The massive mountain resort in Montana that everyone wants to visit in 2026
Plus, why communal bathing trends are just the tip of the iceberg during wellness getaways.
The Big Sky mountain resort town in Montana - an hour's drive from Yellowstone National Park - is a destination to watch next year following a 92 per cent increase in flight and accommodation searches on Expedia globally for travel during 2025, compared to 2024. Expedia Group senior director Darren Karshagen said a "massive transformation" in recent years had turned Big Sky into one of North America's largest ski resorts. Unpack '26, a report from Expedia, Wotif and Stayz, shows Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy and Phu Quoc in Vietnam were also on the hot list of destinations for 2026.
Dipping into wellbeing
Australians are choosing to stay local for their wellness getaways, but when they do travel abroad, New Zealand, Bali, Japan and the South Pacific are top of their list. Global Wellness Institute's (GWI) 2025 Wellness Survey of 1000 people (including 700 Australians) ranked Australia the No. 1 wellness destination. Chair of GWI's Wellness Tourism Initiative Katherine Droga said social bathing is "flourishing", from magnesium pools like Sydney's Billabong Retreat to natural mineral pools such as Yarrangobilly Caves Thermal Pool in NSW. Bathhouses and ice baths are also trending during wellness getaways in 2025.
A quiet achievement
Silky Oaks Lodge, a peaceful resort on the Mossman River in Queensland's Daintree, has been named Conde Nast Traveller's Best Hotel in Australasia for 2025. Capella Sydney placed second and The Langham, Melbourne placed third, followed by The Ritz-Carlton in Melbourne, The Tasman in Hobart and The Fullerton Hotel Sydney. The list was part of the publication's annual Readers' Choice Awards, which had 500,000 votes cast from across the UK.
Brisbane's food scene is exploding with new venues this summer, from Italian street-food flavours at Fellini's Trattoria - the newest addition to the Howard Smith Wharves precinct - to omakase-style Korean from Michelin chef Andy Choi at SUUM in the city. Or try Aussie wines and share plates at Clarence, or modern twists on nostalgic flavours like prawn cocktail tartlet at Marlowe, both in the Fish Lane arts precinct.
Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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