Nantes, France
Best for: Creative
endeavours
Why go?: From
April 20th-22nd, all eyes will be on Liverpool when
French street theatre company Royal de Luxe will be bringing their Little Girl
Giant to the city as part of commemorative celebrations for the sinking of
Titanic.
The creative team,
responsible for halting London traffic in 2006 with their mechanical Sultan’s
Elephant, hail from Nantes, and their return to the UK is likely to ignite
interest in this art-friendly French city.
Visit their permanent
workshop Les Machines de I’ile, where you’ll find a carousel of fantastical
creatures, and a smaller replica of their famous elephant. Their new
three-tiered carousel of underwater creatures and sea ships will open this
summer.
In 2012, the city
will celebrate the final year of its Estuaire cultural festival, with more art
installations popping up along the banks of the Loire estuary.
Cape Town, South Africa
Best for: Having it
all
Why go?: This
destination has everything – from beautiful white sandy beaches, azure skies,
stunning landscape, unequalled biodiversity, local culture and trenches of
history.
Africa’s most popular
tourist destination, the city is most famous for its landmark, Table Mountain,
its waterfront and harbour and, of course, Robben Island just 5 miles offshore
and where many political prisoners, most famously Nelson Mandela, were
incarcerated.
To indulge your
tastebuds, visit the suburb of Constantia, where vineyards date back to the
1600s, and where many award-winning restaurants can be found.
Dubai
Best for: Sheer extravagance
Why go?: If you
want wow factor, Dubai has it in bucket loads. Stand open-mouthed before its
awe-inspiring landmarks like the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel, the world’s
tallest building at 2,717ft the Burj Khalifa and the man-made archipelago of
300 islands The World.
It’s a place of
opposites – from mountains to sand dunes, green parks to white beaches, ancient
homes to ultra-modern architecture. And for shopaholics, you’ll barely be able
to contain your excitement.
Savour the scents of
the past in the narrow alleyways of the spice souk, barter yourself a bargain
in the dazzling gold souk, or delve into a myriad of designer shops in the many
malls.
Galapagos
Best for: Going
wild
Why go?: Looked
upon as the crown jewel of the natural world, the islands provided the
foundation for Darwin’s theory of evolution and are as rich and varied with
life under the sea as they are above.
Almost always sunny,
there are 13 major islands and 17 smaller ones making up the Galapagos.
Their most famous
resident is the Galapagos tortoise, which can weigh more than 500lbs with a
shell measuring 59 inches – they are among the largest tortoise on earth and can
live to the ripe old age of 150.
Although the dominant
wildlife on the islands is reptilian, the Galapagos also boast 300 species of
fish, as well as whales, seals, dolphins, star fish rays, sharks,…and many
species of birds exclusive to the islands, most famously the red-pouched Booby.
New Zealand
Best for: Dramatic
landscape
Why go?:
From
rugged coastlines to glaciers, subtropical rainforests to fjords,
mountains to
vineyards there’s a bevy of beauty to ogle on the South Island. While
North Island boasts breathtaking beaches, bubbling hot pools, geysers
and Maori culture.
It may have been one
of the last lands to be settled by humans, but it was the first place to launch
commercial bungy jumping. So if the kayaking and scuba diving on offer don’t
give you enough of an adrenalin rush, you can always take the ultimate
heart-stopping leap of faith.
