Travellers are increasingly discovering the joys of flying to far away locations and holidaying outside of mainstream Europe. There was once a time when most holiday makers would be perfectly happy in classic European destinations such as France, Spain or even UK resorts such as Blackpool. But recent years have seen a boom in the availability of reasonably priced flights to all kinds of destinations, giving travellers more options when booking their annual break.
Generally better currency exchange rates can found outside of the eurozone and improved access to information about long haul destinations through television, travel books and the internet has meant that holidaymakers now have a thirst for the exotic.
USA & Canada
Of course many holiday makers are likely to settle for where they feel most comfortable. So destinations such as USA, Canada, Australia and the Caribbean are much safer options because they are mostly English-speaking countries and the culture is similar to the United Kingdom. As you would expect, each of these destinations have their own unique features that make them especially exciting, but if you want to jump out of your comfort zone completely it might be better to head to somewhere like the Middle East.
Africa
This region offers lush beaches, ancient landmarks and sites of historical importance as well as plenty of religious and cosmopolitan festivals and events. The biggest draws in the Middle East at the moment are probably the big cities such as Dubai and the resorts of Sharm El Sheikh. However alternative African destinations such as Jordan or Yemen offer a combination of stunning scenery, majestic palaces and age-old temples. Flights to Sharm El Sheikh in particular are very competitive at the moment.
South Africa is also fast becoming a favourite for those looking to travel even further afield. The vibrant atmosphere of Cape Town is infectious and the rest of the country has much to offer animal and nature lovers with national parks, reserves and safari trips. The country is also hosting the 2010 Fifa World Cup which will offer a unique trip of a lifetime for football fans.
Asia
Asia on the other hand offers a truly exotic experience. The food, languages, architecture and people are vastly different to life in the western hemisphere and offers a truly unique long haul holiday. Places you'll want in Asia include the Goa region of India, where the weather is at its best between November and February, Singapore for its complex mixture of the old and the new in its buildings and festivals, Malaysia for its melting pot of Malay, Indian and Chinese elements, and of course the backpackers' favourite, Thailand.
Australia
Australasia is another popular choice for UK holidaymakers, thanks in large part to its amazing sunshine, breathtaking scenery, cosmopolitan cities and vast outback. However New Zealand is experiencing a spike in visits from overseas due to the massive amount of publicity generated by the incredible scenery in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy Cities such as Sydney, Perth and Adelaide are hugely popular but undoubtedly Australia's main draw is its immense natural landscape encompassing rainforests, sandy beaches, deserts and snow-capped mountains.
Cheap Flights
Luckily for travellers, flight costs are coming down all the time and major airlines like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have announcing the expansion of their long-haul fleets so the choice for travellers is improving all the time. The strength of the pound against currencies such as the Thai baht means that travellers will be able to get by on much. This is backed up by research last year by The Royal Bank of Scotland which that found distant destinations tend to have a much more favourable rate against the British pound than the euro.
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