With every passing year, it may get trickier for you to select a holiday destination that strikes the right balance between providing plenty of intrigue and making practical and financial sense.
However, it doesn’t have to be an impossible task – and to make it an easier one for you, here are just a few of the locations that may especially merit your consideration for 2021.
Timișoara, Romania
The third most populous Romanian city has made this rundown on account of its status as one of the 2021 European Capitals of Culture, for which an extensive range of events is planned.
However, Timișoara’s cultural credentials are hardly substandard even without such an accolade. Indeed, it is frequently referred to as “Little Vienna” and teems with a cultural life encompassing the finest in musical and theatrical performances, museums and art galleries, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike right through the year.
The abundance of Secessionist architecture here is an absolute joy to explore, too.
Orlando, Florida
While we’re on the subject of nicknames, the county seat of Orange County has a fair few of its own, including “The City Beautiful” and “The Theme Park Capital of the World”.
Both monikers are accurate reflections of different sides of Orlando’s offering to tourists, which it welcomes in the tens of millions each year. One could hardly imagine a more visitor-friendly part of the world, although you could take a lot of the stress out of planning your own stay by booking with a trusted Florida villa holiday specialist such as Ocean Florida.
The company is advertising some great deals right now for Florida holidays in 2021, and is one of the few UK tour operators to even have its own team and welcome centre based in Orlando.
Cairo, Egypt
When one first pictures Cairo, there is a tendency to think of the past – not least ancient Egypt, a holiday here placing you advantageously for a visit to the Giza Pyramids that are sure to take your breath away with their enormity and complexity.
Indeed, the Egyptian capital is something of an outdoor museum in general, not least thanks to having one of the world’s greatest concentrations of Islamic architecture.
Cairo has been included on this list of holiday destinations for 2021, though, because of something very exciting about its future: the impending opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in 2020, which is set to mark the latest stage of the country’s ongoing revival as a tourist magnet.
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
If your perceptions of this North East England city mostly centre around Newcastle Brown Ale (which, tragically, isn’t even brewed in Newcastle anymore) or ‘Michael the Geordie’ of Alan Partridge fame, it’s time to discover why Newcastle offers so much more than just a warm welcome.
Of course, that warm welcome is definitely there, as you’ll experience when immersing yourself in the Tyneside city’s famously lively nightlife – think venues like Digital, The Cluny and Boiler Shop.
However, Newcastle is also at least as highly rated nowadays for its vibrant arts and cultural scenes, as embodied by attractions like The Biscuit Factory, Northern Stage and BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, which you’ll find just across the River Tyne in Gateshead.
Samarkand, Uzbekistan
The south Uzbekistan city long mythologized by Western playwrights and poets who rarely saw it ‘in the flesh’ continues to receive scandalously few British visitors today: only about 1,000 a year, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reported by The Telegraph.
Such an enchanting place that once served as one of the key stop-off points for traders on the ancient Silk Road scarcely deserves such obscure status.
The situation is beginning to change fast, however, with this land of sublime monuments such as the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Registan and Shah-i-Zinda representing a spellbinding mix of glittering minarets and faded Soviet glory – and the Uzbek authorities making visa changes to enable easier visits.
Perth, Australia
While, depending on your own location, Perth may necessitate a rather longer journey than many of the alternatives on this list, this modern port city will reward your extra waiting and effort in spades.
After all, as abundant as the capital of Western Australia’s own attractions are – encompassing the likes of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Kings Park and Botanic Garden, and Perth Zoo – it’s also just the place from which to explore Australia’s wild west, covering such much-see areas as the Ningaloo Coast and the Kimberley.
There you have it – just six destinations that won’t all be among the first you will have thought of when contemplating the best places to take a break during 2021. Perhaps you have your own ideas about locations that readers of this blog should check out – in which case, why not leave your suggestions in the comments section below?