Posted on Tuesday, 16 January 2018

If the standard beach holiday just won't cut it this year, check out these trending destinations and holiday types. The sheer choice of landscapes and experiences available to today's travellers deserves some serious contemplation.

Wellness breaks

Keeping the mind and body in tip-top condition has become a priority for millions - and there are countless ways to do it while on your annual getaway. Think surfing holidays and yoga retreats, hiking trails and cycling tours.

In Portugal, for instance, you can choose from scores of medical spas in urban and rural locations across the country. Meditation and yoga retreats have also found huge audiences in recent years, with numerous well-run operations stretching from Spain to India. A wellness break could see your mental and physical side revitalised - without your waistline expanding.

Iceland

The dark days of the recession are fully behind Iceland, which has hauled itself back into the black largely by luring foreigners to explore its astonishing natural wonders. Tourist numbers have been increasing steadily, attracted by the Northern Lights, cave tours, stunning outdoor spas like the Blue Lagoon and the prospect of metropolitan loafing in the classy capital, Reykjavik. With the rise in tourist numbers has come an increase in quality accommodation, so rest assured you'll find somewhere very comfortable to stay.

China

Much has been made of the surge in Chinese tourists heading off to Europe for their summer holidays, but how about the other way round? China is more open to overseas visitors than ever before and with so many incredible natural and cultural wonders to enjoy, it's on a lot of people's bucket-lists. Check out the Great Wall, the terracotta warriors of Shaanxi and the fishermen of Li River.

And if cities are your thing, you'll be hard-pressed to find more dynamic megalopolises than those of Shanghai or Beijing - in terms of scale and sheer speed, they dwarf anything in little ol' Europe.

For theme parks - head to Florida

iStock.com/FrozenShutter

Florida's Walt Disney World is always a fun place to visit, but this year will be extra-good thanks to the all-new Toy Story Land, part of the park's Hollywood Studios zone.

Also in Florida, Universal Orlando Resort is unveiling its Fast and Furious high-speed adventure, opening in spring 2018.

And yet another addition to the Floridian theme park landscape comes in the form of The Great LEGO Race, a new attraction that builds on the popularity of LEGOLAND Florida Resort's Project X Roller Coaster.

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