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Travel guide company Lonely Planet has released its 18th annual Best in Travel list.
The 2023 edition has a slightly different format than in previous years. Instead of a simple list, destinations are broken down into five categories – Eat, Learn, Travel, Relax, and Connect.
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“This year we really wanted to try something new and reflect the way we see travelers looking for travel that’s about the destination but also about the experience,” said Nitya Chambers, Executive Editor and Senior Vice President of Content at Lonely Planet.
The editors will start working on the list as early as April. Chambers says that — much as they would like — not every employee can personally visit every place on the list.
Instead, she explains, Lonely Planet is reaching out to its wide network of contributors around the world and asking them to nominate destinations they feel should be on the list.
From there, the editors at Lonely Planet HQ will begin asking more questions, editing their sources, and narrowing down options until it releases in November.
Chambers sums up the perfect travel destination as “expected but unexpected”.
It could mean taking a risk in a new country, like Malta or Guyana, where all your friends haven’t been. It could mean choosing a less-visited spot in a favorite destination, like Marseille over Paris, or Fukuoka over Tokyo. All four spots belong to the 30 destinations on the 2023 list.
The Lonely Planet journey began in 1972 after Maureen and Tony Wheeler traveled to Australia from the UK and subsequently published a guide to recreating their overland adventure.
Culinary delights
It’s no surprise that Lima is a favorite in the food section of Lonely Planet’s list – Peru’s capital has been earning recognition on the list of the world’s 50 best restaurants for years.
However, its South American sibling Montevideo — another “Eat” entry — isn’t as well known. Visitors to the Uruguayan capital may recognize dishes popular elsewhere on the continent, such as Dulce de leche, toasted steaks Yerba buddy.
Uruguay is also developing as a wine destination, with both red and white wines on offer. Plus, it’s much more affordable and less crowded than Argentina’s wine country of Mendoza.
Street food lovers should head to Kuala Lumpur. The capital is a perfect place for an introduction to foods from across Malaysia, such as Nasi Lemak (the unofficial national dish), Penang-style curries and Peranakan classics like Fish Maw Soup.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to find an Italian cuisine that isn’t popular.
Stanley Tucci visited Umbria on an episode of his show Searching for Italy and feasted on black truffle, wild boar stew and braised pigeon. It is also on Lonely Planet’s list.
Connect
As the world opened up after long COVID restrictions, many travelers felt the urge to connect or reconnect with others.
One way to do this is to look into our own backyards.
Boise, the capital of Idaho, is home to the largest Basque community in the world outside of Spain and is on Lonely Planet’s Connect list. Some local residents still speak the Basque language, learn traditional dances, and make paella big enough to feed the whole town.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Sydney is also on the list. The Australian city is known for its friendly locals, but also for its beautiful beaches, world-class food scene and… oh yes, a pretty cool opera house.
People of African heritage may want to go to Accra, Ghana to get their own sense of connection. The country, which is also on the list, celebrated a year of return in 2019, bringing people from across the diaspora to community and fellowship in Ghana.
Just because the year is over doesn’t mean that the sense of belonging is gone: Ghana aims to reach the target of 8 million tourists a year.
Ghana is a great destination for ecotourism and outdoor travelers thanks to its diverse wildlife and beautiful coastline.
learning to let go
The pandemic has also sparked another strong desire: The stress of working from home while still homeschooling the kids via Zoom means many travelers just want to take a long break.
Island destinations like Jamaica and Dominica in the Caribbean are just the place to relax, according to Lonely Planet.
The former is at the top of Chambers’ personal list for 2023.
“There is only one opportunity to spend a little more time with our kids over the summer, immerse yourself and have the experience of living in a place where you can really feel changed and transformed by being a part of another place. ”
While the 2022 “vengeance travel” summer might have seemed like Europe was over-boosted, Malta – another destination to relax in – is a lesser-known gem with Italy’s climate and Middle Eastern scenery.
And in Asia, the Indonesian archipelago of Raja Ampat could be one of the last paradises left on earth.
This spot in the country’s West Papua province is popular for ecotourism and is home to a highly successful coral restoration project.
learn a lesson
Have you started baking sourdough or learning a new language during lockdown? If you want to keep the spirit of learning alive beyond the pandemic, Lonely Planet recommends visiting a destination to deepen your knowledge.
This includes New Mexico, the US state nicknamed the “Land of Enchantment,” where visitors can learn about Native American history and Spanish heritage while munching on red and green chiles and delicious biscochito cookies.
Visiting some of Europe’s second largest cities can also broaden your horizons. In Marseille, learn to say more than just “merci beaucoup” while sunbathing on France’s Mediterranean coast. Over in England, Manchester is an underrated cultural destination, with art galleries, event spaces and an annual cultural festival.
For New Mexicans, chili isn’t just a food, it’s a way of life. Chilies are so important that New Mexico is the only state that has an “official” question: “Red or green?”
The route is the goal
Whether you’re traveling in search of the perfect meal or a breathtaking cityscape, ultimately, travel is as much about exploring along the way as it is about what’s on your itinerary.
With that in mind, Lonely Planet has designated six “Travel” spots, places for the most travel-loving travelers.
It’s no surprise that the Central Asian kingdom of Bhutan made the cut. In 2022, the country finally reopened to tourism and unveiled its crown jewel – the Trans-Bhutan Trail, connecting nine Dzongkhags (districts), 28 weighed (local governments), two municipalities, a national park and 400 historical and cultural sites.
Another ‘destination’, Zambia is perhaps best known for Victoria Falls, which UNESCO describes as ‘plunging noisily down a series of basalt canyons and a scintillating mist rising’.
But while the world’s most impressive waterfall isn’t a must-see, the wild diversity of wildlife – giraffes, elephants, lions, hippos, cheetahs and more – makes it a perfect choice for a safari holiday.
Here is the full list of the 30 destinations:
Lonely Planet’s 2023 Best in Travel list
MEAL
Umbria, Italy
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Fukuoka, Japan
Lima, Peru
South Africa
Montevideo, Uruguay
TRAVEL
Istanbul, Turkey to Sofia, Bulgaria
Nova Scotia, Canada
Bhutan
Zambia
Western Australia
Natural Park, Colombia
RELAX
Halkidiki, Greece
Jamaica
Dominika
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Malta
Jordan
ASSOCIATE
Alaska
Albania
Accra Ghana
Sydney, Australia
Guyana
Boise, United States
TO LEARN
Manchester, UK
New Mexico, United States
Dresden, Germany
The saviour
southern scotland
Marseilles, France
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