Here are five of the top destinations for 2011:
1. New York
huge tourist destination in any year, the city will be especially
unforgettable as it marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11
terrorist attacks next year.
Visitors who have been flocking to
ground zero are finally expected to get a chance to pay their respects
to the victims at the National September 11 Memorial, which is scheduled
to open in time for the anniversary.
"It's going to be a massive moment for New York," Reid said. "It feels like the healing begins."
Visitors
also shouldn't miss the High Line, once an abandoned elevated railway
track that's been turned into a popular park. It expands in the spring,
to the delight of New Yorkers.
"It was like a secret garden in the
middle of New York," Frommer said. "It's become a park that other urban
centers are studying because it's brought new life, a new vitality into
the area below it."
No wonder the Big Apple tops Lonely Planet's list of top 10 cities for 2011.
2. New Zealand
The Rugby World Cup will be held next fall in New Zealand, adding excitement to an already popular destination.
Wellington,
which brands itself as the "coolest little capital in the world," will
host some of the activities and hopes to attract fans who want to
explore other parts of the country.
"It's a great kind of
springboard," said Reid, who is planning a visit and is determined to
learn the haka, the fierce Maori dance used to unsettle opponents before
matches.
Wellington is known as "Wellywood," thanks to a thriving
film industry and director Peter Jackson, who is now working on "The
Hobbit." Indeed, fans of the "Lord of the Rings" films already know New
Zealand for some of the stunning sites used in the trilogy.
Rapp
also recommended the country for its "most fantastically luxurious
lodges," including The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Huka Lodge and Otahuna
Lodge.
3. Peruvian Amazon
When many people think of the Amazon, they think of Brazil, but Peru
offers a great base for exploring the region: Iquitos, a metropolis of
almost half a million people in the heart of the Peruvian jungle.
Iquitos is a fitting destination for 2011, which has been declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Forests.
"You can create your own adventures when you're there," Reid said.
It's the biggest city you can't drive to in the world, he added. You have to fly in or take a boat.
To experience the region in a unique way, Rapp recommended taking an
Amazon River cruise from Iquitos on Delfin or Aqua Expeditions.
4. Barcelona, Spain
Visitors can get a chance to see La Sagrada
Familia, the stunning but still unfinished Catholic basilica, like
never before after a visit by Pope Benedict XVI in November spurred
progress on the interior of the site, Frommer said.
"For the first time in years, most of the scaffolding there is gone," she said.
"Everybody knows how astounding it is on the outside. The inside is just as glorious."
Foodies
have their own reasons to visit Barcelona and the surrounding region.
El Bulli, chef Ferran Adria's famous restaurant, closes for good next
year.
But even if you can't snag a reservation at the notoriously
hard-to-get-into eatery, Barcelona is dotted with restaurants inspired
by Adria's cutting-edge cuisine, like Moo, which Frommer called
"astounding."
5. Norway
For lovers of the outdoors, Norway offers an
especially outstanding experience, Rapp said. Adventurous travelers can
go heli-skiing, paragliding and bungee jumping. (Rapp was considering a
bungee jump himself during an upcoming summer trip to Norway.)
For
a more mellow experience, hire a private boat on the fjords and go to
little hotels that you can't get to by road, or stay at the Amot Opera
Farm for an unusual combination of accommodations and music.
"All of Scandinavia is really underestimated," Rapp said.
"People
[usually] go to the major cities, Copenhagen, Stockholm or Oslo, but
the countryside is extraordinary. Truly majestic mountains, and the
fjords are just unbelievable -- they seem endless when you're there."
