THE GLOBETROTTER
Simon Calder, travel writer
'San Diego, the southernmost Californian city, has the finest climate in the US. But, rather than lazing on the sands that inspired The Beach Boys, explore the Salton Sea, which — despite its name — is a long way inland from the Pacific, in the middle of the desert, and almost as deep as Death Valley. This profoundly saline lake is not even as old as aviation — it was created in 1905 when the Colorado River burst its banks and flooded into a rift astride the San Andreas Fault. The Salton Sea is the closest America gets to the Dead Sea, though the birds it attracts shows there's life in it yet.'
THE ADVENTURER
Ray Mears, bushcraft and survival expert
'Each day, as the blood-red sun rises over Namibia, it reveals a land of breathtaking beauty; a land that reaches out and warms the soul. Quiet and calm, this is a place of few people and abundant wildlife, all bound by the ever-present influence of the sun. If you have been on safari but never in Namibia you have not really been on a safari at all. Pack a broad hat and your binoculars, search out the Skeleton Coast or the tracks of black rhino in the desert of Damaraland, listen for the singing of bushmen in the night and feel the pulse of old Africa coursing through the very rock.'
THE FOODIE
April Bloomfield, Michelin-starred chef
'If you are a food-savvy traveller and pick destinations just so you can sample the local cuisine, then Copenhagen continues to be the place to go. Try traditional smoked and preserved classics at the Michelin-starred Noma, voted the world's best restaurant 2011, or check out the annual cooking festival held in the city every August, or the beer festival in May.'
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