While travel may have been brought to a standstill, it certainly didn’t stop progress. Here are just a few of the new attractions in some of our favourite places to visit, writes ALENEY DE WINTER.

A fairy tale (童话) first

The first stages of the H. C. Andersen House in Odense, Denmark — the hometown of the famous fairy tale writer — have opened. The site will also soon be home to a kid’s space where more fairy tales will be brought to life. hcandersenshus. dk

A floating (漂浮的) flower garden

Team Lab Planets TOKYO in Toyosu, Tokyo, has shown a new Garden Area with two garden artworks. One of them invites you to get close to 13,000 live orchids (兰花). Visitors will find themselves walking through water and floating as they become one artwork with the flowers. planets. teamlab. art

Sunken (沉没的) city

Dubai landmarks haven’t just gone high, they’ve gone deep! The world’s deepest dive pool, Deep Dive Dubai, is the latest record-breaking attraction. More than 60 metres deep, the too-cool pool includes an underwater sunken city for divers to explore on their own or with a guide: Whether you’ve never dived before or you’re an experienced diver, those aged 10 and over are welcomed. deepdivedubai. com

New York’s newest island

Park life just got a little more interesting in New York. Little Island @Pier55 is a human-built island park next to the Hudson River Park. The new public space is unlike any other in the Big Apple: visitors can take in views of the Hudson River and New York City, along with music, dance and other performances (表演) in its 687-seat theatre. littleisland. org

VISIT OR AVOID?

It sounds like a lot of travelling, but there’s so much to see! Fly into Bangkok and spend a few days visiting the beautiful floating markets, the Old City and, of course, the Grand Palace—the historic heart of Thailand. With its temples, halls and extraordinary architecture, it’s a must- see!

Then travel overland to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is a huge temple complex which contains the largest religious building in the world. About 500 years ago, Angkor Wat was mysteriously abandoned and only rediscovered 150 years ago.

After that, fly to Halong Bay in the north of Vietnam. Thousands of tiny islands seem to float in the blue waters of the bay. Some people call it the Eighth Wonder of the World. There’s certainly nowhere quite like it.

AVOID the “party islands” like Koh Samui. With their ”full moon“ parties, these islands are great for some people, but not for people like you who hate noise!

It’s one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, and it’s also one of the best for shopping. What other city has an annual shopping festival? It’s a long flight for Valentina, over 17 hours from Santiago, but if she has a couple of weeks to spare, she’ll find that Dubai is right up her alley.

The weather makes it too hot to walk outside for much of the year (though it should be fine in January)so shopping malls are one way to escape the heat. Dubai Mall, for example, has over 1,200 shops — more than some small cities. And just like small cities, some of its malls have theatres, art galleries and even indoor ski slopes.

If all this seems a bit too artificial, Valentina could try the Dubai ”souks“, which are a kind of traditional market. They aren’t quite as beautiful as the markets in Turkey and Morocco, but they’re worth visiting anyway. It’s where the locals go and it’s a good place to learn to pick up some bargains!

AVOID most of Europe. Cities like Edinburgh, London, Paris and Berlin are great for shopping, but there’s not much chance of seeing the sun in January or February!

Activities to enjoy with the kids in 2020

When you are stuck for ideas for things to do with the kids, look no further. There are many attractions and activities in North Devon, as well as on one of our Parks.

The Big Sheep

Open January to October 2020.

Meet the animals, feed the animals. Loads of them too. Like sheep, goats, ducks, dogs and more. Rides and attractions, whatever the weather, for the whole family. The Rampage Roller-coaster is great, ride the swans in the lake and enjoy the sheepdog show.

Air Extreme

Open all year round.

A unique trampoline(蹦床)park in North Devon. A fantastic area of interconnected trampolines in nearby Barnstaple. Air Extreme is filled with jump activities. Jump all day long or chill out and party in the cafe area.

North Devon Wake Park

All through the year

If you fancy venturing a bit further afield(遥远), then head across to Bideford to visit the Wake and Aqua Park. They have something for all of the family, from beginner to the experienced, if you don't mind getting wet! Race and slide and chase each other across the fantastic park.

The Milky Way

Open weekends off-season, daily most of the year.

Online booking is essential for this family-friendly theme park. They have North Devon's largest indoor play area, a typhoon roller-coaster, a gravity rider, a donut slide, as well as android destroyer dodgems(碰碰车)and a whole pile of other activities!