Cheapflights.com Wants Americans to Discover Somewhere New Next Year

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Dec 29, 2015) - While many of us are creatures of habit, each New Year brings a chance to shake things up. The travel experts at Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, suggest making 2016 the year to go beyond the tried and true and try somewhere new. With their Go here, not there: 10 alternative destinations for American travelers in 2016 list, the Cheapflights experts give you the skinny on new places to try that give you what you love about the most popular of travel spots while getting you off the beaten path. 

For those seeking urban getaways, culinary adventures, beach retreats or overseas cosmopolitan shopping sprees, there's no need to follow the crowds. Instead, check out these five alternative destinations to make Cheapflights.com's 2016 list:

• Charleston, South Carolina, instead of San Francisco, California - If you ate out at a new restaurant every day, it would take years to try all the eateries in San Francisco, which has the most restaurants per capita in the U.S. -- 39.3 restaurants per 10,000 households, according to Trulia. Head to Charleston, S.C., and you will find equally impressive dining options. Charleston produced consecutive winners at the 2008, 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards, a triumphant three-peat distinction shared with only one other North American destination: New York City. Hominy Grill's Chef Robert Stehling, FIG's Chef Mike Lata and McCrady's Chef Sean Brock have each earned the most coveted honor for chefs in the U.S. Their shared "farm to fork" locavore cuisine champions an intimate connection between diner and dinner. In 2015, Chef Jason Stanhope of FIG Restaurant won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast, continuing the legacy of celebrated chefs in the Charleston area. While cuisine and hotels always merit mention in the reader polls, the warm hospitality extended by Charleston locals is a deciding factor in the destination's enduring charms and widespread appeal.
  
  
• Montreal, Canada, instead of New Orleans, Louisiana - Like NOLA, Montreal is a food city (the concentration of restaurants here is higher than New York). NOLA has beignets, po' boys and Creole cuisine like oyster Bienville and seafood gumbo, but Montreal has its own signature treats too. The Portuguese District serves roasted chicken, famous deli Schwartz's serves smoked meat, and you can't leave Montreal without having poutine (French fries with cheese curds and gravy). Head to Pied de Cochon for a poutine au foie gras, to Le Garde-Manger for a lobster poutine and to Chez AshTon for the original. Given the state of the Canadian dollar, it's an ideal time to travel to Montreal.
  
  
• Boracay, Philippines, instead of Puerto Rico - Skip the beaches of Puerto Rico and hit the beaches of Boracay instead. The tiny island, just over four miles long and less than three miles wide, is a tropical paradise in the Pacific Ocean, 195 miles off the coast of Manila. The aptly named White Beach is a pristine, two-and-a-half-mile long white sand beach that is perfect for fun in the sun. The nearby Bulabog Beach is one of the top spots in Asia for windsurfing and kiteboarding. It may take longer to get there, but the journey is worth it.
  
  
• Twin Falls, Idaho, instead of Niagara Falls, New York - Twin Falls, Idaho, is nearly the same size as Niagara Falls, N.Y., and both destinations offer spectacular waterfall views. However, Twin Falls goes a step further with a plethora of outdoor activities to be had -- minus the throngs of tourists. At Shoshone Falls, experience the waterfalls from the overlook or, for a bit more adventure, rent a kayak at Centennial Waterfront Park (approximately three miles west of Shoshone Falls) and paddle up the Snake River to the base of Shoshone Falls to enjoy a different perspective. Shoshone Falls and the Dierkes Lake Complex also offer family-friendly activities like fishing, hiking and picnicking.
  
  
• Singapore instead of Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Fancy fine dining, soaring ultramodern skyscrapers and palatial luxury shopping malls dot the island of Singapore, much like they do in Dubai, U.A.E. From simple street food to Peranakan cuisine to restaurants helmed by Michelin-starred chefs, the culinary scene is so hot here that the famed Michelin Guide could soon be coming to Singapore. Fashionistas can indulge in retail therapy on Orchard Road and at shopping centers like Gardens by the Bay, a stunning mall that boasts the OCBC Skyway, an aerial steel walkway suspended from two "supertrees" that form part of a vertical garden of 12 "trees" in the heart of the shopping complex. The 420-foot-long skyway soars 72 feet above ground, providing panoramic views of Supertree Grove entertainment complex, the surrounding Marina Bay area and skyline.
  
  

Rounding out our list of "Go here, not there" options are: Atlanta, Ga., instead of Houston, Texas; Stockholm, Sweden, instead of Boston, Mass.; Panama City, Panama, instead of San Diego, Calif.; Key West, Fla., instead of Maui, Hawaii; and Barbados instead of The Bahamas. To read about these and Cheapflights.com's complete Go here, not there: 10 alternative destinations for American travelers in 2016, visit www.cheapflights.com/news/go-here-not-there-10-alternative-destinations-for-american-travelers-in-2016.

About Cheapflights.com, part of the Momondo Group
Founded in 1996, Cheapflights is a leading global flight comparison and deals publishing platform. It is now a market leader in the UK, U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand generating over $3 billion in global downstream revenue for its partners as it expands into numerous other territories. More than 120 million users visit its websites and apps each year, receiving more than two billion search results a month from across 900,000 routes. The 10 million strong opt-in subscribers to the Cheapflights newsletter receive the best deals from over 120 travel businesses -- for whom it has driven more than $65 million in revenue this year. Together, the Cheapflights platforms generate enough bookings for its partners to fill a Boeing 747 every five minutes.

In 2011, Cheapflights became part of the privately owned online travel search and inspiration network, Momondo Group.

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