With the start of a new year, many of us start anticipating (and planning) where we like to travel. Here are five hotspot destinations you’ll want to put on your travel radar. Our list contains three destinations identified by Tripadvisor Travelcast as up and comers, a “forbidden” and undiscovered locale, and of course, we’ve included a destination that has ample volunteer opportunities.
Patara, Turkey

With a 12-mile of golden sands backed by the dunes and the Taurus mountains and an abundance of Lycian and Roman ruins peeking out of the sand dunes, …

American Airlines is offering unbelievable rates, as low as $149 each way, to Belize for travel between January 1- March 31, 2010. In order to take advantage of the low fares, tickets must be purchased on AA.com by December 22, 2009.
For those of you who dream of voluntourism in this tropical paradise, this is a great opportunity!

Belize offers a land rich in natural beauty and steep in the history and culture of its Maya past. Renowned for having the second largest barrier reef in the world, Belize’s pristine waters, exotic …

Part of traveler’s philanthropy is being aware and mindful of our impact and responsibilities as we travel around the world. This mindful travel is also referred to as ethical or responsible travel. As travelers, we often look for places to visit, why not consider destinations that have made a commitment to improve sustainability and to benefit local communities?
Jeff Greenwald and Christy Hoover of EthicalTraveler.org recently released the 2010 Ethical Destinations Report and named 10 destinations in the developing world (often off the beaten path) that have plenty of natural wonders, …

Latin America is a beautiful region with a lot to offer and has long enticed budget conscious travelers with its lower prices. Stretching from the Caribbean Sea to the coast of Cape Horn, Central and South America offer extreme variety — from forests filled with wildlife, long stretches of Caribbean beaches, red-hot volcanoes, Mayan ruins and stunning waterfalls, the biodiversity of the Amazon Rainforest to the peaks of the Chilean Andes, to the direst desert, to the ice fields of the Southern Patagonia Icecap.
Latin America has vibrant and varied national …

National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations‘ 6th annual survey highlights 133 worldwide destinations and how they rate in sustainability, social and cultural integrity, aesthetic appeal, tourism management, and future outlook. The Center gathered a panel of “437 travel experts from various fields — historic preservation, site management, geography, sustainable tourism, ecology, indigenous cultures, travel writing and photography, and archaeology” to assess the destinations based on authenticity and stewardship, not popularity. According to NG, “The condition of any destination is a mix of what local governments, residents, and businesses …

White sandy beaches, crystal clear blue sea, brilliant underwater world…

Spend a week at this tropical paradise and participate in a worthy effort to conserve and monitor threatened species like hawksbill and green turtles.
Redang Island in Malaysia is located in the South China Sea, approximately 45 km North Northeast of Kuala Terengganu and 22.5 km east of Tanjung Merang, the take-off point for the island from the mainland. Redang tantalizes each visitor with it’s amazing array of marine life and placid turquoise waters. As one of Malaysia’s more popular island destinations, …

Voluntourism may sound unappealing to some simply because it conjures up stereotypes of trips to undeveloped, amenities-deprived, third world country. For some it’s too much creature comforts to give up on a vacation even if they have altruistic intentions. For others, it’s too hardcore, especially for first timers who are looking to combine service and vacation.

The answer — hotel voluntourism — a soft introduction to voluntourism without having to sacrifice vacation amenities. The Ritz Carlton, an early entrant through its “Give Back Getaway” program, offers volunteer vacation packages at …