There’s a world out there to discover

IF the start of a new year stimulates reflection, the dawn of a fresh decade demands some serious thought, specifically when it comes to all-important travel plans. Here are some places to think about.

THE LAKE DISTRICT

Best for: Contemplative hikes and pub lunches. It’s close, too.

Wander lonely as a cloud o’er vales and hills in honour of poet William Wordsworth’s 250th birthday, celebrated on April 7. Inspired by the beauty of the Lake District, his writings were the foundation for an early conservation movement, and the 1820 publication of his Guide Through The District Of The Lakes is regarded as the beginning of mass tourism to the area.

A major project, Reimagining Wordsworth, is currently underway to transform his former family home, Dove Cottage, in Grasmere, into an interactive attraction. The Wordsworth Museum is also being expanded and modernised, and new trails will be launched to showcase the landscapes described in his poems.

How: The Landmark Trust (landmarktrust.org.uk; 01628 825 925) offers stays at Howthwaite, a four-bedroom property sharing the same views as Dove Cottage. From £560 for four nights (sleeps eight).

SVALBARD, NORWAY

Best for: Wildlife watching and chasing northern lights

There aren’t many places where you can travel without a visa, but Svalbard’s unusual status could become even more appealing in a post-Brexit world. A mountainous, glacier-laced archipelago dangling from the top of the globe, this European slice of the Arctic was placed under Norwegian sovereignty a century ago. In that time, a seemingly uninhabitable and hostile destination has become a booming tourist attraction.

Visit in summer to search for polar bears, walruses and flocks of migrating birds; in winter there’s the chance to take snowmobile safaris across frozen terrain and hunt for the northern lights. But if you really like it and you’ve got a British passport, why not stay? Britons have to right to fish, hunt and set up a home here.

How: Discover The World (discover-the-world.com) offers a three-night Northern Lights break in Longyearbyen from £958pp

(two sharing) including B&B accommodation, one evening meal, an aurora hunt using eco-friendly electronic eSleds, and flights from London Heathrow. Available December to February.

MARRAKECH, MOROCCO

Best for: Art and culture

Lured by a boho spirit and attitudes as loose and wafty as a silk kaftan, rock ‘n’ rollers descended on Morocco’s charismatic city in the Sixties. An artistic vibe flourished in the Medina’s labyrinthine souks, which became a favourite haunt for fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, whose legacy lives on in the vibrant Jardin Majorelle and an elegant museum dedicated to his work.

The opening of the Museum Of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL) in 2018 solidified the city’s status as Africa’s home of modern art, and and it’s been crowned the continent’s first Capital Of Culture for 2020.

How: Abercrombie & Kent (abercrombiekent.co.uk) offers a three-night tailor-made Marrakech City Break from £560pp, including flights.

THE AZORES, PORTUGAL

Best for: Whales and volcanoes Whichever ocean they emerge from and whatever climate they enjoy, there’s something alluringly exotic about islands, pictured above.

Cut off from our seven continents, they support a plethora of unique and often fragile species. Visiting them often feels like discovering a place lost in time.

Next year, Portugal’s far flung Atlantic island chain will become that bit easier to reach with the introduction of two new direct flight routes from the UK.

Ryanair will extend their current weekly Saturday offering by launching a seasonal weekly Tuesday flight from London Stansted to the largest island, Sao Miguel (June 2-August 18), making long weekends possible. A route between London Stansted and Terceira (a gateway to several of the nine islands, including Pico - home to the Ponta do Pico volcano) will start from April 1.

How: Sunvil (sunvil.co.uk; 020 8758 4722) offers the seven-night Whale And Dolphin Watching Holiday on Sao Miguel (27 species have been cited from the Azores) from £1,220pp (two sharing), including self-catering accommodation and direct flights.