The Winter Olympics in Vancouver, World Exposition in Shanghai, Fifa World Cup in South Africa and nation-wide liberation in Sri Lanka have put these cities and countries in the tourism spotlight this year. Beyond the obvious destinations, here are eight other top spots. by The New York Times 1 Tourism limited: Antarctica Antarctica: Careful cruising required This may be the last year that Antarctica is open to mass tourism - not because the ice is melting too fast (though it is), but because of restrictions that would severely curtail travel around the fragile continent. Until recently, most vessels passing through Antarctica were limited to scientific expeditions, but an exploding number of tourists now flock to what is arguably the world's last great wilderness. The tourism boom, scientists argue, poses a major environmental threat. Indeed, several passenger ships have run aground in recent years. Countries that manage Antarctica are calling for limits on the number of tourist ships, for fortified hulls that can withstand sea ice and for a ban on the use of so-called heavy oils. A ban on heavy oil, which is expected to be adopted by the International Maritime Organization later this year, would effectively block big cruise ships. With the new rules taking effect within two years, tour operators are promoting 2010 as the last year to visit Antarctica, while, at the same time, procuring lighter vessels that would be permitted. 2 The wheel future: Copenhagen Copenhagen: Tour it on a free bike As thousands of environmentalists heckled world leaders in Copenhagen last month for the climate summit, a solitary unifying note could be heard amid the cacophony of discord: The Danish capital has already emerged as one of the world's greenest - and maybe coolest - cities. Copenhageners don't simply preach the "progressive city" ethos, they live it. Long, flat urban thoroughfares are hemmed with bicycle paths where locals glide around the city; tourists saddle up on the free bikes that dot the city centre; and fashion bloggers take notes on the latest cycle chic (copenhagencyclechic.com). Over in the harbour district, a public bath at Osterbro, due to open this year, will complement the two swimming areas on Copenhagen's inner harbour, a formerly polluted waterway recently transformed into the city's summertime hub. Away from all the modernism and the happy cyclists, cultural thrill-seekers are being coaxed to the once dangerous district of Norrebro, which has arguably become Copenhagen's edgiest hub. A heady mix of hipsters, students and immigrants mingle in the cafes and galleries around the district's focal square, Sankt Hans Torv, and the city's young and excitable night owls can be found dancing in local clubs until the early hours. 3 Island life, just the way it used to be: Menorca, Spain Menorca, Spain Menorca: All's clear at Cala en Turqueta beach While the beat of disco pounds in Ibiza and Majorca, their quiet sister Menorca offers a tranquil contrast to the glitz next door. The entire island is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, so the Spanish megahotel development frenzy of the last decade has largely skipped over this patch of the Mediterranean. That means miles of beaches - some 120 of them, in fact, like the northern sweep of crystal-clear swimming waters in the coves called Cala d'Algaiarens, with fine sand and rolling dunes. And Menorca's eco-diversity extends well beyond the coasts: Forests, deep gorges, wetlands, salt marshes and hillsides covered in lush greenery that sometimes look more New England than Mediterranean. Even the island's sun-bleached towns - Mahon and Ciutadella, each combining elements of their British colonial heritage, Moorish roots and modern Spanish identity - are more peaceful than their Majorcan equivalents. The ideal visit to Menorca celebrates islanders' emphasis on agritourism - sleeping in rural establishments such as Ca Na Xini (www.canaxini.com), a dairy farm that offers an eight-room temple to modernism inside the shell of a century-old manor home. It's like spring break for eco-conscious adults. 4 Saints and sailors: Macedonia Macedonia: Church of St Clement is one of many historic buildings One of the deepest lakes on the planet, with a dazzling Unesco World Heritage site of ancient dwellings rising high above its shores, Lake Ohrid in Macedonia is a local vacation star poised for greater international acclaim. In the tiered, terracotta-roofed city of Ohrid, about 29km from the Albanian border, a lakefront settlement dating back to Neolithic times, Macedonians boast that on their side of the lake is a church, monastery or mosque for every day of the year, each full of resplendent frescoes, mosaics and icons. Notable attractions include the recently renovated church of St Clement and St Panteleimon at Plaosnik, an epic Byzantine masterpiece, and the 13th-century St John of Kaneo, a limestone and brick monastery that juts out over transparent blue waters. An estimated US$50-million ($70-million) renovation of the Ohrid Airport is planned for this year, with more international flights expected by summer. Tourist attractions on Ohrid's beaches were upgraded last year with swank bars and dining spots. 5 Drive into the wild: Vancouver Island, Canada Vancouver Island: Cream Lake Vancouver will have the sporting world's attention when it hosts the Winter Olympics next month, but the most rewarding outdoor exploration is found outside the city, away from the crowds and off the beaten path. Hop on the BC Ferry (www.bcferries.com) from Vancouver to Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island's east coast, and drive three hours through mountain passes to the wild, dramatic west coast. The new Wild Pacific Trail (www.wildpacifictrail.com) skirts the rocky, rugged shoreline, overlooking sandy coves lined with driftwood and tidepools and the Pacific beyond them. The hiking trail is being built in sections (there are three of seven set up so far), hand-cut through dense old-growth forests of cedar and spruce, with viewing platforms that let hikers see turn-of-the-20th-century lighthouses, kayakers heading to nearby islands, and the annual gray whale migration (about 20,000 pass by the island from February to late May). The base for the Wild Pacific Trail is a folksy fishing village called Ucluelet, a former First Nations, or Native Indian, settlement dotted with seaside inns, bed-and-breakfasts and beach cabins. 6 Strike a pose: Mysore, India Mysore: Works on the spirit You have completed 200 hours of teacher training, mastered the flying crow pose and even spent a week at yoga surf camp. What's next? Yogis seeking transcontinental bliss head these days to Mysore, the City of Palaces, in southern India. The yogi pilgrimage was sparked by Ashtanga yoga, a rigorous sweat-producing, breath-synchronised regimen of poses popularised by the beloved Krishna Pattabhi Jois, who died at 94 in 2009. Mr Jois' grandson is now director of the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute (www.kpjayi.org). First month's tuition is 27,530 rupees ($838). Too much time or money? Mysore's yoga boom now has shalas catering to every need. Off the mat, the yoga tribe hobnobs at Anu's Bamboo Hut or the Regaalis Hotel pool, studies Sanskrit, gets an ayurveda treatment or tours the maharaja's palace. 7 Ski in undiscovered country: Norway Norway: Europe's exotic corner With an acclaimed new opera house and plenty of high-end dining options, Oslo is already a must-visit urban destination. But this year the focus should be on the wilds of the Norwegian countryside. With its dazzling Nordic light and dramatic landscape, Norway is perhaps the most unexplored and exotic corner of Europe. Having convinced the world that its fjords and southern coastline make the country a great summer getaway, Norwegians have begun showcasing its charms as a winter destination. Specialised trekking and ski tours like those offered by the Lyngen Lodge (www.lyngenlodge.com) can open up pristine areas of the north like the stunning Lyngen Alps, with high-speed boats to shuttle across the fjord to ski trails that would otherwise be inaccessible. And the country's indifference to trendy boutique hotels and splashy resorts - long the lament of global tourism professionals - is just what appeals to a more discerning clientele. Bespoke travel specialists like Ziniry (www.ziniry.com) excel at getting visitors deep into the scenery. Who needs a penthouse suite when you can book a lighthouse on a private island? 8 Italy, without the crowds: Gargano Gargano: Italy without the crowds Far from the madding crowds of Amalfi and Cinque Terre, the Italian peninsula of Gargano sits on the Adriatic and boasts a checklist of summer-perfect Italian holiday options. The offerings are largely a part of the protected Gargano National Park, a swath of terrain encompassing everything from the oak and beech Foresta Umbra to the sheer chalk-coloured cliffs and grottoes of the coast's Caribbean-like clear waters to the postcard-worthy whitewashed villages that hug the sea. Twelve nautical miles offshore, accessible by boat and hydrofoil, are the Tremiti Islands, specks of land surrounded by a wealth of sea life and a marine reserve of their own. Looking for Romanesque churches and seaside fisherman's restaurants? Try Peschici and Vieste, larger than fishing villages but cosier than cities, with white walls and medieval centres. How about mountain hiking? Check. Gargano also offers the rarest of luxuries: Fabulous food and lodging on the cheap - hotel rooms can be had for 30 to 60 euros a night ($121) in Peschici. If saving on food is wallet-friendly enough, pay a bit more than 100 euros and stay at the Chiusa delle More (www.lachiusadellemore.it), a 16th-century farmhouse in the national park but still only yards from the sea. Meals are locavore, Gargano style, incorporating the farm's own vegetables and eggs. http://www.todayonline.com/Traveller/EDC100114-0000044/A-year-in-adventure