10 Places to See & Be Seen in the world..
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10 Places to See & Be Seen
If you are starting to think about what to do with your precious holiday time, here are a few suggestions to get you started. From exotic lands to island escapes, Flight Centre’s travel consultants have surveyed their customers and studied travel trends to come up with a list of 10 destinations to be - and to be seen at.
Bhutan
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Bhutan, nestling in the heart of the great Himalayas, has for centuries remained aloof from the rest of the world. Since its doors were cautiously opened in 1974, visitors have been mesmerised: the environment is pristine, the scenery and architecture awesome and the people hospitable and charming.
Bulgaria
Travellers are looking beyond Croatia and discovering Bulgaria. The country has changed swiftly over the past decade, though in the villages you can still find folk who ride donkeys to work, eat homegrown potatoes and make their own cheese. The difference now is that they wash it all down in front of a satellite TV.
China
The world's spotlight is firmly pointed at China with its strong economical position and the up-coming Olympics in 2008. For the visitor it's important to remember that China isn't a country - it's a different world. From shop-till-you-drop metropolises to the desert landscapes of Xinjiang, China is a land of cultural and geographic schisms.
Unless you have a couple of years and unlimited patience, it's best to follow a loose itinerary here, such as following the Silk Road, sailing down the Yangtze River, or exploring the Dr Seuss landscape of Guangxi Province.
Costa Rica
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Image © KENT GILBERT/AP/EMPICS |
Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbours and an ecotourism haven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact. It's also mostly coastline, which means great surfing, beaches galore and a climate built for laziness.
Costa Rica's enlightened approach to conservation has ensured that lush jungles are home to playful monkeys, languid sloths, crocodiles, countless lizards, poison-dart frogs and a mind-boggling assortment of exotic birds, insects and butterflies.
Meanwhile, endangered sea turtles nest on both coasts and cloud forests protect elusive birds and jungle cats.
France
Rugby fans will be kicking around France in their thousands when the country hosts the Rugby World Cup in its 20th year. The country that wrote the book on and gave the world champagne and Camembert, de Beauvoir and Debussy, the Tour de France and the Eiffel Tower will have the world watching during September and October.
Ireland
It's said that Ireland, once visited, is never forgotten, and for once the blarney rings true. The Irish landscape has a mythic resonance, the country's history is almost tangible, and its people seem put on earth expressly to restore faith in humanity.
Maldives
'The last paradise on earth' has bounced back from the Tsunami and is simply beaming with new and refreshed resorts. If a traveller's idea of paradise is a pristine, tranquil tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives won't disappoint.
This group of 1190 coral islands is also a major destination for scuba divers, who come for the fabulous reefs and the wealth of marine life; however, this is not a place for low budget backpackers or amateur anthropologists who want to travel independently and live as the locals do.
Namibia
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Image © Eliot Lyons/Nature Picture Library/Rex |
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have made Namibia Africa's hottest getaway. Wedged between the Kalahari and the chilly South Atlantic, Namibia has deserts, seascapes, bushwalking and boundlessness. Blessed with rich natural resources, a solid modern infrastructure and diverse traditional cultures, it is a beautiful country of vast potential.
Oman
Oman has broken the seal and emerged into the world. The country has shed its hermit shell, revealing a land of friendly people and dramatic landscapes peppered with forts. Although it remains, in many ways, the most traditional country in the region, it's often more outward looking than it's given credit for.
There are a plethora of five and six-star resorts that are shining brightly in the desert to attract travellers on their way to Europe or for those that want off the beaten path.
Zanzibar
Low in political coups and high in bliss-charged activities, the Zanzibar Archipelago is a mere hop, skip and a jump from the Tanzanian mainland. Its heady lure has tempted travellers, traders, slave-traders and colonists for centuries, and the archipelago continues to reflect this tumultuous past.
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