Why not make 2016 the year of the unexpected? Travel writer Christopher Beanland suggests seven places  you might not have considered adding to your bucket list – until now 

1. San Jose, California
With its warm weather, chilled vibe, craft beer scene and sports-mad residents, San Jose is California’s surprise city you’ll be glad you discovered. Dubbed the Capital of Silicon City, this is a place that very much looks to the future. If you want to see where the magic happens, peer in the windows of Facebook and Google on a tour. Downtown San Jose is totally walkable, while the surrounding countryside offers bucolic woodlands and rolling hills.

2. Tel Aviv
Israel’s culture capital, Tel Aviv (above) is the place to go for clubs, art, dining and architecture. The famous White City boasts dozens of modern buildings from the 1930s, while more recent glass towers crowd along the city’s beach. Just out of town lies a real treat that’s only recently been restored. Concrete couldn’t be more in vogue if it tried: Israel’s greatest brutalist beast, designed as a sanatorium by acclaimed architect Yaacov Rechter in 1973, has recently been reinvented as a performance space and luxury hotel, the Elma Arts Complex.

3. Stavanger
The striking Norwegian coastal city of Stavanger (above) was recently awarded its first Michelin star, and couldn’t be more proud of the local chefs who earned it and prepare flat oysters, lobster, arctic cod and reindeer at Re-Naa. The menu changes daily, based on head chef Sven Erik Renaa’s foraging success and the fish market’s offer. Work off your feast with a climb up world-famous Pulpit Rock, perched above a huge fjord just outside the city.

4. Orlando 
Orlando’s (above) theme parks are great for families, but it has a cooler side too. Cutting-edge venues and hangouts are popping up across town, regularly documented on blogs like Orlando Hipster. Key neighbourhoods are the Milk District, Mills North and Thornton Park. Mexican food trucks, record and book stores, buskers and vintage boutiques bring these hip areas to life.

5. Tenerife 
Tenerife’s beaches and warm climate attract visitors all year round. But this is also an island with great natural beauty (like volcanic Mount Teide) and plenty of thrills if you want something adrenaline pumping, too. Bored with beach life? Hire a dune buggy or quad bike, or maybe do a few circuits of the Canary Islands’ legendary go-karting track. This is a cycling Mecca and training destination for many Tour de France contenders, so if it’s two wheels that gets you in a spin, you’ll really enjoy this island life.

6. Jeddah
This Saudi coastal city (above) is no hot, dusty desert town – it is cooled by sea breezes. The old town proffers an intriguing souq with winding passageways, while there are also many modern malls for shopaholics to indulge themselves. Don’t want to sit still? Then hop on a ride at Atallah Happy Land theme park, or the warm waters of the Red Sea offer spectacular diving. At dusk take a walk along the shore on the famously meandering Corniche, or why not head for a caviar treatment at the Park Hyatt spa?

7. Tehran
Iran’s capital (above) is slowly opening up and visitors can now admire for themselves its huge squares, impressive buildings and burgeoning cultural life. Tehran’s art scene, for example, has been flourishing underground for decades. Now it is rightly claiming its place as a key attraction in the city. There are hundreds of galleries – key ones include Seyhoun (open since 1966) and Shirin, which also has a branch in New York.
British Airways will resume flights to Tehran from August 2016

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This article has been tagged Destination, Travel Tips