National Geographic Traveller's Cool List Of Destinations For 2016

We’ve scoured the planet for this year’s must-see destinations and come up with an eclectic list of top spots for culture, cuisine, festive celebrations, pristine coastline... and places to go

By National Geographic Traveller (UK). 

Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica. Image: AWL Images

01 Iran

New tours, a reopened UK embassy in Tehran and sanctions relief mean bright prospects for tourism to Iran. The country’s future as a tourist destination seemed bleak several years ago but since an accord was signed last July to curb Iran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief, this desert flower looks set to blossom.

02 Costa Rica

You wait years for one direct flight to Costa Rica, and then two come along at once. Thomson started flying from Gatwick to Liberia in November and British Airways is hot on its heels, with twice-weekly flights from Gatwick to San José launching on 27 April. Rainforests, nature trails, belching volcanoes and deserted beaches mean UK visitor numbers have increased by 12% year on year.

Capitol Building, Washington DC. Image: 4Corners

03 Washington DC

Even when Trump, Clinton, Bush and company are slugging it out in the swing states, the political machine will continue to whir in Washington. It only takes a walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to get a taste for the constant scheming, lobbying and pressuring that make the political heart of the US tick. The White House is glimpsed through iron gates, but the United States Capitol is surprisingly open to visitors.

04 Ireland

In 2014, Ireland spread its wings with the Wild Atlantic Way — a 1,550-mile trail touted as the world’s longest defined coastal touring route. Now it’s going back to its roots with an entire touring region: Ireland’s Ancient East. Think of it as heritage meets the here-and-now. Ireland may not do reliable weather, but it does have history, landscape and a population that knows about the art of conversation.

05 Cuba

The thaw in US-Cuban relations has been a game-changer for the Caribbean’s largest island. Cuba has been off-limits to US tourism for decades, and the resumption of diplomatic ties has sent that pent-up demand simmering. JetBlue is already flying direct from New York, and Carnival is launching cruises from May 2016.

Yaks, Lobuche, Everest Region, Nepal. Image: Getty

06 Nepal

Tourist numbers to Nepal plummeted by 85% after the devastating earthquakes, but the country is once more open for business and safe to visit, with a new government-backed website providing official updates on affected areas. This is a nation that has long relied heavily on tourism, with many visitors lured by the chance to combine voluntourism with an adventure holiday in a stunning landscape.

07 Shanghai

Fancy a trip to see Disney’s largest ever theme park castle? What about checking into a Toy Story-themed hotel? The $5.5bn (£3.6bn) Shanghai Disney Resort opens this spring with a (possibly rather rash) promise from Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger to be ‘both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese’. It’s just the latest attraction in a city that’s become an endless source of fascination to visitors.

Muani fishermen, Pangane, Mozambique. Image: Corbis

08 Mozambique

Outside the main travel ‘circuit’, this is truly undiscovered Africa. What’s more, it’s set to stay that way, thanks to the government’s sustainable tourism plan. Since the Foreign Office lifted its travel warning for Sofala Province earlier this year, it’s been going from strength to strength. There’s much to see, from spectacular coral reefs to the white sand beaches of Tofo.

09 St Vincent and The Grenadines

This part of the Eastern Caribbean doesn’t want for palm trees and pristine beaches — but one thing it can disappoint visitors with is flight access. This year, however, could see the sun-speckled archipelago atone with the arrival of the $240m (£158m) Argyle International Airport. At present, making the journey is something of a schlep, but with the capacity for big jets it looks set to attract direct flights from Europe and the Americas.

10 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Two decades on from the end of the Bosnian War, and after tough economic and political times, the underdog of the Balkans is starting to shine again. At the fabled crossroads of East and West, Sarajevo is a sparkling city break destination with relatively few tourists, thanks to a lack of direct flights. With new hotels opening, this looks set to change.

Vicars’ Close, Wells, Somerset. Image: Getty

11 Somerset

Somerset has seen a spate of recent openings, from boutique B&Bs such as Durslade Farmhouse to self-catering accommodation like Bath Mill Lodge Retreat, which reopened as a Hoseasons resort last summer. Its most famous town, Bath, is becoming hip again — the Gainsborough Bath Spa, a Grade II-listed building, combines a stellar hotel with spa facilities dating back to Roman times.

12 Rio de Janeiro

South America’s first Olympic Games meets one of the world’s top party cities — the 2016 Games is shaping up to be an unmissable global event. Around 10,000 athletes will descend on Rio from 5-21 August, with the Paralympics following from 7-18 September. The action will take place across the city and some of Rio’s most iconic sights will be recalibrated as Olympic venues.

Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro. Image: 4Corners

13 Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s largest city and cultural capital is in the middle of a wave of regeneration — and it’s seeking a reputation as a city of sports. In 2011, Almaty hosted the Asian Winter Games. 2017 sees it as host city for the Winter Universiade, with £626m being poured into development. Kazakhstan is also enticing UK tourists with a visa waiver programme that’s set to last until the end of 2017.

14 Argentina

Argentina will have been independent for 200 years as of 9 July. Celebrations will centre on San Miguel de Tucumán, in the northeast, where the key documents were signed, and Buenos Aires — especially Avenida 9 de Julio. Join the revellers in traditional costume and follow the parades down the Avenida de Mayo towards the Casa Rosada.

Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Image: 4Corners

15 San Sebastian

As European Capital of Culture 2016, San Sebastián is hosting an eclectic programme of events, ranging from film and puppetry festivals to an outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, preceded by a banquet in the city’s largest park. There’s also an Anti-War Festival on the roster and, intriguingly, the launch of the San Juan — a recreation of a shipwrecked 16th-century Spanish whaler.

16 The Great Barrier Reef

The nature TV demigod David Attenborough first visited Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in 1957. He recently returned to spend a year shooting on the 1,600-mile reef, using special lenses and filming techniques to bring the tiny interplays of this vast, complex ecosystem to life. The results will be seen in David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef, a three-part series of hour-long films airing in early 2016.

Read the complete 2016 Cool List in the Jan/Feb 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)

Five 'Bucket List' Destinations You Should Know More About

Whether it is the notion that Brits only drink tea or that all Argentineans dance tango, cultural stereotypes can overshadow a country’s true nuances.

For a more authentic take on the world, we turned to question-and-answer site Quora.com to ask locals: “What do you think every foreigner should know about your country?”Whether to correct assumptions or share a bit of homeland pride, more than 600 users chimed in on behalf of their countries.

While it was hard to narrow the responses down, we wanted to highlight some of the residents who vouched for countries that might not be on traveller’s bucket lists – but, according to the people that live there, should be.

ZambiaThough his family comes from India, Praneet Vizzapu was born and lived most of his life in Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa. First, he wanted people to know the Zambia is safe (“no, you won’t get hacked to death walking on the road”) but above all, he encouraged visitors to get to know the country’s spectacular sites.

He shared an image of the native Termitomyces titanicusmushroom, believed to be the largest edible mushroom in the world. The fungus can reach almost a metre in diameter, and grows wild at the start of Zambia’s rainy season, which lasts from December to March. Foragers can trek the Mutinondo Wilderness, in the northern part of the country, for a chance to find the fungi.

The native Termitomyces titanicus mushroom can reach almost a metre in diameter. (Herman du Plessis/Getty)

While Zambia might be most famous for its Victoria Falls – "also known as Mosi-O-tunya, which translates to ‘Smoke that Thunders’” – Vizzapu suggested travellers expand their horizons to the northeast. “South Luangwa National Park is one of Africa’s best destinations,” he said. “The concentration of wildlife that lives around the Luangwa River is one of the highest in Africa.”

• Related slideshow: Life in Zambia’s lush Luangwa Valley

An elephant crosses Zambia's Luangwa River. (Thomas Retterath/Getty)

MongoliaAmgalan Ganbat was quick to squash the stereotypes that come with Mongolia’s long history as a warrior nation founded by Genghis Khan. “We are not violent warriors anymore, like those guys who made the Chinese build the Great Wall,” he said. “Actually, Mongolians can be one of the most friendly and peaceful people.” 

Even still, Ganbat said visitors can catch a glimpse of the country’s ancient bow and arrow practices at Naadam, the country’s largest festival. Held annually in the capital city Ulaanbaatar in July, the festival showcases horse racing, archery and wresting.

• Related slideshow: Mongolia’s manly games

Traditional attire and a contortionist help celebrate Naadam. (Bruno Morandi/Getty)

The population remains connected to its traditional roots, with 10 to 15% of residents maintaining a traditional nomadic lifestyle. Even so, locals do not sacrifice modern conveniences. “Mongolians hate to be disconnected from the world,” Ganbat said. “For this reason, the internet connection speed is one of the fastest [in the world]” and those that live in the countryside still have cell phones, satellite TV and even solar panels.

GuyanaDhanishry Narine reminded readers that her country was in South America, not in Africa as many think, perhaps due in part to Guyana's yellow, red, green and black flag, or its name’s similarity to Africa’s Guinea Bissau.

• Related article: Guyana’s path to paradise

Located in the northern part of the continent, Guyana is “more culturally Caribbean than South American”, having been colonized by several nations, including England, France, Spain and the Netherlands. “We’re working on feeling more South American," Narine said. “By having roads that connect to Venezuela, Suriname, and Brazil, this will change our culture again.”

The Guyanese cuisine reflects its history of so many ethnic groups. “[We have] Indian roti and curries, African meterngie (a soup with ground provisions and dumplings), European bread pudding and cheese rolls, and Chinese lowmein and chowmein,” Narine said.

A woman dries out arapaima, a South American tropical freshwater fish, in Rupununi, Guyana. (Danita Delimont/Getty)

Lucky for visitors, the Guyanese are also a food-sharing people. “If you’re ever over at one of our houses, we’ll probably have to fight the urge to feed you, and to insist that you take leftovers for your family as well.”

KazakhstanThanks to the Sasha Baron Cohen film Borat, Kazakhstan residents felt like they needed to change a few of the misperceptions the film created.

“Kazakhstan actually exists and was not made up by Borat, and it is huge,” said Berik Dossayev. As proof, Dossayev shared photos of his modern city Almaty (the country’s largest city and bidder for the 2022 Olympics), fields of poppies, and rolling meadows and lakes with towering mountains in the distance.

• Related video: Kazakhstan’s 21st-century capital

Independence Day in Almaty, Kazakhstan. (Christopher Herwig/LPI/Getty)

BurmaThis southeastern Asian country, also known as Myanmar, has seen its fair share of turmoil and government corruption, said Quora user Ei Wai. “The current government has improved, but they still can’t overcome many problems from the past,” she said.

Still, Wai said she is hopeful that leaders like Daw Aung Sann Suu Kyi, a parliament politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner, can change the current situation. She also hopes the country’s history does not deter people from enjoying the hospitable culture and stunning historical sites. 

• Related slideshow: Burma’s river of spirits

“Every part of our country has beautiful places,” she said. “I hope you will enjoy your holiday there.”

Her must-see list included Bagan, “an ancient and historic city”; the Shwedagon Pagoda, “famous for the over 40 tons of gold that people donated to the pagoda”; and Kyaik Htee Yo Pagada (or Golden Rock), a rock that “seems to defy gravity, as it perpetually appears to be on the verge of rolling down the hill”.

A Buddhist monk walks around Rangoon's Shwedagon Pagoda. (Marjorie Lang/Getty)

• By Lindsey Galloway, www.bbc.com

Travelore Tips: Where To Go In August

Travelling in August brings new meaning to the idea of joining the herd: one of the natural world's greatest dramas unfolds in Africa at this time of year, as huge numbers of wildebeest and zebra undertake a life-or-death journey from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara. With visitor numbers to Kenya down, it's a great time to see the show. For a quieter natural landscape, the steppe of Kazakhstan is carpeted in green, which makes this a perfect time to explore the country's mountains and canyons.

A spectacle of another kind awaits in Singapore, where a hat-trick of festivals and events ensures a lively month for visitors. Ditto Ljubljana, the tongue-twisting capital of Slovenia, which is primed to celebrate its Roman roots. Spanish cities, meanwhile, become ghost towns as the heat of summer sends the populace to the coast. Follow the exodus for chilled out days, serious siestas, and sandy beaches. The beaches are busy in Maine, too, as the state's famous lobster festival gets underway.

Work up an appetite for adventure in August with Lonely Planet's destination experts.

Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya

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Wildebeest crossing the Mara River. Image by Christopher Michel / CC BY 2.0

August is the prime time to witness what is arguably the most impressive wildlife spectacle on earth – the Great Migration. It’s at this point in the yearly cycle when the mass movement of more than a million wildebeest and zebra reaches its apex, with herds congregating in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve after their long journey through the Serengeti in northern Tanzania.

Those that survive the crossings of the crocodile-infested Mara and Talek rivers replenish their reserves for their eventual passage south by feeding on the savannah’s long grasses. The abundance of these animals also ensures it is feeding time for the reserve’s ultra-predators: lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. It is an incredibly dramatic time to be in the reserve.

Although safely located hundreds of miles away from the isolated areas where the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advisories are in place, visitor numbers are down in the reserve, which makes this year an ideal time to take in this astounding natural phenomenon.

Matt Phillips - Destination Editor for sub-Saharan Africa. Follow his tweets @Go2MattPhillips.

Spain’s Costa de la Luz

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Kitesurfers riding the wind in Tarifa, Costa de la Luz. Image by Jürgen Glüe / CC BY-SA 2.0

The Spanish know how to deal with heat, rising early, avoiding the mid-afternoon sun and then partying in the cooler night. In August the cities are just too hot for locals, so most urbanites decamp to the coast. Join the Sevillanos on the Costa de la Luz, the relatively undeveloped coastline that curves round the southern base of Andalucía. Here even the Spanish slow down, with long three-hour lunches in chiringuitos (beach bars) serving seafood straight from the sea and evening meals that start at 11pm and go on into the early hours.

Characterised by long beaches of golden sand, the coast is known for its cooling wind, which draws kitesurfers from around the world. Tarifa is the place to go for an action-packed weekend of kite and windsurfing. The stretch of coast around the small town of Zahara de los Atunes has apartments to rent for a beach break, plus some great eating options.

The pretty hilltop village of Vejer de la Frontera is well worth a diversion from the coast, and should you crave something slightly more ‘city’, the museums and bars of Cádiz are within easy reach.

Jo Cooke – Destination Editor for Iberian Europe and Turkey. Follow her on Twitter @JoannaCooke1.

Singapore

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Fireworks lighting up the night sky of Singapore. Image by Fisher Chia / CC BY 2.0

Singapore loves to celebrate and August provides the perfect opportunity to get a well-rounded taste of the city-state’s rich cultural heritage while joining the party over a single long weekend.

Coinciding with the end of Ramadan, the month begins on a festive note leading up to the main event on 9 August – Singapore’s National Day – a public holiday typically celebrated in a patriotic flurry of military parades, extravagant civilian processions, air force fly-bys and fireworks displays. If you miss out on tickets (eballot.ndp.org.sg) to the main ceremony on Friday, head down to the newly opened Marina Barrage with a picnic basket for a great view of the pyrotechnics across the bay.

The festivities don’t end there, with Hungry Ghost Day – during which Singapore’s Chinese community appease the souls of the dead with offerings and street performances – observed the very next day. The Hungry Ghost Festival technically runs for a month, however, so there’s plenty of time to check out the colourful altars around Chinatown.

Following a day of rest on Sunday, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (sifa.sg) rolls out its six-week program of artistic offerings – from disabled theatre to performance art – on Monday 12 August.

Sarah Reid - Destination Editor for Southeast Asia. Follow her tweets @sarahtrvls.

Roman history in Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Slovenians celebrating their Roman roots in Ljubljana. Image courtesy of Visit Ljubljana

This August Slovenia’s pretty capital Ljubljana is celebrating the 2000th anniversary of its foundation (as the Roman settlement of Emona) with gusto. The main event is ‘Ave, Emona’ from 22-24 August, when the lovely green Kongresni trg square will be sent back in time to the Roman era, with costumed performers representing soldiers, gladiators and citizens. Visitors will be able get a first-hand taste of the Roman city by watching gladiator battles, military parades, craft demonstrations and Roman dancing, as well as try some Roman food and drink bought at the marketplace.

For those who want to delve deeper into the history of Ljubljana, costumed guides will lead tours of the Roman parts of the city, including the city walls and three archaeological parks, and there's a new 'Time Machine' tour at Ljubljana Castle, where visitors meet performers in costume from six significant periods in the city’s history. There are also special exhibitions about the Roman city at the City Museum and the National Museum of Slovenia. Visit the Slovenian Tourist Board website (slovenia.info) for more details.

Anna Tyler - Destination Editor for Southern Europe. Follow her tweets @go_AnnaT.

Coastal Maine, USA

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An aerial view of Maine's stunning Arcadia National Park. Image by Jeff Gunn / CC BY 2.0

The sea is never far away in Maine and those looking for classic salt-tanged summer fun will be rewarded with mile after mile of sandy beaches, lively waterfront towns, and enough lobster shacks and lighthouses to keep the grumpiest of sea cap'ns happy. Crucially, the variety and scale of the coast here means you’ll always find breathing space amid the August crowds.

The Maine Lobster Festival (30 July-3 August) in Rockland sees 20,000 lbs of the state’s famous red crustacean steamed, cracked and served up to bib-wearing festival-goers. The event culminates in a wacky crate race when participants sprint across lobster crates that are tied together and floating in the water.

Beyond the beach, Portland offers hip galleries and upscale restaurants to rival Boston and from Bar Harbor nature lovers can take a whale watching trip before plunging into the glories of Acadia National Park with its towering sea cliffs and undulating mountain paths.

Dora Whitaker - Destination Editor for Eastern USA. Follow her tweets @dorawhit.

Kazakhstan

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Charyn - the 'Grand Canyon's little brother' in Kazakhstan. Image by Mr Hicks46 / CC BY 2.0

High and dry Kazakhstan is at its best in summer, when the sun is overhead and temperatures approach 30C. In August, grass on the steppe is at its most verdant, and the country's mountains, such as the Altai, are at their most hospitable and visually stunning for trekkers. Campers will find they can pitch a tent just about anywhere they like, and natural monuments like Charyn Canyon - sometimes called the 'Grand Canyon's little brother' - are in peak condition for hiking.

Meanwhile, cafes burst on to pavements in the leafy ancient capital of Almaty, where the long evenings are perfect for sipping coffee or a refreshing locally produced dessert wine.

In the north, the new capital city Astana has finally thawed from its long winter, its shiny futuristic skyline gleaming in the August sunshine. Or those with a penchant for truly off-the-beaten-path beaches might want to lay their towels alongside the turquoise waters of the Caspian Sea in the far west outpost of Aktau.

Megan Eaves - Destination Editor for North Asia. Follow her tweets @megoizzy.

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