Planning a Trip for 2016? Check Out this 5 Hot Travel Destinations

It is just a few days into the new year, but if you are already feeling the itch brought about by the travel bug in you and you just suddenly felt the urge to hop on the next available plane to start your travel adventures this 2016, then this list of some of the hottest travel destinations is perfect for you.

Northern Japan

At the end of the first quarter in 2016, the capital city of Tokyo will be connected to the northern islands like Hokkaido by a direct bullet train, which will cut the usual travel time by about two hours. Hokkaido is known as Japan's adventure place where its people spend their summer for hiking and camping and winter for skiing.

"In a recent survey, Hokkaido was Japanese travellers' preferred region, with Hakodate, the gateway to Hokkaido, voted the country's most attractive tourist destination, followed by Sapporo," wrote The Guardian. "Hakodate is celebrated for its historic buildings, landscapes including Mount Hakodate, and dishes such as ikura (salmon roe) and squid-ink ice cream."

Bordeaux, France

This enchanting city from the southwest region of France was previously known as the La Belle Au Bois Dormant or the Sleeping Beauty, before its mayor and former Prime Minister Alain Juppé, seemingly, served the role as its prince charming waking her up to what is now a city popular for its wide boulevards, neoclassical architecture and high-tech public transport system. In 2007, a major part of the city was listed as a Unesco site making it the largest urban World Heritage Site, according to the Lonely Planet.

Today it is also best known for producing the biggest volume of fine wines in France and is trying to vie for the distinction of being known as the wine capital of the world, says The Guardian.

Cuba

CNBC mentioned this Caribbean island nation as a must-see destination this 2016. It cited the renewed diplomatic ties and lifting of travel restrictions between the Cuba and the U.S. as the reasons why this tropical island paradise should be included in the list of hot tourist spot for travelers this year, especially for Americans in the U.S.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

One of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world is happening in Rio this 2016. People from all over the world will be flocking this seaside city in Brazil for the Olympics, where a lot of festivities, apart from the games itself, is definitely in store, the Telegraph noted.

Some of the local attractions in Rio include its very popular Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the imposing Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mt. Corcovado and the Sugarloaf Mountain peak with its cable car ride to the summit.

Botswana

This country in the southern portion of Africa made it to the list of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 as one of the places it highly recommends as one of the must-visit countries this year. The team behind Lonely Planet refer to Botswana as wild Africa at its best.

"Botswana has some of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth, from elephants and antelopes to big cats and African wild dogs," wrote CNN.