Need some inspiration for your vacation in 2020? Now is the time to browse, research and prepare. Lonely Planet, my favorite travel guide book, publishes lists of destinations to visit each year and the recommendations are out for 2020. The Top Country to visit in 2020 is Bhutan – find out the rest of the Top 10 and dream of your next trip below!
Bhutan is the last buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas. It is determined to measure the National Happiness Index, rather than wealth per capita as everywhere else and the country is pursuing sustainable tourism. 60% of the country are protected as national parks, allowing you to tour as close to pristine nature as you’ll find in the world. Add amazing temples in the mountains and unique food and you have plenty of reason to go. It is a very expensive destination to go – with a $250/day fee and the need to book an organized (private) tour to visit. It’s very high on my list of places to visit and I hope I’ll be able to go soon!
England gets 2nd spot on the list for 2020. And, no, Lonely Planet isn’t suggesting that you join the crowds to visit ever popular London, but take a look at the English Coastline: The English Coast Path, once complete, will be 3,000 miles long (!), giving you a chance to explore the beaches and rugged cliffs in the fresh air. Quiet frankly, it wasn’t on my list of things to see and do, but maybe it should be?
North Macedonia, number 3, is a “new” country, well at least the name is, after wrangling with Greece for years. Known for the beautiful nature, including UNESCO World Heritage Site Lake Ohrid, and its food, it’s well worth a trip. I’ve been trying to build a Balkan itinerary, but putting together a trip across multiple of the small Balkan nations is more time consuming than I thought. This is a timely reminder to move North Macedonia up on my personal list again!
The remainder of the Top 10 Countries to visit in 2020 is as follows:
04. Aruba
05. eSwatini (Swaziland)
06. Costa Rica
07. Netherlands
08. Liberia
09. Morocco
10. Uruguay
To plan your own trip or just do a little travel dreaming when the weather is cold or rainy outside, you can see the full list with more reasons why these countries made Lonely Planets Top Countries to visit in 2020 here!