It is not down on any map, wrote Herman Melville in Moby-Dick, “true places never are.” While this sentiment may have held water back in 1851, it’s sadly not the case today – an era in which the most remote, saltwater-blasted outcrop on Earth will find its way onto TripAdvisor (“bijou, but breezy”) or Instagram (#OffTheBeatenTrack) and the locals will start building huts made out of shells to rent out on Airbnb.

Fear not, however, because amazing and stylish travel destinations do still exist. And for every thousand people heading off to Croatia, Cairo or Cancun, there’s a savvy holidaymaker with a plane ticket in his hand who has somewhere a little less obvious in mind. These are the ones to keep under your sun hat for 2019.

Bhutan

Bhutan is less than half the size of Ireland, completely landlocked, and no one heading there tends to do so with anything other than a well-thumbed passport. The historic, sparsely-populated, largely Buddhist terrain tucked between China and India is dotted with Himalayan peaks and, further south, lush areas of jungle – but they’ve cottoned onto the idea that tourism pays, so there’s also a smattering of luxurious accommodations.

Some of the most architecturally-striking are operated by Six Senses hotels, whose five lodges spread across Bhutan are brand new but are already considered design classics. This one requires saving a fair whack, mind. To deter low-cost tourism, visitors are required to spend a minimum amount per day — around £200 during peak months. That all sounds about as Buddhist as sinking a few pints down the local, but totally worth it.

Doha, Qatar

Many a globetrotter has ticked Dubai and Abu Dhabi off their travel bucket list, but the neighbouring country of Qatar also has an ace up its sleeve – the coastal city of Doha. Aside from a phenomenal skyline, it has a vibrant arts scene and, of course, a raft of new stadiums being built for the 2022 World Cup. Rockstar architect I.M. Pei (the man behind the Louvre’s glass pyramid) came out of retirement to create the city’s Museum of Islamic Art – an unashamedly angular building that looks incredible by night and houses some of the region’s most important pieces.