Lonely Planet has published its top 30 “Best in Travel” choices for 2025, highlighting the attractions of ten countries, ten regions and ten cities around the world. It’s always a list of contrasts, with, for example, the quaint villages of the UK’s East Anglia appearing alongside Cameroon’s sultry dance rhythms. Here Travel Tomorrow attempts to follow the common threads, such as unspoilt nature, vibrant cultural life, and culinary delights, uniting some of these spotlighted destinations.
Undiscovered landscapes dominate the top 10 countries
Eastern Europe and Central Asia did well, with Slovakia, Armenia, Lithuania, and Kazakhstan all making the selection, celebrated for their “relatively undiscovered” treasures, “landscapes of unearthly beauty”, “green spaces”, and lack of “urban sprawl”.
That focus on destinations far from the madding crowds continued with Pacific nations claiming two spots. One went to Vanuatu, described as an island adventure “far beyond any notions of cruise-ship ports and flashy resorts. Deserted beaches, ancient culture, remote and rugged islands and world-class diving are just a small part of the magnetism of this scattered 80-plus island archipelago.”
The other top ten Pacific country in 2025 is Fiji, recognised for its “460 protected marine areas brimming with life. Protecting this delicate and fragile ecosystem, its heritage and natural resources, is at the heart of a new initiative that encourages preservation,” Lonely Planet said.
Bustle, music and carnival
Wherever the ambience is more bustling, it is always balanced out by some chill. Asia and Africa each placed one country in the top 10: Laos and Cameroon. Laos’s high-speed rail connection between bustling Yunnan province and the tranquil mountain plains garnered praise, while it is the rolling rhythms of a dance-heavy rumba scene alongside pristine beaches and fishing villages that earned Cameroon its spot.
The Caribbean and South America round out the list with Trinidad and Tobago, where fusion food and carnival culture win out, and Paraguay, where forest wildlife, picturesque architecture and a “laid-back vibe” form another perfect blend.
Regions that boast coasts, mountains and fertile land
When it comes to regions, Europe placed Valais, in Switzerland, for its iconic mountains “that need no introduction”; Türkiye’s Giresun and Ordu Black Sea coastal attractions; and the UK’s East Anglia for, again, its coastline, as well as its “charming” 16th century houses and “artistic wool towns.” Germany’s Bavarian mountains and Oktoberfest were also picked out, making a total of four European regions in the selection.
Two North American regions were highlighted by Lonely Planet this year. The first is Mt Hood and the Columbia River Gorge where the great outdoors and its bounteous farms and vineyards “represent the best of the Pacific Northwest.” On the opposite side of the USA, the “sultry vibe of Lowcountry in South Carolina and Georgia” was noted for the lure of its complex history, vibrant gastronomy and “miles of beaches and marshes, as well as its big-name cities, Charleston and Savannah.”
Epic adventures and legendary hospitality
Central American Chiriquí made it onto the list thanks to its “tallest mountains, longest rivers, most fertile valleys” and incredible Pacific and Atlantic views. Middle Eastern tourism gets a boost from a namecheck for the Jordan Trail and its 676 km (420 miles) of epic beauty and “legendary hospitality.”
Moving around the globe, Nepal’s Terai region is named for the “extraordinary experiences” offered by these “southern lowlands”, including rhino conservation and remote temples. Australia’s Launceston and the Tamar Valley seduced the Lonely Planet pickers with its zesty culture and no less than “30 vineyards that can be strung together on the Tamar Valley Wine Route.”
Lonely Planet’s city picks
The city picks for 2025 seem to have a “southern” theme. From southwest France’s Toulouse to southeast Bulgaria’s Bansko, and on to southern Europe’s Palma de Mallorca and Genoa, not to mention southern India’s Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) and southern Brazil’s Curitiba.
Northern outliers include Canada’s Edmonton, which, according to Lonely Planet, “shines in its cultural offerings”, as well as mountainous northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai, where food is the order of the day, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has beaux-arts and art deco woven through its fabric and a classy attitude to culture and food. In fact, food, culture and architecture were clearly high up the selectors’ priority list for must-see cities.
