All-inclusive holidays are back – here are 30 of the best for 2020 - The Telegraph

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• All-inclusive holidays are back – here are 30 of the best for 2020 - The Telegraph
• Revealed: The cities that could face an overtourism crisis in the next decade - Telegraph.co.uk
• 10 best Easter breaks for 2019: Hop away with these family deals - Independent.ie
• The best places to travel in 2018 - Irish Times

All-inclusive holidays are back – here are 30 of the best for 2020 - The Telegraph Posted: 12 Dec 2019 12:00 AM PST The rise and rise of the all-inclusive holiday is often hailed as a success that had to be rescued from its insalubrious birth pangs in the Nineties. It was then that the big sun and sand tour operators started marketing low-cost packages to the Caribbean as a way of appealing to families who wanted to fix the price of their holidays upfront. Lukewarm buffets led to outbreaks of food poisoning and unlimited alcoholic drink to outbreaks of unedifying debauchery. In fact, the concept of an all-inclusive holiday has a venerable history. Full-board, where all meals are included (although not usually drinks) was being offered by hotels in the 19th century; it was integral to the idea of ski, chalet and house party holidays developed by Erna Low in the Thirties and Forties; and has been common for decades in old-fashioned seaside hotels in northern France. It was the package holidays of the Sixties and Seventies where B&B and half board became the norm. But wherever you start in the long history of such things, after the Nineties the popularity and variety of all-inclusive trips have burgeoned. For Tui, Britain's biggest tour operator, it's central to its flagship Sensatori brand launched a decade ago, which offers 10 five-star hotels with all meals, drinks and entertainment in the price. One of its newest additions, the Tui Sensatori Atlantica Dreams Resort and Spa in Rhodes, has seven "gourmet" restaurants including one Italian, one "American-inspired" and a contemporary Greek. Choices of that kind are vital to success at the top end of the market. Guests who are paying a premium for their holidays don't want to be limited to a single restaurant, or to a basic selection of wines and spirits. Many top-end hotels and operators now offer remarkable variety to their clients on an all-inclusive basis.  Including your food and drink in the holiday price is not unique to beach resort packages. Many cruises, safaris, ski and adventure holidays are also effectively all-inclusive. Here are 30 of the best options for 2020.  Caribbean 1. Jamaican joys The Caribbean is ideal for an all-inclusive break, its mix of sunshine and relaxed vibe feeding the instinct to curl up on a lounger and remain there for a week. Jamaica has embraced the concept via the likes of Melia Braco Village, a five-star retreat on its north coast at Rio Bueno, where the all-inclusive rate covers meals at five restaurants, drinks and a pool with a swim-up bar. For those inclined to move a muscle, kayaks, windsurf equipment and paddleboards, and an adventure zone with ziplines and a rope course, are also featured. A seven-night all-inclusive trip costs from £1,829 per person with Kuoni. 2. St Lucian serenade St Lucia offers all-inclusivity with an emphasis on well-being at the BodyHoliday resort – a five-star spa enclave at the north tip of the island where the all-inclusive rate extends to one 50-minute massage per person per day (with guests able to choose from 12 different treatments across their stay) and access to a gorgeous beach. A seven-night all-inclusive holiday costs from £1,892 a head via British Airways Holidays. St Lucia is one of the Caribbean's most beautiful isles Credit: istock 3. Grenadian glory Often eclipsed in profile by Barbados and Antigua, Grenada is still a jewel of an island that delivers particularly cool all-inclusive escapes at the Calabash Luxury Boutique Hotel & Spa on the sands of the south coast at L'Anse Aux Epines. It revolves around a mere 30 suites, most with private plunge pools. Breakfast can be served on your own terrace and a Gary Rhodes restaurant awaits for dinner. A seven-night all-inclusive break, flying from Gatwick on May 8 will cost from £2,156 per person through Virgin Holidays. 4. Gorgeous Grenadines Not far from Grenada, in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Palm Island offers Robinson Crusoe fantasy on a private outcrop of 135 acres and just 43 rooms, where you can stroll along winding trails to two gourmet restaurants. The all-inclusive rate covers afternoon tea as well as main meals, plus non-motorised watersports and tennis. A seven-night escape costs from £3,709 per person through Tropical Sky. Run away to Palm Island Credit: getty 5. Cancun can It's no surprise that Cancun – a resort city purpose-built for indolence on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula – revels in all-inclusivity. Le Blanc Spa Resort is adults-only and five-star, with four restaurants and six bars.  A seven-night all-inclusive holiday starts at £1,577 per person, via Teletext Holidays.  Indian Ocean 6. Maldivian mysteries If ever a country were a perfect match for the idea of all-inclusive holidays, it is the Maldives – where being marooned on a desert island with nothing to do but be pampered is the very point of going. Turquoise Holidays offers sojourns at the Constance Moofushi resort, a 30-minute seaplane hop from Male in South Ari Atoll, where villas glitter beside or above azure shallows. A seven-night all-inclusive holiday starts at £2,777 per person, including international flights and sea plane transfers, with Kuoni.  7. Mauritian magic The five-star One&Only Le Saint Géran – named after the ship Le Saint Géran, which sank off the coast giving rise to the legend of Paul and Virginie, Mauritius's answer to Romeo and Juliet – sits on the eastern shore of Mauritius. The weather is affable throughout the year. A seven-night half-board break can be booked through Virgin Holidays. The five-star One&Only Le Saint Géran 8. Seychelles solitude Maia Luxury Resort & Spa is a relaxing sanctuary with just 30 rustic-style villas and an outstanding Balinese-style spa. Set on a granite headland beside the idyllic Anse Louis beach on the wild and wonderful southwest coast of the main island, Mahé. A seven-night all-inclusive getaway costs from £4,719 via Tropical Sky.  The Far East 9. Thai temptation Thailand also offers lost-in-paradise reverie – not least on Koh Samui, where those seeking unhurried escapism and little else can snooze at the Melati Beach Resort & Spa on Thongson Bay on the north coast. The all-inclusive package comes with dinners at à la carte restaurants The View (on the beach) and Kan Sak Thong (Thai dishes), and an open bar between 10am and 10pm. A seven-night all-inclusive break, flying from Heathrow on February 9, starts at £2,064 a head, via Virgin Holidays.  Local dishes are often a highlight on an all-inclusive trip Credit: istock 10. Langkawi languor A tropical joy which shimmers at the point where Malaysia meets Thailand, Langkawi lends itself to all-inclusive lying about. Perhaps at The Andaman, a five-star hideaway folded into the foliage of the island's north coast. A date with its all-inclusive rate means evenings in restaurants serving sushi and Malaysian recipes, and enjoying the stunning sunsets over cocktails at the beach bar. Seven-night all-inclusive breaks at The Andaman in April cost from £2,692 per person via Kuoni.  Europe 11. Cyprus calling All-inclusive holidays do not have to be on another continent. Tui provides them with a dash of finesse in Cyprus, near west-coast Paphos, where the Aphrodite Hills by Atlantica bears the stamp of the firm's high-end Sensatori brand. That means infinity pools, four restaurants and a shuttle bus the short distance to Zias Beach, where all-inclusive guests can expect snacks and drinks. A four-night all-inclusive escape, flying from Manchester on March 21, starts at £416 per person with Tui.  Aphrodite Hills by Atlantica 12. Algarve attraction Portugal's most southerly region has a reputation for cheaply cheerful lodging, but it dons a suit of superior cloth at the Sao Rafael Suites, near Albufeira. Here is a contemporary five-star hotel with three outdoor pools (one for children) and a spa, a 550yd (500m) walk from the beach. A seven-night all-inclusive break, flying from Stansted on February 22, costs from £382 per person through Love Holidays.  13. Halkidiki heaven Part of the Ikos portfolio of stylish all-inclusive retreats, chic Ikos Olivia resort basks on the waterside in Halkidiki, a short hop from Thessaloniki. This is an oasis where four pools, five restaurants, three bars, a spa and tennis courts sit in 22 acres of lawns and olive trees. Meals at selected local restaurants are also part of the all-inclusive rate.  Seven-night stays start at £680 per person with The Inspiring Travel Company. Flights are extra, but can also be booked via the operator. Ikos Olivia Credit: tommy picone 14. Garda greatness Ski specialist Inghams steers away from winter by offering all-inclusive breaks at the Parc Hotel, a four-star with indoor and outdoor pools and a wellness centre, at Peschiera del Garde on the Veneto side of Lake Garda. Such bookings take in all meals, house wine and beers, and activities such as cycling and tennis, and work well for families who like to stretch their legs. A seven-night holiday for a family of four, flying from London Gatwick on August 18, costs from £1,179 per person, including transfers.  Adventure 15. Costa credentials All-inclusivity does not only apply to fly-and-flop beach breaks. You can enjoy it on an adventurous holiday, too – as is shown by Natural World Safaris' Ultimate Costa Rica Honeymoon. Designed for newly-weds who don't wish to sit still, this 11-day trip throws itself at rainforest zip-lining and rafting on the Pacuare river. It offers accommodation at a series of lovely lodges, like the Lapa Rios private reserve on the Osa Peninsula. The quoted price – from £4,495 a head – does not cover flights, but these can also be booked.  Raft the Pacuare river in Costa Rica Credit: istock 16. Airborne graces Namibia may sound an unlikely all-inclusive destination, but that reckons without the Wings over Namibia escapade from Wexas Travel. This remarkable 10-day break soars by light aircraft between Windhoek and Etosha National Park via the Skeleton Coast, flying low for close-ups of a dramatic landscape. The £7,220 starting price covers the full trip, including flights and all meals at deluxe accommodation such as Ongava Lodge in Etosha and the chic Olive Exclusive in the capital. Discover Etosha National Park Credit: getty 17. Handy Andes Although at first glance they don't fit the bill, cycling tours also flirt with all-inclusivity, generally providing their participants with full-board lodging to fuel them for their days in the saddle. This can be an appealing prospect when the destination is especially exotic. Step forward, then, Saddle Skedaddle and its Andes, Amazon and Machu Picchu break – a 16-day epic endeavour in Peru that takes its travellers up to the incomparable Inca citadel, but also down through rainforest treescapes. From £2,845 a head including flights, bike hire and food, save for a couple of meals on non-riding days. The USA 18. Having it Largo With its love of the extra charge, America is not a natural friend of the nothing-more-to-pay hotel. So the arrival of the high-end adults-only Bungalows at Key Largo, reputed to be the country's first beachfront all-inclusive, was perhaps a surprise. Nonetheless, the Florida property offers unlimited food and alcoholic drinks, plus free fitness classes, watersports and bike use. A seven-night stay in April starts at £1,821 per person. Flights extra.  Hang out with the turtles in Key Largo Credit: istock 19. Saddling up Luxury and adventure collide at The Ranch at Rock Creek – a Montana hideaway of just 29 rooms and suites where guests can try the cowboy lifestyle without getting too dirty. The price includes more than 20 activities, such as archery, fishing, clay shooting and mountain biking as well as horse-riding, plus haute cuisine and a soothing spa at day's end. A seven-night all-inclusive break costs from £6,010 per person via Elegant Resorts. This figure does not include international flights, but these can be added. 20. World's end wonders Even Alaska is not beyond the reach of an all-inclusive escapade. For those who want to go to the world's end with no expense spared, Scott Dunn offers a 12-night Alaska in Ultimate Luxury jaunt, available between May and September. This realm of peaks and glaciers is traversed by time-saving private bush plane, allowing guests to slumber in glorious surroundings such as Tutka Bay Lodge on Kachemak Bay while also diving into Wrangell-St Elias National Park, where vast mountains tower above the ocean. From £24,300 per person. Alaska in Ultimate Luxury: an all-inclusive holiday like no other 21. West is best To witness the best of America's vast landscapes try Explore's Western USA National Parks Explorer itinerary. This 14-day escorted trip takes you to Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Bryce Canyon, Zion and Arches national parks, with time in San Francisco and Vegas too.  It is also effectively an all-inclusive as the price (from £2,660) covers all but a handful of meals. Next departure April 11. Family 22. Simple Sardinia Perdepera Beach Resort, an inviting property run by Mark Warner, offers lovely gardens, a soft beach and the offer of all-inclusive breaks where the price covers travel, meals, drinks, kids' clubs, cycling, tennis, watersports and fitness classes. A seven-night getaway for a family of four, flying from Stansted on June 6, costs from £649 per person. 23. Seeing spots Fancy something a little different to the European beach break this year? Exodus's Kenya Family Wildlife Quest is a great seven-day family adventure which offers an introduction to the African continent's most famous residents. Designed for 9-12 year olds (although also suitable for 13-16 year olds), it includes the Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley, and an elephant orphanage and giraffe centre in Nairobi – as well as most meals.  From £2,649 per person with Exodus. Skiing 24. Swiss sensation The enclosed world of the ski resort is ideal for all-inclusive indulgence, and Powder Byrne sells a Cruise the Mountain package that it describes as the "ultimate all-inclusive luxury ski break". This is no idle boast – a seven-night break in the Swiss resort of Arosa (at the five-star Tschuggen Grand Hotel or the deluxe Valsana Hotel & Appartements) comes with flights, first-class train transfers, breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea in the hotel, lunch on the slopes, six-day ski pass, ski rental and private guiding. Comprehensive. From £3,900 per person. Take to the slopes in Arosa Credit: getty 25. Alpine escapades Crystal Ski plays the all-inclusive card at the Hotel Altitude – a four-star in the French Alps at Arc 2000. It offers two whirlpools, a swimming pool, sauna, steam room and views of Mont Blanc. A seven-night all-inclusive stay in early 2020 costs from £729 per person. Lift pass and ski hire additional.  26. Club classic Club Med has made a shiny virtue of its all-inclusive ski holidays with a family flavour. Four-star Les Arcs Panorama, in the French Alpine resort of Les Arcs 1600, boasts indoor and outdoor pools, children's clubs, three restaurants and a snowboarding school.  Seven nights all-inclusive from £1,286 per person, with ski pass included but flights additional.  Safari 27. Both sides now Safari holidays are effectively all-inclusive beach breaks with the surf and sand replaced by lions and giraffes. It is otherwise the same idea – a trip where you lift as few fingers as possible save to eat the delicious morsels put in front of you. Audley Travel even includes the sigh of the waves in its 17-day Luxury Kenya Safari and Beach break, which features everything plus the proverbial kitchen sink as it flits between Samburu National Reserve, the Maasai Mara and the cosy Waterlovers Hotel on the Indian Ocean shore at Diani Beach. From £9,400 per person. 28. Sun Tanz Cox & Kings follows a similar two-tone path in its Tanzania and Zanzibar in Style – a 13-day odyssey where lions and ocean roar in equal measure. The tour takes in one of Tanzania's smallest and least fabled wildlife zones (Lake Manyara National Park), and one of its biggest and most celebrated (Serengeti National Park) then swaps both for easy living and four nights in a beach lodge on Zanzibar. Available from £8,075 per person, including flights, transfers – and five-star accommodation, with all meals throughout Add a bit of beach to your safari Credit: getty 29. Monkey business All-inclusivity also applies to the Blue Monkey Safari by Expert Africa, which avoids the site-hopping of other big-beast-focused breaks to linger in South Luangwa National Park in the east of Zambia at sophisticated Nkwali, a camp owned and run by specialist Robin Pope Safaris. Go in December and catch the start of the post-rain lushness of "Emerald Season". A seven-night holiday costs from £3,015 per person, including flights, transfers, game drives, all meals and most drinks. South Luangwa Credit: 2016 Cruise 30. Victorian values Cruises tend to be floating havens of grand all-inclusivity. Voyages with Cunard are priced to cover all dining, activities and entertainment. With this in mind, and if money is no object, you might as well opt for the sumptuous full breakfast of the 108-night round-the-world voyage that will see the Queen Victoria sail west on Jan 10 2020. She departs from, and returns to, Southampton. From £11,899 a head for an inside berth.  Will you be taking an all-inclusive holiday in 2020? What destinations do you love? To join the conversation log in to your Telegraph account or register for free, here.

Revealed: The cities that could face an overtourism crisis in the next decade - Telegraph.co.uk Posted: 12 Jun 2019 12:00 AM PDT Hostility towards tourists has reached new heights in recent years. Sightseeing buses in Barcelona have had their tyres slashed, cruise ships arriving in Venice are greeted by angry protestors, and anti-tourist graffiti has become commonplace across Europe. "Tourists go home" appears to be a particularly popular refrain; last year I spotted a slogan on a wall in Lisbon comparing foreign arrivals to a "zombie invasion". "Overtourism", and conflict between camera-wielding travellers and locals who fear their home is being ruined, is on the rise. And, more often than not, it is big cities providing the battleground. The rise of city tourism A few decades ago most Britons made do with a single holiday a year – and with few exceptions it involved bracing the UK seaside or an all-inclusive package at a Mediterranean resort. Then came the deregulation of air travel, the rise of low-cost flights and the age of city tourism. Today we can fly to just about every significant metropolis in Europe - from Aarhus to Zagreb - for the price of a slap-up dinner, while North America, Asia and Oceania are just as well endowed with cheap connections. So it's little wonder that travellers around the world have been taking advantage. According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), tourists made 1.4 billion overseas trips in 2018. Of those, 45 per cent (630 million) were city breaks, and more than 36 per cent (500 million) involved one of the world's 300 most popular cities. Add to that figure billions of domestic travellers and it is clear to see why overtourism has become one of the biggest problems of the 21st century. Furthermore, the rise in city tourism continues to outpace tourism growth as a whole, meaning the crowds, confrontations and strained infrastructure already witnessed in the likes of Rome, Paris and Palma de Mallorca, looks set to continue – or, more likely, worsen. The next battlegrounds So which cities will be under the greatest pressure in the coming years? In an effort to answer that question WTTC examined 50 popular destinations, assessing their readiness for the extra visitors expected in the coming decade. Looking at the tourism map, the past decade has seen a clear shift from north to south and west to east, driven by the rise of the middle class in China and India. That trend is set to continue. So it should come as no surprise that several of the cities earmarked for potential problems are in Asia and the Middle East. All but two of the 12 cities where tourism is forecast to grow fastest in the coming decade are in one of these two regions. They are Istanbul, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Cairo, Jakarta, Mumbai, Bogota, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai and Moscow. Of this dozen, WTTC pinpoints six with a low "readiness" score, based on factors such as urban infrastructure and labour availability. They are, in order of susceptibility to problems, Delhi, Cairo, Jakarta, Manila, Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur. That's not to say other cities won't experience problems. Of the 50 cities examined, Chengdu, Ho Chi Minh City, Mexico City, Riyadh, Bangkok and Lima also performed poorly. The European cities with the lowest readiness score were - in order - Moscow, Istanbul, Prague and Lisbon. Many more destinations not among the WTTC's big 50 will also experience overtourism in the coming decade. An EU report last year highlighted 105 areas where the phenomenon has already been witnessed. They included the usual suspects, such as Paris - where overcrowding became so bad recently that Louvre employees went on strike - and Barcelona, but also cities such as Bruges, Salzburg, Valletta, Rio, Reykjavik, Budapest, Bucharest, Bagan, Stockholm, Tallinn, Copenhagen and Lucerne. Islands - such as Skye, Juist (Germany) and Santorini - attractions - including the Plitvice Lakes, Machu Picchu and Geirangerfjord - and even villages - like the Dutch tourism magnet of Giethoorn and Italy's Cinque Terre - were also cited. The world's most touristy city No major travel destination needs your money more than Cancún. The Mexican city, little more than a fishing village until the Seventies, relies on tourism for 49.6 per cent of its GDP, according to WTTC, putting it ahead of Marrakesh (30.2 per cent) and Macau (29.3 per cent). Venice, Dubrovnik, Orlando, Antalya, Las Vegas, Dubai and Bangkok complete the top 10. Furthermore, 37.7 per cent of Cancún's residents are employed in the tourist trade, more than any other destination. Macau is second on 27.6 per cent; for Venice the figure is 12.4 per cent. How to avoid overtourism Ditch the city break. Don't go to Lisbon, explore Portugal's Alentejo region. Skip Rome and delve into the Abruzzo. Eschew Barcelona and head to the Pyrenean foothills. Or find an empty Greek island. For beachgoers, the map below, created by the European Environment Agency (though a few years out of date), is instructive. Think twice about Croatia, Mallorca, Cyprus, Corsica, The Algarve and Cornwall, but do consider Galicia, Puglia and the Baltic states (honestly, the Latvian Riviera isn't as bad as you imagine). The Essex coast also looks a good bet... And if you simply must have an urban adventure, think outside the box. Not Venice, but Trieste. Not Amsterdam, but Utrecht. Stop following the crowd.

10 best Easter breaks for 2019: Hop away with these family deals - Independent.ie Posted: 11 Mar 2019 12:00 AM PDT Positano on the Sorrento Peninsula, Italy. Photo: Deposit Castle Grove Country House Marella Cruises - the new Thomson Cruises A tea stall in Georgetown, Penang. Photo: Deposit Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Photo: Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley Machu Picchu, Peru. Photo: Deposit Photos 10 best Easter breaks for 2019: Hop away with these family deals Independent.ie This year's Easter holidays run from April 15 to 26 inclusive. We've trawled the tour operators and travel agents for some of the best overseas travel deals. https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/deals/10-best-easter-breaks-for-2019-hop-away-with-these-family-deals-37899736.html https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/503cb/34774729.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/positano.jpg Email This year's Easter holidays run from April 15 to 26 inclusive. We've trawled the tour operators and travel agents for some of the best overseas travel deals. Camping on the Costa Dorada ClickAndGo.com has a seven-night camping holiday for two adults and one child from €839. It includes flights and seven nights' accommodation in a self-catering mobile home at the four-star Playa Montroig Campsite on Spain's Costa Dorada (where you'll find the Portaventura theme parks, above) departing from Dublin on April 16. 01 539-7777; clickandgo.com. Easter city break in Dublin A plush suite at the Morgan Hotel The newly-refurbished Morgan Hotel in Temple bar has an Easter package available between April 12 and 28. It includes B&B, a family ticket for the Hop On Hop Off City Tour and a picnic basket with lunch from €200. The Easter Bunny will also be paying a visit, and children under 12 can get free breakfast and dinner (one child per paying adult). 01-6437000; themorgan.com. Magical Malaysia: 5-star families A tea stall in Georgetown, Penang. Photo: Deposit Thurles-based Bowe Travel has 10 nights in Penang for two adults and two children from €1,495pp over Easter. The prices include flights and five-star luxury accommodation with private airport transfers. 0504 22200; Bowetravel.ie; or see itaa.ie/offers. Set sail to France After a series of delays and cancellations last year, Irish Ferries has finally launched its new, 1,800-passenger W.B. Yeats cruise-ferry. It will sail from Dublin to Cherbourg from March 14, and ITAA member Grogan Travel has a seven-night trip to France from €945 for a family of five – including the sailing and camping in Le Littoral, in the Vendee Region. Departures are available on April 9, 11, 13 and 16. 093 24116; grogantravel.ie. Hike the Camino Ingles Penitents take part in the 'Cristo del Perdon' brotherhood procession during the Holy Week in Ferrol, Spain in 2010. Archive Photo: MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images   The Camino Ingles is the route traditionally taken by Irish and British pilgrims on their way to Santiago. It starts in the port city of Ferrol in Galicia… which also hosts one of the region's best Easter celebrations. Camino Ways has a seven-night guided tour including two nights in Ferrol, so walkers can witness the Good Friday processions, before starting off for Santiago. The trip departs on April 18, and is priced at €780pp including accommodation, transfers, breakfasts, dinners, guides and a holiday pack, but not flights. 01 525-2886; caminoways.com. Sunny Sorrento Positano on the Sorrento Peninsula, Italy. Photo: Deposit Gohop.ie has a seven-night family holiday to Sorrento in Italy from €779pp departing on April 14. The price is based on two adults and two children staying at the four-star Hotel La Pergola, with flights and transfers included. There are direct flights from Dublin to Naples. 01 241-2389; gohop.ie. Blue Book breaks in Donegal Castle Grove Country House The Blue Book's Castle Grove Country House has a three-night Easter special including B&B with a gourmet dinner on one evening from €240pp. The package includes afternoon tea on arrival, and an Easter egg hunt for children with the Easter Bunny. Castle Grove is near Letterkenny, a good base for exploring the northern peninsulas or south Donegal. 074 915-1118; castlegrove.com. Pack your bags for Peru Machu Picchu, Peru. Photo: Deposit Photos Fancy a family adventure with a difference? G Adventures' Peru Family Experience is on special from €1,274pp for an April 19 departure. The nine-day trip starts in Lima, before travelling by motorized canoe into the Amazon jungle, visiting Machu Picchu and exploring the plazas, markets and ancient ruins of Cusco. Flights are not included in the priced. gadventures.com. Hop over to Galway Galway's Glenlo Abbey Hotel has a two-night B&B stay with dinner on a night of your choice at the 2AA Rosette Pullman Restaurant aboard the Orient Express, a movie in its theatre and chocolate treats from €289pp. Guests staying Easter Sunday can also enjoy a falconry show. 091 519600; glenloabbeyhotel.ie. Manchester: A delicious derby Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Photo: Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley A resurgent Manchester United take on Premier League leaders Manchester City at Old Trafford on April 24 in a game that could also have big ramifications for Liverpool's title challenge. Celtic Horizon Tours have seated match tickets with accommodation at the 3-star Holiday Inn Express from €359pp. A coach and ferry package to see Man Utd. versus Chelsea (April 28) is also available from €279pp. 01 629-2000; celtichorizontours.com. Easter on the ocean Marella Cruises - the new Thomson Cruises Take an island-hopping adventure with a seven-night Canary Islands fly/cruise package from Cassidy Travel. Available from €4,300 for two adults and two children, the Marella Dream stops in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, La Palma, Madeira, Morocco and Lanzarote. The cruise departs April 12, with an outside cabin and meals and drinks included. 01 290-1000; cassidytravel.ie. PS. TUI has a 3-star self-catering family holiday in Gran Canaria from €2,619 (2+2) departing April 18, and a 4-star all-inclusive break in Lanzarote from €2,419 (2+1) departing April 21. 1850 453 545; tuiholidays.ie. Read more: Spring Breaks: 7 of the best places to travel in Ireland and overseas Online Editors

The best places to travel in 2018 - Irish Times Posted: 06 Jan 2018 12:00 AM PST BUDGET TRAVEL Baiona, Galicia The Spanish Costas are overrun with tourists as once-popular destinations in North Africa remain off limits. Northern Spain has better value and it's rarely better than Baiona in southern Galicia. The fishing port is close to Portugal so gets warmer weather and less rain than locations further north. The town has several small and appealing beaches – with countless others along the coast nearby. If you like seafood you will be in heaven with prices more reflective of the Spanish rather than the German or Irish cost of living. Albania Not the first place a family might think of, nor the easiest to get to – you'd have to travel via Manchester – but it has novelty factor and is much cheaper than Italy or Croatia. The beaches are beautiful, the villages quaint – look towards the medieval town of Kruja, Apollonia's ruins and Berat , the Unesco World Heritage site famous(ish) for Byzantine churches and Ottoman architecture. Car hire is less than €10 a day and restaurants and accommodation are as cheap. And the sun will shine. Turkey Turmoil in Turkey has seen its tourist industry struggle in recent years but a decline in popularity has had a consequential fall in package holiday prices. The more adventurous might want to check out Gaziantep, Turkey, a 90-minute flight from Istanbul, If you are into your food you'll be delighted to know it is one of only eight Unesco Creative Gastronomy cities in the world and also the pistachio capital of Turkey. It is a whole lot cheaper than the big resorts and Istanbul and while it is 200km away from the coast, it will bring out the adventurous spirit in some. Costa de la Luz This is the secret the Spanish keep to themselves because they don't want their coast of light blighted by lobster-red tourists from the north. The stretch of coast from Cadiz to Trafalgar (yes, the famous one) and Conil de La Frontera boasts stretches of sandy beaches and low-rise, eco-friendly resorts and endless days of unbroken sunshine are all but guaranteed. The beach-side restaurants are brilliant and brilliantly cheap, the surfing and body boarding are great craic and if you get bored Morocco is a day-trip across the sea. Don't go in July and August when all of Spain seems to be there. Wild Atlantic Way If it is good enough for Luke Skywalker it should be good enough for you. We are terrible in Ireland for overlooking the magical tourist hotspots on our doorstep and there can't be anywhere in the county that is attracting more attention internationally than Skellig Michael and the Wild Atlantic Way at its fringe. Don't plan it too much. Just pick a random spot along the way and start cycling. If you're not too fussy about your accommodation and don't let the weather get you down, you will have a great – and very cheap – holiday at home. – Conor Pope SMARTER CHOICES Croatia has gone cruiseship mad - go on an adventure in Croatia's Paklenica, Northern Velebit and Plitvice National Parks. The smartest thing you can do when it comes to travelling this year is to put down your smartphone and avoid social media frenzies. As tourist destinations become overrun, we need to stop and really think before travelling these days. So get smart by researching properly, talk to local experts and keep it real. Tourism is such a force for good. When handled the smart way. Not the hashtag way. Cruising for a bruising Many giant cruise ships have questionable environmental, economic and human rights records. I'll keep shouting until I'm hoarse, "We do not need a bigger boat." There are plenty of small ship cruise options. Cruise Croatia or the Galapagos with fewer than 40 on board, Iceland with 80 or Scotland with eight. Try a cruise in Scotland along Caledonian Canal. Coast to coast, the overland route. St Hilda Sea Adventures (sthildaseaadventures.co.uk) or The Majestic Line (themajesticline.co.uk). For vessels that don't vex, see The Small Ship Cruise Ship Collection (small-cruise-ships.com) Wildlife gone wrong Touchy feely wildlife tourism should be extinct. Even Instagram gives a warning message to wildlife selfie snappers. Say no to riding elephants, whales in water parks, cuddling dolphins or petting lion cubs. Instead, see them in the wild, and keep your distance. Always seek out responsible wildlife tourism experts. No mention of "responsible" on the site suggests ethically questionable. Why not go sea kayaking amid whale habitats in British Columbia, Canada, with BC Unbound (bcunbound.com). Lots of responsible tourism at Natural World Safaris (naturalworldsafaris.com) Tribes Travel (tribes.co.uk) and The Dolphin and Whale Connection (dolphinandwhaleconnection.com) Politics and tourism After years of travel boycotts, Myanmar is back on the controversial list because of its brutal purge of Rohingya Muslims. The choice is yours but, if you do go, travel responsibly so that your money stays locally. Post-Mugabe Zimbabwe means tourism can breathe a sigh of relief. Check out Exodus Travel's group trips (exodus.co.uk/zimbabwe-holidays) and tailor-made with Native Escapes (nativeescapes.com). If Trump's trip to Israel angered you, then visit Palestine. See Siraj Center (sirajcenter.org) for superb trips with peace at their core. Always keep up to date with DFA travel advice (dfa.ie) but also subscribe to Amnesty Ireland (amnesty.ie) as your new year's resolution. See Siraj Center for superb trips with peace at their core in Palestine. Adriatic awfulness Croatia has gone cruiseship mad and Montenegro concrete crazy. Although only in certain spots, leaving plenty of these stunning countries to enjoy, if you know how. Go on an adventure in Croatia's Paklenica, Northern Velebit and Plitvice National Parks. And in Montenegro, Lake Skadar National Park is a stunner. Or get to the Adriatic before the other European schools break up. May and June are still quiet. Check out Undiscovered Montenegro for Skadar at its most spectacular (undiscoveredmontenegro.com) and walk Croatia's National Parks with Huck Finn Croatia (huckfinncroatia.com) Volunteer vacations The Caribbean's eco gem of an island, Dominica, was ravaged by Hurricane Maria and in serious need of tourists coming back. Volunteer to help rebuild a local Dominican community, with this trip on Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com/holiday/22253/help-rebuild-dominica-after-hurricane-maria). For updates on all Caribbean Islands post-Hurricanes Maria and Irma, see the Caribbean Tourist Board (caribbeantravelupdate.com) and Responsible Travel's online travel guide to Dominica including the long distance Waitukubuli walking Trail (responsibletravel.com). – Catherine Mack ECO/ WILDLIFE Kayak across Lake Bled in Slovenia before following a trail through the trees to a tea room once used by President Tito. Slovenia Slovenia is made for anyone who enjoys the great outdoors. It's the first country to be declared a green destination. The best time to visit depends on whether you want snowy peaks (Dec-March) or hiking and cycling (May-Sept). Outside these months, there is still plenty on offer. Check the "I Feel Slovenia" website (slovenia.info/en) for information. Fly from Dublin/Cork via Amsterdam, Frankfurt or London or to Venice and cross the border by train. Kayak across Lake Bled before following a trail through the trees to a tea room once used by President Tito. (lakeblednews.com/cafe-belvedere). Jackson Hole, Wyoming Winter is not just for the skiers in Jackson Hole. It's also for the birds – hawks, eagles and owls – and the elk, moose, bison and wolves. The valley floor, part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, is as well regarded as Lamar Valley for wolf sightings. In summer, the Teton mountains that frame the "hole" (aka valley) provide the backdrop for grizzlies as they re-emerge. Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris (jacksonholewildlifesafaris.com), founded by photographer and guide Jason Williams, have winter and summer safari offerings. Trailfinders (trailfinders.com) has flights via Denver and Washington. Antarctica Head south to visit the world's last wild frontier, see its declining colonies of penguins and view spectacular glaciers breaking into icebergs. The carbon footprint of getting here is substantial – flying to Argentina and then boarding a cruise, so travel on fuel-efficient, Cleanship-certified vessels (Abercrombie & Kent's Ponant, abercrombiekent.com; Responsible Travel, responsibletravel.com) carrying 250 people or fewer. Only 100 passengers are permitted to disembark at one time. Support polar research through the Scott Polar Research Institute (spri.cam.ac.uk). Botswana Wildlife Guiding Course Be part of your own safari by learning to how to track the Big Five, to paddle your own canoe through the Okavango Delta and wild camp under the stars. "Safari Brothers" Grant and Brent Reed, known for their NatGeo Wild programme, run one- to four-week guiding courses (€1,624-€2,744pp) at their Okavango Guiding School (guidetrainingcourses.com). It is based in Kwapa Camp, in wilderness that stretches unfenced from northern Botswana into Angola and Zambia. Training sponsorship for a local guide is included. Courses are run all year round. Dry season is May to September. Watch the brothers on the National Geographic channel (channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/safari-brothers/videos). Azores Once famous for its whaling, this Portuguese archipelago is now a whale-watching hotspot. You can also hike, bike, visit wineries and taste cheese. Blue and fin whales pass through from April to June while sperm whales, dolphins and sea birds gather all year round. Bring waterproof bags for your camera if you plan to travel around the nine volcanic islands and book accommodation at least a few nights in advance at busy times. Archipelago Choice offers a seven-night whale-watching holiday to Pico (azoreschoice.com, €990). – Leonie Corcoran Newly accessible/in from the edges As the first new sovereign state of the 21st century, Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is finding itself on the tourist map. The old adage that it's better to travel in hope than to arrive gets reworked by those whose only hope is to get there before everybody else does. St Helena Until last year, the remote island of St Helena was only accessible by postal ship. Thanks to a new airport, the tiny south Atlantic island, 1200km from the nearest landmass, is being repurposed as the Galapagos of the Atlantic. It's particularly good for divers, teeming with marine life and wrecks. Dive Worldwide has weeklong packages from £2,795pps including UK flights. It has great diving and you can expect to see whale sharks between December and March. Timor Leste As the first new sovereign state of the 21st century, Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is finding itself on the tourist map. Just 270km by 75km, it is packed with beautiful beaches , tropical forests and mountain ranges. Responsible Travel has two-week holidays starting in the capital, Dili, and then staying in a mix of guesthouses and stunning eco resorts, including visits to Jaco and Atauro islands, camping, trekking and snorkelling for €3,799, excluding flights. September to November is whale season. Cape Verde The very words will bring back uncomfortable Celtic Tiger memories but interest is growing in these Atlantic islands 500 km off Senegal. It is driven by beaches, lunar landscapes and colourful, cobbled towns like Santa Maria on Sal. On Boa Vista the beach stretches 55km right round the island. You'll find Loggerhead turtles and there's year-round sun, so it offers a good alternative to the Canaries in winter. Azerbaijan Call it the power of the Eurovision but ever since Azerbaijan hosted it in 2012, interest in the former Soviet republic has been growing. Baku has gleaming architecture towering over medieval streets. New builds include the three Flame Towers, a reference to its Zoroastrian heritage, and Zaha Hadid's convention centre, named for the ruling family. Check out the Croisette-style prom on the seafront, and go in March, for Novruz, the spring festival. Just don't go near Nagorno-Karabackh, it is contested and dangerous. (And don't ask why everything is named after the one family.) Laos Head for Laos, itself only open to foreigners since 1990. Sights include the Four Thousand Islands to the far south, the Khmer ruins at Wat Pho, and the capital, Vientiane. If you want to see elephants, head to Luang Prabang, where there's a great sanctuary. Go from November to April, when it's drier, but for once, don't take the road less travelled because there are landmines. – Sandra O'Connell FAMILY Paris is cheap and easy to fly directly, and family friendly. UK Brexit has us in a tizz but sterling's collapse means Britain has rarely been better value and by exploiting differences in school holidays (English schools don't break until July 16th next year) you'll make bigger savings. A three-bed "deluxe" caravan on the Devon Cliffs with Haven (haven.com) at the end of June/start of July was available before Christmas for £659 (€745). A Stena Line ferry costs just under €500 so you'd get a week for a family for about €1,200. Alternatively seven-nights with Haven booked through Irish Ferries in a two-bed "Deluxe" holiday home in the Welsh holiday park of Hafan Y Mor costs €997 for six including a return car ferry crossing. Catalonia When it comes to good value family sun holidays, camping's hard to beat. France is popular but a better, cheaper option is Catalonia. Playa Mont Roig, 90 minutes from Barcelona, is a self-contained beachside campsite with well-equipped caravans, excellent pool complexes, tennis courts, playgrounds and a kids club. A week in a three-bed caravan with eurocamp.ie at the end of June starts at €1,400. The restaurants and shops on site are grand but the giant supermarkets nearby with cheap food and cheaper booze are best. Port Aventura and the Aqopolis water park are 20 minutes' drive away but book in advance for discounts and if you're in the water park go for the return deal advertised when you're there. It allows you bring your family back for a second day for €20. Dunmore East Holidaying at home comes with weather-related perils and it's not always cheap but if things go well it can be perfect. Hotel accommodation is dear and camping can be dodgy but we like the three-bed lodges in the Dunmore East Holiday Park which cost €1,400 for a July week. The village and its restaurants are gorgeous, the beaches stunning and the Greenway will keeps families endlessly entertained even on grey days. Sardinia If you want to live like the rich and famous for a week, the sprawling Forte Village complex in Southern Sardinia is where you want to be just like the Beckhams and Abramoviches. There's tennis, pitch and putt, basketball and football (professional clubs host soccer camps), water sports, a magic academy, a "Children's Wonderland" including Mario's village and a "Barbie Activity". There's a full-sized go-kart track, beach volleyball, bowling and more. Dedicated chefs in gleaming whites cook buffets for little ones in their own restaurant. It's amazing but you'll have little change out of six grand for a week's half-board for four. Book direct at fortevillageresort.com or via citalia.com. Paris The French capital is an Airbnbers paradise – with hundreds of two and three bedroom apartments close to the city's excellent metro system and within striking distance of all the sights available for less than €100 a night. It is cheap and easy to fly directly too and has enough sites and crepes to keep children – and their parents – endlessly amused and if you're struggling, Disneyland Paris is a short hop away. – Conor Pope BIG SPEND Save your airfare and enjoy a few nights of Ireland in luxury in luxury accommodation such as Adare Manor. Around the world It doesn't take 80 days to get around the world anymore. You can do it in 22 with National Geographic Expeditions (nationalgeographicexpeditions.com). And a private jet. Obviously. The trip to end all trips starts in Seattle and includes Kyoto, the Gobi Desert, Siberia, Reykjavík and Greenland. You will be accompanied by a NatGeo team of "world class" experts to answer all your questions at every stop and in between. You can go any time of year, as long as you have €80,000 resting in an account. Galápagos Islands Who doesn't want to see boobies? On this remote Pacific archipelago of lava formations, cactus forests, green highlands and turquoise bays, you'll see boobies – blue-footed – and other wildlife at every turn. Darwin's "Enchanted Isles" offer some of the best up-close-and-personal wildlife encounters on the planet and can be accessed via organised cruise tours (intrepidtravel.com; wildfrontierstravel.com; ecoventura.com; gadventures.com). Every month has wildlife highlights, but seas tend to be calmer and clearer in the humid, slightly rainy season from December to May. December, January, July and August are the busiest months. Pick a cruise that allows you ashore as early as possible to avoid other groups and see animal activity. Great American Road Trip America is the country of the road trip and there's no better way to travel to the heart of its vastness it than by driving into it. Go coast to coast on Route 20 or 30; north to south on Route 66 or 61; or hit State sights California's 101 or in Monument Valley. Travel in a classic car (ridefree.com), RV (cruiseamerica.com) or airstream (airstream2go.com). Remember speed limits vary by State, vehicle and time of day (fhwa.dot.gov). According to US journalist Charles Kuralt, the interstate "makes it possible to go from coast to coast without seeing anything or meeting anybody. If the United States interests you, stay off the interstates." Northern Peru While the hordes have been flocking to Machu Picchu for decades, meaning travel in is now restricted, the pre-Incan villages in the north have been off the radar. Red Savannah (redsavannah.com) and Intrepid (intrepidtravel.com) offer trips that include Kuelap's sun gate; 1,500-year-old friezes in the Temple of the Moon near Trujillo; Unesco site Chan Chan and Peru's northern cloud forest and Gocta Falls, the third-highest waterfall in the world. It's best to travel during the dry season, May to September. Ireland in style Save your airfare and instead enjoy a few nights of Ireland in luxury. Hire a private driver guide (irelandchauffeurtravel.com) so you can sit back and travel with ease in a luxury car, enjoy the views, avoid the rows and sample the lunch and distillery offerings (Midleton, Kilbeggan, Bushmills) en route to luxury accommodation such as Adare Manor, Ashford Caste, Ballinahinch Castle or Gregan's Castle. Provide a budget and preferences and they can arrange the rest. Head before the summer crowds and when the weather adds to the experience of staying in a five-star hotel. And don't forget, when you are splashing out on five-star hotels, give yourself enough time to enjoy all the facilities, including people watching. – Leonie Corcoran CITIES Philadelphia The city of brotherly love will have two daily services from Dublin from March, with Aer Lingus fares from €202. Within a square mile you'll find the Independence Museum, The National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell Centre and the African American Museum. Philly, a great walking city, as the easy-to-navigate streets are wide and tree-lined. It is a tax-free city for shopping, while late-night party-goers should try Union Transfer, Fillmore Philadlephia, or the Trestle Inn. The city embraces murals; there are nearly 4,000 and you can tour by app or with a guide, muralarts.org. See discoverPHL.com. Seville Murillo fans should put 2018 in their diaries as Seville will be marking the 400th anniversary of the Baroque painter. There will be six exhibitions during the year. Seville has some great modern architecture, including the Metropol Parisol, an extraordinary wooden structure at La Encarnacion Plaza. This December, the city will host the 31st European Film Awards. Seville is also known for the quality of its tapas. Move from bar to bar trying the house specialities. spain.info/en. Oslo Norway's capital has been named in the Lonely Planet top 10 cities for 2018. Oslo is cheap to get to with Norwegian return flights from under €70. This year, King Harald V and Queen Sonya will celebrate 50 years of marriage and the city has a packed calendar to mark the occassion. Explore the islands around the city on a City Pass card and eat fish in Fiskeriet.com on Youngstorgatet. Drink lovers will enjoy Himkok on Storgata, a flag bearer for Oslo's cocktail scene. See visitoslo.com. Bristol Bristol is enjoying a upturn in its fortunes and has become a great city break destination. It has incredible street art and is touted as the best place to eat outside London. The Good Food Guide included seven new entries for Bristol this year. Explore the street art heritage of Banksy and friends with wherethewall.com/tours. Explore the Floating Dock area, a redevelopment that is bringing visitors to the city. Eat in one of Britain biggest restaurants ZaZaBazaar where they can feed 2,100 people every day. Watch out for Wallace and Gromit, they live in Bristol. VisitBristol.com Valetta – European city of culture Valletta's year of culture kicks off from January 20th with over 400 events planned for the year. The City of Culture will spread all around the island and to neighbouring Gozo. Over 1,000 local and international artists, curators, artist collectives, performers, workshop leaders, writers, designers, choirs and film-makers will participate in culture year. Visit St John's Co Cathedral, one of the most lavish churches in the world. Or people watch at Rampila restaurant in the ramparts overlooking the city entrance, rampila.com. See the programme for Year of Culture, valletta2018.org. –  Joan Scales  INTERESTING ALTERNATIVES Specialist holiday provider Wild Photography Holidays describes Greenland as "like Iceland on steroids. It's always good to have a Plan B when you travel, particularly when you've already done Plan A and want somewhere like it, but new. Skip Iceland, go to Greenland Time was when making it to Iceland had a certain cachet. But specialist holiday provider Wild Photography Holidays (wildphotographyholidays.com) describes Greenland as "like Iceland on steroids". As Iceland is pretty amped already, Greenland can only be a good thing. There are no roads between settlements so pack the Kwells, you'll be travelling by boat.The Jakobshavn Glacier is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the best time to visit is between February and March for snaps, sunrise and sunset at their most spectacular. Skip western Europe, go to Macedonia Walking holiday enthusiasts find much to love about western Europe, except for the heat. In the height of summer, temperatures can climb well into the chafing 40s. The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia presents a cooler clime, and indeed, climb, according to Walks Worldwide, a travel company. It has the added advantage of fewer visitors too, even at the height of summer. Visit Ohrid, a Unesco heritage site, with fine Byzantine churches, frescos, and traditional-styled houses. Skip the Greek islands, go to Pelion Skip the Greek islands in favour of unspoiled locations on the Pelion Peninsula, the mountainous region with sandy beaches between Athens and Thessaloniki, regarded by some as Greece's best kept secret. Fairlight Jones has three-bedroom villas with private pool and a seafront location at Kato Gatzea, an archetypal seaside village, from £662 per person sharing, including car hire and flights. It's where the gods of Olympus went on their summer holidays, and the best months are still May to September. The best beaches are on the eastern side. Skip Kerala, go to Karnataka Kerala may be God's own country but you'll get way more bragging rights for Karnataka, to the north. From the palace at Mysore, to the fort at Bidar and the Vittala Temple with its musical columns, there is loads to see. Cities, wildlife parks, hill stations, world heritage sites, ancient pilgrimage sites, beaches, waterfalls and one of the world's biggest freestanding statues. And guess what, it's got backwaters too. It's best to visit between November and April, and you can get a concentrated dose of Karnataka culture at the three day Hampi Utsav festival which takes place in early November. Skip your local, go to Tipperary Looking for a lock-in? Want a few drinks without having to worry about getting home? Keen to shout "drinks for everyone in the house" without breaking the bank? Conroy's Old Bar (conroysoldbar.com) is just the alternative for you. The Tipperary pub is available to rent on a self-catering basis. It's open 365 days a year – even Good Friday as it has no liquor licence, so it's BYOB all the way, but come on, your own pub? – Sandra O'Connell FESTIVITIES Seoul, South Korea. The Winter Olympics take place in South Korea from February 9th-25th, 2018. Easter celebrations in Spain Easter celebrations in Spain (March 23rd -April 1st, 2018) are celebrated in the Semana Santa festivities. In Malaga, penitents will take to the street wearing extraordinary costumes with huge hooded hats, while massive effigies and icons are carried through the streets. In Marbella, the Easter festival has processions every day around the city where beautifully dressed people sing, and carry effigies and gifts into the churches. There are usually Easter processions in all towns and cities in Spain, spain.info/en. Festival No 6 Set in the picturesque Italianate coastal village of Portmeirion, Festival No 6's mysterious name refers to the Prisoner cult series from the 1960s. The quirky village comprises Italian period buildings in a carefully landscaped cove. The festival, which runs from September 6th-9th, 2018, includes performances in the historic town hall and sea shanties by the estuary. Or you could just unwind in the woodland spa. The The have just been announced as lead act. You can sleep in a castle, a cottage, a boutique tipi, or pitch your own tent in the lush gardens. There will be musicians, guest chefs preparing a banquet, arts, culture, and activities. Weekend tickets from £175/€197, festivalnumber6.com Nola is 300 The most diverse city in the United States will celebrate 300 years history with a programme of events throughout the year. There will be music and parties aplenty but also serious discussions on inter-faith, a global summit on women and girls, and unique art exhibitions, plus a look at how the city has progressed since Hurricane Katrina. One of the biggest events will be Mardi Gras on February 13th, there will be parades all around the city in the days leading up to it. See 2018nola.com and mardigrasneworleans.com South Korea Winter Olympics take place in South Korea from February 9th-25th, 2018. Visitors can visit the DMZ, the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, and it is the top tourist attraction. The Gyeongbokgung Palace is considered the most beautiful of the many palaces. Korean food is becoming popular and not to be missed. A classic tour of the country with G Adventures would include Seoul, the DMZ, Busan and the palaces, visiting food markets, a stay in a monastery and the tropical Jeju Island from €2,249 plus flights, gadventures.com. Russia The World Cup brings lots of interest to Russia from mid-June to mid-July. As it is such a vast country the easiest way to travel is as part of a guided tour. The White Nights Festival in St Petersburg from May 24th- July 23rd is when the cultural institutions of the Hermitage and the Marinsky Theatre open with a big programme of ballet, opera, art and music (Saint-petersburg.com). Trips to Russia with citiescapes.ie include St Petersburg and Moscow from Helsinki, eight nights from €1,749pps and cruise from St Petersburg to Moscow, 10 nights from €1,599pps. Three-day trips to St. Petersburg are visa-free (travelescapes.ie). – Joan Scales

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