Lonely Planet Announces Top Places to Visit in 2022

Travel guide company Lonely Planet has announced its top places to visit in 2022.

Every year, Lonely Planet employees, writers and partners suggest their favorite places. The company’s travel experts then choose the top 10 countries, top 10 regions and top 10 cities. Likewise, they think about both the unique experiences travellers can have and sustainable tourism practices in each place.

The top country to visit in 2022 is the Cook Islands. This is one of the world’s smallest countries. It’s made up of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about 3,000 kilometres northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. Visitors can go scuba diving, hike in the green mountains or take boat tours.

Norway is named the second best country to visit, followed by Mauritius in the Indian Ocean and Belize in Central America.

The top region to visit is the Westfjords in the northwest of Iceland. Visitors there can see wildlife such as puffins, seals and arctic foxes, as well as pink-sand beaches.

Other top regions to visit include West Virginia in the US and Xishuangbanna in China. Shikoku, Japan, was in sixth place.

Auckland, New Zealand, was named the top city to visit in 2022. Visitors can climb one of the city’s 48 dormant volcanoes or learn about Māori culture at the Auckland Museum.

Likewise, Taipei, Taiwan, and Freiburg, Germany, are named the second and third best cities to visit.

Finally, Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience Tom Hall said that the lists celebrate the variety of places there are to visit in the world. The company covers things to do in each place in its new book, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022.