Top 10 travel hotlist of the most amazing places to visit in 2019

It's a new year with 12 whole months of new travel possibilities - but where are the best places to go? Mirror Travel Editors Nigel Thompson and Marjorie Yue choose their 10 hotspots

1. Sri Lanka

Temples and turtles, birds and beaches, curry and culture...and some of the world’s best tea!

This is a tropical treat that’s now served by direct jetlag-busting Dreamliner flights with Thomson Airways and features a fine range of hotels.

The Indian Ocean island is the size of Ireland but blessed with an outstanding range of things to see and do including an impressive eight Unesco world heritage sites and national parks with elephants, leopards, crocodiles and buffalo. You’ll find the locals are amazingly friendly and it’s even got great surfing too.

OUR TIP: see the masses of elephants in Uda Walawe national park and walk the ramparts of Galle’s mighty coastal fortress.

THE DEAL: Thomson Holidays has seven night on B&B at the three star Goldi Sands hotel in Negombo from £841pp based on two sharing and departing from Gatwick on February 6.

2. Montenegro

Billed as the ‘new Croatia’, this little gem, lying further down the magnificent Adriatic coastline from its East European neighbour, is magnet for the rich and famous, attracting the likes of Tina Turner, the Rothschild family and Beyonce and Jay-Z. And no wonder - this tiny country has so much to offer, from the 72 miles of beaches to historic towns like the Unesco-listed walled Budva and atmospheric Kotor, to glorious national parks such as Durmitor.

OUR TIP: Get a glimpse of the high life at the multimillion-pound Porto Montenegro marina on the Bay of Kotor – the hot new place for Europe’s yachting royalty to moor up their super-vessels 

THE DEAL: Four-star Montenegro Beach Resort in the picturesque Becici resort has a private beach and a wellness centre with sauna and hammam. In April seven nights’ B&B starts at £275pp including flights from Gatwick (Manchester departures also available).

3. Myanmar

Back in 2012 the release of Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest was the cue for the country, long shrouded in mystery, to inch open its doors to a trickle of tourists.

Nowadays there’s a flood of visitors streaming to Burma (as it was formerly known) to sail along the fabled Irrawaddy River and wonder at the sight of the multitude of gilded temples and monasteries of Bagan.

But canny travellers should go off the beaten track to the little visited far south of the country for its deserted beaches by the Andaman Sea and historic Mawlamyine, the former old colonial capital of British Burma.

OUR TIP: Hop aboard a longtail boat to Inle Lake and its waterborne community. Watch out for the iconic sight of the lake’s leg-rowing fishermen – steering their boats with one leg wrapped around the oar.

THE DEAL: Explore’s new 15-day Undiscovered Burma trip which takes in the south of the country and the cities of Rangoon and Dawei, costs from £3,095pp including return flights, 10 nights’ hotel and two nights camping with breakfast, five other meals, a tour leader, driver and local guides.

4. Finland

Rated as one top three countries to visit by Lonely Planet as well as one of National Geographic Traveler’s 21 Best of the World destinations for 2019, there’s even more cause for celebration as next year marks the centenary of Finland’s independence.

The Finns will be getting the year-long party started on New Year’s Eve in Helsinki’s Töölönlahti Bay and Kansalaistori Square with a host of events culminating in a sensational fireworks show.

And to meet the increased demand Finnair now flies five times a week between Heathrow and Helsinki offering the comforts of a long haul aircraft, the ultra-modern Airbus A350 XWB, on a short haul flight with return fares from £155 (finnair.com).

OUR TIP: With over three million saunas in the country – in locations ranging from a fast food restaurant (the Mannerheimintie Burger King in Helsinki) to the soaring Finnair SkyWheel (skysauna.fi) you could leave Finland in a sweat!

THE DEAL: A three-night B&B break in Helsinki with Best Served Scandinavia starts at £390pp in March staying at the Hotel Scandic Park including Heathrow flights with Finnair.

5. North Wales

Staycations are here to stay and we like the look of North Wales for holiday at home family fun this year.

The region has invested heavily in adventure activities and highlights include Europe’s longest zip line and the fastest in the world (Zip World Velocity), an underground adventure through caverns on zip lines and rope bridges (Zip World Cavern) and the largest zip zone in Europe (Zip World Titan).

Add to that white water rafting and surf at the world’s first inland surfing lagoon which is the size of six football pitches (Surf Snowdonia) and the majesty of Mount Snowdon itself and it’s a Welsh winner.

Oh yes, there’s also some great grub to be had as well, with two Michelin starred restaurants waiting to tempt you.

OUR TIP: the upgraded Bounce Below at ZipWorld looks ridiculously good fun with slides and trampolines deep underground in a former slate mine that’s the size of a cathedral.

THE DEAL: The Grade II listed Llanfendigaid Estate near Tywyn, Gwynedd, has been owned by the same family since 1241 and is by the coast at the southern end of Snowdonia National Park. It’s set in eight acres of private wooded gardens and has an indoor heated swimming pool and a week’s self-catering for six in the Cow Shed arriving on April 15 costs £1,000.

6. South Africa

Already great value thanks to the weakness of the South African rand against the pound, holidaying in this stunning country of golden beaches, rolling vineyards not to mention superb safaris, is even more affordable with last month’s launch of Thomas Cook Airlines direct route to Cape Town .

And once there, the cost of living is a bargain, especially for food and drink. The new seasonal flights from Gatwick will operate until March 20 with fares starting at £599.

OUR TIP: For spectacular sea wildlife head to Hermanus on the southern coast of the Western Cape province. The town is one of the world’s top spots for on-shore whale watching.

THE DEAL: Signature from Thomas Cook has seven nights’ B&B at the four star Protea Hotel By Marriott Cape Town Victoria Junction from £1,168pp, with Gatwick flights leaving on March 13.

7. Scotland

As the world’s foremost festival city Edinburgh knows how to celebrate. And 2019 will be a humdinger as the Scottish capital marks its 70th anniversary as the Festival City.

It was 1947 that saw the birth of the Edinburgh International Festival and since then the festival family has now grown to a total of 12 major festivals held every year - from the famous Festival Fringe and International Film Festival to the intimate jazz and blues, fascinating science, underground theatre and children’s entertainment.

OUR TIP: 2019 also marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone with an initial print run of just 1,000 copies in June 1997. Go for a cuppa at The Elephant House, one of the cafes around the city where J.K. Rowling penned her novel.

THE DEAL: Splash out on a stay at the Balmoral Hotel where the author completed her seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Doubles from £274 on B&B.

8. Canada

Happy 150th anniversary to our cousins across the Atlantic. Canada is a fabulous destination and now there’s an even better excuse to go – a year-long party nationwide!

Big and beautiful, it’s got just about everything: snow-capped mountains, vast forests teeming with wildlife (who doesn’t like bears?!), huge lakes, two ocean coastlines and cities that offer history, culture, fine food and all your 21st century needs.

OUR TIP: head to Cape Spear in Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s North America’s most easterly point and besides the sunrises and great views you could also spot icebergs and whales.

THE DEAL: Canadian Affair has a 13 night Maritime Magic Treasures fly drive around Atlantic Canada from £1,746 per person based on travel in September/October 2019.

This includes flights from London to Halifax, 13 nights accommodation, 14 days car hire, admission to the Fortress of Louisbourg and a whale watching tour. Based on two sharing with regional departures also available.

9. Oman

Experience an Arabian adventure in surprisingly diverse Oman, which offers deserts, oases, mountains, great scuba diving and snorkelling and fine beaches - plus in Muscat a capital city that’s light years away from the bling of Dubai.

British Airways now flies direct and chief sight include the spectacular Royal Opera House Muscat, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Old Muttrah Souq, which is hassle-free and welcoming. You’ll find plenty of high standard hotels too.

OUR TIP: an excursion to the Musandam Peninsula will reveal fjord style waterways teeming with dolphins – and you can practically wave to the Iranians across the Strait of Hormuz!

THE DEAL: Southall Travel has one week in Muscat from £594pp, staying at the four star Al Falaj Hotel on B&B. Fly from Gatwick on February 28.

10. Chile

South America is hot to trot in 2019 and Chile is one of the coolest destinations. It’s also British Airways’ newest route – starting on on Tuesday – and its longest at a whopping 14hrs 40mins.

But we reckon it’s worth the effort to discover the food and drink scene in the capital, Santiago, a stunning 2,653-mile coastline, world-class wineries and the Atacama Desert.

OUR TIP: Head to bohemian, Unesco listed Valparaíso on the coast and ride the famous ‘ascensores’ (funiculars) for stunning views.

THE DEAL: British Airways Holidays has 10 nights’ B&B at the four star BMB Suites Apart Hotel in Santiago from £1,169pp travelling from Heathrow on selected dates between March 1 and April 10. Book by January 31.

We also like

New Orleans (new British Airways flights make the Big Easy a whole lot easier)

Belize (the new Costa Rica? New connecting flights with American Airlines avoid overnighting in Miami)

Norfolk (if it’s good enough for the Queen...)

The Azores (canoeing in a volcano), and Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington State (new routes from Delta and Virgin Atlantic to two of America’s most appealing cities).