Alton Towers is one of the most popular theme parks in the United Kingdom. There is a reason Alton Towers is so popular – it has some of the most exhilarating and scary rides in the UK. Unlike other theme parks such as Thorpe Park, Drayton Manner and Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers has rides that can only be found there. Air is one of the easiest ways to experience flying like Superman. Or, experience going backwards on Thi3teen. Sharkbait in the Sea Life section recently opened, featuring over 300 different species of sea life, in over one million litres of water. The Alton Towers Garden is a great place to have a picnic, or a great place to relax while the children queue up for the rides

Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure (USA)

Universal Studios has to be one of the best-known theme parks in the world. Islands of Adventures has everything for a fun, exciting and thrilling day out. Rides, shows, restaurants and even concerts. The main reason kids will want to go to this magnificent theme park is for the excellent rides. From Spiderman in 3D, you move through the world of Spiderman as he battles famous villains, experience Shrek in 4D(!) and come face to face with Jaws as you move through water filled with props from the famous movie, so prepare yourself for quite a shock. If sharks are a bit too scary why not take a flying bike ride with E.T. or visit Twister and experience a real tornado tearing through a city, blast aliens in Men in Black, take a ride with The Simpsons or visit the world of the world’s most popular wizard, Harry Potter. If you can’t manage to drag the children away you can always book a few nights in one of the hotels.

PortAventura (Spain)

One of Spain’s most popular theme parks, this park is filled with rides, restaurants, shows, an aquatic park and the Wild West. The aquatic park is filled with plenty of water slides, so you will get wet, as well as a nice pool area for a relaxing swim and a few drinks. When booking a night or two in the hotel, ticket prices are also included. Unlike most theme parks PortAventura is based more around shows and sampling different foods and drinks, so this park is aimed at children who enjoy experiencing how other cultures live. But there are still plenty of rides for both adults and children to enjoy, one of the most popular rides Stampedia also has a version called Tomahawk for children to ride.

Cedar Point (USA)

Cedar Point happens to be one of the biggest theme parks in the world, packed with incredible roller coasters, rides that will spin you round while swinging you from side to side, family rides and many more. Of course like every theme park there are places to eat and stay, but who wants to stay in a hotel or eat? The rides are all kids will want to do and in Soak City they can get drenched and spend the rest of the day drying off while wandering around the shops and shows. Most of the rides and roller coasters have been running for 30 years – this just proves how popular they really are and why roller coaster enthusiasts will travel hundreds of miles to experience the thrills Cedar Point has to offer. Cedar Point also has HalloWeekends, where you can eat with the dead.

Six Flags Magic Mountain (USA)

This park is a great way for children to experience live shows and even have a go a karaoke or try and win the Dance Dance Revolution challenge, so get your dance moves ready and hit the dance pad. Will you stand up to The Riddler Challenge? And by stand, I mean you really do stand – no sitting on this extremely fast roller coaster. Try Batman the ride and experience a movie as you move through it. Déjà vu will havey you thrust forward then yanked back. But don’t worry, not all the rides are designed for thrill seekers – there are plenty of rides the whole family to enjoy. With parades and shows throughout the day, you won’t have to worry about filling an entire day with rides and food. With the parades being filled with famous faces, children will surely enjoy themselves. You can even join Bugs Bunny and his friends on the beach for a party.

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There are also tons of retro consoles to look at and purchase. A popular store is Hard-Off, this store is filled with boxes of consoles, extra power plugs, controllers and various other accessories. Japan also had some of the best and strangest accessories for older consoles. The Divers 2000 limited edition version of the Sega Dreamcast is a Dreamcast built into a TV that resembles a Chao’s head from Sonic Adventure.

Unlike most countries where arcades have died off, Japan is still full of them, ranging from classic rail-gun shooters to more physical Dance Dance Revolution-type games. Most Japanese spend most of their free time in arcades rather than pubs. Japan is great for imports too.

Think of all the games you want and a trip to Japan may result in you coming back with hundreds of games and consoles, so take an extra bag in case. Its unfortunate that retro store aren’t open in every country and that gamers have to rely heavily on places like eBay, where some of the games and consoles never work and the seller wont reply back, It used to be the case that hardcore gamers could walk into independent stores and purchase hard-to-find games. Now we have giant chain stores such as GAME in the UK and Best Buy and Walmart in the US.

Japan isn’t the only country where you can buy retro games in stores. Canada has a great shop called Game Deals where you can buy games as far back as the Magnavox Odyssey. How many people remember that console with the handles on cartridges? For people getting into retro gaming who want to restore a game that has been left for dead, check out a guy on YouTube who goes by the name Lukemorse1. This guy is amazing – not only can he get games that have been abandoned in a garage back to their original condition, but he also shows people how to repair unknown consoles. He’s great for people looking into collecting arcade cabinets and he lives in Japan so you can see inside places like Hard-Off.

Its unfortunate that these days gamers have to travel hundreds if not thousands of miles just to be able to walk into a store and buy an old game. The biggest downside to playing or buying games in Japan is most of them are, obviously, in Japanese. The good thing is that if you can read enough Japanese or can workout what is on the screen, you can still have a great time playing them.

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It may be the year 2010 now, but surely some type of hover vehicle should be invented by Japan or some other technologically advanced place by 2015. If Back to the Future Part II is anything to go by, in the next five years people will be traveling on hoverboards rather than walking or cycling. How hard is it really to create little hover jets that attach underneath a normal skateboard? If NASA can send a space shuttle weighing 1,650,000 pounds into space, surely they can design a board to hold a human weighing 180 pounds a few inches above ground? How much more convenient would traveling on a hoverboard be – they could even have attachments to help disabled people, even attachments for people with young children. If we are lucky this will all come to fruition in the next five years, along with dancing cows and flying pigs.

2050

You know that feeling, standing in a busy city, the streets filled with people, taxis zooming past not noticing you? How nice would it be to stand in a clear tube and simply saying the place you want to go? The tube will instantly suck you in and send you to where you want to go. What would these excellent tubes be called? I think they should be called Super Hyper Suction Tubes. Traveling through these tubes may get boring especially if you have to travel for at least half hour, so why not funk them up with some old school tunes from the year 2010.

2150

How cool would it be to hop into you own personal spacecraft and explore the universe? Who knows, you may bump into and alternate version of you or an entirely new race of aliens. Maybe by the year 2030 there will be a fuel much cheaper and more efficient than petrol and diesel. When spacecrafts are available to everyone a shop needs to open to provide us with custom body kits – how awesome would a Millennium Falcon body kit be? A really great feature to have would be autopilot for parking. Actually, thinking about that a bit more, wouldn’t highly advanced robots exist? A plethora of accessories should be available, such a laser cannons.

2210

Two hundred years into our future and teleporters should be installed into every house or the equivalent of a house (maybe floating UFOs or some other kind of alien-inspired building). You can guarantee when these awesome machines are built there will be a crazy amount of rules, such as: don’t allow insects inside the teleporter. Maybe they can be coded to specific homes so you can use however many you need to get to various places. Think how much easier it will be when you buy a new 100-inch floating ultra-mega-HD screen and all you have to do is walk through a teleporter then boom, you’re in the room you want the screen in.

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The Rockefeller Centre has, in my opinion, the best view of New York City. It is better than the Empire State Building because although it is smaller it provides a view of the Empire State in the backdrop of the city. New York City is exposed at its best here as you are able to capture the true atmosphere of the tall skyscrapers that lean over the ant-sized people walking around. On a clear day it is also possible to view the Statue of Liberty, Coney Island and other attractions.

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art has held many exciting exhibitions in 2010. The Tim Burton exhibition offered fans of the director a true insight into his world by exploring his work from sketches from his earlier years. Around the museum are recognisable features of his films and there is an area dedicated to both his early work and more recent work. They also had an exhibition from April until June on the Magnum photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, featuring many of his most notable works. The works that feature at this museum that are on permanent display include the illustrious Vincent Van Gogh’s painting ‘Starry Night’ and Pablo Picasso’s prestigious work ‘The Three Musicians’.

Ground Zero

Visiting Ground Zero was a very reflective moment during a recent trip to New York. The surrounding area hosts a discount shopping mall and many busy restaurants and yet the nearby atmosphere allows the people in the city to remember the events of 9/11. It’s surprisingly peaceful and comforting to go to and does not live up to the unpleasant preconception many people think of at first. It is included in the top five because it provides a way for people all over the world to pay their respect to those who lost their lives and those who live but were affected by it, and also to acknowledge the true nature of the people in the city.

The Deli

The Deli in Manhattan was most likely, if not definitely, the best experience of being in New York. It defined the culture in so many ways. A little Italian-American man ran it with his family and they made the thickest pancakes covered in, literally, anything and everything. They also provide the $5 shake, which is actually $5.50 but nevertheless, it is as John Travolta in Pulp Fiction said it would be (something that cannot be mentioned on here for the sake of having to using expletives).

The Subway

Wandering around the subway is a must for any visitor to New York. This is because it not only takes you to the most important places in the city but it also provides some sightseeing itself. Although it is an unpredictable choice to include in a top five, the subway itself is the truest essence of New York City. The interior is grey and rather grim in contrast to, say, the more polished London tube stations – it makes you feel much more like a typical New Yorker.

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Embankment is just a nice place to sit back and enjoy the whole city in front of you.

Listen to the Buskers on the Tubes or the streets. Charlie Chaplin usually hangs out on London Bridge.

Cycle through London by following the new routes being marked down on the main roads throughout Westminster.

The iTunes Festival is held every year throughout July. All tickets are won in a competition and you can apply for these here and the tickets are entirely free. You get a card where you can download free songs from the previous year’s gigs and there are often famous people dancing beside you. The gigs are brilliant as you can see well-established good bands and singers in an extremely intimate venue called the Roundhouse, which is located in Camden Town.

The Photographer’s Gallery and other art galleries offer a free way to explore London. The Saatchi Gallery offers a free magazine each season, so every time you visit be sure to pick one up as it is extremely interesting to read on the current art world. Tate Modern, V&A and Tate Britain are also well worth seeing and the Whitechapel Gallery is free too.

Silent discos are amazing. At London Zoo in August, there will be silent discos every Friday night. It sounds crazy, and it is. The concept is that you take your own music and you dance to it – without anyone else hearing what you hear but just seeing you dance from how you react to your own music. The best one in the past was the silent disco in Waterloo station. This can be quite a funny event to go to as the people of London are often confused and watching their faces while you’re having the time of your life is often a tummy tickler.

Take a stroll round Hyde Park. The stunning scenery provides somewhere to relax and maybe cuddle up with a book. The peace and quiet offers a contrast to the busy London streets so if you want some reflective time or a run about with your dog then this is a very good area to go to without feeling you’ll be intruded upon by a gang of hoodies.

The British Museum is great, and free. It offers so much British history as well as foreign history and the pieces that are on display are actually worth seeing.

The National Theatre offers a scheme where people under 25 can get cheaper theatre tickets. Since it is a part of the ‘A Night Less Ordinary’ charity that offers young people a chance to go to the theatre without the ridiculous prices, it is definitely worth applying for an Entry Pass if you can qualify for one. The first ticket you ‘buy’ is actually free as well. Then all the following are £5 each. All of the tickets at normal rates are much more than this bargain.

You may feel a little bit like Aladdin by doing this but if you go to a street market such as Camden Lock where there are tons and tons of stalls where people are trying to sell food, often they will ask you if you would like to try before you buy. If you are feeling particularly cheap and want free food, you could just keep going to different stalls and asking to try them out! However the food is relatively cheap – so if you can squeeze a few pounds in your pocket, support the local community and buy some food.

Perhaps you’re feeling nosey, or would like some real life drama. Or maybe you’re a law student but feel guilty about not revising for an exam. Maybe you’re just up for anything. The Old Bailey is where you can go and watch trials. It’s certainly not entertainment, but it can be fascinating, if you have a strong constitution.

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FOR: When you go to a musical festival, it provides a great opportunity to see your favourite bands in one place. It also allows festival goers to discover new bands that they may like alongside the more established ones. You may be seeing bands before they have their big break, saving money in the long-term.

FOR: The social life is fantastic when you go to a music festival. It’s like one big holiday. You drink, listen to great live music in the outdoors when the sun is shining (hopefully) and you can be with your group of friends but meet entirely new people while you’re there. Perhaps you’ll meet them while putting up your tent and need a bit of help when you encounters difficulties, or you’ll recognise people going to the same gigs as you.

AGAINST: Paying possibly hundreds of pounds to attend a music festival may indeed not be worth the money. You could spend your money on better things, perhaps, such as a holiday or maybe a very extravagant night out on the town. The costs of drink, especially alcohol, at festivals, is often beyond ridicule. Most people resort to bringing their own but this adds to the factor that you’re getting less for your money by spending more on other things to aid you during your time there.

AGAINST: The lack of hygiene at a music festival after the first day or so begins to bug a lot of first-timers. You are amongst people who haven’t showered in a while anyway but by the fourth day, body odour is unavoidable and no amount of baby wipes (which will probably get stolen) will disguise the horrific smell of stale sweat.

AGAINST: Someone I spoke to the other day mentioned that they had been to Download festival just recently and they hadn’t been able to go to the toilet for five days. She was unable to walk.

AGAINST: There is the view by certain people that a lot of festivals, such as Glastonbury, that are noted for being the original ‘hippy’ festivals, have changed over the course of time. They are not the original non-commericial events but merely events that consist of ‘celebrities’ such as Peaches Geldof or Kate Moss wearing overly-expensive designer clothes.

Overall it is down to personal choice as to whether or not you think a music festival is worth the money. Some day-long festivals offer a taste of the more lengthy festival experience for a third of the cost, and could be considered a good compromise on both cost and experience.

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This is a no brainer: how else are you going to carry food? You may not want to lug around a big ol’ hamper, so wooden crates – the kind fresh fruit and vegetables are carried in – can be a great alternative, as well as a cheaper one. Most hampers provide nice spaces for plates, forks, knives and spoons. Traditionally made from woven wood and twine, this helps keep them light yet very sturdy.

Cooler Box

Ice packs are also handy to keep drinks and any food that may go bad in warm weather, such as seafood, if you plan to barbecue. The more sturdy cooler boxes are great for cans and bottles. Flexible cooler bags are great for food. If you plan on taking a sturdy plastic cooler box and plan not to take to many drinks, having a plastic bucket filled with ice will provide an ice cold drink without taking up to much space.

Portable Barbecue/Grill

When out on a hot summer’s day, barbecues are certain to happen, so why should being away from your home stop you from firing up a grill and cooking your favorite food? A few items to have on standby are a spray bottle (to help with any out of control fires) and Aloe Vera to help with burns.

Picnic Blanket

A picnic blanket is essential not only for comfort, but also for keeping insects and dirt from getting on any food you may have lying around. If you are with younger children, having a larger blanket will give them room to play house.

Plastic Cups, Utensils and Cutlery

Plastic cutlery is great for picnics due to the limited amount of space they take up, plus they are great for when children are around as plastic doesn’t shatter into tiny pieces, so injuries will be minor if they happen. When you have finished with the cups and utensils you can simply throw them away. When buying cutlery and cups for a picnic, make sure the plastic is durable – you don’t want and cutlery breaking on you when trying to cut through any food you have prepared.

Small Medical Kit

Items such as insect repellant, plasters, antiseptic wipes and bandages are handy to have nearby in case of any scrapes or cuts you may get, if you plan to picnic in an area with large trees. Being able to calmly deal with a cut or scrape, using an anti septic wipe and a plaster will save a lot of time with the kids. Suntan lotion is also a must in hot weather.

Cutting Board

A decent-sized cutting board is a great thing to have on a picnic. If you choose to take fresh bread or meat with you, having a place to cut the food will help. If you plan to prepare meat, taking a plastic board will stop germs such as salmonella spreading onto fresh bread or salads. With two boards you can get someone to help you prepare different foods quicker, so you can relax while other people cook and the children play. Then when everything is ready people can just help themselves.

Water

Water is extremely important in warm weather. Lack of hydration could lead to serious problems such as fainting and heat stroke. Younger children should be kept in shaded areas every few hours and should drink water to keep their hydration levels up. Setting up a parasol and having young children sit under that whilst drinking water or juice will help cool them down. When drinking water you can put extra suntan lotion on them if they need it.

Different Clothes

Having clothes for all types of weather is nice to have even if they don’t get used.

Outdoor Games

Great for keeping children entertained.

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Having a reliable tent can make the difference between a enjoyable camping trip or a disastrous one. When buying your tent you have to take into account that the size will affect the price – a tent designed for say one or two people will be significantly cheaper than a tent designed for four to six people. When looking for a tent take into consideration the types of weather you will use the tent in, tents range from one- to four-season, some are only suited to particular weather conditions, some are suited for all weather conditions. Buying a tent with a tub floor will keep the floor (flooring made from a single piece of material, no stitching) of the tent bone dry. Even in dry conditions a tub floor stops any moistures built up under the tent from soaking into it. When inside any size tent, there should be a good circulation of oxygen and reflective pegs are great for when walking outside in the dark. It’s never a bad idea to set a newly-bought tent up in a garden, so when it’s time to use it in the wild, you will be prepared and know exactly what do do.

Low Range: £10 – £30; Mid Range: £40 – £90; High Range: £200+

Fire

There are many different ways to get a camp fire going, and it is always a good idea to have a few sources of creating fire, from rubbing two sticks together or striking steel against flint to waterproof matches to a lighter. Having as many sources as possible to get a fire going is always a great idea. The type of weather conditions you will be camping in will determine what source of creating fire will suit best. With some household products such as nail polish and candles you can turn a cheap box of ordinary matches into waterproof ones, here are some instructions on how to create them. Most of the time a cheap lighter will get a nice fire going, but if you want to fully immerse yourself in the wilderness nothing beats striking a piece of flint with steel to create sparks. If you know where to look, you can find flint.

Low Range: £1 -£2 for matches/lighter; Mid Range: £3 – £5 for flint and steel striker; High Range: £20+ for a outdoor lighter

Sleeping Bag/Hammock

Sleeping bags can either be a good or bad thing for camping. If out in a more humid climate a hammock may suit better, just make sure you carry a mosquito net so no insects can bite or sting you. In colder climates sleeping bags work great. If possible take air beds or sleeping mats to help with comfort. Similar to tents, sleeping bags also come with different seasonal protection. Check the ideal temperature use when looking for sleeping equipment to suit any weather conditions you may be in. There are different types of sleeping bags, some that completely enclose you in and others that are almost like a bed. The enclosed sleeping bags would work best in colder weather but would work just as well in warmer climates, the bed-like sleeping bags would be much more comfortable in much warmer and humid weather as you’re not completely enclosed.

Low Range: £8 – £20; Mid Range: £25 – £60; High Range: £70+

Cutlery

When searching for cutlery, if you plan on going with plastic folks, knifes and spoons make sure the plastic is very durable. A great option is sporks; not only do these combine forks and spoons, but some even have a serrated edge for cutting. Titanium sporks are available and will last much longer than your average plastic sporks, plus they wont rust in damp conditions. The downside to sporks is that if you are eating food like steak you will need a fork and knife, but you could get around this by buying good quality plastic knives.

Low Range: £1 – £5; Mid Range: £8 – £15; High Range: £20+

Medical Kit

A well thought out and packed medical kit should always be packed with basic items such as plasters, bandages, antiseptic wipes and paracetamol. Packing items that you may need in specific parts of the world is never a bad idea, so research the place you are going to and stock up with medical items. Having each medical item clearly marked and organized will help either yourself or somebody with you treat a wound quickly without losing time due to an unorganized medical kit. Carrying a smaller medical kit, still with everything the larger one would have, is great for when you plan to walk into a dense forest or go on a long trail. Any cuts or scrapes you get either by branches or rocks should been seen to immediately. When in warmer climates insect repellant will help protect you against any diseases such as malaria that mosquitos may carry, but in much colder temperatures heat packs are a great thing to carry, with most providing upwards of ten hours of warmth.

Low Range: £1 – £5; Mid Range: £5- 15; High Range: £20+

Light

When camping you should have at least a lantern, preferably a butane lantern and a torch. The benefit of butane lanterns if that you won’t waist battery power for torches, plus when inside a tent, lanterns will illuminate a lot more space in a smaller package. Lanterns with a dimmer feature help not only when you want less light, but to preserve butane fuel. When searching for a torch and lantern make sure they have specific features that you will need. A lantern that can produce enough light to illuminate a tent designed for upwards of six people is great but not for a tent designed for two to four people, unless it has that built-in dimmer switch. Any torch that can produce a high, medium and low beam is a nice piece of kit to have.

Low Range: £1 – £10; Mid Range: £15 – £25; High Range: £40+

Rucksack

A good, heavy-duty rucksack is vital for camping. When deciding on a rucksack take into consideration all of the items you will be carrying. Another thing to check for is padded hip belts, these help spread the weight of the load evenly around the upper body, taking a lot of strain away from the back. Some of the more moderately priced rucksacks also feature a hydration unit hidden at the very top with a durable drinking straw and mouth piece, excellent for higher temperatures.

Low Range: £15 – £30; Mid Range: £35 – £70; High Range: £80+

Knife

A good strong knife is an essential piece of kit. Leathermans are a great tool to carry, not only do they have nice sharp blades but also other tools, like screwdrivers, bottle openers, can openers and saws. Purchasing cheaper knives isn’t a bad idea for small jobs such as cutting food, but they are definitely not good knives to rely on. A blade with a steel grade of S30V will cut through almost anything you will find when out in the wild, very useful for shaving off any damp bark of twigs to use as fire wood.

Low Range: £5 – £15; Mid Range: £20 – £35; High Range: £50+

Gas Cooker

Most camping gas cookers use butane. Butane come in canisters available in different sizes. Butane is a compressed gas and can only be released by pushing down on the nozzle so there will be no leaks while traveling. Carrying a gas cooker can be useful even if you plan to start camp fires to cook food – there may be situations where you want a nice hot drink or have a warm snack, so rather than wait for a fire to get going, just flick the switch on your cooker and you’re ready.

Low Range: £10 – £20; Mid Range: £25 – £50; High Range: £60+

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Climbing two places to the top of the list this year us Noma in Denmark. It was the Chef’s Choice last year. Led by chef Rene, this Copenhagen restaurant has catapulted into a league of its own over the past couple of years. Noma aims to pay homage to the source of our food – soil and sea. In fact, one of the dishes you can expect to see on Rene’s menu is a combination of baby carrots and edible soil which is created from hazelnuts, malt, beer and creamed herbs. Noma has imagination and sophistication in spades.

El Bulli in Spain was pushed into second place by Noma although this restaurant has won the Restaurant Magazine Chef of the Decade. The influential Chef Ferran Adria shares his knowledge and expertise across the globe, which means that the techniques he has honed are now used by chefs world over. This generosity could one day mean that those he has trained will find themselves with restaurants considered to be amongst the best in the world. Adria cooks with passion and is firmly against following rules. He creates unique dishes which are beyond description. He has won the S. Pellegrino Best Restaurant Award five times this decade.

The Fat Duck, the UK’s only restaurant in the top ten, was last year’s second best restaurant in the world. It will come as no surprise that this is the restaurant of renowned chef Heston Blumenthal. With the Fat Duck he has created a restaurant that brings fine dining to the masses. The menu is constantly evolving and changing and even recognisable dishes are adapted year on year. Amongst the favourites, though, are his Salmon poached in Liquorice with Artichokes. It sounds like it shouldn’t work but it does. He is admired by his fellow chefs to such an extent that his restaurant was voted the Electrolux Chef’s Choice at this year’s awards.

Another Spanish restaurant remains in the top ten. El Celler De Can has climbed one place on the list this year after it was last year’s highest climber. This restaurant is the brainchild of three brothers. The head chef is Joan Roca and he is joined by pastry chef Jordi and Maître d’ Josep. The restaurant is ultra modern with a state of the art kitchen and a wine cellar in which customers can journey through the wine regions. The dining area provides a calm, natural space in which diners can savour the delights of Joan’s concoctions.

Mugaritz in Spain is considered the fifth best restaurant in the world. Chef Andoni Luis Aduriz is less focussed on new technologies and modern cooking as many of his counterparts. However, this does not mean he is any less dedicated to the creation of perfect food. In fact, some may say he is more dedicated than anyone. He studied the chemistry of coagulation for two years just to perfect the poached egg. Now, that’s dedication! Aduriz really plays with food to create the best cooking conditions and the most exquisite dishes. As an example, he bakes carrots in clay to produce the best flavour and this is a constant in everything that he does. Yes, he shuns the newer technologies but he still strives to find the best methodologies to produce the best flavours. He is also a fan of obscure ingredients again to the same end.

Osteria Francescana is considered the sixth best restaurant in the world having climbed from last year’s thirteenth place. It is based in Italy and headed by chef Massimo Bottura. He creates food which you want to eat on sight. His dishes are works of art – literally. After all, we do not pay as much attention to the way a dish looks as we should. Bottura’s dishes are colourful and full of texture, a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds!

Climbing from last year’s tenth position is the USA’s Alinea. Based in Chicago, this restaurant is run by Chef Grant Achatz. His business partner declared: ‘Alinea is a chef-driven restaurant – we live and die by the work, cuisine and vision of Grant Achatz.” He creates new twists and classics such as the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Achatz has been responsible for the abundance of plaudits awarded to this restaurant and he looks set to open some new eateries throughout the course of 2010.

And now for the highest climber. Daniel restaurant in the USA climbed from 41st on the list last year to this year’s eighth spot. Named after its chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud, this restaurant in the swanky Upper East Side in Manhattan is Boulud’s most successful eaterie. His food is a fusion of French and American. It is unique and it works so well. This is also the ideal restaurant for vegetarians, who usually find they have one or two options on a standard menu, as Boulud creates a whole tasting menu from seasonal veg. However, there is also plenty of meat dishes on offer for the carnivores amongst us!

At number nine on the list we head back to Spain and the Arzak restaurant. Arzak is headed by Juan Mari Arzak and this family restaurant has been in operation since 1897. Arzak’s daughter Elena now works with him also. The food is classic but it is served with a twist such as lobster with white olive oil. It is no wonder this restaurant has been in existence for so long and is a regular on this list.

And finally, gripping to its place in the top ten is Per Se in New York, despite falling four places on the list from last year when it was named Best Restaurant in the Americas. However, there is a new chef at the helm this year in the form of Eli Kaimeh. Time will tell if he can build on the international reputation built by his predecessor Thomas Keller.

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Aurora Borealis

Aurora Borealis are also known as polar auroras or the northern lights. They are called the northern lights because they occur in the northern hemisphere. These naturally occurring lights appear to spectators as dancing lights in the sky. If you wish to experience the northern lights first hand you have a higher chance of doing so the closer you travel to the magnetic pole in the Canadian Arctic islands. However, you could have a wasted journey because there is no way of predicting when the Aurora Borealis will appear although they are most likely between March and April or September and October. If you are planning to photograph the spectacle, though, you could have difficulty unless you are using a high quality digital camera.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon can be found in Arizona, USA. This gorge was created by the Colorado River and measures 277 miles long with a width of between 4 and 18 miles. It is also over one mile deep. There are larger canyons in the world but the Grand Canyon is considered a natural wonder due to its breathtaking colour, scale and size. The most famous and widely renowned view can be found at the Toroweap Overlook but you may have a treacherous journey to this lookout up one of only three dirt paths which will lead you there. However, you may choose to take in the vast site of the Canyon during a helicopter tour which continues to be one of the most popular options.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is one of the natural wonders of Africa. This waterfall, which is also known as Mosi-oa-Tunya (smoke that thunders), is located on the borders of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Sourced by the Zambezi River, it is the largest in the world at one mile wide and an astonishing 360 feet high. The falls are protected by the Zambian and Zimbabwean national parks. The waterfall was named Victoria Falls by Dr. David Livingstone, the Scottish explorer.

As with the Grand Canyon, one of the best ways to view the Falls is to take a helicopter ride as you can truly appreciate the breathtaking view from high above the tumbling water. However, you can also view this amazing natural spectacle by walking across the footbridge and along the footpath where you can view the falls at eye level and hear the pounding of the water which earned it that nickname ‘smoke that thunders’. However, if you are planning a visit there are two distinctive seasons in which you can view the falls; the rainy season lasts from late November until the start of April and the rest of the year is considered the dry season.

Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is such a vast spectacle to behold that it can be seen from outer space. It is the largest coral reef in the world and the largest creation formed entirely from living organisms. The reef stretches across 1,600 miles and is constructed from 2,900 reefs and includes 900 islands.

Without a doubt the best way to view the reef is underwater, therefore it will come as no surprise that the area is a hotspot for snorkellers and scuba divers who thrive on the opportunity to see the coral, fish and sea-life up close. Of course, the expanse of the reef can be appreciated by air on a helicopter ride over the area.

Mount Everest

Moving on to China and Mount Everest, the highest spot on earth’s landscape. The summit of this mountain peaks at 29,029 feet and is also known as Chomolungma.

Mount Everest is located amongst the Himalayan mountains on the border between Tibet and Nepal. This is a popular spot with climbers who view climbing Everest as the ultimate challenge. This is a very costly challenge, though, with the Nepalese government now charging potential climbers $25,000.

If you are planning to visit Everest, the best times to go are during the dry season of October and November. It is certainly best to avoid the mountain during the snowier periods. You will require protective equipment for your camera as the atmosphere is very unique at Everest and this can interfere with camera operations. You may actually achieve the best views and the best photographic opportunities by taking a guided flight around the mountain.

Harbour of Rio de Janeiro

The harbour of Rio de Janeiro is a sight to behold as it is surrounded by stunningly unique granite monolith mountains and formations, including Sugar Loaf Mountain. It is considered one of the natural wonders of the world due to the volume of water which makes it the largest bay in the world.

The bay was actually created by the erosion from the Atlantic Ocean. Again, this is one of these natural wonders that is best appreciated from the skies where you can get a sense of the true beauty with the contrasts of water, mountains and beaches. It is heavenly. You can also go up Sugar Loaf Mountain on cable cars but you should try to get there as early as possible in the morning for the clearest views.

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