Experiences vary from the extreme –  such as zip-lining in Cuba’s Valle de Viñales – to the artistic – exploring indoor and outdoor art installations and openings like the all-new Louvre Abu Dhabi. From the solemn – including Albania’s ghost island and Guadeloupe’s slavery museum – to the wacky, such as the Mamma Mia! restaurant in Stockholm and the Dr Seuss Museum in Massachusetts, USA. 

Closer to home, the hotly-anticipated £260-million extension of the Tate Modern in London, which will increase the museum’s display space by 60% and is due to open to the public in June, makes the list. Surf Snowdonia in Wales, the world’s first inland surf lagoon, is also featured as well as Stratford-upon-Avon, which will be marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with a variety of events celebrating the best of the Bard.

Each attraction has either opened recently or is opening soon, giving ambitious travellers the opportunity to be among the first to be there and is included in Lonely Planet’s second New in Travel list – a free eBook featuringu the most exciting travel experiences across the world for 2016.

Lonely Planet’s New in Travel top 10:

  1. Nicaragua: Climb Nicaragua’s tallest active volcano – Center for Extreme Tourism, Chinandega – October 2015
  2. Japan: Zoom along northern Japan’s new bullet train route – Hokkaidō Shinkansen – Spring 2016
  3. Rwanda: Spot newly introduced lions in the Akagera National Park – Early 2016
  4. St Helena, British Territories: Be among the first to fly to St Helena – Mid-2016
  5. United Arab Emirates: Be awed by the brand-new Louvre Abu Dhabi – 2016
  6. Italy: Walk on water at The Floating Piers art installation on Lake Iseo – June 2016
  7. Panama: Experience an even bigger Panama Canal with a $5 billion expansion – April 2016
  8. Australia: Glow among desert flowers in Australia’s spiritual heart at the Field of Lightinstallation in Uluru – April 1 2016 – March 31 2017
  9. USA: Scamper around the world’s first Dr Seuss Museum in Springfield, Massachusetts – June 2016
  10. Indonesia: Luxuriate on Gili Meno’s island retreat, BASK – 2016

Download the full New in Travel list at www.lonelyplanet.com/newintravel2016