10 must-visit destinations for 2017 - and one of them is North Wales

Lonely Planet has published its annual list of holiday hotspots for next year. How many have you visited?
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Liz Connor25 October 2016

Passports at the ready, Londoners, because Lonely Planet has published its annual guide to the top places to to visit over the next 12 months.

The annual list highlights the lesser-known, under-the-radar destinations to have on your bucket list for the coming year, and this year’s picks include some surprise entries that are closer to home than you might think.

Included in this year’s honours are an ancient Inca site and a volcanic mountain while, somewhat extraordinarily, North Wales has beaten various world wonders and heritage site-holding regions to be crowned one of the most exciting in the world right now.

Here is the complete list of places in Lonely Planet’s best regions to visit in 2017:

1. Choquequirao, Peru

Topping the travel guide’s list of regions for the coming year is this ancient Incan site in South Peru, similar in structure and architecture to Machu Picchu.

Lonely Planet says: “Choquequirao, hidden across the deep Apurimac Valley, was the last Inca refuge from the conquistadors, and there’s a growing traveller buzz to see it ASAP. A cable car will squeal into life in 2017 (or later; bureaucratic feet are dragging), gliding up to 3000 visitors a day to the ruins in just 15 minutes.”

2. Taranaki, New Zealand

This coastal and mountainous region on the western side of New Zealand’s North Island is dominated by Mount Taranaki, it’s namesake volcano.

Lonely Planet says: “The joke goes that most travellers who reach Taranaki have just taken a wrong turn, a gag backed by stats showing that just 2 per cent of New Zealand’s international visitors venture out this way. But a new motto – ‘A Little Bit Out There’ – offsets the region’s remote location with a deliciously offbeat new gallery dedicated to effervescent kinetic artist, filmmaker, painter and poet, Len Lye.”

Taranaki, New Zealand
Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet

3. The Azores, Portugal

This beautiful archipelago in the mid-Atlantic is characterized by dramatic landscapes, fishing villages, green pastures and hedgerows of blue hydrangeas... and it's tipped to be the 'next Iceland'.

Lonely Planet says: “Blending amazing nature and super-cool Iberian culture, the Azores offer accessibility from North America and Europe without the abundance of travellers who have discovered Iceland in recent years."

4. North Wales, UK

If you haven’t made a trip from the capital to North Wales, which includes Snowdonia, Menai and Colwyn Bay, you’ll want to plan your escape soon.

Lonely Planet says: ”On the site of an aluminium factory in the Conwy Valley, Surf Snowdonia is perhaps the most headline-stealing example of North Wales’ reinvention: the machinery of this inland lagoon generates the world’s longest surfable human-made waves."

North Wales
Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet

5. South Australia

Home to the 100km-long Bunda Cliffs facing the Great Australian Bight, the arid Nullarbor Plain and the red dunes of the Simpson Desert, South Australia is defined by its abundance of untouched wilderness.

Lonely Planet says: “Its climate may be hot, but South Australia offers the coolest mix of brilliant wine country, abundant produce festivals, stark and stunning tracts of picturesque Aussie outback and crowd-free beaches that could make even the Bahamas jealous.”

6. Aysén, Chile

This sparsely populated area of southern Chile is home to vast glaciers, fjords and snow-capped mountains. In this adventure-lover’s paradise, you’ll find The Laguna San Rafael National Park, which encompasses the Northern Patagonian Ice Field - home to various glaciers running off to inland lakes and rivers.

Lonely Planet says: “With fresh routes to glaciers, a booming craft-beer scene in remote hamlets and a massive new nature reserve green-lit for national-park status, Patagonia’s last frontier has never been such a delight to explore.”

(Aysén
Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet

7. The Tuamotus, French Polynesia

This tropical archipelago forms a chain of almost 80 islands and atolls, stretching from the northwest to the southeast over an area of the southern Pacific Ocean, roughly the size of Western Europe.

Lonely Planet says: “Close your eyes, and imagine this: you land on a strip of coral, surrounding a glinting lagoon of every hue from lapis lazuli to turquoise – a perfect ring of islets edged with sandbars and ruffled coconut trees. Remember that tropical paradise that appears in countless adverts? Here’s the real thing.”

8. Coastal Georgia, USA

Most people don’t know that Georgia has a coast - and a rather lovely one at that. Hollywood has even taken notice, shooting the Baywatch reboot here, which is set to be released in summer 2017. Watch this space.

Lonely Planet says: “If you’re seeking a coastal getaway of uncommon beauty, with plenty of adventure and without the crowds, go now, before the secret gets out.”

Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet

9. Perak, Malaysia

The fourth largest of Malaysia’s thirteen states, situated on the coast of the Malay Peninsula, is prized for its natural tropical beauty and rich history.

Lonely Planet says: “Perak’s capital, Ipoh, is nurturing a bloom of vintage-style cafes and boutiques. The nucleus of this old-meets-new makeover is Kong Heng Block, surrounding the imaginative Sekeping Kong Heng hotel. Here, cheerful joints like Roquette Cafe, Burps & Giggles and Bits & Bobs pull a vibrant crowd to shop, dawdle and slurp ais kepal (ice balls) in this historic neighbourhood.”

10. The Skellig Ring, Ireland

The Skellig Ring (Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet)
Reproduced with permission from Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016, © 2016 Lonely Planet

This 18km route across Ireland’s wild and beautiful south coast links Portmagee, Valentia Island and Waterville, with the gaffed rock of Skellig Michael towering in the distance.

Lonely Planet says: “With a setting like this, it’s no wonder Skellig Michael made the new Star Wars location list. To get to this far-flung isle, a boat trip is necessary from the Skellig Ring, perhaps Ireland’s most charismatically wild and emerald stretch of coastline. Glimpsed at the end of The Force Awakens, Skellig Michael will play a bigger role in this year’s sequel and local businesses are gearing up for the expected visitor bump.”

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