{"id":1030,"date":"2011-01-02T02:06:52","date_gmt":"2011-01-01T20:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/?p=1030"},"modified":"2011-01-02T02:06:52","modified_gmt":"2011-01-01T20:06:52","slug":"lonely-planets-travel-picks-for-2011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/02\/lonely-planets-travel-picks-for-2011\/","title":{"rendered":"Lonely Planet’s travel picks for 2011"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overlooking houses and fields in the mountains of Western Bhutan. Photo by Johnny Haglund<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

30 Dec. 2010: Wondering what the new year will bring? Here\u2019s the word on the ground from our Asia-Pacific travel editor, Shawn.<\/em><\/p>\n

Budget airlines are here to stay.<\/strong> Frustration with budget airlines hit a new high (or low) in 2010 \u2013 but that\u2019s not stopping people from travelling with them. More routes AND airlines are opening up in 2011: Malaysia Airlines is expanding its budget Firefly routes and Thai Airways is planning on launching its budget Thai Tiger carrier.<\/p>\n

Tired of \u2018independent\u2019 travel? What about a tour\u2026an awesome one? <\/strong>It\u2019s getting harder and harder to get off the beaten path. In a funny twist, 2011 will be the year that the tours beat out the independent traveller to far-flung destinations. Looking for a destination that gives you some bragging rights? Try North Korea<\/a> \u2013 possible to visit as part of an organised group. It\u2019s the only way to get a glimpse behind one of the world\u2019s most fascinatingly closed countries. Communism doesn\u2019t appeal? Check out Bhutan<\/a>. It\u2019s a Himalayan Shangri-la, where snow-capped mountains and primeval forest are home to monasteries, dzongs and a uniquely Buddhist culture. Tourism to Bhutan is set to double by 2012 as word is getting out, so get in as soon as you can.<\/p>\n

Technology and travel: intertwined. <\/strong>The other two travel editors might try to tell you that 2011 is the year of techless travel. Sorry guys; you\u2019re wrong. In 2011 tech will matter more than ever. Online portals are the best place for deals. Blogging, social networking and photo websites are being used to share memories, reviews and suggestions. Travel applications and ebooks for mobile devices abound. The smart phone is now an essential travel tool for navigation, connecting with others and entertainment.<\/p>\n

Travel by exchange rate. <\/strong>The Global Financial Crisis has produced an interesting flow-on effect for travellers. Iceland<\/a>\u2018s financial nadir \u2013 and their devalued currency \u2013 was good for inbound tourists. The poor US economy also led to a devaluation of its currency. What this means is that for best value, you should go where your home currency is strongest. Take the case of Australia<\/a>, where the dollar is almost at parity with the US greenback and just above the Canadian loonie. Perfect for a trip to North America<\/a>. Take advantage of currency swings to book tours, tickets and courses in advance.<\/p>\n

Foodie destinations.<\/strong> Buzzwords such as \u2018slow food\u2019, \u2018organic\u2019 and \u2018locavore\u2019 continue their rise. In 2011, expect more food pilgrimages. Think of restaurants as destinations and countries as gastronomic tableaux. Check out the spectrum of options, from hunting for an elusive cancellation during elBulli\u2019s final year<\/a> to roaming the spice-filled streets of Thailand<\/a>, Singapore<\/a> and Malaysia<\/a>. Bon app\u00e9tit!<\/p>\n

China: the dragon awakens.<\/strong> According to a recent UNWTO tourism report, China<\/a> was the fourth-most-visited country in the world in 2009 with 50.9 million visitors (it\u2019s set to move into third spot for 2010). By 2020, it\u2019s going to be the most visited country in the world. That makes 2011 still manageable. The vast country has many things going for it. Culture and modernity come together in Beijing<\/a>, while Shanghai has oodles of Concession charm<\/a>. But head out into the countryside and you\u2019ll find landscaped rice terraces, terracotta warriors, mist-shrouded mountains, charming ancient villages and more \u2013 all connected by a highly efficient rail system. In late 2011, a new high-speed rail link will connect the 1305km between Shanghai to Beijing in less than four hours. It\u2019ll also be the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Republican Revolution and the fall of the last emperor. Expect loads of celebrations, Chinese-style.<\/p>\n

The Australian Oprah House.<\/strong> Oprah Winfrey\u2019s shindig around Australia in late 2010 brought the country worldwide attention, and 2011 will be the year that the rewards will be reaped. While Oprah stuck to the well-known cities and sights, the whole country is your oyster. Try driving through the desert-filled outback, or hiking rainforests in tropical Queensland<\/a>. Sporting fans will no doubt be planning to visit the Australian Open, Formula 1, Formula 1 GP, the Ashes, the Presidents Cup (will Tiger make an appearance?) and the Santos Tour Down Under (Lance Armstrong\u2019s last international race).<\/p>\n

Malaysia, perfect Asia? <\/strong>Thailand<\/a>, Indonesia<\/a> and Vietnam<\/a> are too touristy; Cambodia<\/a> and Laos<\/a> can be challenging for inexperienced travellers. Enter Malaysia, Southeast Asia\u2019s Goldilocks. There\u2019s buzzy KL<\/a>, Portuguese-influenced Melaka<\/a>, former British bastion Penang<\/a>, a swathe of rainforest and highlands in between, and beach resorts straddling the coasts. Don\u2019t forget East Malaysia<\/a>. Diving? Check. Beaches? Check. Orangutans? Hell yeah.<\/p>\n

The Shire returns to New Zealand.<\/strong> It\u2019s already on the circuit for Lord of the Rings<\/em> film buffs, but fans have another reason to rejoice as filming for The Hobbit<\/em> duology (yes, it\u2019s a real word, we looked it up) starts in February 2011. Middle Earth is back! Expect another wave of movie-related cottage-industry tourism to boom. To be honest, New Zealand<\/a> is beautiful enough that it doesn\u2019t need the films to prop it up. Most parts feel unspoilt and yes, it\u2019s true that there are more cows than people in NZ (4.4 million cows to 4.31 people). On a completely different note, the Rugby World Cup is going to be played around NZ from 9 September to 23 October. Time to catch the All Black\u2019s Haka<\/a> \u2013 live.<\/p>\n

Source<\/strong>: By Shawn Low (Lonely Planet Australia)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Overlooking houses and fields in the mountains of Western Bhutan. Photo by Johnny Haglund 30 Dec. 2010: Wondering what the new year will bring? Here\u2019s the word on the ground from our Asia-Pacific travel editor, Shawn. Budget airlines are here to stay. Frustration with budget airlines hit a new high (or low) in 2010 \u2013 … Continue reading Lonely Planet’s travel picks for 2011<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,16],"tags":[205,217,219,254,609,681],"class_list":["post-1030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-tourism-bhutan","tag-bhutan","tag-bhutan-tour-operator","tag-bhutan-travel","tag-bridge-to-bhutan","tag-gross-national-happiness","tag-independent-travel-bhutan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1030\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bridgetobhutan.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}