The Vatican City is a must-see
It’s a New Year and as you look ahead to where to go on your spring / summer / winter vacation, you might be tired of the usual tourist hotspots and fancy somewhere a bit different; but the only problem is, you don’t have a clue where to start!
Well never fear; us girls at FemaleFirst anticipated your indecision and have come up with an A - Z (yes, that’s 25 in total!) different places for you to go and ’discover’ in 2009. What could be better - unless of course you spent all your cash getting drunk over the festive period then it could just be a tent in your back garden!
Uruguay is one of the only Latin American countries not to be situated in the tropics. Saying that however, its sub Atlantic temperatures make well for nice beaches and beautiful nearby rainforests making it a destination on the rise in South America.
The capital, Montevideo, is constructed of colonial Spanish and Italian buildings and the open air markets and shopping venues are common here. Said to be a country of water, Uruguay hosts a number of water sport activities including canoeing, kayaking, wind surfing and fishing for tourists to dig their teeth into.
Possibly one of the most visited cities in all of Europe, but with good reason. Home to the Pope, and The Sistine Chapel, the smallest state in the world is bursting with historical attractions and glorious wealthy monuments.
Site-seeing is really all that’s on the menu here, but because of it’s location in Rome, the fantastic Italian cuisine comes hand in hand for the visit. For those with a Catholic background, the excitement of possibly seeing the pope should be a thrill, and for those who have read the notorious novel The Da Vinci Code, will enjoy seeing sites they have read about with their own eyes.
It’s only round the corner, but then again…it’s only round the corner! Not only easy peasy to get to, for any family looking for a road trip, then Wales is one of the top destinations for bank holiday getaways, and there’s a reason for this.
Bed and Breakfasts and holiday cottages are equally as popular, as well a reasonably priced. And there are attractions for everyone and anyone ranging from the World Largest Hedge Maze in Conwy to Railway Museum at Penrhyn Castle.
Xingtai City lies in the south of the Hebei Province in China. To visit the more traditional areas of China, there city which is host to over 5,000 regions, offers visitors a number of architectural and natural beauties.
The Kaiyuan Temple, an important part of Chinese heritage is a gateway through the history of the Buddhism that is cherished here, as well as an insight into the Tang Dynasty which changed so many of these places of worhship. Nearby the Temple, are famous pillars, with a height of 40m, they are the highest twin pagodas in China. With culture shooting from every direction, Xingtai is a fascinating cultural preview.
The Republic of Yemen is an Arab country located in Southwest Asia. Practically untouched by outside tourism, if willing to dress like the locals, you can really experience another culture to the fullest here.
The Island of Socotra is Yemen’s greatest asset, which they are so proud of, that they are nominating it to become the new 7th natural wonder of the world.
Named one of the peaceful and safest countries in the world, Zambia is famous for its stunning Zambezi River and Victoria Falls, as well as 6 other waterfalls.
In recent years, national parks have been developed in order to protect the wildlife that this African country contains, including elephants, lions and leopards. Because of this abundance of natural attractions, river rafting is a hugely popular activity, as well as bird watching, and bungee jumping into the waterfalls gorges.
By Karen Asbury