Forget Barbados - Northern Ireland Is The Place To Be!

Tourism is booming in Northern Ireland! Given the political troubles of past years, that might be about as dubious a proposition as a day trip to Iraq. So here's the "craic" -- as they say in Ireland.

Northern Ireland has recently been tipped as a "must see" destination in the Lonely Planet Bluelist. And don't think that has anything to do with the fact that co-founder of the Lonely Planet Guide, Maureen Wheeler, comes from the area.

Over recent years, since the Good Friday Agreement between the Provisional IRA and the British government, confidence in the future has slowly recovered. The economy is booming and there has been a dramatic upsurge in tourism in recent years and the city of Belfast is now firmly on the charts as a stopping place for cruise ships.

The people are very friendly with a great sense of humor and the scenery is some of the most spectacular in the world, with the Mountains of Mourne in the east, which really do -- as in the words of the song, "Sweep down to the sea". To the west is the ancient walled city of Londonderry and, beyond that, the border with Southern Ireland and the wild Atlantic coast of Donegal.

In between lie some of the sandiest, most unspoilt beaches in Europe, as well as the greenest rolling countryside you could wish for. When you come, be sure to take a ride along the Antrim coast road, which is as spectacular, in its own way, as the Big Sur region in California.

Like that other song says, "It's a little piece of heaven".

Copyright 2006 Joseph Donegal and The-Best-Of-Ireland.com