Top Places to Travel: ISRAEL . . . If there’s a destination that’s regarded as hot this year, consider Israel scorching. There is a reason why so many diverse groups consider it their homeland. Even if you take away the fact that it’s the birthplace of Western religion, and all of the politics and economics in the region, you still have a place where the wine flows, the nightlife extends to the wee hours of the morning, and the culinary scene is tough to beat.