With 2015 now being upon us, many holiday go-ers and traveller fanatics are looking forward to booking their next trip away. But where are the hottest locations to live it up this year? Here are 10 great examples of where to head:

Chile

Heralded as the driest desert in the world, Chile’s Atacama plains are a great place to go and take in some natural wonders. The land is plotted with salt flats and geysers, and even gets the occasional downfall of snow!

Iceland

If you are a fan of the outdoors and adventure, then look no further than Iceland. Offering activities for all of the seasons, you can take a trip snorkelling in the country’s clear lakes in the summer or enjoy the snowy conditions from the warmth of a hot tub.

(Main article image: rural church in south-west Iceland)

Morocco

With the country’s tourism industry booming in recent years, Morocco has become a hotspot for travellers. Visitors can enjoy the sandy beaches of the coastline or take a trip around the famed Marrakesh markets and get yourself a classic Moroccan fez!

Cuba

Offering culture and fantastic beaches, Cuba has something to keep everybody happy. The country has an ‘old partnered with new’ attitude, so you can take a trip through the country’s history by visiting the buildings from by-gone eras.

Serbia

A bustling street in Belgrade, the Serbian capital

You may not think Serbia is the best location to enjoy a trip away, but you would be very wrong. Belgrade is renowned for one of the hidden gems of Europe and is highly underrated for its culture and character.

Macau

Over recent years, Macau has become one of the World’s main destinations for entertainment and culture. The country has seen a huge boom in tourism thanks to its casino industry attracting people who play online casino at sites such as iPhoneCasino.ca, but it also has a much more tranquil side, with temples and ancient ruins on offer to visitors as well.

Britain

Eilean Donan Castle in the stunning Scottish Highlands

Although it doesn’t have the most tropical of climates, there is plenty happening for tourists to get involved with in Britain this year. Scotland are celebrating the Highland Games’ 200th birthday this year and 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta being sealed, with both throwing events to mark the occasions.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s tourism trade has always been popular, with travellers visit the country to take in some of the most picturesque pieces of scenery in the world. To get more involved in the inner city vibe, the likes of Auckland and Wellington are also popular with tourists.

Turkey

2014 saw Turkey named as one of the most popular tourist destination and the country hopes this will continue on into the New Year. Turkey offers the best of both worlds – the sunny beaches and hotel resorts and the bustling markets of Istanbul.

Singapore

Singapore is celebrating 50 years of independence from Malaysia in 2015, so expect there to be a lot of partying! The country is to host the South East Asian games in June, before they celebrate their national day with parades throughout August.

Choosing the first winner of our prestigious award has been no easy task…

When it comes to travel and holidays, there are those of us who consider ourselves tourists, and those who think of ourselves more as travellers. Whilst for some, the perfect holiday is returning to a favourite resort year after year, relaxing in the sunshine with everything around us immediately to hand and familiar, others are more intrepid in their taste for adventure and crave exploration a little more off the beaten track.

World Travel Blog has always been committed to discovering those roads less travelled, which can always be found even in the most popular of tourist spots, and our anecdotal advice and articles are aimed at providing some insight into how such endeavours are best undertaken. But sometimes, for some trips, a specialist is needed, and that’s what has led us to launch our Travel Company of the Year Award this year.

Choosing our first winner hasn’t been easy – there are many agents in the market today offering a wide range of trips to suit varying budgets. We’ve been rigorous in our selection, though, and scored each of our shortlisted operators on the areas which matter most, namely quality of the itineraries on offer, overall value of holidays, how well organised the trips are and, all importantly, how knowledgable the staff and representatives are about your chosen destination. Feedback has been gleaned from not only the World Travel Blog team, but also independent reports from individuals and groups who have used these companies first hand.

We are, therefore, very pleased to announce that after very careful consideration, the winner of the first World Travel Blog Travel Company of the Year Award is:

Regent Holidays have been chosen for their unquestionable product knowledge, their willingness to be of assistance both before and after booking, and during the holiday itself, the friendliness of their team of experts, the fantastic choice of locations available, the overall exceptional value and for having innovation in spades.

So, congratulations guys – this award is not given out easily, and you should be very proud. Long may you continue to provide the excellent service you do!

Regent Holidays
Colston Tower
Colston Street
Bristol
BS1 4XE

Visit www.regent-holidays.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)20 7666 1244

Email: regent@regentholidays.co.uk

More frittenish, feline fabulosity from the four corners of the world. You know you want them!

As we’ve already said, it matters not where your travels and adventures take you, it won’t be long before you stumble across (or completely, undignifiedly over) a nearby fritten. They won’t mind. Well, they won’t care actually and will probably just start to have a good old wash, but they’ll still manage to capture your heart, plus whatever you might have about your person that they can munch on.

Some would say they’re full of cupboard love, and I suppose that’s true – they know exactly where the meat and kibbles reside.

So enjoy this latest selection. and remember – if you’d like to post your own, simply email them to frittens@worldtravelblog.co.uk Well, an image of them – frittens themselves aren’t too keen on cyberspace. No food, you see. And please keep them to a meg or under.

And lastly – apologies that some of these aren’t the finest quality images that you’re used to on World Travel Blog. Whilst some of them completely love the limelight, others are just that way out, so you have to grab ‘em while you can and just get what you can get.

Enjoy!

This island nation makes a stunning destination all year round, with each season bestowing its own individual charm on an ever-changing landscape

It may have been hampered by a banking collapse, an irascibly fugacious volcano and an uncanny knack of decimating your budget that would scare the living pants off you, but when it comes to prodigious landscape and a trip like no other, Iceland can still knock your average holiday into a cocked hat.

At times it still feels like you’ve landed on the moon – the sheer wonderment of this wild and ethereal land stirs up an almost bewildering sense of adventure and mystery on the grandest of scales. And believe me, there’s no better way of exploring this truly awesome country than under your own steam, or more to the point, on your own four wheels, preferably with each being stoically driven. In this brief introductory article, we’ll just look at the basics of a tour of southwest Iceland, with more individual posts to come later.

A great place to start is Reykjavik, which is about an hour’s drive from Keflavik airport, Iceland’s international hub. Hiring a two-wheel-drive is cheaper, but as car rental generally in the country is relatively expensive, it’s well worth the extra investment to upgrade to a 4WD. Our workhorse of choice was a very able Nissan X-Trail, but a word of warning: the terrain in Iceland is uncompromising and tough, and many of the hire vehicles come complete with cracked or chipped windscreens. Check very carefully that these have all been recorded accurately on the vehicle condition sheet, as even ‘reputable’ car rental companies will try and pin any damage on you, forcing you to pay for a replacement windscreen rather than claim on their own insurance. Even Avis proved particularly difficult on this point, and it took some rigid standing of our ground and a wasted hour and a half arguing the toss before we were allowed on our way without having to stump up a few hundred quid.

Once in the capital, we based ourselves at the appropriately named Reykjavik Hotel on Rauðarárstígur 37, which proved to be an excellent establishment with a good restaurant and late-opening bar and, importantly, ample secure parking. It’s ideally placed for exploring the city and, when the restaurant is closed (which tended to be Monday evenings), there’s the modest looking Harry’s Restaurant right next door. Whatever you do, don’t be put off by the uninspiring outward appearance of this little gaff – it’s an absolute gem, serving superb food and a great choice of wines and beers. Compact and bijou it may be, but the friendly, relaxed atmosphere makes for a memorable dining experience.

After a leisurely morning in Reykjavik the following day, we headed north to Borgarnes and the Icelandair Hotel Hamar. Exquisitely situated on a golf course, with stunning mountainous vistas whichever way you look, this expensive but intimate hotel offers first class accommodation and is a superb gateway to the west of the country, and the breathtaking Snaefellsnes peninsula. This is an absolute highlight of any trip to Iceland, filled with promise, adventure and breathtaking landscape.

After three nights here, we moved south again to another Icelandair establishment, the Hotel Flúðir, but not without making a spectacular detour across the dazzling Langjökull glacier for a couple of hours dog-sledding.

Flúðir itself is ideally placed for Iceland’s big three in the ‘golden circle’, Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss waterfall and the Haukadalur valley, home to the geysers Geysir and Strokkur. Don’t miss out on the attractions of nearby Selfoss, which can provide a welcome diversion from spectacularly beautiful but comparatively quiet Flúðir.

With all this beauty and adventure under our belt, for us it was back to the Hotel Reykjavik for one more night before a departure from the city’s domestic airport to Narsarsuaq in South Greenland, but that’s a whole different adventure…

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