Bordeaux, France
Many visitors to France have a hard enough time pulling themselves away from Paris, let alone exploring the far reaches of the country. But it’s worth taking the high-speed TGV train down to the southwest of the country, using Bordeaux as your base. Tour a few of the 9,000 vineyards to the east and find your favorite labels to drink back in town. Head west to the coast and climb the eerie Dune du Pyla before heading into Arcachon for delectable local oysters. Or just take a city break in a place that is beautiful, lively, and full of fantastic bars and restaurants, incuding an influx of wine dining options from notable chefs such as Joël Rubuchon and Gordon Ramsay.
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Visiting the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap is tops on many travelers’ lists. But all the planning in the world won’t prepare you for the intense beauty of the Cambodian country side – and suddenly your half-day tour of the temples is never going to be enough time to really experience the region. That’s why we’re including this timeless favorite in 2016 – to encourage visitors to explore Siem Reap beyond Angkor Wat. From ziplining to countryside bike rides to floating villages, there’s so much more to discover.
Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
In the southwest corner of Bolivia, where it borders Chile in the Atacama desert, is a rugged transport route along the Bolivian altiplano. Now, intrepid travelers are visiting, ready to snap pics of this unusual desert landscape, dotted with lakes of improbable colors (red and green), which are an important breeding ground for several species of flamingoes. Later on in this multi day crossing usually referred to as the Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni salt lake), visitors come to the giant white salt pan, where much of the world’s lithium and other mineral salts are surface-mined. Pyramidal piles of salt dry in the sun, while vehicles drive slowly over the glassy, mirror-like surface of the lake that comes with the southern summer rains. Rustic lodging often includes a stay at a hotel made of salt slabs, and expect llama chops one night for dinner.
Poland
With new air routes into Szczecin, Katowice and Gda?sk, exploring the many delights of Poland just got a whole lot easier in 2016, which also sees the 30th anniversary of the European Capital of Culture award, which has bought cities such as Riga, Rotterdam and Porto to world attention. This year the spotlight turns on Wroc?aw in Poland’s Lower Silesia. This cultured and compact city rose again from the ashes of World War II and sits alongside the River Oder; it is often overlooked in the headlong rush to gorgeous Kraków but is just as enchanting. Wroc?aw has a dreamy ensemble of architecture from medieval to modern, an immaculately restored Market Square, a Gothic cathedral, red-brick churches and tranquil backwaters on Tumski Island. A host of exhibitions, fairs and public concerts are slated to take place across the city in 2016, along with literary events as it also takes on the mantle of UNESCO’s World Book Capital City. And Kraków gets its moment in the limelight this year too, with the arrival of Pope Francis to mark World Youth Day between July 25–31; this has a profound significance for the Poles as their beloved Pope John-Paul II regarded Kraków as his spiritual home. Thousands of young Catholic pilgrims will flock into the historic city to witness Francis celebrating Holy Communion and to parade the World Youth Day Cross and Icon through the streets.
Greenland
Greenland has long been top of the wish list for adventurous travelers and there are few places on earth as compelling – a vast, glacial wilderness, where icebergs loom and polar bears roam. Until recent years, the world’s largest island remained firmly off-the-beaten-track, but as arctic destinations like Iceland and Lapland surge in popularity, many intrepid travelers are now heading even further north. Greenland’s highlights are plentiful, from hiking and whale watching in summer, to dog sledding, glacier climbing and Northern Lights excursions in the winter. Not only that, but with increasing worries about climate change and the melting of Greenland’s ice sheet, there’s no time like the present to explore the UNESCO-listed icefjords. If you need another excuse to visit Greenland this year, the country will also be hosting the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in March, with events including skiing, snowboarding and ice hockey.
Northern Ireland
As a key filming location for HBO’s hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones, Northern Ireland has stepped into the spotlight in recent years, proving that it’s much more than just Ireland’s diminutive neighbor. Season 6 is due to premiere in April 2016, so there’s no better time to take a Game of Thrones tour of Northern Ireland and discover wonders like the UNESCO-listed Giant’s Causeway, the Dark Hedges road and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The capital is full of highlights too, with recently opened tourist attractions including the Crumlin Road Gaol, the Titanic Belfast and the SS Nomadic, and the WWI warship HMS Caroline set to open its deck to visitors in 2016. That’s not all—vibrant Belfast is also renowned for its glittering waterfront, fascinating murals and electric nightlife.
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Not far from Cape Town, South Africa’s Mother City, is the historic town of Stellenbosch. The only older European settlement in the Western Cape is Cape Town itself – Stellenbosch was founded in 1679. Not long after, the first grapes were planted, and the rest (as they say) is history. Stellenbosch is now the epicenter of the verdant Cape Winelands region, the second-oldest wine region in the country and particularly known for South Africa’s signature grape – Pinotage. Oenophiles could spend weeks meandering from wine estate to wine estate and never tire of the mountainous scenery and luscious wines, but as an added bonus the town is also known for fine examples of Cape Dutch architecture and some of South Africa’s best fine dining restaurants.
Mongolia
People use the phrase “Outer Mongolia” to refer to any far-flung destination, and many would have a hard time trying to picture any iconic sights of this country, or name the features of its nomadic culture. But discovering this off-the-beaten-path destination is more accessible to Western travelers now that Ulaanbaatar, its capital city, is getting a new luxury hotel. The five-star Shangri-La, with 290 rooms (that are the largest in town!) and fantastic dining options, has already started taking bookings for its opening in 2016. It’s in a prime location for shopping and sightseeing before setting out to play golf in the BogdKhaan Valley, trek in the Gobi Desert, or ride motorbikes through the Khan Khenty range.
Abu Dhabi
Often bypassed by UK visitors in favor of glitzy, glittering Dubai, Abu Dhabi has been making up for lost time in the tourism stakes and can now look its neighboring emirate straight in the eye. As capital city of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi is employing its staggering wealth to up its ante, with the recent opening of a raft of beach clubs, high-end mega-malls and a sprinkling of world-class theme parks including the awesome – and line free – Ferrari World and its adrenaline-pumping neighbor, Yas Waterworld. Visitors can now enjoy year-round sunshine, gourmet restaurants and swanky hotels, plus the chance to explore the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, surely the most ornate – and certainly the biggest – Muslim place of worship in the world. Rumor has it that 2016 will also finally see the opening of the long-awaited and visionary Louvre and Guggenheim outposts on manmade Saadiyat Island. Designed by Jean Nouvel and Frank Gehry respectively, they will be joining the UAE Pavilion and the galleries and theaters of Manarat Al Saadiyat, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s self-proclaimed intention to become the cultural and heritage destination of the Middle East.
Norway
With Disney officially announcing that a sequel is in the works for 2013 megahit Frozen, Norway’s glittering glaciers and fairytale fjords will soon be enchanting viewers all over again. The movie might not be due until 2018, but there’s no reason to wait that long! Not only is Norway renowned for its dramatic scenery, but it’s a hotspot for winter sports and activities, from snowshoeing and snowmobile rides, to husky sledding and cross-country skiing. Head to the arctic town of Tromso, one of the best places in the world to witness nature’s dazzling lightshow—the Northern Lights. Alternatively, leave the tourist trail behind and embark on a trip to the remote Svalbard archipelago, which lies between Norway and the North Pole. Discovering the wild landscapes is a real adventure and you’ll have the rare opportunity to spot reindeer, arctic fox and the increasingly endangered polar bear in their native home.
Crete, Greece
With the Greek economy on the run and the migrant crisis engulfing much of eastern and southern Europe, many hitherto idyllic Aegean islands such as Lesbos and Kos have seen visitor numbers – needlessly – plummet. Not so Crete, which is recording an upward surge in bookings for 2016. It is far enough from Turkey to remain virtually unaffected by the turmoil that is the present-day tragedy of the Middle East. While endless sunny days and buzzing seaside resorts such as Agios Nikolaos and Chania are part of the Cretan vacation experience, the island also has way more than its fair share of cultural diversions, from the Bronze Age Minoan ruins at Knossos to the classical remains of Aptera. Coupled with a vibrant café-and-bar culture, it is fast becoming the Greek island destination of choice for summer 2016. The capital city of Heraklion is open for business all year around and its bars and restaurants never close; couple that with Crete’s gentle climate and visitors can enjoy perfect winter and spring breaks too.
Azores, Portugal
These nine small Portuguese islands in the middle of the ocean lie between Boston and Lisbon. A history of lucrative whaling has given way to whale watching for tourists, with humpbacks and sperm whales common sightings, especially from Pico, an island named for the perfect peak that dots its center. Other points of interest on the islands include on Faial, where the Capelinhos volcano expanded the landmass from 1957-1958 by pumping lava up to the surface. On many islands there are shoulder-high walls protecting white grapes that are grown for Azorean wine, and the islands are also known for their tea plantations and several types of intensely-flavored cheese. In between there are winding drives up and down the lava flows and past numerous black and white churches, with (at least) one for every community. Now’s a better time than ever to visit the Azores, as prices on inter-island flights have fallen in the last year.