Lonely Planet ranked East Africa third in "Best Value Destination for 2016"!

Great news for East Africa. Lonely Planet has ranked the region third in the "Best Value Destination for 2016" category in the 2016 editon of Best in Travel. Congratulations! The travel guide book publisher names the following reasons for selecting Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the rest of the region as the third best destination to stretch your travel budget in 2016:

The outbreak of the Ebola virus in West Africa has, unfortunately for other areas of the continent, had a knock-on effect in terms of bookings for 2015. So listen up: London, Madrid and Paris are hundreds of miles closer to the outbreak in West Africa than East Africa's tourism heartland. Africa is a massive continent (the United States would fit in the Sahara Desert) so you’ll be doing yourself and tourism in East Africa a favour if you take advantage of the cracking deals on offer to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and the rest of the region. And in the process experience some of the world’s great wonders, from gorilla encounters to Rift Valley scenery to squeaky-sanded beaches. [src.]

Best in Travel is produced annually as a guide to the top destinations, trends and experiences for the upcoming year. Other countries on Lonely Planet's list of Best Value Destinations for 2016 include Estonia (#1), Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam (#2), New Mexico in USA (#4), Bosnia and Hercegovina (#5), Galicia in Spain (#6), Québec City in Canada (#7), Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast (#8), Timor-Leste (#9) and Western Australia (#10).

Botswana named "Top Country to visit 2016" by Lonely Planet!

update (03 Nov 2015): Lonely Planet has uploaded a "visual portrait of the top country in their Best in Travel 2016 selections, Botswana.



Great news for Botswana. The country was named top country to visit in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 list. Congratulations! The publication describes Botswana, which will celebrate its 50th year of independence in 2016, as follows:

Democratic, progressive, enlightened – but above all, invigoratingly wild. The story of Botswana's journey from poverty to become one of Africa’s most stable, thriving societies is inspirational; the country celebrates 50 years of independence in 2016 and there's a lot for it to shout about, not least the way it has balanced economic growth with protecting its natural riches. Prepare for a severe case of slack-jawed-with-awe syndrome when you visit. [src.]

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel is produced annually as a guide to the top destinations, trends and experiences for the upcoming year. The Top 10 lists in Best in Travel were compiled by teams of experts, who took into account special events going on next year, recent developments in each country/region/city, and new things for travellers to see or do.

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 - Top Countries:

1. Botswana
2. Japan
3. USA
4. Palau
5. Latvia
6. Australia
7. Poland
8. Uruguay
9. Greenland
10. Fiji