Bright lights and big cities: inspiring plans for the year

IS THERE anything cosier at this time of year than snuggling up with the holiday brochures and travel magazines imagining a tropical paradise of blue skies and white sands?
Perhaps a stellar African safari or an Ashram-styled boot camp to benefit mind and body in the year ahead, a bike trip through ancient Burmese villages, swimming with sea lions, that budget-friendly new motor home delivery drive across the US. The possibilities are endless.