Top destinations for 2014
Kotor, Montenegro is a favourite spot with travellers
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From sporty spots to cultural kingdoms, we’ve compiled the best places to go in 2014. Start planning your holiday now, because these destinations are just begging to be explored.
Brazil
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All eyes are on Brazil, the host of the 2014 World Cup and future home for Rio’s 2016 Olympics. Gearing up for two huge events, Brazil is striving to impress and has never been riper for visiting. The fifth largest nation on earth is a veritable visual feast with sizzling beaches, lush rainforest and vibrant cities. Feel the spray of Iguacu Falls on the border of Argentina, sunbathe on the beach of Praia de Fora in Rio and party in Florianopolis in Santa Catarina for a total Brazil experience.
Best time to go: The World Cup starts in June (12 June - 13 July) so plan your trip accordingly.
Sochi
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Best time to go: Peak season is July through August, but swimming season lasts from May until October. Go in February for the Games (7-23 February).
Japan
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The first low-cost airline in Japan, Vanilla Air, takes to the skies from 20 December 2013, enabling travellers to fly from Tokyo to Okinawa and Sapporo, with fares starting as low as £35 one way. It's great news for those on a tight budget.
For those with cash to burn, KLM is the first European airline to offer flights to Fukuoka on Japan's increasingly popular island of Kyushu. Brimming with verdant scenery, hot springs, samurai culture and dramatic volcanic formations, Fukuoka is also the departure point for a new luxury sleeper train service called Seven Stars, the country's answer to the Orient Express. Polished wooden interiors, exquisite Japanese-designed ceramic sinks and panoramic windows don't come cheap but for rail buffs, this is a far more sophisticated way to travel than the bullet train.
Best time to go: Go in the spring to see the world-famous cherry blossoms. The Seven Stars is fully booked until March 2014.
Greece
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Best time to go: Hiking is best in the shoulder months on either side of the high season, while ski season runs from mid-December to late March.
Scotland
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Best time to go: Go in the summer, around July and August for the Commonwealth Games and the Highland Games.
Umeå
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Best time to go: Get there for the inauguration party at the end of January, but if you can’t, don’t worry, events will be going on all year.
Christchurch
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Best time to go: December to February are the summer months.
Flanders
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2014 marks 100 years since the Great War, and in Belgium, Flanders is the hub of commemorations. Ypres was the most fought-over city during the war and tours of the battlefields are available. History buffs can get their fill with the opening of the Royal Army Museum’s special exhibit, “’14-18 it’s our history!”. Putting a more positive spin on the future, the 1914 Pontoon Bridge will be reconstructed as Peace Bridge. Its inauguration day is 3 October where visitors can walk across in a show of remembrance and solidarity.
Best time to go: Visit in October to be there for inauguration day.
Cape Town
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Newly elected World Design Capital, Cape Town will have no shortage of excitement in 2014. Along with the International Design Exhibition and the International Design Gala, the city will be hosting 450 projects, ranging from the culinary entrepreneurs of street food to a Red Bull Doodle Art competition. Expect tons of exhibits (along with local pride) to be on display. It will also be the 20th anniversary of the first inclusive elections that marked the end of apartheid in South Africa – sure to be all the more poignant, following the death of freedom fighter and former president Nelson Mandela in December. In between exhibits, head over to Robben Island Prison Museum where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment. It'll make you appreciate just how far Cape South Africa has progressed in a relatively short space of time.
Best time to go: November to February is summer and the dry season; winter is a bit wetter but overall mild. Events will be going on all year long.
Montenegro
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Best time to go: Peak season is July to August, but to avoid any crowds, go during the shoulder seasons (May-June and September-October) when the sea is warm enough for a swim.
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