Travel: Fjords, pharaohs and fine wines... tips for the best places to visit in 2022

Although Covid means caution must be exercised there’s good reason to believe we’re back on track for adventures in the months ahead.

Museums, hotels and institutions overseas promise exciting new openings, poised to welcome us when we are ready to travel.

So, time to start plotting holidays for the months ahead.

Raising a glass to fine wine

Lisbon, Portugal

Catching up with France, Spain and Italy, Portuguese wine has been gaining recognition in the past few years. The latest project to celebrate the Iberian country’s greatest grapes is the Palácio Ludovice Wine Experience Hotel in Lisbon.

This former private residence of João Federico Ludovice, architect to King João V in the 18th Century, features 61 rooms. The hotel’s bar, with a signature floor-to-ceiling counter and a wine cellar, will stock vintages from Portugal’s seven key wine-growing regions.

How: From €208/£177 per night with breakfast.

Exploring the US past and present

Atlanta, US

Highlighted by Lonely Planet as one of the top cities to visit in 2022, Atlanta is buzzing with world-class restaurants, nightlife and entertainment.

Discover why the state capitol has earned its place in history by visiting museums such as the Atlanta History Center, Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the Martin Luther King Jr National Historical Park.

New attractions include immersive laser projection show Illuminarium, currently recreating a safari, and Centennial Yards – a 12 million square foot complex of restaurants, shops and hotels.

How: America As You Like It offers a 10-night Georgia fly-drive from £2,120 per person, including return flights from London, car hire and room-only accommodation.

Cruising with a conscience

Fjordland, Norway

Showcasing a shift towards more sustainable travel on the high seas, Havila Voyages operates the most environmentally friendly vessels from Bergen to Kirkenes. The 12-day voyages pass through four Unesco Heritage sites and cross the Arctic Circle twice, with excursions including a whale safari, king crab fishing in a frozen fjord, dog sledding in the Arctic wilderness or snowmobiling across the North Cape Plateau.

How: Best Served Scandinavia offers a 12-day full-board trip from £1,950 per person, including flights from Heathrow, airport transfers and one night’s pre and post-cruise accommodation. Departures February 11 and 22.

Express a creative streak

Tallinn, Estonia

Testimony to Tallinn’s growing reputation for cutting-edge arts, Estonia’s capital will host the European Design Festival in June. The event features exhibitions, talks, design walks, workshops and conferences – although there are plenty of good reasons to explore the city at other times of the year too.

Head to Telliskivi Creative City, a former industrial complex transformed into an artistic hub, with vibrant street art, cool hang-outs and trendy stores.

How: Regent Holidays offers three-nights’ B&B stay at the Hotel Telegraaf in Tallinn from £470pp including flights and transfers.

Celebrating a great civilisation

Egypt

A story that inspired Indiana Jones fantasies, the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb marks its 100th anniversary this year.

A century on, interest in Egypt is still strong – especially with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Exodus has launched a new 13-day tour accompanied by Egyptologist, filmmaker, photographer and explorer-in-residence George Kourounis, travelling from Alexandria to Abu Simbel.

How: From £2,069 per person excluding international flights.

P.S.

Atlanta is home to 71 streets with a variation of the word “Peachtree” in their names despite having no peach trees!

It evolved from “pitch tree,” the name for native pine trees, so-called because of their sticky sap. So take note next time you listen to Frank Sinatra’s Peachtree Street.