A tropical oasis brimming with French fashion and cuisine, New Caledonia is the St Tropez of the Pacific – but don’t be fooled, this island offers much more than croissants by the beach.
Noumea is the capital and the region with the greatest French influence. The resort-like atmosphere is peppered with colonial architecture, boutique shops and al fresco dining. Further north on the main island is where you’ll find a completely different New Cal. Go horse riding in the mountains from La Foa, take a helicopter ride over the Heart of Voh, and visit the rural town of Bourail. Known for its cattle stations and cowboys, each August Bourail also hosts its annual Agricultural Fair, featuring a rodeo that attracts a crowd of around 25,000 people.
Off the main island of Grand Terre, you’ll fall in love with the stunning Isle of Pines. Known as the jewel of the Pacific, it was once a French penal colony; these days people wish they could be trapped here.
Of course, the whole shebang is surrounded by a fringing reef that encompasses a 1.3 million square kilometre marine park. If the blue stuff is your thing, you can snorkel, dive, swim, windsurf, stand-up paddleboard and kayak to your heart’s content.
Oh, we know what you’re thinking. It’s either clogs and windmills, or weed and red lights. All of the above can, of course, be part of a trip to this corner of the world, yet if they are the only reasons you decide to head to the Netherlands, you’re in for a big surprise.
Most travellers touch down in Amsterdam, where there’s the chance to do some damage or get your culture on (or a maybe a little bit from both piles). Cosy cafes and bars are incredibly enticing, as are the street vans selling chips and mayo or chocolate waffles into the wee small hours. The art scene here is incredible, and you should definitely plan on losing a few hours staring at the Rembrandts and Vermeers at the Rijksmuseum, before taking a canal boat cruise beneath bridges and past centuries-old homes.
But this compact country has plenty more to offer. There’s the country’s oldest city, Utrecht, where the skyline isn’t dominated by skyscrapers but the Dom Tower of the Cathedral of Saint Martin, which stands at just 112 metres high.
Then you have the Netherlands’ southwest, which isn’t all tulips, windmills and cheese. Rotterdam has got it all going on at the moment, with a full-throttle program of reconstruction. The contemporary architecture is mind-blowing and the arts and nightlife scenes of Witte de Withkwartier equally as impressive. Then there’s the Hague, the seat of government and home to a huge population of foreigners working for various embassies and United Nations organisations. Finally, there’s Delft, hometown of Johannes Vermeer and the famous blue pottery.
Take me higher! Indeed Nepal will – Himalayan high, in fact. The country has eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains. Steeped in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions – many of the population adhere to one of them – it’s an inevitable outcome that Nepal makes a popular spiritual and trekking destination.
You’ll explore remote monasteries, mountain teahouses, sherpa culture and Himalayan vistas that cannot, literally, be topped. There are more intricate temples, grand old palaces and places to release your inner hippie than you can poke your walking pole at. After experiencing Nepali mountain life and climbing till you drop, your weary body will be deserving of a long soak in hot springs. Food will never have tasted so good when you tuck into Newari soups and curries.
You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that there are Nepali safaris, where you can (hopefully) spot rhinoceros, tigers, wild boars, monkeys and deer, as well as kayaking where you may encounter crocodiles, otters and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.
As the nation recovers from the devastating earthquake that hit in April 2015, your tourist dollars are all the more valuable.
This dreamy little country is so visually striking it leaves you breathless. The vast Namib Desert is an unforgiving panorama of haunting beauty and its red sands sing under the bluest of skies.
The remains of ill-fated ships line the lonely southwestern coastline, their bare metal bones protruding from the sand. Yet there’s plenty of life in the animal-abundant Etosha National Park and the Kalahari. Windhoek, the capital, and the surf town Swakopmund thrive with people from all walks of life.
Mozambique doesn’t get the coverage that its neighbours enjoy and it’s had its share of civil war and famine, but don’t let that deter you. Maputo is a jumping, well-worn seaside capital. To escape the bustle head to the highlands, the coast or the Zambezi River. The main form of public transport is minibus, but be warned… they fill them F-U-L-L, and when its 38 degrees with no air-con, it’s damn hot!
But it is well worth it. Dotted along Mozambique’s 2500 kilometres of coastline are chilled beach towns, some of which turn into party hubs during high season with an influx of Europeans and South Africans. Pick your time and you may be able to dive with the whale sharks and mantas. As well as diving and fishing, you’ll also be able to pick up surf lessons. The beach kids will always have something to flog, are well versed in the hustle and are often devastatingly charming. The further north you go the more rugged and Islamic it gets.
This is a raw, at times rough, but definitely charming and exciting destination.
We’re not going to give you too many points for working out its name means ‘black mountain’. But you’ll get brownie points for telling us when Montenegro became an independent nation. (It was 2006, for those playing along.)
That doesn’t mean that this is a country lacking in history. Far from it, in fact. Anyone with even a flicker of interest in the machinations of this part of Europe will be fascinated by a past that has included Roman and Slav rule, hundreds of years of dust-ups with the Ottomans, and invasion during World War II by German and Italian troops.
Close the history books though, and take a look around. Montenegro is yet another reason to believe in the saying ‘good things come in small packages’. It combines all the best parts of some its neighbours, including Croatia, and crams it into package that’s even smaller than East Timor.
By far the jewel in the country’s tiny crown is its coast, even though it’s only about 100 kilometres long. It’s rugged, has picturesque cities and villages clinging to cliffs above turquoise water, and gives visitors the chance to enjoy one of those places they thought only existed in postcards. Sveti Stefan is that small island covered in villas and parks, linked to the mainland by a walking path and favoured by A-listers.
Elsewhere, lakes, mountains and national parks will ensure your camera gets a decent workout.
Despite its ability to provide breathtaking, culturally out-there experiences, Mongolia has escaped the mass-tourism radar to a certain degree. All the better for those keen to go somewhere a tad more wild.
Experiencing a Nadaam festival and its colourful traditions – wrestling, horse racing, archery and throat singing among them – will make you feel as though you have really arrived in a foreign land.
The sheer emptiness of the place will also inspire that feeling. This is most sparsely populated independent country in the world, inhabited largely by nomads living traditional lives. Across its huge landmass the country ranges from the Gobi Desert in the south to cold, mountainous regions in the north, so there are plenty of natural pleasures – volcanoes, hot springs, lakes and sand dunes – to be enjoyed.
The past of Mongol hordes, ruling Chinese dynasties and a peaceful Democratic Revolution mean there are lots of palaces, monasteries and museums scattered across the country. Spend a night or two in a traditional ger (round tent), soaking up the locals’ hospitality and eating Mongolian barbecue. It’s a long way from Ulaanbaatar, the country’s capital, with its insane traffic, mix of cultures – business people, monks and nomads who’ve had to head to the city – and crazy energy.
You could be forgiven for having no other reason for visiting Moldova than wine. Because even though you may never have heard of it before right now, this land-locked Eastern European nation easily has one of the best, or at least most interesting, industries on the continent. About 10 per cent of its vineyards, for instance, are planted with indigenous varieties, such as Fetească Albă, Plavai and the best-known, Rara Neagră. And it’s not just the process; the Guinness Book of World Records recognises the wine collections in Moldova’s underground cellars are the largest in the world. There are plenty of guided tours on offer and some of the smaller wineries also offer overnight stays.
Try to at least pretend you’ve come to experience other parts of Moldova’s culture, because it’s worth doing. Take a squiz at the Orheiul Vechi, a thirteenth-century monastery built into a cave that is still inhabited by monks (obviously not the same ones). While the city itself is not particularly attractive, there are several museums, as well as some brutal Soviet-era architecture, in the capital Chișinău to placate the culturally curious. In the countryside, take to bike or horseback to explore this off-the-beaten track destination, where the landscape is unspoiled and the people who live here are likely to welcome you into their homes. And there’s also wine.
Mexico is many things – good, bad and ugly. The upside: most of it is good. Very good. From snowy volcanic peaks to warm azure waters, mysterious ancient wonders to fast-paced city living, this is a country of contrasts, colour and intrigue.
Head to the northern state of Chiapas to explore the Maya city of Palenque in the jungle or combine temples and tans at Tulum, with its magnificent thirteenth-century walled city and clifftop castle. While you’re in this part of the world, take a dip in the Yucatan’s cenotes, underground caves with pools of turquoise water formed when the porous limestone bedrock collapses.
Spend some downtime chasing waves. Small beachside towns like Sayulita and Puerto Escondido offer decent breaks and a low-key vibe. Elsewhere you can hike, kayak, zip-line, horse ride and take on just about any other adventure you can imagine.
For urban adventurers, Mexico City is a goldmine. Huge and chaotic, it offers incredible history, outstanding art, extraordinary cultural experiences (the Arena México hosts lucha libra, the country’s own form of wrestling, each week) and thriving hip neighbourhoods. Check out Condesa, Roma and Juárez for cool bars, restaurants and shops.
If you’re willing to give the well-worn tourist traps a swerve, Mexico will reward you with some remarkable travel experiences. Bring your phrasebook and a sense of adventure and you’ll find this epic country has an incredible allure.
For a stopover or as a stand-alone destination, long overlooked Malaysia is on the rise. And why the hell not? KL is great for a quick shopping sojourn, cities like Penang and Melaka wear their colonial past on their sleeve, and its islands and forests are sublime. You’ll be bowled over as you gorge on curries, noodles and hawker cuisine.
And let’s not forget Malaysia’s administrative share of the island of Borneo, where there’s a mishmash of extraordinary ecosystems. From the world’s largest flower to its smallest elephant, Borneo boasts a biodiversity like no other – not to mention an unforgettable opportunity to get up close and personal with an orangutan. Sabah is its star drawcard – given that it’ll leave beach bums and rainforest junkies alike salivating and hikers heaving to catch their breath as they traverse Mount Kinabalu. You’ll find hanging out in the longhouses along Sarawak’s rivers (most likely slugging rice wine) will give you an appreciation of the traditional ways of the local tribes.
(
