It's back - the New York Times annual Places to Go list

This year the list is up to 52 places from the 46 last year.

What we have noticed in this new list is that Africa is well represented by Cape Town in South Africa, Namibia, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Laikipia Plateau - Kenya, and Dar es salaam, Tanzania, with the island of Seychelles not too far off the coast of East Africa. Lonely Planet also picked Seychelles as one of their Top Ten destinations for 2014.

So what does this list do to your bucket list? Will you update your list, add one or more of the African destinations, may be Asia, Europe? Africa and all it has to offer to travellers has been in the tourism news quite a bit lately. It seems that the number of families taking their kids on safaris has increased exponentially and many safari operators are meeting that demand by creating child-focused trips. So feel free to dream, to discover and add Africa to your list of continents to discover.

Safety question while on Safari

Going on safari in search of the big five can be one of the most exciting and memorable activity one can ever do. To then actually be close to and see these magnificent animals can bring about different emotions to different people.

Vietnam - more than temples and pagodas

A a major tourist destination since the 1990s, assisted by significant state and private investment, particularly in coastal regions. Popular destinations include Hanoi, Saigon, the former imperial capital of Huè, the World Heritage Sites of Hoi An, coastal regions such as Nha Trang, the caves of Ha Long Bay and the Marble Mountains.

Indian Ocean spice island of Zanzibar pulls more airlines

Looking to compete with other Indian Ocean tourist islands, the spice island of Zanzibar is currently attracting regional and foreign airlines to fly there, hoping to welcome more visitors within Africa and from outside the continent.

Did you Know?

HIPPOS ARE VEGETARIAN BUT DEADLY. Male hippos actively defend their territories and humans tend to get killed by hippos when they stand on a riverbank or beach that a male hippo considers to be his territory. Females have also been known to get extremely aggressive if they sense anyone coming in between their babies, who stay in the water while they feed on the shore. Hippos can run at speeds of over 20 miles an hour and they have enormous jaws which host up to 20 inch canines.

LIONS SLEEPS FOR 20 HOURS!. The African lion (Panthera leo) king of the sub-Saharan savanna, has been admired by man for its beauty and strength for thousands of years. It's one of the most exciting animals to see on safari. But you're more likely to see one sleeping than hunting because lions rest for 20 hours a day on average. Lions don't purr like house cats, and the cute tufts on the ends of their tail emerge at around 5 months of age.

News Bits

The Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center has opened as the city's largest hotel. The 34-story property, located in Istanbul's Sisli district, has 829 guestrooms and about 130,000 square feet of meeting space. read more

Mumbai's new T2 airport will open for business on February 12 and according to India's PM Manmohan Singh, will set global benchmarks in efficiency and safety. read more

Rickshaw Client's Review

Dear Tushna, I wanted to let you know what a fantastic safari our family had in Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater, and to thank you for all of your help and wonderful planning.

Everything was taken care of every step of the way by Rickshaw, and the service was fantastic. I even received a call the days before departure to make sure that all was well, and was given the contact information for our driver and guide Sisty, who did an amazing job. I have been on many safaris over the course of my six years living in East Africa, but this one was hands down the most enjoyable and well planned. It was great to know that Rickshaw had covered any and everything that I could think of, whether that was on the road or at the hotels. We had a fantastic trip. Thank you for everything!

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