted them over an area the size of seven football fields. The glass spheres constantly change color and are designed to complement their surroundings, not overpower them. They were preapproved by the indigenous Anangu people, who have given the work a name that means “looking at lots of beautiful lights.” Photo: Mark Pickthall

Sidle up to the biggest environmental story of our time, the melting South Pole, on a cruise along Antarctica’s edge. Or, for ultimate bragging rights, venture into the interior with White Desert, the only outfitter to go there. Trek through ice tunnels, go ice-climbing, or even kite-skiing. Incredibly, the trip is far more luxurious than the typical Antarctic cruise, with cocktails and gourmet dinners, warm sleeping pods, and, best of all, no 40-foot waves knocking you about on your way there. Photo: White Desert

With huge national parks, dazzling scenery, exotic flora and fauna, and culturally intriguing villages (some of which, in the past, were known for alarmingly fierce practices), the Sepik region of Papua New Guinea remains—for now—among the most fantastically out-there of destinations. Feel the frisson on a once-yearly 11-day excursion to the Tumbuna festival. Photo: Getty

Each offers an experience tailored to its location in the park, whether that’s wading across the savanna, tracking elephants, or setting out on foot through the dense forest to spend quality time with the gorillas (you might get within 20 feet of one). For those who have already done the standard African safari, consider this the next level—a firsthand look at the last jungle of Tarzan. Plus, more income from tourism means less exploitation of the rainforest. Your presence is saving the planet.

It’s no secret: Rainforests are dying. The ecosystems of Borneo and the rest of Indonesia have practically disappeared, while deforestation has destroyed nearly a quarter of the Amazon. In the Republic of the Congo (that’s the safe one), the world’s -second-largest rainforest hasn’t yet suffered the fate of the others, though it may soon—in order to generate income, the government gave some logging concessions to the Chinese, who covet the area’s giant mahogany trees. In the heart of the forest lies Odzala-Kokoua National Park, a 5,000-square-mile oasis with 22,000 lowland gorillas, more than 400 bird species, and the rarest flora and fauna you’ll ever encounter. New weekly private charter flights get you there in two hours from the capital, Brazzaville. You’ll stay at the Odzala Discovery Camps, splitting time among three atmospheric lodges. Photo: Courtesy

By 2018 you won't have to be a Cousteau-level explorer, or James Cameron, to know what the underwater world sounds like. The latest additions to the Ponant Explorer cruise fleet that set sail next summer to Iceland and the Amalfi Coast will unveil Blue Eye: multisensory lounges in the ships’ hulls, with two portholes and a sound system that transmits the startling symphony of the sea through special microphones. Photo: Ponant

Eight times saltier than the oceans, the Dead Sea’s medicinal waters, which are being siphoned off into the River Jordan, may go dry by 2050; the lake is losing three feet a year. So jump in—or, more accurately, bob atop—while you still can, then wash off the therapeutic salt and mud at Jordan’s beautiful Kempinski Hotel Ishtar. Photo: Getty

For a land-based option there’s the Misool Eco Resort, which is located on its own island (the country has 13,000) but has room for just 40 visitors, with a staff-to-guest ratio of three-to-one. Stay in a water cottage on stilts over the lagoon, or opt for one of the beachside villas shaded by coconut palms. The accommodations are all in the Balinese style, made of reclaimed tropical wood and with plenty of open air (don’t worry, there is air conditioning). The journey to the archipelago is long (six hours from Jakarta to Sorong, plus a five-hour boat ride), but if Gwyneth can do it, so can you.

Sea life may be under threat, but for now the reefs of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, are bucking the trend with 1,000 species of fish—more than anywhere else on earth—and 550 species of coral, 10 times what you’ll see in the Caribbean. What’s the cause? Scientists aren’t 100 percent sure, though the region’s unusual climate and the many conservation efforts in place are likely factors. Immerse yourself in the phantasmagoric beauty of the sea by chartering the 164-foot, five-suite Silolona, which is a traditional phinisi, a kind of Indonesian trade boat used for journeys along the spice route. Gwyneth Paltrow took the trip—and blogged about it on Goop. Photo: Getty