Review: Ultimate Travel List by the Lonely Planet
Many of us have been working on personal projects during 2020, and it turns out the Lonely Planet team are no different. We were rather excited to learn that their travel experts have been busy updating their best-selling book the Ultimate Travel List.
The first edition of the Ultimate Travel List was printed in 2015, and that was a sizeable hardback book.
The 2nd edition ranks the top 500 places to see across the world. It has 200 different places from the first edition that was published in 2015, which means there’s plenty of inspiration and lots of new places to add to your travel bucket list.
How did the Lonely Planet rank the top 500 places?
According to the Lonely Planet, they ranked the 500 best places in order of their brilliance. But what does that actually mean and how did they do it?
The Lonely Planet consulted their contributing authors and asked their community to vote for their favourites. Then they took into consideration important factors like reducing mass tourism and favoured places that promote and support sustainability to help them make their final decisions.
How many have you visited in the Ultimate Travel List?
At the front of the book, there are several maps which help you find the best places listed on each continent. After this, locations are listed in order with information about why it was selected, tips on how to get there along with some stunning photographs of the best 500 places in the world.
We were excited and surprised to discover where ranked number one. It wouldn’t be our first choice, but it’s not somewhere we have visited yet.
However, Regan was pleased to see that Angkor Wat, a personal favourite, held a strong position in the top 10.
Some of our favourites from the top 500:
Finding these places in the Ultimate Travel List sparked some very fond memories from our travels.
How many UK places are on the list?
Thanks to the awe-inspiring photographs that the UKPOTD community share on a daily basis, we know there’s an abundance of fantastic places to visit throughout the UK.
But how many of them made the Ultimate Travel List? 34 places across the UK. Can you guess where they might be or where ranked the highest? Would you like a clue? Do you know where the deepest lake in England is?
We are very fortunate to have so many beautiful locations in the UK. There is plenty to explore, enabling us to provide support to local Travel and Tourism organisations throughout the UK during these difficult and challenging times.
Where will you add to your travel bucket list?
Regan likes to have a few ideas on her travel wish list, but she tends to prefer to be pretty flexible and likes to keep her options open. She’s not keen on over-planning, preferring to go with the flow. Brett is the one who likes to be organised, research in detail, over-pack and book super in advance. Thankfully, we both enjoy slow travelling, seeking out interesting photo opportunities, and exploring lesser-known locations together, such as our holiday in Messina in Greece.
We found it refreshing to discover that the Lonely Planet hasn’t listed all of the obvious choices. They have also championed places that support and promote sustainable travel. In the 2nd edition, you will find that there are a lot more open spaces and cultural experiences. This seems to fit into the current climate where people are still rebuilding their confidence and continuing to adapt to how they live, travel, work, and spend their leisure time during the pandemic.
Our favourite things about the Ultimate Travel List:
- Reading the Ultimate Travel list triggered so many great memories. We couldn’t wait to find out how many places we have visited were the top 500, and we really enjoyed reliving these experiences as we searched through some of our old photos for this review.
- There are lots of local cultural & nature-themed experiences in the book. We felt these focused on slower & more meaningful travel experiences rather than a checklist of the top places to tick off in three days.
- We loved diving into this book to escape from the current pandemic. It was so nice to have a distraction from the current digital overload and felt really good to read a hardback book, rather than stare at another screen.
- We think this is an awesome source of inspiration for planning your future travels. Definitely an ideal gift for the travel lovers amongst your family and friends.
Disclosure
(AD – PR Product) This review is courtesy of a gifted copy of the Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List. All opinions are our own. *As an Amazon Associate, we will receive a small commission on any purchases you make through our affiliate links to Amazon. Please read our disclosure policy for more information.
Would you like to win your own copy of the book?
UKPOTD have teamed up with the Lonely Planet to give one of their UK based followers the chance to win a copy of the Ultimate Travel List.
Terms & Conditions:
- The Ultimate Travel List Giveaway is only open to UK residents.
- Follow @UKPOTD and the @lonelyplanet on Instagram.
- Tell us your number 1 travel experience in the comments on the Ultimate Travel List Giveaway post on UKPOTD.
- Share this giveaway in your Instagram stories to alert your fellow travel lovers and tag UKPOTD.
- The closing time & date for entries is 12 pm (GMT) on Saturday 14 November 2020.
- UKPOTD team will randomly select one winner from the comments. The winner will be announced shortly after the closing date.
- Our decision in determining the winner is final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding this decision.
- If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, we reserve the right to randomly select another winner from the competition entries.
- The winner will need to provide UKPOTD with their UK postal address, and the Lonely Planet will then send a copy of the book directly to them.
- No purchase is necessary. This prize is non-refundable or transferable.
- This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram.
If you would like to buy a copy of the Ultimate Travel List, you can purchase it directly from the Lonely Planet website, or *Our Amazon shop.
* As an Amazon Associate, we will receive a small commission on any purchases you make through our affiliate links to Amazon.
Thanks, pleased you enjoyed the review and our photos
It looks like a book that I’d love to flick through. Ultimately I think we have to follow our hearts in defining our own bucket lists.
Thanks for your review of Ultimate Travel list and I loved the inclusion of some favorite places of mine in this book. Tbilisi tops my list and I see it here too. Though I have not read Lonely Planet recommendations before, but now I have to check as I see many on my bucket list here. Angkor wat is another one which I want to go for. Good you are hosting giveaway for UK residents.
I am going to need to ge this book! I’m now curious what else is in there. I can see why the Pyramids and Angkor Wat are on there but Ive been to both and did like either. I appreciated the structures but everything else was a was. Cambodia and Egypt are in my bottom 5 🙂 NIkki
As we sit here I’m realizing this is longest I’ve been at home in years. Seriously jonesing for some travel. Fingers crossed this vaccine get approved and we can begin to heal!
Oh my gosh you have given me some serious travel inspiration right here. I love all your cool and fun holiday snaps x
great review and I like Lonely Planet guides as well. It is a very important part of travel planning
Fun! You all have been to so may places. I’m sure your life is full of color. Thanks for sharing the list. It has be reflecting on all the places I’ve been and where I’d like to go.
So exciting LP has a new edition. Now I’m also dying of curiosity to see how we fared on the 500 list. Looking at your photos, we clearly need to get to Korea though I’m surprised they put DMZ on there, feels a bit grim but then again it would be fascinating. I definitely appreciate that they took over tourism and sustainability into their new calculations…this is key for the future of travel!
Travelers will love to find this book under their Christmas tree. I like seeing traveling book like this and see how many places in the book that I’ve been to. As an Indonesian I’m glad that Borobudur is also making its place in the list.
I loved Borbudor, it’s beautiful. Close 2nd to Angkor Wat for me personally 😊
It’s a fabulous Christmas gift. Angkor Wat is so vast, and it’s amazing to consider when it was built and how it’s survived for so many centuries.
There are so many places to see! Brett’s pleased to hear that you like his South Stack Lighthouse image.
Thanks, we are pleased to hear you enjoyed our photos.
Wow, you guys have traveled to some pretty spectacular places! I can’t wait to start traveling again.
There are so many incredible places to explore in this beautiful world. I love you photos they really take me to those places immediately.
Since we are all about bucket lists someone got us the Ultimate Travel List Book from Lonely Planet too. But I have to say it is quite frustrating cause I have not been to very many at all on their list and I really want to go to all of them. By the way, I love that pic of the South Stack Lighthouse, Wales Coastal Path. We have explored Cardiff but I really want to return and check out more of Coastal Wales.
Have been to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, but was not able to go to Hoi An yet. The rest, I yet have to explore also.
This sounds like a lot of fun. I can’t help but wonder what other locations are included. If I had to pick the top place that I’ve visited that I believe should have made the list (whether it did or not) I would say Mount Kilimanjaro. Climbing Kili was, by far, one of the most amazing experiences of my life.
I just love the Lonely Planet books! They are just amazing and this one looks like a must have. Some really beautiful places to visit x
I just bought this and I can’t wait to read all of it! I am actually thinking to do a similar list but I want it to be personal. I am curious about the “brilliance” ranking. There are so many places in the world and I myself cannot quantify that “brilliance.” It’s really hard to rank 100 places! I wouldn’t know what to put on top of the list and I am curious about their number 1! Thanks for sharing this!
From time to time I do visit Lonely Planet’s website to get updates on travel, and also I enjoy reading their contents. I think I also have the Lonely Planet guide for hiking and stuff. I’m excited to travel again overseas.
Thanks for sharing this list! I’m glad they decided to curate in a way that reduces mass tourism and share more relatively underrated destinations. Haven’t been to most of them that you’ve highlighted; hope to get the chance in the future!
I rarely follow Lonely Planet lists for travel selections. Although they are very inspiring. Angkor Wat is also on my top list. One of the most beautiful places I have been to. I also like Iceland and Georgia. Vietnam and Indonesia are still on my dream list. I think the Ultimate Travel List by the Lonely Planet might be a perfect Christmas gift.
Thanks so much for your review! Would love to get my hands on a copy of the Ultimate Travel List. I especially liked how they included the focus on sustainable travel. In today’s climate crisis, this is such an important piece when building your travel bucket list!