The Best Place to Visit in 2016

Where will you go in 2016? are you confused? haha well, today I would like to tell you about someplace that become a tourist attraction.

1. Japan

For starters, the government is trying to devalue the Japanese yen, which means that the country is more affordable than ever right now. Also, the 2020 Summer Olympics are being held in Tokyo and, even though that seems far away, the city is already gearing up for all Olympics everything.

Bonus: Japan is just a wild, wild place. Any country where you can literally buy everything from umbrellas to women’s underwear in vending machines (true story) deserves to be explored in this lifetime. Now’s your moment.

2. Latvia

The country is celebrating its 25th year of independence from the Soviet Union this year, and with it, its increasingly on-the-up-and-up culture. “A fleet of (new) Nordic chefs are catapulting local flavours to such artisanal heights that they would truly give Copenhagen a run for its money,” writes Lonely Planet.

3. Cartagena, Colombia

With a colourful mix of Caribbean and Spanish influences, Cartagena is a jewel on Colombia’s coast and it’s only getting hotter. Adding to established hotels like the Sofitel Cartagena Santa Clara and the new Anandá Hotel Boutique, brands like Ritz-Carlton are planting their flags in this historical city, adding the allure of luxury digs to an already desirable destination.  Visitors to Cartagena are hard-pressed to decide their favourite elements of this historic city. From wandering through the streets packed with vibrantly coloured buildings to walking the walls of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, there is no shortage of cultural offerings. Then there’s lounging on the white sands of nearby Islas del Rosario, exploring the multitude of bars and restaurants and dancing salsa into the night. Need even more reason to visit? The Colombian peso plunged in the last year, getting you more than 3000 pesos per dollar.

4. Shanghai, China

Shanghai has long been a popular tourist destination, but there are several especially good reasons to visit in 2016. A host of new museums have opened in recent years, including the Power Station of Art (a contemporary art museum and the new home of the Shanghai Biennale inside a former power station) and the Yuz Museum (a contemporary art museum in the West Bund featuring the private collection of Budi Tek). One of the largest new Royal Caribbean ships departs from Shanghai bound for Japan and South Korea. And Shanghai Disneyland, the sixth theme park resort opened by Disney and set to open in Spring 2016

5. Roma, Italy

There’s never really a bad year to visit Rome, but 2016 includes two very good reasons to make this the year you head to the Eternal City. Pope Francis just opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, heralding the start of the Holy Year of Mercy – otherwise known as a Jubilee Year. The city may be a bit more crowded with pilgrims during a Jubilee Year, but Rome is also typically a bit more spruced up in anticipation of the influx of visitors. That, plus the unique opportunity to witness a Holy Year in person, make 2016 a potentially interesting time to be in Rome whether you’re a pilgrim or not. On a less religious note, the famous Trevi Fountain has just reopened after more than 500 days under scaffolding while it was being restored. It’s positively drop-dead gorgeous right now, white and gleaming

6. Abu Dhabi

Often bypassed by UK visitors in favour of glitzy, glittering Dubai, Abu Dhabi has been making up for lost time in the tourism stakes and can now look its neighbouring emirate straight in the eye. As the 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 neighbour, 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.  Rumour 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 theatres of Manarat Al Saadiyat, reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s self-proclaimed intention to become the cultural and heritage destination of the Middle East.

The country is also known for its pirate, i.e., hot birch saunas where you get showered with wildflowers and indulge in smoked fish and beer, that are not to be missed.

7. 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 Wroclaw 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. Wroclaw has a dreamy ensemble of architecture from medieval to modern and 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. 

Let's start making your 2016 travel plans right now! and see you in the next post!