Travel

In June 2014, UNESCO World Heritage put the Selous Game Reserve on the list of World Heritage sites that are most endangered. Why would a reserve ever be considered at risk? Because at more than 19,000 square miles, the area is impossible to seal against poachers. Elephant and rhinoceros populations have plummeted 90 percent—90 percent! —since 1982. A third of Selous' elephants, or 25,000 animals, were killed between 2009 and 2013 alone.

The slaughter has been so unsustainable, it is now predicted that elephants will be close to extinction in Sub-Saharan Africa within 10 years, and by 2018, rhino deaths will surpass rhino births, making extinction a mathematical certainty. This qualifies Selous as the most depressing "get there now" Top Destinations designee we've ever named.

Photo by Murky1/Flickr

"Send him to Belize ". That was the euphemistic advice given to lead character Walter White in the final season of TV’s Breaking Bad by his lawyer Saul, who felt that Walt should bump off his cop brother-in-law. Immediately after the episode aired, the Belize Tourism Board issued an invitation to the cast for all-expense paid vacations.

Since Belize has far more Mayan sites, its a better choice for the traveler who wants to mix culture and history in with their green time. Over the course of a week, you might find yourself scaling ancient Mayan pyramids or swimming into caves once used by the Mayans for ceremonies. In the Actun Tunichil Muknal  cave in the Cayo region, centruies-old pots and the skulls of victims of ritual sacrifices have been calcified to the floor. (So it turns out an ancient Walter White actually did send someone to Belize.) Prime dving and snorkeling spots also give his tiny country a thriving beach culture—the opening image for this year's slideshow was taken in Belize.

For the adventure traveler, there are few countries as satisfying or as suprisingly beautiful as Belize, so visit it before the rest of the world realizes what it's missing.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, U.S.A.

It's no secret that Yellowstone is one of the most awe-inspiring places to visit in the United States. But in 2015 and 2016, vacationing here will be a more comfortable, contemporary experience. That's because the Park's hospitality facilities are undergoing a major overhaul to the tune of $134 million in renovations and new builds. The historic Lake Yellowstone Hotel (designed by Robert Reamer, the man behind the Old Faithful Inn) has been restored to its Colonial Revival grandeur. Meanswhile, ecologically sound, Western-chic lodges are being erected where the dingy, 1960's era Canyon Lodges and cabins used to be. The modular units are being fabricated in Boise and trucked in by summer, so construction noise and disruption should be minimal.

And finally, now there's a new reason to go in winter, too. Revised regulations allow one group per day to snowmobile into the park without hiring a guide, which lowers touring costs dramatically.