Five Countries to Visit in 2015

Singapore - officially the Republic of Singapore - is a city-state in South East Asia, and only 718km2. The country's territory consists of the diamond-shaped main island, commonly referred to as Singapore Island in English and Palau Ujong in Malay, with 60 significantly smallerislrts.

2015 will mark the 50th anniversary of their official independence from the United Kingdom... and Singapore has done well for itself in that time! A booming city-state with large urban development projects, Singapore thrives on crowds. From Marina bay, an extensive entertainment district for the whole family, to its numerous green spaces, it seems this city really has everything to offer. And if that's not enough for you, Singapore will be hosting the 28th South East Asian Games in June this year... and the 2015 World Stamp Exhibition in August. Exciting, isn't it?

Image Courtesy: National Geography

Lithuania has an estimated population of 3 million as of 2013, and its capital and largest city is Vilnius.

This Baltic gem has benefited a whole lot by joining the Eurozone January 2015, making country more attractive to tourist. You can be sure it will be cause for some celebration on the streets, and it is the perfect opportunity to visit Vilnius. Most famous for its old town - the largest in Europe, decidedly Gothic, and part of the UNESCO World Heritage - the Lithuanian capital is a quaint Eastern European city, where we're sure you'll love to get lost. If you're not too keen on a city, you can always head over to Lithuania's most famous tourist spot and World Heritage Site, the Curonian Spit (pictured), a 98km long stretch of beach and sand dunes dipping down into Russia's Kaliningrad in the South.

The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign island country in southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 7,107 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions.

Its capital city is Manila while its most populous city is Quezon City; It is soon to become the new go-to white sand beaches and crazy party destination in Asia. Filipinos are very much a party people; whether you partake in the always-in-fashion traditional karaoke or just walk through one of the many street parties or food festivals sure to be organised in 2015, you are unlikely to be bored in the Philippines.

Nicaragua is, to a lot of people, just another one of those Central American Carribean-esque countries, and while that's true, it also has a number of qualities making it stand out of the crowd in its own way. Nicaragua boasts kilometres of beaches, both on the Atlantic and Pacific fronts, quaint colonial cities loaded with history, sweet water lakes and an active volcano. Cocibolca, also known as Lake Nicaragua, is the largest lake in Central America, has freshwater sharks, who are able to jump through rapids like salmons to reach the ocean and vice-versa. Thrill seekers can even go boarding down an active volcano, Cerro Negro (pictured), hurtling down at 30mph.

Images Courtesy: Nathab.com

Namibia also celebrates an independence anniversary this year, as it turns 25 years independent of South Africa. Namibia is definitely worth visiting, as one of the only countries in the world to include environment protection in its constitution - almost 40% of the country's land is either a protected national park or reserve, or a registered conservation area. Namibia boasts the largest black rhino and cheetah population in the world and a growing population of lions and giraffes. While not as well-known as its neighbour, South Africa, Namibia is a jewel of conservation and wildlife, perfect for any wildlife and nature enthusiasts!