Everyone’s talking about Cuba, Brazil (host of the Summer Olympics) and
Rome (for the Pope’s Jubilee Year of Mercy), but there are plenty of
places around the world that the masses haven’t discovered yet. Here’s
Fox News roundup of the best off-the-radar destinations for 2016.
1. Sri Lanka: This tropical island in the Indian Ocean, The Sunday
Times’ Destination of the Year in 2015, offers sweeping landscapes of
lush green countryside, towering waterfalls and golden sand beaches. Sri
Lanka has several national parks and eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites,
including the Temple of the Tooth, which is said to hold Buddha’s
tooth. It’s also known for its tea plantations. Many tour companies are
offering trips to Sri Lanka this year. “We want to get there before
everyone else discovers it and it changes,” says Susan Eckert, president
and founder of AdventureWomen, whose women-only getaway explores many
of the island’s natural and historical sites. Audley Travel’s Rural Sri
Lanka trip takes travelers further off the beaten path, while Explore
Worldwide has an Active Sri Lanka adventure that includes cycling and
white-water rafting.
2. Colombia : Voted a top-5 emerging destination for 2016 by members of
the United States Tour Operators Association, Columbia “remains off the
radar for most American tourists and is one of the most pleasant and
surprising travel destinations in the world,” says Greg Geronemus,
co-CEO of smarTours. “The country has experienced a tremendous
turnaround from a turbulent past to a spectacular, up-and-coming
destination, and people who go absolutely love the experience.”
Highlights included the romantic walled city of Cartagena, the coffee
triangle and Boyacá, with its brightly-colored colonial architecture and
beautiful churches. Geronemus recommends visiting the Rosario Islands
for hiking, biking, SCUBA diving and snorkeling. There are plenty of
diving opportunities: Colombia is the only South American country with
coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Backroads’ 7-day
Colombia Walking & Hiking Tour hits many of the key spots, as does
smarTours’ 11-day Discover Colombia adventure.
3 Hokkaido, Japan: Japan’s northernmost island, a winter wonderland
that averages 59 feet of snow a year, could soon become a skier’s mecca.
Hokkaido also has a growing culinary scene, featuring artisanal ramen,
locally produced sake and world-class sushi. The Kiroro, Tribute
Portfolio’s first hotel in Japan, opened recently with a ski school, a
snow park for children and snowshoe and snow cat tours. YTL Hotels’
Niseko Village, at the foot of Mount Niseko Annupuri, is known for its
elegant architecture, wooden lattice façades, sliding screens and
lantern-lit walkways.
4. Arosa, Switzerland : This area in the Swiss Alps, a health resort
known for its clean air since 1877, is another ski destination that is
starting to take off. Located at the bottom of a wide valley, the area
boasts lots of sunshine with protection from strong winds. In 2013,
Arosa linked with another ski area, Lenzerheide, to create one of
Switzerland’s 10 largest skiing locales. Arosa is also growing as a
foodie destination; the Tschuggen Grand Hotel houses a variety of
upscale and casual dining options for skiers and visitors.
A dining
village under construction will have two insulated igloos, each of which
will seat 10 diners on benches warmed by furs.
5. Greenland: It’s one of the “wildest places on the planet,” says
Barbara Banks, director of marketing and new trip development for
Wilderness Travel, which she says has already doubled its departures for
its new 9-day Expedition to Greenland. While 80 percent of the country
is covered with ice, there are plenty of wonderful things to see,
including thousand-year-old Viking ruins, the Northern Lights and
whales. Visitors can even hike the ice cap. Nuuk, Greenland’s charming
and colorful capital city, offers plenty of activities, from shopping
and dining to the Nuuk Art Museum and the Old Harbor. You can even catch
the sun in full view for one perpetual day every summer in this land of
the midnight sun.
6. Cleveland, Ohio: It’s unlikely you’ll have to worry about sold-out
hotels in Cleveland, but this city along the shore of Lake Erie is on
the upswing. With the Republican National Convention in town this
summer, Cleveland has been undergoing an upgrade, including the addition
of two hotels set to open this year: the Hilton Cleveland Downtown,
which connects to the Cleveland Convention Center, and The Kimpton
Schofield Hotel, a boutique property housed in a historic building that
features quirky in-room marquees for leaving messages. With an
up-and-coming culinary scene, the largest performing arts center in the
country outside of New York City, one of the top-five orchestras in the
U.S., the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and its position along Lake Erie,
Cleveland is worth a look.
7. Suzhou, China: Think Venice in China. About 60 miles west of
Shanghai, this picturesque, 2,500-year-old city is known for its
graceful stone bridges, canals, flowing water and architecture. Nine of
its Classical Gardens are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and there are
more than 400 attractions, ranging from pagodas and temples to
historical districts and the largest Ferris wheel in Asia. Choose from
many popular and emerging hotels, including Hotel Nikko, Elements Suzhou
and Hyatt Regency Suzhou. Le Méridien, W and Fairmont all have
properties in the works.
8. Republic of Georgia: This former Soviet republic sits at the
crossroads of Europe and Asia, along the Black Sea between Russia and
Turkey. Georgia has four UNESCO World Heritage sites and offers
geographic diversity, from popular beach areas like Batumi to the
mountain region of Svaneti. “Georgia has a little bit of everything that
is so vital for travelers, especially those seeking unique experiences:
amazing, mind-blowing food, great wine traditions, history, beautiful
mountain landscape and some of the friendliest, most spirited people in
the world,” says Irina Vishnevskaya, founder of allé travels. Le
Méridien will open a hotel in 2018 in the Batumi Tower, the city’s
tallest building, a mixed-use development project with apartments, a
casino and even a carousel on the 27th floor. Other hotel brands in the
country include Marriott, Sheraton and Radisson Blu.
9. Montenegro: Bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia,
Kosovo and Albania, with a shoreline along the Adriatic Sea, the Balkan
country of Montenegro has all the historic charm of a European country,
but none of the hustle and bustle. Kotor, named Lonely Planet’s No. 1
city to visit in 2016, dates to the 12th century and is filled with
cafés and plazas.
“I like to say that Kotor feels like a quickly
unravelling secret,” says Katie Matthew, publisher of Travel Between the
Lines travel coloring book. “The cruise ships are starting to arrive,
but for now it's still possible to get lost in the marbled alleys and
explore the city's centuries-old fortifications without fighting through
massive crowds.” The country offers scenic vistas of mountains, canyons
and Lake Skadar, one of the largest in Europe. Sarah Pavlovic of
Montenegro Pulse recommends Sveti Stefan, an exclusive hotel made up of
15th century stone buildings and located on its own island. For a more
guided visit to the area, Intrepid Travel offers a trip for foodies
focused on regional cuisine, including boza the traditional fermented
drink, pastries and homemade rakija, or fruit brandy.
10. Nicaragua: Situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea
and bordering Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south,
Nicaragua is home to beautiful beaches and tropical landscapes.
“Nicaragua has the same geography of volcanoes, lakes, coastline, rain-
and cloud-forests, however, with a fraction of the number of tourists
compared to its southern neighbor,” says David Capaldi founder of
Discover Latin America. Granada, Nicaragua’s oldest city, is known for
its colorful colonial architecture and is popular with tourists. Just
off the coast of Granada is Isla Zapatera, a volcanic island filled with
ancient tribal petroglyphs. Several properties have opened in the
country in the last few years, including the Inn at Rancho Santana,
located along two miles of shoreline and featuring an art gallery and
farm-to-table restaurant. The inn offers outdoor activities like
mountain biking, surfing, hiking, kayaking and horseback riding. Mukul
Beach, Golf & Spa Resort, which opened in 2013, is located in the
upscale area of Guacalito de la Isla, along the Emerald Coast. The first
luxury beach resort in the country, its accommodations include an ocean
view, a pool and a personal butler.-Asfar
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