All roads lead to memories: Grand places to travel to in 2018
Destinations to make your 2018 holidays truly memorable
1/13
Mandarake, Tokyo, Japan
Want to fan your interest in Japanese manga and become an obsessive collector? Created by Masuzo Furakawa (also the CEO) who said, “Our mission is to take over the world using manga and otaku things”, Mandarake is Japan's No 1 chain of secondhand anime and manga superstores. Although it has several locations across the country, the 16 original stores—each specialising in a different otaku (a Japanese term describing for people with obsessive interests, commonly the anime and manga fandom)—are in the Nakano Broadway shopping mall, and are still the best.
Over a million items line the shelves, and some 45,000 manga titles, anime DVDs and toys are bought and sold each week. Be sure to check out the surreal spectacle of the buy/sell counter, where people line-up to trade in treasures for cash, only to go right back into Mandarake's black-lined corridors to re-invest.
2/13
Singita Sabora Tented Camp, Grumeti Reserves, Tanzania
Safari lovers go to Africa to see game, to walk in the wild and to relax while surrounded by nature. But Singita Sabora, a dot of a camp in the 350,000-acre private game reserve in Tanzania, also supplies a dose of the most decadent old-school glamour. During the Great Migration, the wooden decks of the nine tents are surrounded by thousands of animals, bleating and harrumphing making Sabora the perfect spot to soak up the wild.
The lavish tents are lined with Persian silk rugs and feather-stuffed sofa, with sun-bleached animal skulls, glossy tortoise shells and giant seedpods to examine. The vast tented bedrooms are scattered with antique mahogany carvings, silver brushes and mirrors, and are dominated by wooden four-poster beds.
3/13
Soneva Kiri, Koh Kood, Thailand
At Soneva Kiri, guests can savour a meal while sitting in an open pod suspended amid trees in the tropical island of Koh Kood. Ingredients for the gourmet menu—including the playfully-named ‘canapés in the canopy’—are sourced from the resort’s organic garden or from local markets.
4/13
Coiling Dragon Cliff 6.Skywalk, Hunan, China
If you’re scared of heights then don’t read any further, because this walkway in China is your worst nightmare come true. The fact that it’s attached 4,600 ft (1,403 m) up the side of a mountain is scary enough, but the fact that it’s also made of glass is nothing short of terrifying.
Situated on the side of Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, the walkway is 328 ft long and 5.2 ft wide. Those who brave the walkway will be rewarded with an utterly breathtaking view that few will ever experience.
5/13
Opera House, Palais Garnier, Paris, France
There is nothing quite like watching a performance at this opulent venue. The Palais Garnier is arguably the most famous opera house in the world and for many it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience to attend a ballet or opera here. Its remarkable Neo-Baroque structure was designed by French architect Charles Garnier and opened in 1875 with 1,900 seats.
Arrive early, the architectural magnificence of this building—the Grand Foyer with its domed ceiling covered with mosaics, the grand marble staircase, the gilded statues and ornate foyers—will take time to savour.
6/13
Glacier Express, Switzerland
Connecting two of Switzerland’s most scenic mountain resorts, Zermatt and St Moritz, the Glacier Express is the most relaxing way to enjoy the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps. Traveling eastward from Zermatt, the day-long trip will take you through 91 tunnels and over 291 bridges as it rolls past southern Switzerland’s alpine meadows, pristine mountain lakes and picture-perfect hamlets.
Highlights of the journey include Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the ride at 6,706 feet. Another is the famous Landwasser Viaduct—a magnificent six-arch structure standing 200 feet and plunging into a tunnel cut straight into the mountainside.
7/13
Bazar Sábado, Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico is a country replete with indigenous groups, all of which have their own fashion and hand-crafting heritage. This is why handcrafted designs are found anywhere in the country, from street-side vendors to high-class boutiques. A weekly open-air market, the Bazar Sábado is one of the best spots to hunt for locally designed and unique pieces or perhaps even an antique or two. The city’s most innovative fashion designers, such as Carla Fernández, are known to sell their wares here.
8/13
Kirkjufell, Iceland
The ethereal Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are visible for eight months a year, from early September to April-end, and your chances of seeing the lights depend on your luck, the clear skies and solar activity. The most common way to see the Aurora Borealis is by taking a guided tour. Auroras have been spotted regularly from Kirkjufell mountain on Iceland’s west coast, and even from the suburbs of Reykjavík.
The Ion Hotel’s Northern Lights Bar, close to Reykjavik, features dimmed lighting and wraparound windows, so guests can watch the aurora with drinks in hand.
9/13
New York Public Library, USA
The only thing better than a holiday read is a holiday library. A grand hall lit by massive windows and imposing chandeliers, the Rose Main Reading Room stretches for approximately two city blocks. It’s a required stop for visitors, who can also peek at murals by New York artist Richard Haas in the Periodicals Room. Free one-hour tours of the library are available every day except Sunday.
10/13
Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan
Taiwan has some of the best biking routes on the planet. Arrive at the hypnotically beautiful Sun Moon Lake, which is the start of the Yuetan Bike Path, pick up a bicycle from the visitor centre and let the 7.5 mile trail take you through a series of indigenous architecture, villages and temples around the lake. You can also opt for a longer 33-mile route around the lake and continue on to Checheng for an authentic dinner.
11/13
Bogotá, Colombia
The continuing reverberations of Colombia’s history inform Bogotá’s politically minded street art, while a recent event influences how it is produced. Following protests over the police's fatal shooting of a teenage artist in 2011, Bogotá largely decriminalised street art, allowing elaborate murals to flourish.
Starting on Carrera 4 and Calle 12, where a vibrant indigenous-themed mural by Guache covers Holofónica music studio’s façade, explore the rambling, art-filled streets of La Candelaria before heading toward El Centro. Where Carrera 4 intersects with Calle 20, there are several themes distilled into one large mural. Created by the stencil collective Toxicómano, it features the faces of homeless people—a classic.
12/13
The Long Hall, Dublin, Ireland
One of the oldest pubs in Dublin, this one on George’s Street began serving pints in 1766, just seven years after Arthur Guinness began brewing at St James’ Gate. Last year, The Long Hall celebrated 250 years of pulling pints. It’s a calm place, even on a Saturday night. Try it on a mid-week afternoon and you can lose hours to your own imagination. Décor-wise, think handcrafted wood carvings, bevelled glass and exquisite fittings.
Unusually for a Victorian bar, it boasts plenty of mirrors, partly to create the illusion of a bigger space, but also to poke fun at the conservatism of Victorian-era values.
13/13
The Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose, US
A museum you cannot miss—if you love science and tech, that is. The Tech Museum of Innovation, in the heart of San Jose, California, has become a landmark for visitors seeking a glimpse of the most inventive place on Earth—Silicon Valley. Check out the ‘Virtual Test Zone’, where real-life science is demonstrated by using virtual technology. Get inside the mind of a painter, or explore a stage that demonstrates, using immersive media, how digital music works.
The museum also has on display Silicon Valley’s spin on Body Worlds, the display of plastinated human bodies that have sparked curiosity and awe around the world.
