My new 2015 Calendar: a Year of Travel, 1,000 places to See Before You Die

1 January, Tokyo Japan. Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensö-ji, is the heart of a complex that attracts upward of 2 million visitors during the first three days of January for hatsumöde, the first shrine and temple visits of the New Year. Crowds return in May for Sanja Matsuri, the biggest, most boisterous party in town.

5 January Aitutaki, Cook Islands. The H.M.S. Bounty and its Captain William Bligh “discovered” Aitutaki in 1789; travelers today discover its flawless white sand and gin-clear waters anew on day trips from the Cook Islands’ largest city, Rarotonga. Ringing the shallow lagoon is a 30-mile necklace of tiny, palm-studded islands perfect for strolling, swimming, and snorkeling

6 January Madrid Spain “Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night.” ERNEST HEMINGWAY

7 January Monteverde Cloud Forest. Monteverde is one of Costa Rica’s most visually arresting natural attractions, a cool highland forest 4,600 feet above sea level, rich in biodiversity, and perennially cloaked in clouds. To mix thrills with exotic scenery, try a zip-line canopy tour, a high-adrenaline attraction invented nearby in the 1970s.

8 January ** Belize. With more than 450 offshore islets and cays and 500 species of fish, the 185-mile Belize Barrier Reef is one of the world’s ultimate dive sites. Endangered hawksbill turtles swim freely in its protected waters, one of the few places in the world where you can share the sea with the enormous, elusive whale shark.

9 January Phnom Penh. One of the few parts of Phnom Penh’s sprawling Royal Palace that is open to visitors is its magnificent Silver Pagoda, a rare showcase for the brilliance of Khmer art and civilization. Much of the complex’s art was destroyed under Pol Pot, but not the life-size gold Buddha, weighing close to 200 pounds and adorned with more than 9,500 diamonds.

10 / 11 January * Dead Sea. Is the lowest land point on earth and is 9 times saltier than ocean!

12 January RedSquare, Moscow, Russia. Built under Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century and nearly destroyed by Napoleon, St. Basil’s Cathedral is a unique architectural wonder and a much-photographed Moscow icon. Across Red Square from its candy-colored onion domes stands the huge, handsome State Historical Museum, which houses more than 4 million items covering the entire vast sweep of Russian history.

13 January Exmoor National Park, Devon and Somerset, England. In a beautiful corner of the West Country, where Somerset meets Devon, lies the dramatic, romantic landscape of Exmoor National Park. From the Bristol Channel, myriad footpaths make the perfect starting point for inland forays onto the sweeping moors; the coastal path takes you to the sheer face of Countisbury Cliffs, which, at 1,200 feet, are the highest in England.

14 January Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Largest freshwater wetland in world

15 January Cradle Mountain Natl Park, Tasmania, Australia

16 January Hoi An, Vietnam a vibrant river port

17/18 January * Miami South Beach

* I have been here, Awesome
** I will be going here in 2015

I am not going to Jinx looking any further ahead …. You can probably access this on line or in calendar shops at half price! Have fun…

Ti amo

Pamela