For some travelers, 2011 is the year to finally spread their wings again and go someplace new and exotic. For these in-the-know globetrotters there are a handful of hot and exciting destinations around the world that are stirring up a buzz for 2011.

Traveling cheaply for an extended amount of time is not always an easy proposition. Long term budget travel, often referred to as “backpacking,” takes planning, the ability to think on your feet, and, occasionally, the flexibility and confidence to alter your itinerary mid-trip.

Kuala Lumpur (often shortened to KL by locals) has transformed itself from a sleepy backwater capitol into the modern, exciting heart of one of East Asia’s fastest growing metropolitan areas.

The Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong is one of the world’s most famous hotels. It opened in 1963 and quickly shot to the top of the hospitality game, being listed alongside the likes of the Ritz in Paris as one of the world’s true five-star hotels.

While the Great Wall is a must-see monument, most trips are made to spots where busloads of tourists are dropped off every morning. Yet, there are a few places unmarked by restoration or tourism, and surprisingly few people go there. The rare, serene experience of discovering the “wild wall” this way–unmolested by modern human hands that could never improve upon its ancient, ruinous splendor–is simply magnificent.

Beijing is a city with more than 3,000 years of recorded history and a glorious cultural heritage; yet it is also a bustling metropolis that has given birth to an artistic youth movement in recent years. The slick new veneer and upbeat energy from the 2008 Olympics remains, along with the new urban development and boom in upscale shopping and dining. Today’s Beijing is a place where ancient historical sights stand side-by-side with a thriving avant-garde culture.

In Beijing, you will find an eclectic music scene that is a mix of centuries-old tradition, thoroughly modern experimentation and cheesy pop culture. We’ve rounded up where you can check out these three styles of music in the city:

In the past, China used the lush tropical island of Hainan as a place to exile political dissidents and other citizens that the government labeled as troublemakers. But the Hainan of today is nothing like the backwater penal colony that it once was. As the only real tropical beach destination in the Middle Kingdom, Hainan’s fortunes began to rise along with China’s.

For much of the past decade, Thailand has been the envy of other Southeast Asian countries. Its landscapes and the image that it projects to the world make it an easily marketable tourist destination. In 2007, nearly 14 million international visitors arrived in the Land of Smiles. However, political instability is now threatening to end the country’s tourism renaissance.

Singapore is a tiny country with plenty of economic muscle. Unfortunately, it is most often mentioned for its somewhat authoritarian laws (you could get a ticket for chewing gum or neglecting to flush a public toilet) and a sterile urban atmosphere created by malls, modern buildings and faux foliage.