Best places for travel Plan: General information

5. Masai Mara, Kenya
Cheetah in the Masai Mara
Kenya's Masai Mara is an incredible bio-diverse area and a popular safari destination. It's an opportunity to see the "big five" animals (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo) all during one trip or, if you're lucky, during one afternoon.
The protected Masai Mara National Reserve park area is huge, over 1,500 square kilometers of mainly grassland, extending all the way to the Serengeti plain of Tanzania. The popular times to visit are during the twice-yearly migrations, the main one being in July and August. Over a million wildebeest and other animals cross the area in huge groups to go from one feeding area to another. Most visitors fly intoNairobi, then take a small bush plane to the Mara.
6. New Zealand
Lupin blooming at Lake Tekapo, New Zealand
With its striking natural beauty, friendly citizens, and recent popularity due to its use as the filming location for theLord of the Rings films (as well as many others), this island nation is one of the world's great places to visit. The biodiversity here is amazing-it's believed New Zealand was one of the last places on earth to have human inhabitants.
Start your visit off in the capital city of Auckland, with its culture, history, and museums. Spend some time on the water and at the beach-Waitemata Harbour has beaches, along with a range of sailing and boating activities.
Visit the Rotorua area to learn about and experience indigenous Maori culture and head to Queenstown to experience the country's wide range of outdoor extreme action sports. Remember, this is where bungee jumping was invented.
7. Istanbul, Turkey
Turkey's capital city is another destination that offers a great mix of culture, food, and history. There are thousands of years of history here, starting with Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans and leading up through the Ottoman Empire.
There's a mix of the new and the timeless here unlike anywhere else. You can spend the day shopping and the night at a wonderful restaurant eating great Turkish food and dancing to Turkish music, then rise (very early) in the morning to the sound of the Ezan or morning Islamic call to prayer. It echoes across the rooftops as it's broadcast from loudspeakers set atop the minarets of the city's mosques.
Istanbul has excellent public transit, which means it's easy to get around and explore all the major sites and monuments. Must-see places include the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and Topkapi Palace.