‘The wow factor’: Lonely Planet names the best places to travel in 2022

Queensland’s Scenic Rim is the only Australian region to make Lonely Planet’s list of the best places to travel in 2022. 

On Thursday, Lonely Planet unveiled its top 10 countries, cities and regions to visit next year with the release of Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022.

If you live in Sydney, this list might sting a little.

Lonely Planet named Auckland New Zealand as the best city in the world to visit in 2022. And Sydney did not make the cut. 

In fact, only one Australian destination made the list for 2022, The Scenic Rim in Queensland. The region is one hour south of Brisbane and 30 minutes from the Gold Coast. It boasts six national parks, ecolodges, wineries, tantalising gourmet experiences and the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests. Lonely Planet named it the 8th best region to visit in 2022.

Lonely Planet’s annual Best in Travel lists starts with nominations from Lonely Planet’s staff, writers, bloggers and publishing partners. A panel of travel experts then whittles down the nominations to just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities.

“Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, ‘wow’ factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism practices,” Lonely Planet said in a statement announcing the winners.

Keep reading:

• 16 family-friendly things to do in the Cook Islands
• 8 incredible places for a New Zealand North Island holiday

So what are the best places to travel in 2022?

The best country to visit is the Cook Islands, and the best region is Westfjords in Iceland. And as mentioned before, the top city to visit in 2022 is Auckland New Zealand.

The full lists of Lonely Planet top destinations for 2022 are below.

Lonely Planet’s top 10 countries to visit in 2022

1. Cook Islands
2. Norway
3. Mauritius
4. Belize
5. Slovenia
6. Anguilla
7. Oman
8. Nepal
9. Malawi
10. Egypt

Lonely Planet’s top 10 regions to visit in 2022

1. Westfjords, Iceland
2. West Virginia, USA
3. Xishuangbanna, China
4. Kent’s Heritage Coast, UK
5. Puerto Rico
6. Shikoku, Japan
7. Atacama Desert, Chile
8. The Scenic Rim, Australia
9. Vancouver Island, Canada
10. Burgundy, France

Lonely Planet’s top 10 Cities to visit in 2022

1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Taipei, Taiwan
3. Freiburg, Germany
4. Atlanta, USA
5. Lagos, Nigeria
6. Nicosia/Lefkosia,Cyprus
7. Dublin, Ireland
8. Merida, Mexico
9. Florence, Italy
10. Gyeongju, South Korea

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Main image © canva

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