The Week in Travel (1/4/13)

The world of travel moves fast!   Let’s keep up–together.   This week, Traveling IQ curates the highlights of the upcoming year:

There is a Top for you, regardless of who you are.  This Top has been chosen by experts, to make you happy, to make you whole, to expand your horizons, and to guide you toward finding that elusively special spot.

Now, in 2013, will your Travel Top be…

*Amsterdam.  Holland’s forward-thinking capital is serving up major museum renovations, locavore restaurants, and cutting edge architecture, while celebrating the 400 year anniversary of its canals (via Conde Nast Traveler).

*Portugal.  Oozing “old European charm” with it’s Medieval towns and historic quarters, the pace in Portugal is soothingly slow and its locals increasingly thirsty (via Globespots).

*Sri Lanka.  After a 26-year civil war and a devastating tsunami, this South Asia country has bounced back and is one of the best-value destinations around (via USA Today/Lonely Planet).

*Myanmar.  After decades of seclusion, men in skirts invite you to explore traditional culture, colonial architecture, and villages largely unchanged by the past 50 years (via Art Info).

*India.  Few places in the world can offer the stark contrasts of beautiful and awful, breathtaking and grotesque, while being considered the pinnacle for independent travelers (via BootsnAll).

*New York City.  King of the Hill and Top of the Heap, the city that doesn’t sleep is still the top gay travel destination for 2013 (via Advocate).

What did I miss?  Share your favorite travel news in the comments below or by posting on the Traveling IQ Facebook page.

(Photo via MSN)