Lonely Planet’s top travel destinations of 2022

Horin-ji is one of the many temples that make up the ’88-temple pilgrimage’ on the Japanese island of Shikoku. (Wikipedia pic)

PARIS:

Tourism is back! Lonely Planet, the major travel book publisher, has released its list of top destinations to discover in 2022 after taking a year off due to Covid-19.

To draw up its picks, it took into account upcoming events and news, tourism initiatives, as well as the conservation of destinations. The guide takes travellers back to countries that have been popular in recent years, focusing on regions that tourists might have skipped.

Take Japan, for example. While seasoned travellers may already have taken in Tokyo, Kyoto, the Nikko mountains in the north, or even the hot springs of Kyushu, how many have visited the island of Shikoku?

This strip of land, which can be seen from Hiroshima or Osaka, is recommended for anyone looking for a taste of traditional Japan and interested in visiting its numerous temples. There’s even a 1,170km-long pilgrimage trail over 1,200 years old.

Lonely Planet also returns to Australia, which has been popular with younger travellers for a long time. Indeed, the guidebook points them back to the Gold Coast, known for its surfers and tall buildings, in order to explore a more inland area known as the Scenic Rim.

This mountainous area of waterfalls and rainforests will delight campers looking to escape the overrated image of the popular beachside destination on the east coast.

Lake Moogerah lies between the Moogerah Peaks and the Scenic Rim, south of Brisbane. (Wikipedia pic)

Otherwise, how about heading for the refreshingly hilly landscape of Burgundy? Located on the borders of the Nièvre and Yonne regions, Lonely Planet recommends rediscovering this wine region to explore beyond the vintages that have made this corner of France world-famous.

Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022 – top 10 countries:

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

Top 10 regions:

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

The vineyards of Burgundy are, of course, world-famous. (Wikipedia pic)

Top 10 cities:

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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Lonely Planet’s top travel destinations of 2022

After a challenging couple of years for tourism, these lesser-known areas in popular countries await travellers.