If you’ve ever consulted the Internet for advice on where to travel, you’ll appreciate how fast planning a simple itinerary can get seriously out of hand.
You think you know where you want to go but then your search engine results lead you suddenly astray, to places you’ve never heard of, and to destinations aglow with the kind of allure that threatens to turn the weekend trip you’re planning into a three month journey into the depths of exotic foreign lands.
We’re not saying that the latter scenario is a bad thing—epic adventures are what we live for.
But we do speak from experience when we say that searching for travel inspiration blind can often end in high levels of unreasonable confusion.
It’s all harmless fun until someone start crying at their laptop screen as a result of overwhelm; a travel brochure in one hand, a tissue in the other.
Deciding where to go on holiday shouldn’t induce anxiety or stress. That’s why we’re in the business of making it easy for you. In a bid to avoid you furrowing your brow too much this year, we’ve shortlisted the top 5 travel destinations of 2019. After much research we can confirm that all of the following places are “so hot right now.” So all you have to do is book your ticket and pack your suitcase. You can thank us, and send a postcard, later.
Egypt
With the long-awaited partial opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum scheduled for the first quarter of 2019, Egypt has become the destination of the moment. Spanning an impressive 5.2-million-square-foot in Cairo, the museum is set to be one of the world’s largest centres devoted to a single civilization at the point of its completion.
The impressive collection will include an array of treasures such as King Tut’s six chariots and architectural elements including a statue of Kings Khafre, Menkaure, Senusret, Akhenaten and Amenhotep III. To add to the appeal, the museum’s glass facade boasts monumental views of the pyramids and Sphinx, just in case you need even more beauty to feast your eyes on, and to photograph.
For those who really want to immerse themselves in the richness of the region, Heritage Tours offer custom trips to ensure you experience all the local wonders you want to see the most. Because if you’re going to take a guided tour, it’s best to make it bespoke.
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To see: Temple of Isis, White Desert National Park, Pyramids of Giza, Mt Sinai, Bibliotheca Alexandrina
To eat: Ful Medammes, Mahshi, Konafa
To stay: Talisman Hotel, Villa Belle Epoque, Al Moudira Hotel
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New Zealand
Recently we discovered 15 very good reasons to visit New Zealand in 2019.
The abridged version is as follows: this country has something for quite literally everyone. Whether you were born to travel wild, or you’d rather keep things a little more mild, New Zealand offers everything from leisurely hiking to high thrill bungy jumping, world-class art displays to authentic Māori cuisine.
We’re also a little bit in love with the Canterbury Region, a perfectly picturesque area on the South Island that’s marked by grassy plains, clear lakes and snow-capped mountains—just like the ones you see on postcards.
Home to the famous riverside Botanic Gardens in the city of Christchurch, the Canterbury Region is also known (to locals) as their scenic God’s Own Country. If that doesn’t summarise the specialness of the area, nothing will.
If you’re a bit of a camping aficionado, New Zealand is also a great place to go “freedom camping,” a style of outdoor exploration that involves camping on public land that isn’t a recognised camping ground.
Rules regarding where you can set up camp vary around the country, so just be sure to do your homework before you pitch your tent.
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To see: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Queenstown Nevis Catapult, Te Puia Rotorua
To eat: Māori Hāngi, Kina, Hokey Pokey ice cream
To stay: Helena Bay Lodge, Hotel DeBrett, Wharekauhau Country Estate
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Germany
Founded in 1919, the revolutionary Bauhaus design movement turns 100 this year, and thousands of art and design lovers are flocking to Germany to celebrate.
From Weimar to Rotterdam, from Tel Aviv to Chicago, the Bauhaus movement has been a global phenomenon since its beginnings, with its mission to rethink the world still present in many disciplines today.
The anniversary programme ‘100 years of bauhaus’ pays tribute to the architects, artists, artisans and designers who started it all, and most importantly, to their vision. Events include a chance to bunk overnight like a Bauhauster in the legendary Dessau studio building and an array of unforgettable exhibitions hosted in famous cities such as Berlin to Brandenburg, Saxony to Hesse, and a countless number of locations in between.
If you’re interested in art and design and want to rethink the world as you travel, ‘100 years of bauhaus’ invites you on a Germany-wide journey of discovery, promising to take you to the origins of modernism – to the places where revolutionary ideas in architecture, art, design, photography or dance were and are developed.
Basically, we highly recommend heading to Germany before the year is out.
To see: Bauhaus Dessau, Weissenhofmuseum, East Side Gallery
To eat: Flammkuchen, Spätzle, Fischbrötchen, Königsberger Klopse, Rote grütze
To stay: Hotel Ku’ Damm 101, Das Stue Hotel, Hotel Bayrisches Haus, Fährhaus Meissen, Libertine Lindenberg,
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Colombia
From the picturesque panoramic views to the world-renowned carnivals to the delicious exotic fruits, there are plenty of reasons why seeing Columbia should be on your bucket list. Why should you go this year in particular? To swim within the depths of liquid rainbows. If that doesn’t pique your curiosity, we’re pretty sure nothing will.
We recently read about the Caño Cristales River in Colombia, described as a rainbow river that runs through the heart of the country. The written interpretation alone makes us weak at the knees, so we can’t even imagine what it would be like in real life.
According to our friends at National Geographic, from July to November this year we will witness blooming aquatic plants—particularly the Macarenia clavigera—paint the riverbed of the Caño Cristales with shades of red, green, yellow, blue, and black. Apparently as soon as you add sunlight to the mix the crystal clear waters produce an unforgettable visual effect, seen as a polychromatic ripple.
We don’t know about you, but we think that’s reason enough to book a ticket to Columbia.
To see: Museum of Contemporary Art Bogotá, The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Caño Cristales River
To eat: Arepa, Bandeja Paisa, Empanadas, Buñuelos, Cazuela de Mariscos
To stay: Casa Pestagua, B.O.G Hotel, Hotel Casa Terra
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New Orleans
You’ve probably already heard about this city’s incredible food and its ever-so enchanting nightlife, but there are a few other reasons why lovers of travel are currently going crazy for New Orleans. Staying in the city now allows you to sleep amidst the memories of its history.
Embodied by the spirit of jazz and enlivened further by its eccentricity, New Orleans is now home to Hotel Peter & Paul, one of the world’s most anticipated accommodation launches. Consisting of a small collection of buildings—including a 19th-century Catholic church and an old schoolhouse—this genteel gem is characterised by its perfect fusion of modernity and old world charm.ic
Whether you’re into American history, live music, or have an undying love for Chargrilled Oysters, New Orleans is the kind of city that welcomes you with open arms.
To see: Frenchmen Street, City Park, Magazine Street, New Orleans Museum of Art, Café du Monde
To eat: Po’ Boys at Johnny’s Po’ Boys, Chargrilled Oysters at Acme Oyster House and Drago’s Seafood Restaurant, Muffuletta at Central Grocery
To stay: Hotel Peter & Paul, The Eliza Jane, Maison de la Luz
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