All the world’s a playground, my friends, and there are hundreds of thousands of stunning places for you to go and play around in.

Before you start packing your bags and buying your plane tickets, though, you’ve got to ask yourself: where do you want to go first?

Okay, that’s a tough one to answer, because there are so many holiday hot-spots and prime tourist destinations to pick from.

So many choices, so little time (and patience, and energy) to agonise over them.

Luckily for you, we’ve made the choosing process much easier for you. Or rather CNN did, with a selection of beautiful travel pictures taken during the first half of the year.

Istanbul, Turkey:

The Süleymaniye Mosque, completed in 1558, rises over the Golden Horn estuary, which is bustling with boats on an evening in May.

Zamosc, Poland:

The Renaissance town of Zamosc, with its Great Market Square and impressive 17th-century Town Hall [pictured left], is one of southeast Poland’s premier attractions.

Sasebo, Japan:

Azaleas are pictured in their full April bloom at Nagushiyama Park in Nagasaki Prefecture.

Malacca City, Malaysia:

 Jonker Street, in the Malaysian city of Malacca, is famous for its night market on Fridays and Saturdays.

Longyan, China:

From February, this aerial shot shows cherry trees in bloom at a tea plantation in Yongfu Town in Longyan, Fujian.

Arches National Park, Utah:

There are more than 2 000 arches in Utah’s Arches National Park. Its other celebrated rock formations include the Courthouse Towers [pictured], a group of tall stone columns.

Lofoten, Norway:

The aurora borealis is pictured over Norway’s Lofoten archipelago in February 2018.

Seoul, South Korea:

Lanterns at Jogyesa Temple are adjusted as part of preparations for the celebration of Buddha’s birthday on May 22.

Ontario, Canada:

On a February morning, mist rises over the frozen Cataraqui River in Kingston, Ontario.

Cologne, Germany:

Completed in 2017, the Cologne Central Mosque was designed by German architect Paul Böhm. An interior view of the praying room’s dome is pictured.

Yeah, I wouldn’t mind a little holiday to one of these spots.

We checked in with local startup More Cheap Flights to see if they had any deals to the destinations in question. How about a return flight to Istanbul for R6 821:

Or you can be chilling by the cherry trees in Longyan, China, for as low as R4 932:

OK, that gets you to Beijing, and you’ll get a connecting flight from there, but you’re getting to Beijing and back for less than R5 000. Wild.

Happy travelling, and don’t forget to take your camera along for the ride.

Bon voyage.

[source:cnntravel]