Three new and noteworthy destinations worth visiting in 2020

1. GORGEOUS GEORGIA

Georgia (the country, not the US state) has been showing up on the wishlists of travellers in the know for a couple of years now. Tbilisi, its capital, is widely touted as “the next Berlin” due to the rapid influx of young, creative-minded types to the city from around the world. It’s also a hotspot for food and wine enthusiasts — wine has been produced here for well over 7 000 years, and the culinary traditions incude seriously delicious lamb-filled dumplings called khinkali. When you go, be sure to book a food tour with Culinary Backstreets and stay at one of the seriously stylish Rooms Hotels, which blend a very contemporary design sensibility with local history and culture.

2. SAFARI SO GOOD

You can finally do a gorilla safari in serious style at Kwitonda, the new eight-suite Singita lodge in Rwanda. (There’s also an adjacent exclusive-use villa, Kataza House, with four en-suite bedrooms.) The lodge is named after a legendary silverback gorilla known for his humility and gentle nature, and features beautifully pared-back architecture by Gapp Architects. And then there are the subtly layered interiors that Geordi De Sousa Costa and the rest of the design team at Cécile & Boyd have put together — all natural textures and a vivid colour palette of lava black, khaki, greige, and orange. Plus, you can, of course, expect the superb food, excellent service, and attention to detail that make Singita experiences so exceptional.

3. SIMPLY MARLY-VOUS

Situated slap-bang in the centre of the Camps Bay action, The Marly boutique hotel and spa has just undergone a five-month-long renovation that included the addition of a brand new floor. It now has 38 suites — each dressed in the hotel’s signature palette of silvers, whites, and grey — and every room boasts beautiful views, whether sea-facing or of the Twelve Apostles and Table Mountain. Plus, with four Kove Collection restaurants downstairs, you’re also spoilt for choice when it comes to cuisine. The real showstopper though, is the Marly’s new rooftop pool, bar, and lounge — guaranteed to become one of the hottest spots in the Mother City.

• From the December edition of Wanted 2019.