If you’re anything like me and permanently plagued with the travel bug, your bucket list is long.
So, I’m just letting you know now that if you keep reading, it’s probably going to get longer.
Time just released its first ever annual list of the World’s Greatest Places 2018, and rather than simply compiling a catalog of famous hotspots, this list considers places that are innovating, those with a unique influence on the world, and locales that are looking at more sustainable ways to exist—which is all pretty cool, in my opinion.
Since I’ve already devoured the entire list, here’s a highlight reel of my favorites. Though I’d strongly recommend scrolling the whole 100 so you can start getting to some of these destinations before they get fully overrun by all the tourists.
To visit
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice
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Travel isn’t only about destinations and relaxation. It’s about history and culture, too. And in one great win #fortheculture, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the country’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved blacks in America, made the list. The Montgomery, Alabama memorial that opened in April features a gripping sculpture by Ghanaian sculptor Kwame Akoto-Bamfo depicting victims of the Transatlantic slave trade, and 800 suspended steel slabs bearing the names of more than 4,400 blacks that were lynched between 1877 and 1950. To say this is something worth seeing should go without saying.
Tianjin Binhai Library
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I mean, this is just all the books. In one magnificent place. This dream spot for book lovers is a public library in Tianjin, China, which is interesting considering China’s generally limited embrace of libraries. The 363,000-square-foot Binhai Library can hold as many as 1.35 million books. It has become a cultural center of sorts since opening in October 2017, with a performing arts center, an interactive discovery hall and an art museum.
Golden Bridge
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Vietnam has been working to ramp up tourism, though the country’s beauty alone should be reason enough to entice people to go. As part of that effort, we get to experience the Golden Bridge, a 500-foot long golden footbridge held up by two enormous hands in the mountains of Vietnam’s Ba Na Hills. Both the view of the bridge and the view from it, are something to see.
To stay
Giraffe Manor
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If this place is not yet on your radar, you’re missing half your travel life. Just like its name suggests, Giraffe Manor is a boutique hotel in Nairobi, Kenya that sits amid 140 acres of indigenous forest that a herd of resident giraffes call home. The giraffes get so cozy, in fact, that they’ll join you for breakfast—whether you invite them or not.
Shipwreck Lodge
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Nothing like its name suggests, this all-inclusive Shipwreck Lodge is in the middle of the Namib Desert and each lodge is shaped like a boat since the area has long been known as hazardous for ships coming into Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. Head in one direction from this abode and you can game drive to glimpse lions and elephants, and head in the other to hit the beach, combing the shores for treasure from actual shipwrecks.
To eat
Interno
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To dine at Interno, you’ll have to head to jail. As in actual jail. The Cartagena, Colombia restaurant sits within a cordoned off part of Cartagena’s San Diego prison, where imprisoned women cook and serve the food as they transition from serving time to building skills to take back into the world. Dishes like ceviche in coconut milk are locally-sourced and loved.
Bio
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Eating at Bio in São Paulo, Brazil means two things: you’ll leave fully sated by some Brazilian fare, and you’ll have left a smaller footprint on the world. Local chef Alex Atala runs his kitchen to ensure no food is wasted. According to Time, staff at the fairly-priced eatery where most meals are under $15, make pesto from discarded avocado pits instead of pine nuts.