Inspiring ideas
on your 2014 TRAVEL wish list

– For those who travel with a passion FOR life . . .

Seeing the Polar Bear in his natural habitat,
the Arctic, is a spiritual moment…

 A mountainous moment in NEPAL

 If this is a bit too extravagant to your taste,
what about any of the following travel options?

ICELAND
Lunar landscape of fire and ice

No one will travel around Iceland without being deeply touched by the sheer beauty of it all; and few will leave this weird country without an urge to return. Perched on the edge of the Arctic, this wonderful little island contains some of the most impressive natural wonders in the northern hemisphere. The continent’s biggest waterfalls thunder down with force; the barren highlands form Europe’s largest, loneliest desert; and the awesome ice cap Vatnajökull remains the biggest outside the poles.

Other spectacular phenomena include whale spotting, smouldering volcanoes, slow-flowing glaciers, extruding lava, gushing geysers, bubbling mud pots, soothing thermal pools and, in the ever darkness of winter, hunt the magical northern lights.

ISTRIA CROATIA
For Fun, Food and Festivals

Blessed with a year-round mild climate, Istria packs a dazzling diversity of landscapes and experiences into a small triangular shape: art, food, wine and magic

Tone Tuscany down a notch or two – thin the tourist hordes, lower the prices, sprinkle a little mystique – and you get ISTRIA. Shaped like a heart, this Italian-flavoured peninsula is where continental Croatia meets the Adriatic.

Blessed with a year-round mild climate, Istria packs a dazzling diversity of landscapes and experiences into a small triangular shape – from Roman amphitheatres, byzantine basilicas, to deep-green fjords and subterranean chambers.

Up and coming as a veritable foodie haven, Istria is known for its gastronomic tradition that features fresh wild asparagus and white truffles, unique dishes and prime wines.

Every July and August travellers can celebrate interesting food and art festivals in some of the hill towns in Istria’s interior:
• Labin – The Labin Art Republic when more than 30 resident artists open their studios and streets buzz with outdoor theatre, concerts and clown performances.
• Motovun – hip international film buffs descend on this hilltop town every summer for the Film Festival, known for its alfresco and indoor screenings of independent and avant-garde films, concerts and parties, set against the town’s striking medieval backdrop.
• Buzet – celebrate the start of the white truffle season in this sleepy cobblestone town; a giant truffle omelette with 2000 eggs is prepared.

ALBANIA
No longer for only the brave traveller

The jig is almost up – it won’t be off the beaten track for much longer

Picture a place where rulers have names like King Zog, Enver Hoxha and Bamir Topi. Set the scene with coastal cliffs, snow-capped mountains and jungle-wrapped ruins. It may seem like you’ve just conjured a medieval fantasy novel rather than an up-and-coming travel destination, but this is Albania in all its epic, eclectic glory.

Not so long ago, when the Balkans were considered an “only for the brave” travel destination, only the bravest of the brave trickled into Albania. Since backpackers started coming to elusive Albania in the 1990’s, tales have been told in “keep it to yourself” whispers of azure beaches, confrontingly good cuisine, heritage sites, nightlife, affordable adventures and possibility of old-style unplanned journeys complete with open-armed locals for whom travellers are still a novelty.

But be warned: acquiring a visa might be challenging for South Africans; it can only be arranged in the UK.

BIKE SKI FOOD & HIKE in ITALY
Adventurous energy burning vacations with a twist:
Uniquely personalised by a local chef and a ski instructor
 

Unmatched distinctive biking, skiing or hiking programmes, combined with food and wine await you this year in Italy. These are customised to your fitness level and desired expectations, planned for groups between 4 to 12 people.

Biking tours through the most beautiful vineyards of Piedmont, Tuscany and Veneto, with a chef as your guide. Dolomite ski holidays, customised cycling routes, hiking in unsurpassed scenery, cooking classes at unique locations, wine tastings of rare, less known cultivars and fine gourmet dining can all be on your menu.

MADAGASCAR
Island adrift the continent of Africa

MONTENEGRO
Emerging star off the beaten track

PERU
A new menu for food lovers

CAPPADOCIA
If you wanna live like a troglodyte,
you should rock’n’roll to Turkey now,
before Cappadocia is changed forever…

With the slow pace of life in its villages, it seems like Cappadocia sees little change other than winds eroding the rock formations into fairy like chimneys. However, as surely as Mt Erclyes towers in the distance, the modern world is encroaching here. Conservation efforts are made, but coach parties keep arriving. More and more hot-air balloons dot the sky on summer mornings. The pigeon houses on the rock faces, traditionally used to collect bird droppings for use as fertiliser, increasingly lie empty.

Cappadocia was once a classic backpacker hangout – a few free spirits have even swapped their rucksack for a fairy chimney home. However, it is becoming more of a midrange and top-end destination, and the accommodation reflects this.

SLOVENIA
A new star above the European sky

UKRAINE
Reborn out of Russian legacies

 OTHER DELIGHTS …

KIRUNA SWEDEN

LOMBARDY ITALY

Exploring the seven lakes
The Italian Lakes are a little slice of paradise.
The lakes – deep, slender fjords gouged by glaciers – are sublime. All are oriented north-south, ringed by characterful old lakeside village, often wedged onto narrow beaches between rugged cliffs and the water.

Lake Orta, Iseo and Idro are small and radiate a different atmosphere than the larger Maggiore, Lugano and Como. Though, mountains play a prominent role in all their settings. Lake Garda is the largest lake, with the surroundings also less picturesque, except for the beautiful peninsular town Sirmione on the lakeside.

Cute, personalised accommodation can be found in abundance; some even on some of the islands to be found on Maggiore.

Have you ever considered the following exciting different day excursion:
Cruising on lake Maggiore from village to village nestled along the shores of the lake, and then followed a magnificent train journey deep into Switzerland's snow-capped mountains. Only to return by late afternoon to your lakeside village.

CATALUNYA SPAIN
Much more than Dali & Paella

SAPPORO JAPAN

GHENT
Their city the Belgiums seems to forget to tell anyone about

Here’s a secret within a secret: Ghent might just be the best European city you’ve never thought of visiting. Here hides one of Europe’s finest panoramas of water canals, spires and centuries-old grand houses. Roughly a quarter of the city’s population are students, giving the city a young and energetic buzz. Riverbanks, cafes and beer drinking holes are noisily packed and the atmosphere extends rights into the heart of the old city.

But this is no place to simply kick back: here you can sample some 450 different brands of beer in many drinking spots spread all over town. The entire centre has been revamped a short while ago. Get here quick, because it won’t be long before the rest of Europe gets in on the secret.

Or you might also consider:

• SEATTLE
on the USA west coast
Gateway to Alaska

Due to its almost isolated location in the northwest corner of the USA, just south of Canada, Seattle will not be included in the ordinary itinerary. However it is absolutely worth the effort to visit; especially as a departing port for many an Inside Passage cruise to Alaska.

A city is defined by its people and its architecture. Over the last decade, Seattle has blossomed into a bustling powerhouse of influence, steering the future of high technology as well as popular culture. The population and economy has boomed, due to the likes of Boeing and Microsoft.

A highlight of any visit to this interesting city is a scenic flight by water plane, where you’ll rub shoulders with the high-rise Space Needle on the water’s edge, and in quite clear contrast, the strange idiosyncratic floating home enclaves of Lake Union, which brings memories back of the well-known romantic movie of the nineties, Sleepless in Seattle.

A worthwhile visit is Fremont, an “artist republic” since the 1960’s, when students, artists and bohemians, attracted by the low rent, moved in. This quaint neighbourhood spawns many boutiques, art galleries and restaurants, always transforming and changing the face and identity.

Both Starbucks and Pike Place Market are synonymous with this vibrant city. At Pike Place Fish Company you will witness the entertaining fishmongers, displaying their skills by hurling fish high over customers and countertops, before being weighed, filleted and wrapped.

No other attraction will show so many different qualities of a city and its people.

• CAPE TOWN
Dressed up for design capital of the world

If you act fast, you can still catch the end of the long glorious summer that Cape Town basks in during the dry summer months. Days are long and sun-drenched – perfect for sundowners at the numerous tapas wine bars of Kloofnek. After leisurely days on the beach of Clifton or visiting the many boutique wine farms of Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront is the right scene for meeting old acquaintances again. Come autumn, the colours of the many vineyards in the Constantia valley and Stellenbosch’s oak-lined streets are a beautiful sight.

• DRESDEN
Dresden: Re-awakened German Prince
 

Near the Czech border, in a valley on the River Elbe, lies one

of the marvels of restoration – Dresden, the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany, where the rulers of Saxony resided for 800 years. After the Allied bombings of WW II literally obliterated the historic centre of this magnificent city, it took more than 60 years to reconstruct its grandiose landmarks. But today you can relive this city’s glorious past as one of Europe's most important cultural centers.

Visitors are carried away by the architectural sights and noble art treasures. In the Semper Opera with its opulent interior the music of great composers can again be heard; the Zwinger complex houses stunning museums; the Church of our Lady (the Frauenkirche) towers over the magnificent banks of the Elbe with its impressive bridges. Combined with award-winning modern buildings, the Prince of German cities has undoubtedly re-awakened as a world-class destination of art and culture to be included in any itinerary

WRITE A POSTCARD

e-books, mobile phone apps, tripit, augmented reality – we live and travel in a world of instant information and sore thumbs. This year is a good time to pause and revisit that famous travel jewel: the postcard.
What started a century ago on the Castle Line Cruise ships as a craze of keepsakes has lost out to
wi-fi, text messaging, tripadvisor feedback, pinterest and flickr images.

Sending a postcard leads to all sorts of local life commonly missed – stationary shops, post offices, funny stamps – as well as the art of actually writing with a pen.