LLOONNEELLYY PPLLAANNEETT’’SS When Lonely Planet talks the rest of the world IItt’’ss tthhee bbeesstt ooff tthhee bbeesstt The listens. That’s why tourist boards all over the world await its top 10 lists with bated breath – inclusion practically guarantees a bumper year. The best places to go and things to do all around the world Lonely IRISH INDEPENDENT, IRELAND right now! Drawing on the knowledge, passion and miles travelled by Lonely Planet’s staff, authors and online community, Planet Beautiful to look at and fun to read, Lonely Planet’s roundup is a must-own. we present a year’s worth of travel inspiration to take you out of PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, USA the ordinary and into some unforgettable experiences. Story As someone who loves travelling – and even WHERE IT ALL BEGAN… the prospect of planning my next trip – this A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the compact guide was a real treat. The sumptuous pocket, and a sense of adventure. photographs alone…were enough to transport That’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler me momentarily into holiday mode. needed for the trip of a lifetime. They met on NZ HERALD a park bench in Regent’s Park, London and married a year later. For their honeymoon, Full of mind-blowing travel destinations, they decided to attempt what few people all perfectly showcasing the wonderful ›› Lonely Planet ranks the top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit in 2017 thought possible – crossing Europe and Asia world around us...the guys at Lonely Planet overland, all the way to Australia. will inspire you to get up off your bum and start the adventure of a lifetime. ›› The best travel experiences for the year ahead, from discovering the foggy It was too amazing an experience to keep to themselves. Urged on by their friends, they FAMOUS MAGAZINE, AUSTRALIA fjords and rainforests of Patagonia’s last frontier to meandering through stayed up nights at their kitchen table writing, the cobbled alleyways of Lisbon typing and stapling together their very first The annual Lonely Planet guide is travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. packed with useful tips, fascinating ›› Practical itineraries for every destination to help travellers make it happen Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies facts and excellent advice. and Lonely Planet was born. Two years later, MAIL ON SUNDAY, UK their second journey led to South-East Asia UK £9.99 USA $14.99 on a Shoestring, which led to books on Nepal, For those suffering itchy feet, but uncertain Australia, Africa and India, which led to…you as to which direction to point them... get the picture. OTTAWA CITIZEN, CANADA The best trends, destinations, journeys & experiences for the year ahead ARCTIC OCEAN e he r NOROTHC EPLAPAooNCsr tAIlaFnngIdCe,l eUsS, AU SpA.1 5p4.120 ANMCOEoRRasTItaCCHl aAGneaodrag ipa.,10 BermudAa zpo.3re4s,T Phoer Stukeglalilg p R.7in0gB, Iorerdlaenadu xp, .F10ra4ncappene LPpi.os11br0touNUngno,airtlt ehpd .Wh Lonely Planet 1 K4i4anEFlgeindUsMl,oPaRominsstdO cop oip.Pa7w.,26E ,I0 tROMpa.ul1ahy3scr s0iepida.d,1 3op4n.1i4a8 el list? We’ve got a guidebook .countries ASIA Mongolia p.38 Or pick up a copy of SSto explore tely Planet magazine eooutuountries, cities and regions of thhl, Komoment in greater depth.rea p.138 ow, don’t forget to download ou more expert tips and advice. ces to go in the year ahead, y of our top picks or think we’ve s to share your view via onelyplanet.com/contact t-in-travel POSAOCCUEITAFTheIHNC Tuamotus, FrenchM Peorliydnae, sMiae xpi.c8o8 p.A12Uy6sSeAn ,p C.9h2ile p.84 CChooloqmuAebSMqiaOu DEiprUoa.R1o6mTI, iCNPnHeicOArauR ppT.2O.H640C AETALNANTIC ATOSLOCCAUEaNApTTeHN IMake it hTCown, South APlan your 2017 travel witfricaA pF.1R16ICAEthiopia p.52 Ready to go after reading this year’s Best in TravOmacovering each of the top 10 n p.44INDIPAeNra kO, MCaENlaAeypNsaial pp..2988SouMthy aAnumstarra lpia.4, 8AustrAaVisit lonelyplanet.com lUia Sfor even more inspiration and pLon.T80Rcrmation about all the destinations ALthat made the grade for 2017.IA NPONeAwOCC ERZIeAFTaINHClTaanrda npa.6k6i, d if you’re heading to Cape Town, Seoul or Mosc for (available on iOS and Android)Guides app @lonelyplanet is our annual pick of the best plaBest in Travel ut we want to know what you think – if you visit anoverlooked a real gem, get in touch with u Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or by email at l lonelyplanet.com/bes o n b f A n i SOUTHERN OCEAN BIT_2017 Cover.indd 2 02/06/2016 16:14 ARCTIC OCEAN Finland p.20 Moscow, Russia p.148 Canada p.10 North Wales, The Skellig Ring, Ireland p.104 United Kingdom p.76 EUROPE Mongolia p.38 Portland, USA p.154 NORTH Bordeaux, France p.110 Pistoia, Italy p.134 AMERICA NORTH PACIFIC Ohrid, ASIA OCEAN Azores, Portugal p.70 Lisbon, Macedonia Seoul, Portugal p.144 p.130 Los Angeles, USA p.120 South Korea p.138 Coastal Georgia, Bermuda p.34 USA p.92 Nepal p.28 NORTH PACIFIC NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEAN Merida, Mexico p.126 Oman p.44 Dominica p.24 AFRICA Myanmar p.48 Ethiopia p.52 Colombia p.16 Perak, Malaysia p.98 SOUTH AMERICA Choquequirao, Peru p.60 The Tuamotus, French Polynesia p.88 INDIAN OCEAN SOUTH ATLANTIC AUSTRALIA OCEAN South Australia, Australia p.80 Cape Town, South Africa p.116 SOUTH Taranaki, PACIFIC New Zealand p.66 OCEAN Aysen, Chile p.84 SOUTHERN OCEAN 001_007_BiT2017.indd 1 09/06/2016 15:35 NET A NELY PL O © L O R N U M ATT M LONELY PLANET’S THE BEST IN TRAVEL PROMISE Where is the best place to visit right now? This is the most hotly contested topic at Lonely Planet and dominates more conversations than any other. As self-confessed travel geeks, our staff collectively rack up hundreds of thousands of miles each year, exploring almost every destination on the planet in the process. Where is the best place to visit right now? We ask everyone at Lonely Planet, from our authors and editors all the way to our online family of bloggers and tweeters. And each year they come up with hundreds of places that are buzzing right now, offer new things for travellers to see or do, or are criminally overlooked and underrated. Amid fierce debate, the list is whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences and ‘wow’ factor. We don’t just report on the trends, we set them – helping you get there before the crowds do. Put simply, what remains in the pages that follow is the cream of this year’s travel picks, courtesy of Lonely Planet: NET 10 countries, 10 regions, 10 cities and a host of travel lists and A NELY PL trending topics to inspire you to explore for yourself. O © L So what are you waiting for? D A ARK RE M 5 28 88 144 6 CONTENTS 160 196 TOP 10 COUNTRIES 7 The Tuamotus, LONELY PLANET’S 1 Canada 10 French Polynesia 88 BEST OF THE REST 2 Colombia 16 8 Coastal Georgia, USA 92 Best value destinations 160 3 Finland 20 9 Perak, Malaysia 98 Family adventure 4 Dominica 24 10 The Skellig Ring, destinations 170 5 Nepal 28 Ireland 104 Best new openings 174 6 Bermuda 34 Best places to stay 178 7 Mongolia 38 TOP 10 CITIES 8 Oman 44 1 Bordeaux, France 110 LONELY PLANET’S 9 Myanmar 48 2 Cape Town, TOP 5 10 Ethiopia 52 South Africa 116 TRAVEL TRENDS 3 Los Angeles, Micro-distilleries 184 TOP 10 REGIONS CA, USA 120 The world is your office 188 1 Choquequirao, Peru 60 4 Mérida, Mexico 126 Bikepacking 192 2 Taranaki, 5 Ohrid, Macedonia 130 Be Instavidual 196 New Zealand 66 6 Pistoia, Italy 134 Sustainable travel 200 3 The Azores, Portugal 70 7 Seoul, South Korea 138 4 North Wales, UK 76 8 Lisbon, Portugal 144 Index 204 5 South Australia 80 9 Moscow, Russia 148 6 Aysén, Chile 84 10 Portland, OR, USA 154 Acknowledgements 207 7