
Lonely Planet reveals its high locations for 2023
The 2023 version is in a barely completely different format than it has been in years previous. Moderately than a easy listing, the locations are cut up up into 5 classes — eat, study, journey, unwind and join.
“This yr, we actually wished to strive one thing new and we wished to mirror the way in which that we noticed vacationers in search of journey, which was in regards to the vacation spot, but in addition in regards to the expertise,” explains Nitya Chambers, government editor and senior vp of content material at Lonely Planet.
Editors start work on the listing as early as April. Chambers says that — as a lot as they’d prefer to — not each staffer can go to every place on the listing personally.
As an alternative, she explains, Lonely Planet reaches out to its broad community of contributors world wide and asks them to appoint locations they consider needs to be on the listing.
From there, editors at Lonely Planet HQ start to ask extra questions, work their sources and slim down the choices till it’s launched in November.
Chambers sums up the right vacation spot as “anticipated however surprising.”
Which may imply taking an opportunity on a brand new nation, like Malta or Guyana, that every one your mates have not been to but. It would imply selecting a less-visited place in a favourite vacation spot, like Marseille reasonably than Paris or Fukuoka as a substitute of Tokyo. All 4 spots are among the many 30 locations of the 2023 listing.
The Lonely Planet journey started in 1972 after Maureen and Tony Wheeler traveled from the UK to Australia and subsequently revealed a information to recreating their overland journey.

The Mediterranean nation Malta was chosen as top-of-the-line locations to unwind.
Calin Stan/Adobe Inventory
Culinary delights
Nonetheless, its South American sibling Montevideo — one other “eat” entry — shouldn’t be as excessive profile. Guests to the Uruguyan capital may acknowledge dishes which can be standard elsewhere on the continent, like dulce de leche, asado steaks and yerba mate.
In the meantime, it is arduous to seek out an Italian delicacies that is not beloved.
Get linked
Because the world opened up after lengthy Covid restrictions, many vacationers felt the urge to attach or reconnect with others.
A method to try this is by trying into our personal backyards.
Simply because the yr handed does not imply that the sense of connection has gone: Ghana needs to hit a aim of eight million vacationers per yr.
Ghana is a good vacation spot for ecotourism and outside vacationers — because of its array of wildlife and delightful shoreline.
Study to let go
The pandemic spurred one other highly effective want, too: the stress of working from house whereas homeschooling the youngsters over Zoom means many vacationers simply need to take a protracted break.
Island locations, like Jamaica and Dominica within the Caribbean, are simply the place to unwind, based on Lonely Planet.
The previous is excessive on Chambers’ private listing for 2023.
“There’s simply a chance with our children in the summertime (to) spend some extra time, go immerse and have the expertise of dwelling someplace the place you possibly can actually really feel modified and remodeled by being a part of one other place.”
Whereas 2022’s summer time of “revenge journey” may need made it look like Europe is overtouristed, Malta — one other “unwind” vacation spot — is a lesser-known gem with the local weather of Italy and the panorama of the Center East.
Situated within the nation’s West Papua Province, this spot is liked for eco-tourism and is house to a massively profitable coral restoration challenge.
Study a lesson
Did you begin baking sourdough or studying a brand new language throughout lockdown? If you wish to hold the spirit of studying alive past the pandemic, Lonely Planet suggests visiting a vacation spot for the sake of deepening your information.
Visiting a few of Europe’s second cities can broaden your horizons as properly. In Marseille, learn to say extra than simply “merci beaucoup” whereas sunning your self on France’s Mediterranean coast. Over in England, Manchester is an underrated cultural vacation spot, with artwork galleries, efficiency areas and an annual tradition competition all on supply.
For New Mexicans, chile is not only a meals, it is a lifestyle. Chiles are so essential, New Mexico is simply state to have an “official” query, “Crimson or inexperienced?”
The journey is the vacation spot
In the end, whether or not you hit the highway in quest of an ideal meal or a shocking cityscape, journey is simply as a lot about exploring alongside the way in which as what’s in your itinerary.
With that in thoughts, Lonely Planet designated six “journey” spots, locations for essentially the most wanderlust-y of vacationers.
It is no shock that the central Asian kingdom of Bhutan made the lower. In 2022, the nation lastly reopened to tourism and unveiled its crown jewel — the Trans-Bhutan path, which connects 9 dzongkhags (districts), 28 gewogs (native governments), two municipalities, one nationwide park and 400 historic and cultural websites.
Zambia, one other “journey” vacation spot, is perhaps greatest recognized for Victoria Falls, which UNESCO describes as “(plunging) noisily down a sequence of basalt gorges and raises an iridescent mist.”
However even when the world’s most spectacular waterfall is not a compelling motive to go to, the wild range of animal life — giraffes, elephants, lions, hippos, cheetahs and extra — make it an ideal choose for a safari trip.
Here is the total listing of 30 locations:
Lonely Planet’s Finest in Journey Checklist 2023
EAT
Umbria, Italy
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Fukuoka, Japan
Lima, Peru
South Africa
Montevideo, Uruguay
JOURNEY
Istanbul, Turkey to Sofia, Bulgaria
Nova Scotia, Canada
Bhutan
Zambia
Western Australia
Parque Nacional Naturales, Colombia
UNWIND
Halkidiki, Greece
Jamaica
Dominica
Raja Ampat, Indonesia
Malta
Jordan
CONNECT
Alaska
Albania
Accra, Ghana
Sydney, Australia
Guyana
Boise, USA
LEARN
Manchester, UK
New Mexico, USA
Dresden, Germany
El Salvador
Southern Scotland
Marseille, France