If you are looking for travel inspiration going into the new year, here are some of the most fascinating places on the planet.
Helen Fanthorpe, who oversees the annual Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth, has recently turned her coveted list into a photo-book paying homage to the top 100 places that should be on everyone’s travel bucket list.
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Her list includes, “brilliant places for 2020, places that would be big news in 2020, just opened up, up and coming, back on the tourist map, and places that are completely unmissable and timeless,” says Fanthrope to cnn.com.
Purchase her book to see her full top 100 list. In the meantime, here are 10 of her favorites.
Toyko, Japan for its “cutting-edge technologies, glassy skyscrapers, alien robot shows, pulsating nightlife and fresh sushi, serene gardens, and Buddhist shrines.”
Yellowstone National Park, United States because of its “wildlife and steaming pools of blue edged by green, yellow, orange and brown, thundering waterfalls and spewing geysers.”
Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, Mongolia sparked Fanthrope’s imagination “because the landmark feels totally incongruous with its surroundings, but is also a testament to how important Genghis Khan still is for the Mongolian people.”
Easter Island, Chile “feels like a totally justified ‘once-in-a-lifetime-experience’ sort of place to me.”
Lahaul and Spiti, India because it’s “striking, icy and remote, the scenery here is breathtakingly beautiful.”
St. Petersburg, Russia for its “44 islands, beautiful pastel palaces, more than 400 bridges, imposing mansions, churches with colorful onion domes and landscaped gardens and parks. The architecture just sounds unbeatable.”
Beirut, Lebanon because “adventurous travelers are seeking out the most interesting places to eat, shop and gallery hop, that just makes Beirut even cooler.”
Saxon Switzerland, Germany surprised Fanthrope because she didn’t know “that these strange rock formations, surrounded by lush countryside and wooded hills, were actually in Europe.”
The Alhambra, Spain because “it is meant to be one of the most impressive examples of Moorish architecture and ornamentation the world over.”
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Namibia is a place where “you can see lions, elephants, giraffes, and oryx, but there are also the arresting landscapes of the oldest desert in the world.”