2019: Let the fun begin with Canals of Venice

With a new year around the corner, make 2019 a year of theme-based travel for some exciting experiences.

By: Daisy Basumatari

Epic sunset in Santorini
The picturesque Santorini is a favourite travel destinations for many. Being one of the most famous Greek islands, Santorini is a mix of towering black cliffs, inky waters and picturesque villages. It inspires every traveller because of its landscapes with blue domes and whitewashed houses and churches. Built at the top of Santorini’s cliffs, the romantic village of Oia is the best vantage point to watch the sunset on the Mediterranean Sea.

Eiffel Tower in night
Every evening, the Eiffel Tower is adorned with a golden coat and sparkles for five minutes on the hour, every hour. The spectacle was unveiled on December 31, 1985 by Pierre Bideau, an electrician and lighting engineer and consists of 336 projectors equipped with high-pressure, yellow-orange sodium lamps. This illumination, which has been met with popular, worldwide success, was the starting point of a nocturnal revival of monuments, in Paris as well as in the cities of France and the world. The beams of light, directed from the bottom towards the top, illuminate the Eiffel Tower from the inside of its structure.

Hike the Acropolis
The Acropolis is the one historical site you can’t miss. The term ‘acropolis’ means upper city – many city-states of ancient Greece are built around an acropolis where the inhabitants could go as a place of refuge in times of invasion. It is for this reason that the most sacred buildings are usually in the acropolis. It was considered to be the safest place in town. Go early in the morning for some mesmerising views .

Zipline in a jungle
Mae Kampong, Thailand, marks the spot of one of the world’s first zip line parks, where more than four miles of wire weaves riders through the heights and depths of the Thai jungle. Located an hour east of Chiang Mai, the Flight of the Gibbon is over 2,600 feet in length. In addition to the sky-high dangling, expect to test your might as you cross two hanging sky bridges and rappel two descents throughout the course. As a reward for a day among the treetops, a classic Thai meal is served al fresco. While there you can also learn more about the rainforest and the people who live nearby. In addition to Ziplining, you can also choose from a range of exciting activities to enjoy.

Canals of Venice
Spread across 118 small islands, travelling along the canals of Venice is a perennial favourite amongst travellers. Although you can walk around most of Venice, some parts are accessible only – or certainly more quickly – via the water buses called ‘vaporettos’. The vaporetto is Venice’s primary mode of transportation and is perfect for crossing the wider canals. While there, make sure to travel across the Grand Canal, which measures two and a half miles long and 16 ft deep. Being one of the largest and most important canals in Italy, it connects most of the famous landmarks in Venice.

A safari in Sundarbans
The largest mangrove forest in the world is a mist-shrouded, river-riddled swamp region of shifting tides, man-eating tigers and off-the-beaten-track adventure. Though it is surrounded by two of the most densely populated countries on earth – India and Bangladesh, Sundarbans is remote, forbidding and largely uninhabited by people. This is truly wild terrain, and chugging along its river channels into its swampy heart is as thrilling as it is serene. The star attraction is the Royal Bengal tiger. Around 400 of these magnificent creatures call the Sundarbans home, making this the largest single population of tigers on earth.