13 Places You Should Visit In 2013

It's more than halfway through 2013 and even though the summer is winding down, there's still plenty of time to book a trip to a great destination.

We looked at major developments, cultural trends, and global festivals to find the hottest places to travel around the world in 2013. 

There are vast untouched landscapes that offer incredible outdoor experiences, cities that are experiencing a cultural rebirth, and up-and-coming destinations that offer great deals and few tourists.

London, England

Since Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George Alexander Louis last week, England has been in the national spotlight, and is expecting a tourism boost.

But that's not the only reason to visit the UK right now. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London came and went, but many of the buildings, restaurants, hotels and venues that sprouted up to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors who came for the Olympics still stand.

Several new buildings went up in London before the Olympics, including the very controversial Shard, a 1,016-foot-tall building that houses offices, restaurants, the Shangri-La hotel, and apartments. Officially called the London Bridge Tower, The Shard garnered negative reactions from Londoners and critics when it opened in July, but we thought it was one of the coolest new buildings this year.

The Olympics took place in East London, which means that the neighborhood — which had been in the process of gentrifying for years — is now one of the coolest areas in the city.

And the restaurant scene is booming in London. City restaurants have won several awards recently, with Le Caprice being named 2012 Restaurant of the Year by the London Lifestyle Awards and Artesian, a London bar in the Langham Hotel, being named Best Bar of the Year by Drinks International.

Antarctica

With unprecedented droughts, hurricanes, and unseasonably warm (or cold) weather patterns around the world, it's becoming harder and harder to deny global warming — especially in Antarctica, where the ice caps are melting at a somewhat alarming rate.

That means that now is the time to go visit Antarctica, the coldest and driest continent on earth. There is breathtakingly beautiful scenery with few man-made interruptions. It's an ideal trip for adventurers, who can kayak, trek or just take in the incredible landscape. You can also see penguins, whales, and elephant seals.

Tourism to Antarctica is getting more popular. According to International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), about 35,000 visitors will come to Antarctica this season, most of whom are American.

There are a few ways to visit the continent: by cruise ship with excursions to shore (the most popular), by land expeditions with tour operators, or sightseeing by air.

Brooklyn, New York

While Brooklyn isn't exactly a new hotspot, the New York City borough has become even hotter in 2013 with more hotels, restaurants, and shops catering to hip locals and tourists.

Within the last year and a half alone, five hotels have opened in Brooklyn, including the Wythe Hotel, Hotel BPM, and the Hotel Indigo, making the borough more accessible to visitors. And with the opening of the new Barclays Center, the borough will see even more hotels: another 10 hotels are currently being developed and are expected to open in 2013.

The borough is also home to a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant (Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare), one of the best steakhouses in the country (Peter Luger's), a great brewery (Brooklyn Brewery), and hipster-friendly markets, restaurants, and bars.