Travel & Hotspots

THE 500 NICEST PLACES ON THE PLANET ACCORDING TO TRAVEL JOURNALISTS

Everyone's got a bucket list of places they want to travel to. You know, that list of destinations that either friends have gone to and can't stop talking about, places you've read about or cities that you've spotted photos of on Instagram. In my case it's Tokyo. And as a full-blooded Indonesian, I think it's pretty bad that I haven't even discovered my roots yet. Oh, and remember this post about the prettiest island in the world? I'm completely okay with hanging out there for at least a week.

But anyways, back to that list of special places. This time it's been filled in my the editors of Lonely Planet. So I wouldn't refer to it as any sort of random list. It's from people who's profession is to travel (where can I sign up for this?) and they created a book called ‘Ultimate Travelist’. Five hundred of the most thrilling, interesting, intriguing and exceptional places on the planet. Places you need to visit. They'll leave an imprint on your heart, they'll surprise you, they'll educate you. From the Taj Mahal to the Grand Canyon and from the Chinese Wall to the South African Kruger Park.

Insert drum roll please, let me introduce you to the top 3:

1. Angkor Wat

Cambodia jotted down in your schedule? Lucky you. Go to Angkor Wat, a temple complex which has been named the most religious monument in the world. Fun fact: Angelie Jolie ran around here for Tomb Raider.

2. Great Barrier Reef

My sister is moving to Australia, so now I've got an extra reason to head on over. Believe me: this place is beyond. Google it. The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef in the world. It consists of 2,900 individual reefs and 900 perfect little islands.

3. Machu Picchu

The ruins of the Incan city Machu Picchu can be found on number 3. A friend of mine was recently discovering this world wonder and she said it was so unbelievable that she's actually contemplating moving to Peru.

Alright, so I could list all the cities on here, but 500 is quite the list. So you know what I'd recommend? Order the book... It'll be released on September 6th and you can start planning all the trips for the rest of your life. Although, 500?! Oh god, maybe I'll start with the top 10 first. Thanks, Lonely Planet.