Gazing out over Dubai’s skyline, an eclectic array of megalithic skyscrapers jutting through the clouds, it’s so hard to imagine that this mega-city began as a sleepy fishing village. One of seven emi

This week’s dream: the dazzling coral gardens of ...

Even by the standards of an emirate that shows all the constructional restraint of a toddler with a trunk of Lego, Dubai is in turbocharge mode. Eminent hotel groups are flooding in as superhotels spring up on man-made islands. Yet for all Dubai’s veneration of the new, decades of innovation have left a legacy of eye-catching and, in some cases, surprisingly affordable sanctuaries in which to bed down, whether you’re based in Burj Khalifa-dominated Downtown, the buzzing Marina or amid the sugary sands of Jumeirah Beach and the Palm. Throughout it all, the hospitality ecosystem seems to hum with a customer-is-king efficiency.

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Milestone anniversaries, a total eclipse, new hiking trails and major cultural projects are just some of the reasons to travel next year. National Geographic’s global community of explorers, photographers and editors have handpicked this year’s list of 25 destinations to inspire your next adventure — covering everything from sports travel to seminal road trips

THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND OF PUERTO RICO IS A PLACE OF BOUNTY — WITH SEAS THAT GLOW IN THE DARK, BEACHES THAT HIDE PIRATE LOOT AND SACRED MOUNTAINS THAT BURST WITH FLORA