WE’RE A TOP SPOT FOR 2016

LEADING global travel authority Lonely Planet has chosen Australia as one of the world’s Top 10 Countries for next year in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2016, which was released this week.

It is Lonely Planet’s 11th annual collection of the best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year.

Australia is ranked sixth on the book’s list of Top 10 Countries 2016.

“Unless you’re from New Zealand or Papua New Guinea, Australia can seem a long way from anywhere,” Lonely Planet says.

“Getting here involves folding yourself into a plane for 24 hours. But with 2016 shaping up as a defining year for several of Australia’s key wilderness areas, it’ll be 24 hours well spent.

“In fact, with the weak Australian dollar, anything you spend here this year will be value for money.

“Indigenous tourism is booming, with new Aboriginal tour companies such as Ngurrangga Tours in Karratha and Bungoolee Tours in the Kimberley offering authentic cultural experiences.

“Contemporary Aboriginal art remains an Australian cultural highwater mark, as evidenced by the fab new Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre in Katherine.”

Australia is also featured in other lists in the book: Fremantle at 7 of the Top 10 Cities, Western Australia at 10 for Best Value Destinations, Melbourne at 4 for Most Accessible Destinations, Roar & Snore at Taronga Zoo, Sydney at 6 for the World’s Most Extraordinary Sleepovers, and The Ghan at 8 for Super Sleeper Trains, and Burgers with Bounce and Bite, Darwin at 8 for Best Burger Experiences.

LONELY PLANET’S TOP 10 COUNTRIES 2016 1. Botswana 2. Japan 3. USA 4. Palau 5. Latvia 6. Australia 7. Poland 8. Uruguay 9. Greenland 10. Fiji

lonelyplanet.com