Influential book travel publisher Lonely Planet has selected the top ten regions in the world to visit in 2012.
Just some of the destinations listed include Ruta Maya in Central America; Northern Kenya; Hvar in Croatia; Sicily, Italy; and the Maritime Provinces of Canada.
Another popular destination chosen was Queenstown and the Southern Lakes in New Zealand.
Queenstown and Southern Lakes was ranked eighth in the book’s list of Top 10 Regions for its year-round activities and spectacular scenery. The Southern Lakes region is renowned as one of the most diverse and spectacular regions in the world, encompassing the tranquil beauty of Lake Wanaka, the international four-season resort of Queenstown and Fiordland’s dramatic landscapes, all surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area.
An excerpt from the book on the Southern Lakes reads;
“There’re nonstop outdoor activities year-round in the resort towns of Queenstown, Wanaka and Te Anau, as well as the surrounding mountains, lakes and parks… Where else can you ski in the morning and golf or water ski in the afternoon? Add excellent wineries and superb restaurants and what more is there to say?”
“Words like breathtaking, jaw-dropping, exhilarating and stunning are grossly overused in the tourism industry but the Southern Lakes region has a right to them all,” comments Lonely Planet New Zealand spokesperson Sarah Bennett.
Best in Travel by Lonely Planet is drawn from recommendations by Lonely Planet staff, authors and a community of travellers, bloggers and tweeters. Their suggestions are then “refined by a panel of in-house travel experts, based on topicality, excitement, value and that special X-factor”.
Top of the list was coastal Wales. From next May Wales will be the first country in the world with a formal tourist trail spanning 1,377km right around its coast.
Must-do regions to visit in 2012
1 – Coastal Wales
2 – Ruta Maya, Central America
3 – Northern Kenya
4 – Arundachal Pradesh, India
5 – Hvar, Croatia
6 – Sicily, Italy
7 – Maritime Provinces, Canada
8 – Queenstown & Southern Lakes, New Zealand
9 – Borneo, Indonesia/Malaysia
10 – Poitou-Charentes, France
Source: Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2012
(Image: Rob Suisted)
