The Land of the Long White Cloud has placed 5th in leading travel organisation Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Countries of 2018 list. Featured in the new book Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018, the list details the top countries to visit around the world next year.
“Twenty-five years ago, long before it was retrofitted to resemble Middle-earth, New Zealand began actively attracting adventure-seekers,” Lonely Planet explains. “A sweet suite of trails, the Great Walks, encouraged exploration of the country’s exquisite topography, taking tramping travellers through some of the world’s most extraordinary wilderness.”
“In 2018,” Lonely Planet continues, “for the first time since the nine-track network was launched, a new Great Walk will be under construction: the Paparoa Track which will include the Pike29 Memorial Track. This 55km route, which commemorates 29 miners killed in 2010, wends between Blackball and Punakaiki on the South Island’s West Coast, passing through Paparoa National Park, and will offer hikers and mountain bikers a sensational experience.”
The selection process involves the entire Lonely Planet community, with writers, bloggers, editors and tweeters all contributing before a panel of in-house travel experts narrow down the place-getters. Topicality, spectacular sights, uniqueness and excitement are all considered in the process.
Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Countries 2018:
- Chile
- South Korea
- Portugal
- Djibouti
- New Zealand
- Malta
- Georgia
- Mauritius
- China
- South Africa
Canberra, Australia also made the Top 10 Cities list, placing 3rd after Seville, Spain and Detroit, USA. “Criminally overlooked Canberra picks a big punch for such a small city” Lonely Planet says. “National treasures are found round almost every corner and exciting new boutique precincts have emerged, bulging with gastronomic highlights and cultural must-dos.”
Visit lonelyplanet.com to read more about the Best in Travel 2018 destinations
