In justifying Bhutan taking the coveted number-one country spot, Lonely Planet says that it’s a ‘tiny piece of Himalayan paradise’ that has a good claim to being ‘a real-life Shangri-La’.
It adds: ‘If you like your mountains snow-capped, your nature untamed and your monasteries humming with the sound of Tibetan horns, look no further than Bhutan.’
Runner-up England, says Lonely Planet, is a nation full of ‘timeless treasures’.
’Brexit uncertainties have dominated the headlines in recent years but one constant amid all the confusion has been the timeless treasures that England is famous for - the historic castles and cathedrals, the quaint villages and rolling countryside, and of course, the seaside,’ states the entry in the book.
‘Taking a bracing walk on a windswept pier, eating delicious fish and chips, searching for marine life in rock pools, finding fossils in ancient cliffs, building sandcastles and dolphin-spotting on picturesque beaches are just some of the activities offered by the English seaside.’
Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience, said: ‘For a relatively small country, England offers a lot of breathtaking scenery. There are 10 national parks and 34 Areas of Outstanding National Beauty - not to mention one of Europe’s longest coastlines - which travellers will soon be able to enjoy in full as the England Coast Path continues to take shape. If travellers are seeking exhilarating beauty in 2020, England won’t disappoint.’
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: ‘It’s fantastic to see England scoring so highly with Lonely Planet - and with travellers. And it’s no surprise it’s a favourite global destination with our breathtaking and varied coastline, vibrant cities, stunning countryside, heritage and cultural gems, amazing visitor attractions enchanting green spaces and outstanding range of quality accommodation. England truly is packed full of incredible experiences that visitors can only have here.’
North Macedonia takes third place in the country ranking, with Lonely Planet saying: ‘It’s already renowned for gastronomy, ancient tradition and nature, but culture junkies and adventurers will find new excuses to visit in 2020 with the addition of flight routes to Unesco-protected Lake Ohrid and the recently launched High Scardus Trail, a 495km (306-mile) trek along the region’s most dramatic peaks.’
The rest of the top 10 country ranking comprises Aruba (4th), eSwatini (5th), Costa Rica (6th), The Netherlands (7th), Liberia (8th), Morocco (9th) and Uruguay (10th).
It adds: ‘If you like your mountains snow-capped, your nature untamed and your monasteries humming with the sound of Tibetan horns, look no further than Bhutan.’
Runner-up England, says Lonely Planet, is a nation full of ‘timeless treasures’.
’Brexit uncertainties have dominated the headlines in recent years but one constant amid all the confusion has been the timeless treasures that England is famous for - the historic castles and cathedrals, the quaint villages and rolling countryside, and of course, the seaside,’ states the entry in the book.
‘Taking a bracing walk on a windswept pier, eating delicious fish and chips, searching for marine life in rock pools, finding fossils in ancient cliffs, building sandcastles and dolphin-spotting on picturesque beaches are just some of the activities offered by the English seaside.’
Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience, said: ‘For a relatively small country, England offers a lot of breathtaking scenery. There are 10 national parks and 34 Areas of Outstanding National Beauty - not to mention one of Europe’s longest coastlines - which travellers will soon be able to enjoy in full as the England Coast Path continues to take shape. If travellers are seeking exhilarating beauty in 2020, England won’t disappoint.’
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: ‘It’s fantastic to see England scoring so highly with Lonely Planet - and with travellers. And it’s no surprise it’s a favourite global destination with our breathtaking and varied coastline, vibrant cities, stunning countryside, heritage and cultural gems, amazing visitor attractions enchanting green spaces and outstanding range of quality accommodation. England truly is packed full of incredible experiences that visitors can only have here.’
North Macedonia takes third place in the country ranking, with Lonely Planet saying: ‘It’s already renowned for gastronomy, ancient tradition and nature, but culture junkies and adventurers will find new excuses to visit in 2020 with the addition of flight routes to Unesco-protected Lake Ohrid and the recently launched High Scardus Trail, a 495km (306-mile) trek along the region’s most dramatic peaks.’
The rest of the top 10 country ranking comprises Aruba (4th), eSwatini (5th), Costa Rica (6th), The Netherlands (7th), Liberia (8th), Morocco (9th) and Uruguay (10th).
