Good Housekeeping - Sands Hotel Margate

GREAT E SC A PE S ■
Your 2016 hot, hot
HOTLIST!
Grand Canyon: hike
its trails or just soak
in the scenery
What’s on trend in the world
of travel this year? Travel
Editor David Wickers reveals
his list of where to go, what to
do and what to see. Expect new
destinations, a host of special
interest holidays and
a rise in multi-generational
family travel
Isfahan, Iran
The giant Buddha
Dordenma statue
in Bhutan
Explore Oman’s
wealth of historic
forts and palaces
ARABIA AND ASIA:
exotic excitement
Secret kingdom: but
Bhutan is opening its
doors to more tourists
With so much of the Muslim world either officially off limits
or unlikely to appeal to all but the intrepid traveller, two
destinations seem to be bucking the trend.
Oman is a rich blend of traditional Arabian culture,
historic forts and palaces, beautiful mosques, wild
mountains, dramatic gorges, markets unchanged since
Biblical times and remarkable deserts.
With the new political entente cordiale between the west
and Iran, there are now lots of opportunities to travel to this
rich and friendly country, either on escorted tours or
independently. With 700 years of history, attractions include
jewels of Islamic architecture, old bazaars and stunning
landscapes. Strict rules of dress apply and there is no alcohol.
Other long-haul destinations destined for a new wave of
demand by travellers include Burma, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia,
Mozambique and Bhutan.
goodhousekeeping.co.uk
Desert colours:
Zabriskie Point in
Death Valley
Walker’s paradise:
stunning Yosemite
National Park
USA: park parade
This year marks the centenary of America’s
National Park Service. Twenty-seven states
have national parks, with California having
the most (nine), followed by Alaska (eight),
Utah (five), and Colorado (four). Together
they occupy more space than the whole of the
UK. Four of the USA’s most popular national
parks (Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Death
Valley and Zion) can be easily combined on a
two-week holiday. Details:
northamericatravelservice.co.uk.
Other anniversaries likely to fuel interest
this year include the centenary of the
completion of Russia’s Trans-Siberian railway,
the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death
in Stratford upon Avon, and Botswana’s 50
years since gaining independence (the
country was recently voted number one in the
world for travellers by Lonely Planet).
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201
GREAT E SC A PE S ■
Find adventure
and beauty at
Victoria Falls
Wildlife encounter:
Mana Pools National
Park, Zimbabwe
Great Barrier Reef
Carnival spirit:
explore Brazil’s
colourful cities
ZIMBABWE:
wild adventure
In December a new, much
expanded airport at Victoria
Falls opened with the capacity to
handle large aircraft. Although
at the time of writing no airline
had committed to flying
non-stop from the UK, it can
only be a matter of time that
Brits will be able to go without
having to change planes in
Jo’burg, a saving of three to four
hours, making long weekend
visits a distinct possibility. Not
only is Zimbabwe back on the
map as far as tourism is
concerned but Vic Falls, in
addition to the iconic sight,
offers scores of activities, from
scenic helicopter hops to game
drives, elephant riding to white
water rafting, plus a choice of
hotels including the Victoria
Falls Safari Lodge. Details:
africaalbidatourism.com.
goodhousekeeping.co.uk
AUSTRALIA:
ocean splendour
In his BBC series screened earlier
this year, Sir David Attenborough
described the Great Barrier Reef
as being of ‘astounding and
unforgettable beauty’. At its best
in our summer, this natural
wonder of the world can be visited
by boat, seaplane or helicopter
from several points along the
mainland coast of Queensland.
For a truly luxurious experience,
stay at the island resorts of Lizard,
Bedarra or Orpheus. Details:
bridgeandwickers.co.uk.
LATIN AMERICA:
natural beauty
‘Everything about Rio,’ declared Prince
Harry, ‘makes you want to dance’. Hot on
the heels of the football World Cup, Brazil’s
hosting of this year’s Olympics will further
enhance its profile. Aside from Rio’s sexy
glamour, there’s a rich diversity of attractions
including the beaches of Bahia, Amazonian
rainforest, wildlife in the Pantanal and the
Iguassu Falls. Details: lastfrontiers.com.
In May British Airways introduces
non-stop flights to Costa Rica and Peru.
Since both routes will end the hassle of
having to change planes in Madrid or
Miami, British numbers are likely to
swell. It’s boom time for Cuba too, with
visitors wanting go before its doors open
to a likely influx of Americans.
Details: virginholidays.co.uk.
Cahuita National Park
in Costa Rica: closer
thanks to direct flights
APRIL 2016 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
203
■ GREAT E SC A PE S
Country retreat:
St David’s cathedral
in Pembrokeshire
UK: home
happenings
EUROPEAN CULTURE: sunny delights
■ Spain’s San Sebastian, one of the
continent’s top destinations for foodies,
joins with Poland’s historic city of
Wroclaw, a cultural melting pot on the
banks of the river Oder, in sharing this
year’s title of European City of Culture.
■ Our appetite for cruising seems
insatiable. Now Viking (vikingcruises.
co.uk), well known for its river cruises,
has launched its first ocean-going ship,
Viking Star. With a choice of cruises on
the Mediterranean, the focus is on
places rather than shipboard razzmatazz.
There are free walking tours in each
port of call, while on board ‘enrichment’
lectures enhance the cultural experience.
■ If you crave more action, there’s a raft
of sporty packages to the Med on offer,
and often at great
prices. Neilson
(neilson.co.uk) has a
City of culture:
week in September
Wroclaw in Poland
at its beach club in
Adakoy, Turkey, from £499pp, including
waterskiing, sailing, windsurfing, tennis,
mountain biking (all with tuition), most
meals, children’s clubs (2-17years) and
return flights and transfers.
■ Along with Italy’s starring role in
Spectre, Alex Polizzi’s TV series on
Italian islands has no doubt tempted
more of us to experience the culture,
cuisine and history of Sardinia, Capri,
Ischia, the Aeolian Islands and Sicily.
Details: citalia.com.
■ It’s 300 years since the vineyards of
Chianti were declared an official
wine-growing region. For a superb
choice of villas, see the to-tuscany.com
website. Natural Retreats has also
introduced a portfolio of properties in
Tuscany, see naturalretreats.com.
■ Other Med hot spots are likely to be
Majorca, with the opening of villas and
a Park Hyatt in the Cap Vermell Estate
(grupocapvermell.com), and
Puglia, whose newest boutique
hotel, Masseria Trapana
(trapana.com), opens near to
Helen Mirren’s cocktail bar,
Farmacia Balboa – made more
accessible by direct train
links from Rome to Lecce.
■ Key features of Scotland’s Year
of Innovation, Architecture and
Design is the first ever Festival of
Architecture with a year-long
programme of events. Details at
visitscotland.com. South of the
border, 2016 is the Year of the
English Garden (visitengland.
com) – there’ll be much more
about this in our May issue.
■ Kent’s seaside resorts are
undergoing a renaissance, most
notably in Margate where the
Turner Contemporary gallery
(turnercontemporary.org)
celebrates its fifth anniversary.
The recent reopening of the
Dreamland (dreamland.co.uk)
retro theme park and an excellent
waterfront hotel, The Sands
(sandshotelmargate.co.uk), add to
its appeal.
Traditional trullis
in Puglia, Italy
204
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING APRIL 2016
goodhousekeeping.co.uk
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY, TRAVEL PICTURES, 4 CORNERS
Trapani, Sicily
■ While Devon and Cornwall
continue to be Britain’s top
scorers on visitor numbers, I
predict that more people will be
drawn to the equally outstanding
coastal scenery of Pembrokeshire.
Adding to the attraction is a new
hotel, Twr y Felin in St David’s,
Britain’s smallest cathedral city.
This former windmill has been
meticulously restored and turned
into a contemporary art hotel
featuring over 100 original
artworks. Or try its sister hotel,
the 12th-century Norman Roch
Castle, which has just six
luxurious rooms. Details:
retreatsgroup.com; visitwales.com.