5 Under-the-Radar Destinations Luxury Travelers Should Visit Next
High crowds and high prices can crush vacation vibes faster than a “delayed” push notification appearing on your phone in the airport. Even in the off-season, certain destinations have gotten too popular for their own good. (Ahem, Barcelona and Venice.)
But the good news is that the world is a big place — and for every city suffering from over-tourism, there are multiple alternatives offering not only fewer crowds, but also amazing food scenes, vibrant culture, and world-class hotels.
Check out some of our favorites below.
Instead of Bali… Sentosa
The first two cabin crew announcements you hear upon touching down in Singapore are “Welcome to Singapore” and “For passengers connecting to Bali…” followed by gate information for at least 50% of fliers. After such a long trip from the U.S., do you really want to hop on another plane and follow the hordes to beautiful but busy Bali?
Sentosa Island, Singapore’s compact, palm-fringed resort key, is a mere 20-minute taxi from the airport. The location — and plethora of family-friendly activities, like Universal Studios Singapore, where a new Minion Land is coming in 2025 — might lead luxury travelers to dismiss it when they should be thinking twice. There are few places in the world where you can sunbathe on the ivory sands during the day (Tanjong Beach is the quietest of the island's three beaches), then eat your way through one of the greatest food cities on the planet. For dinner, don’t miss the caramelized-leek Gibson martinis and gemelli pasta with lacto-fermented romesco sauce at the futuristic Fura in Chinatown, a quick ride back across the Sentosa Causeway.
Where to Stay: Raffles, the ne plus ultra of historic luxury hospitality in Singapore, comes to Sentosa by the end of 2024 with 62 private pool villas set on a cliff overlooking the South China Sea. But if you’re planning to visit before then or are looking for more of a hidden gem, check out Amara Sanctuary. It offers multiple types of accommodations and five pools tucked among the jungle landscaping; go big by booking the Larkhill Mansion, a two-bed, three-bath colonial-era bungalow.
Instead of Cabo… Todos Santos
An hour north of Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos is one of Mexico’s special Pueblos Mágicos. And while the artsy, surfing hotspot has percolated over the last decade — thanks to splashy hotel openings from Kimpton and Bunkhouse and farm-focused restaurants like Agricole and Javier Plascencia’s Jazamango — the town’s walkable, compact footprint remains a low-key alternative to bustling Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo to the south. The pursuits here are relaxed and uncomplicated: catching a break at Playa Punta Lobos, snacking on fresas con crema or a mangonada at the church plaza, wandering the boutiques under fluttering papel picado, and horseback riding with Todos Santos Eco Adventures.
Where to Stay: The aforementioned oceanfront Hotel San Cristóbal by Bunkhouse is uber stylish and the place to mingle poolside with trendy jet-setters. Todos Santos Boutique Hotel — which opened in January 2024 — is the most luxurious game in town, with artist-commissioned murals, Le Labo bath products, and 10 rooms arranged around a chic sunken courtyard pool.
Instead of the Cote d’Azur… the Luberon
The timeless allure of Provence can wear thin when it feels like everyone in line at the quaint boulangerie is an American lavender chaser. The solution isn’t to avoid this dreamy swath of southern France, but rather to find a less trafficked part of it, like the Luberon. Sitting at the nexus of three mountain ranges and encompassing the undulating valley of poppies, vineyards, and (yes) lavender between them, this area has a slow pace and undiscovered feel, despite lively hilltop towns like Gordes, home to a thriving Tuesday market and the stunning three-Michelin-key Airelles La Bastide hotel, housed in a 16th-century cliffside redoubt.
Visit the coral-colored village of Roussillon, the historic Sénanque Abbey, and the mesmerizing museum of period and contemporary chandeliers from Mathieu Lustrerie in Gargas. While second-generation lighting maestro Regis Mathieu gives tours of his collection, it’s not uncommon to find students from Savannah College of Art and Design’s campus in nearby Lacoste quietly sketching.
Where to Stay: Set on a rural vineyard, the lovely Coquillade Provence resort divides its accommodations between historic, renovated stone structures and purpose-built maisonettes, the newest of which recently opened with private plunge pools.
Instead of Kyoto… Osaka
This gritty yet gorgeous metropolis is just an hour south by bullet train from over-crowded Kyoto — and a lot more fun, thanks to its funny, candid, and inquisitive residents who will bombard you with questions about where you’re eating, an activity the city undertakes with athletic passion. From takoyaki on the street to crispy kushikatsu in an abandoned WWII theme park inspired by Coney Island (both part of a food tour with Arigato Travel) to kaiseki at Nishitemma Nakamura and meticulous matcha service at Wad, a tea café and ceramics gallery, there is no better place in Japan for travelers obsessed with absorbing a place through eating and drinking.
On the outskirts of the city, enterprising natural winemakers have resuscitated fallow vineyards, whose fruits you can experience at the Fujimaru family of bars and restaurants (don’t miss the wine-braised beef with tagliatelle and grape pomace at Fujimaru Winery in the Shinmanouchi neighborhood). Meanwhile, those who prefer craft beer and fizzy sochu highballs have plenty of places to imbibe long into the night in the skyscraper-punctuated Umeda business district. A few top picks include the craft beer spot Molto Umeda and the izakaya Sumiyaki Shoten yo Ohatsutenjin. And for travelers into history — looking at you, Shogun fans — stunning temples rise from the neatly gridded streets, and the towering Osaka Castle offers a glimpse back to the time when the city served as Japan’s capital.
Where to Stay: A short walk from Osaka station, the sunlight-washed Zentis is a breath of fresh air in the city’s staid hotel stock. Pops of denim blue and marigold give the 212 rooms personality; suites have partially glassed-in soaking tubs that peek into the living rooms.
Instead of Dalmatia… Istria
Croatia has become a darling of American travelers to Europe thanks to its long sapphire coastline, affordability, increased airlift, and, oh yeah, some show called “Game of Thrones.” In the series, old town Dubrovnik stands in for the capital of Westeros, which launched intense visit-the-set-type tourism. Meanwhile, up north — by the borders of Italy and Slovenia — the pizza slice-shaped region of Istria goes about its business: pressing the world’s most exquisite olive oil (eight years running, according to Flos Olei, the international extra-virgin ranker); transforming wineries from the Communist Yugoslavia era into globally recognized endeavors (Vina Fakin, Ipša); hunting for truffles in the forest of Motovun, and distilling gin with native botanicals on the toothpick peninsula of Premantura.
An easygoing mix of coast and countryside, fjords and farmland, Slavic grit and Italian sprezzatura, Istria should be way more crowded than it is, even in the summer, even in fairytale villages. Take the seaside Rovinj, where Gelateria Italia’s owners greet you in Italian before scooping the most refreshing lemon sorbetto, and mountaintop Labin, home to fantastic Pizzeria Rumore, which overlooks a plunging emerald valley. Go now, and thank us later.
Where to Stay: The very reasonable prices in Istria make renting a villa an excellent deal, like La Vita Bella Villa outside Porec, a four-bedroom hideaway with a striking black-and-white-tiled pool whose married American and Croatian owners also run a travel concierge service. For a more traditional stay, book one of the luxurious stone cottages at Meneghetti, an idyllic country estate that includes vineyards and olive groves.