10 amazing luxury travel experiences for 2016 | CNN

Kyushu, Japan —

Kyushu, the southwesternmost of Japan's main islands, is where you'll find Kawachi Fuji Garden in Fukuoka. Artisans of Leisure is offering a new tour in 2016 that takes in the island's highlights, including Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Yufuin and Beppu.

K. Fukunaga/JNTO

Kenya —

Abercrombie & Kent's new 10-day "Out of Africa" trip to Kenya will take visitors to the very spot where Meryl Streep and Robert Redford sat for their iconic movie picnic in the Masai Mara nature reserve, as well as Tsavo and Lewa Downs.

11AKE0603105/Unknown / Abercrombie & Kent Pic

U.S. National Parks —

The United States National Park Service turns 100 in 2016 and is gearing up for an action-packed year of celebrations across its 59 National Parks. Luxury travel specialist Vantage Deluxe is celebrating the anniversary with a special tour that stops at Yellowstone, Grand Teton, the Grand Canyon (pictured), Bryce and Zion.

Shailendra Pradhan/CNN iReport

Republic of Georgia —

Though we're pretty sure you won't stumble onto a scene like this, chances are you'll have an amazing time discovering Georgia's stunning mountains, the nearby Kakheti wine region and surrounding Caucasus Mountains while on Ker & Downey's 8-day Georgian Panorama tour.

Central Asia —

Cox & Kings' new 2016 Central Asia tour follows the path of the great caravans to the ancient Silk Road towns of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand as part of its 12-day Highlights of Central Asia tour, which goes from Ashkabad, Turkmenistan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan (pictured).

Arctic —

Abercrombie & Kent is offering a 2016 15-night expedition cruise that will sail from Norway's Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to the remote settlements of eastern Greenland before finishing up with the spectacular geological wonders of Iceland's northern coast.

Richard Harker/Richard Harker - tunetester@gmail.com

Cuba —

Cuba's just as hot as ever, with luxury specialists reporting massive jumps in bookings over the last year. Luxury tour operator Western & Oriental will offer an 11-day Cuba fly-drive holiday that includes stops in World Heritage cities and beaches in 2016.

Western & Oriental

Peru —

An increasing number of travelers are seeking out Peru to discover not only its historic treasures, but also its modern cuisine. No visit to Lima is complete without a meal at Central, which recently topped the S.Pellegrino Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants list for the second year running.

Central

Malaysian Borneo —

A new tour from Ker & Downey eliminates the need to bump along Sabah's rutted roads by enlisting the aid of a helicopter to whisk you up and drop you down into some of this tropical isle's most remote corners. The eight-day journey includes stops at Danum Valley and the Kinabatangan River as well as visits with Borneo's remote Dayak tribes.

Colombia —

Travel company Butterfield & Robinson has capitalized on increasing interest in Colombia with an action-packed tour in 2016 that will see travelers bike through Bogota, hike through cloud forests and coffee plantations and kayak in the clear waters off the Caribbean coast near Cartagena.

10 amazing new luxury tours coming in 2016

CNN —

Looking to book an epic once-in-a-lifetime travel experience in 2016? The world’s top luxury travel specialists share the destinations they’re most excited about and how to explore them in style.

1. Hot springs, Kyushu, Japan

The dollar hit a 12-year high against the yen in 2015, piquing the interest of many savvy travelers who saw an opportunity to get more bang for their buck in Japan.

“Travel to Japan is more popular than ever, and many of our travelers are returning to seek out new regions where they can experience Japan’s incredible food, culture, scenic beauty and high level of service,” said Ashley Isaacs Ganz, founder & CEO of Artisans of Leisure.

The U.S.-based luxury travel outfit is adding a new tour in 2016 that takes in the wonders of Kyushu, the southwesternmost of Japan’s main islands.

“Kyushu offers Japanese favorites such as very luxurious ryokan (traditional inns), onsen (hot springs) resorts and UNESCO World Heritage sites, but also unique attractions such as revered ceramics towns, active volcanoes and Nagasaki, which has a beautiful setting and fascinating cultural history as the only international port operating for the 400 years that Japan was closed in the Edo period,” Ganz explained.

Artisans of Leisure’s 8-day Highlights of Kyushu trip stops in Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Yufuin and Beppu, and departs daily in 2016 on a private basis for $11,535 per person (based on double occupancy).

2. Modern-day Silk Road, Central Asia

Cox & Kings' Central Asia tour will include stops in Ubzekistan.

David Kerkhoff

In recent years UNESCO has invested heavily in turning the former Silk Road into a modern-day tourist trail in an effort to inspire the nations with which it crosses to preserve their cultural inheritance.

The first “transnational heritage corridor” through China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan joined the World Heritage List in 2014, and next up is the segment linking Uzbekistan with Turkmenistan.

Cox & Kings will offer a sneak peak at what’s to come with a tour in 2016 following the path of the great caravans to the ancient Silk Road towns of Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.

“To reach these places sooner rather than later lets you discover a culture still linked to its past,” said Scott Wiseman, president of Cox & Kings – The Americas.

Prices for Cox & Kings’ 12-day Highlights of Central Asia tour from Ashkabad to Tashkent start at $7,725 per person.<