Gone are the days when Singapore was just the place to change planes as you headed to Europe, with the Lion City becoming a great place to spend anything from a few days to a whole holiday this year.

The island nation considered to be the crossroads of Asia has something for everyone, with family-friendly resorts, quirky boutique hotels and luxury properties as well as museums and markets, shops and spas, restaurants and hawker centres. Efficient public transport and cheap cabs make it easy to get around.

Getting value for money and taking advantage of travel deals will be the name of the game in 2012. 

Phuket and Bali will always be popular but this year there's a swag of under promoted destinations right across Asia that are set to draw intrepid travellers to the undiscovered corners of our neighbours to the north.

The Indonesian island of Lombok, the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo, the Vietnamese coast from Phan Thiet to Da Nang that those flying between Saigon and Hanoi hop right over, and Japan's Okinawa are just some of the destinations showing increasing signs of popularity.

The Asian countries being considered in this trend to see unusual destinations include Laos, Burma, South Korea especially the mountain resort of Pyeongchang for skiers and Cambodia, and even Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh a little further to the west.

Belfast, which was once about as desirable as Kabul or Pyongyang as a vacation spot and attracted only 400,000 visitors in 1998, is climbing towards the top of the travel to-do list, with 1.6 million people visiting the Northern Ireland city last year.

That number is set to jump again this year, with Belfast becoming a focus for those keen to mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic walking tours are on and commemorative beer is being brewed.

Titanic Belfast is a museum opposite the Harland & Wolff shipyard with nine interpretive galleries paying tribute to the iconic vessel.

More: www.gotobelfast.com

Central and South America are set to open up to Australian travellers this year thanks to Qantas, with the Flying Kangaroo already hopping into Dallas/Fort Worth in Texas and ready to deliver passengers into the Chilean city of Santiago from March.

With these two hubs providing convenient access, travel insiders are predicting Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Jamaica, The Bahamas, Mexico, Peru and Bolivia will be some of the destinations in that part of the world that Australians are drawn to this year.

More: qantas.com.au

Cadel Evans provided one of 2011's greatest moments by winning the Tour de France. Who will forget the time trial when he chased Andy Schleck down to go from 57 seconds behind to 94 seconds up, or the last two alpine stages where he clawed his way through savage climbs?

We're all hoping he can do it again this year, and standing beside a French road to yell for Evans will be one of this year's hottest travel experiences.

The 99th Tour de France will happen between June 30 and July 22, with a prologue and 20 stages covering 3479km, and putting yourself roadside on one of the two mountain stages with summit finishes or the individual time trial from Bonneval to Chartres on July 21 might be the way to see Evans put on another powerful cycling demonstration.

More: letour.fr

Those who think holidaying in Vanuatu means being stuck in Port Vila should look at Espiritu Santo, the country's biggest island it was the second-largest Allied base in the Pacific during World War II where travellers can experience everything from exclusive luxury and eco resorts to private beaches, adventure tours, history and culture.

Snorkelling and scuba put Santo on the radar, with Million Dollar Point and the Coolidge wreck two of the unique sites near the coral reefs, but now visitors can also tour World War II positions, kayak to a blue hole, go fishing, hike into the mountains, explore the wild west coast by boat, enjoy a spa treatment, or 4WD to the black beach at Big Bay.

Ratua Private Island, Bokissa Private Island Resort and Moyyan House by the Sea are three delightful accommodation options and Air Vanuatu flies there from Sydney.

More vanuatu.travel

Japan has been a favourite with Australian skiers and snowboarders for years but this year it will be the less famous resorts on Honshu and Hokkaido islands that become essential travel experiences for winter sport enthusiasts.

There's Hakuba and Shiga Kogen in Nagano Prefecture, Zao where you can ski with the famous Snow Monsters, Appi Kogen safely north of the region hit by last year's earthquake and tsunami, and Club Med Sahoro near Sapporo, which is being refurbished as part of the company's quest to offer the world's best all-inclusive holidays.

More: www.jnto.go.jp

Australians always want to explore that next off-the-beaten-track destination and this year that will be Alaska. The northern summer is the time to visit America's largest state, when the sun barely sets so the days are long, and visitors can do everything from fishing and hiking to cruising and wildlife watching as well as activities that highlight the region's history, culture and arts scene.

This year, Iditarod champion John Baker will join the Alaska Native Heritage Centre in Anchorage to give visitors an insight into dog sledding, which is the state's official sport, and Allen Marine Tours in Ketchikan will offer a new excursion to teach travellers to survive the Alaskan wilderness while exploring an old-growth forest.

More: travelalaska.com

Floriade, the World Horticultural Expo described as "theatre in nature" that happens every 10 years in The Netherlands, is on again this year, with the event happening from April 5 to October 7 in the Dutch town of Venlo.

More than 100 exhibitors will contribute to the spectacle in Floriade Park a vast show with five themed zones connected by wooded areas and Scenic Tours, Insight Vacations, Trafalgar Tours, APT and Uniworld River Cruises are just some of the companies offering escorted tours that include a visit to this horticultural spectacular.

More: floriade.com

This duo of islands one French, the other Italian that sit in the Mediterranean near the shin of Italy's boot, are fast becoming fashionable with seasoned travellers who want to see another side of these eternally popular European countries.

TV foodie Maeve O'Meara has a Gourmet Safari that will visit Corsica and Sardinia in June, with the 12-day itinerary including sailing on the Golfo di Orosei, meals in the best restaurants on the islands, wine tasting, cooking classes and market tours.

More: gourmetsafaris.com.au

Did you know you can travel free on public transport in Geneva after getting a pass from your hotel or hostel?

Or that there's a long list of London attractions including 15 galleries and museums you can visit without paying an entrance fee?

Destinations around the globe have realised travellers want things to do and see that don't require cash changing hands, with most cities now producing lists of free attractions and activities, and the best way to find the freebies is to search the web or visit the tourist information office when your arrive at a new spot this year.