If you want your next holiday to have the real wow factor, why not consider these record breaking destinations? From the world’s tallest building to the world’s most beautiful beach, we count down our top ten holiday spots with impressive landmarks, incredible attractions and extra special accolades.
#10 Brazil
If your dream holiday includes plenty of time spent relaxing on soft sands, Brazil boasts the perfect place. Stretching over 150 miles, Praia Do Cassino beach holds the title of the world’s longest. It’s the southernmost beach on the Brazilian coast and sits just 15 miles from the old city of Rio Grande, a good off the beaten track alternative to holidays in popular Rio de Janeiro. We sincerely doubt you’d struggle for space to lay your towel on this seemingly endless swathe of golden sand, which extends all the way to Uruguay!
#9 Seychelles
Those looking for quality over quantity may be interested in learning that the most photographed beach in the world – and so perhaps the most beautiful – can be found in the glorious Seychelles archipelago. Anse Source D’Argent lies on the south-west coast of relaxed island La Digue and is a white sand wonder dotted with swaying palms, hidden coves and huge pink granite boulders that are said to change colour throughout the day. For the beach holiday of a lifetime, this tropical paradise can’t be beaten.
#8 London
The young and the eternally young at heart will be in their element in Hamleys, the world’s largest and oldest toy store. The seven-floor flagship store on Regent Street in London’s West End runs a full programme of magical events to entice little ones through the doors, and its annual Christmas Toy Parade prides itself on being the biggest. Shopaholics will also want to continue to nearby Oxford Street, which is known for being the busiest shopping street in Europe.
#7 Australia
If you’re planning an epic trip to the other side of the world, then you want it to be worth the long flight time. Rest assured, Australia pulls out all the stops to impress its visitors. The Great Barrier Reef, sitting off the coast of Queensland, is the largest living thing on Earth, and no human-made attraction could ever come close to competing with the natural beauty of this underwater world. Australia also boasts the world’s biggest rock, Mount Augustus, which stands over 2.5 times larger than better-known Ayers Rock, in its own National Park just north of Perth.
#6 New York
Famous for the razzle-dazzle of Broadway, New York is a must-do destination for fans of the theatre. It boasts the highest number of theatres in any city, (over 400, including the 40 official Broadway theatres), and the largest number of major concert halls, including the historic Carnegie. At Destina we’re always happy to arrange tickets to a show, so all you need to worry about is which one to choose!
#5 Dublin
There’s no reason why you can’t enjoy beautiful green spaces on a city break, especially when you visit Dublin, home to the largest enclosed park within any European capital city. Phoenix Park is five times the size of London’s Hyde Park and houses Dublin Zoo, the largest in Ireland.
#4 Paris
The city of lights is revered for being a great art and culture hub, and its famous Louvre museum holds two records – one for having the most gallery space of any art museum, and one for being the most visited museum in Europe (the second most visited in the world). Of course, many curious tourists go especially to see Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which holds its own special record for having the highest insurance value of any painting in history – estimated at over £600 million in 2016.
When you’ve had your fill of art, you could move on to enjoying fine literature at one of Paris’ 830 public libraries – by far the most in any city in the world. The Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve is particularly elegant.
#3 Las Vegas
Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world, is bold, brash and larger than life, so it follows that it’s home to some impressive world record-holding landmarks. Those with a steady head for heights can brave a trip to the top of the Stratosphere Tower to take in incredible 360-degree views from the tallest observatory in the USA. There you’ll find the world’s highest thrill rides, including Sky Jump, the world’s highest controlled descent, Big Shot, Insanity and Scream. Or you can skip the Stratosphere and ride the Vegas High Roller to experience the largest observation wheel in the world.
While you might assume that the casino capital of the world is a safe bet for the largest casino, that title, in fact, goes to the Venetian in Macao, which was modelled on its Vegas sister resort. The 7000-room Vegas Venetian has also just been pipped to the post as the world’s largest hotel by First World in Malaysia – unlucky!
#2 Bangkok
Record-busting Bangkok takes one of our top spots for being the most visited city in the world in 2016, with over 21 million overnight visitors. It’s also technically the hottest city in the world, thanks to steady year-round highs, and proudly boasts the world’s tallest golden Buddha, in the temple of Wat Traimit. Bargain hunters will love the biggest outdoor market in the world, the Chatuchak Weekend Market, which has over 15,000 stalls. And all that browsing should work up an appetite worthy of one of the largest restaurants in the world, the Chinese-themed Royal Dragon Restaurant, where staff speed around on roller skates to serve up to 5,000 customers.
#1 Dubai
Described as the city with the world record for being the city with the most world records, our number one spot has to go to Dubai. In this mesmerising Middle Eastern city, you can soar to the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, to look out from the world’s highest observation deck. You can also visit – or stay on – the world’s largest fully functioning human-made island, the Palm Jumeirah, which is so large it is visible from space, and shop in the world’s biggest mall, the Dubai Mall, which covers an area equal to 200 football pitches!
At another of Dubai’s massive shopping centres, the Mall of the Emirates, you can ski the world’s longest indoor ski slope. Or why not head to the Burj Khalifa lake to see the world’s largest choreographed fountain system. Thrill seekers can also visit the recently opened IMG Worlds of Adventure indoor theme park, which is (you guessed it) the biggest in the world. Dubai is certainly a city determined to go one bigger and better whenever possible, so prepare to be amazed!
At Destina we’re dedicated to ensuring that you have the very best holidays possible. If there’s something on this list that you simply have to see, call or book an appointment to discuss how we can make it happen.
