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It is here: Lonely Planet’s hotly-anticipated annual list of Best in Travel has just been released. We’re thrilled to see several Exodus favourites sitting high up the list.
A few hidden gems finally getting some limelight, the top tip for where to trek before the crowds, and an old favourite of ours, the birthplace of our walking and trekking programme all feature in the Lonely Planet run down.
Safe to say, we think they’ve picked some great destinations for travel.
Best Travel Destinations
Hummingbird Lonely Planet’s top 5 countries – Canada, Colombia, Finland, Dominica and Nepal – have all captured the imaginations of Exodus’ product development department at some stage.
Nepal Travel
Some, like Nepal, we’ve been going to for many years; the mountainous kingdom is synonymous with Himalayan hiking and was the birthplace of our walking and trekking programme all those years ago.
In the last year we’ve been more connected with this place than ever, with the aftermath of the earthquake and the rebuilding project to help get the nation back on its feet, and we believe 2017 is the year the trekking trails return to their former glory as confidence grows and more people make their dreams of walking here come true.
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View of Everest from Gokyo Ri Canada Travel
Canada, with its majestic mountains and deep crystalline lakes, soaring skies and deep, ancient pine forests, is enough to spark wanderlust in any outdoors lover. And it’s not just Lonely Planet – Wanderlust magazine has put Canada front and centre on their Travel Hot List 2017.
Whether you’re a hiker looking to take to the trails or a wildlife enthusiast wanting to see whales in the wild, there’s plenty of wilderness here to discover. With notoriously polite Canadians celebrating their 150th confederation anniversary, there’s sure to be a few beers along the way.
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Yoho National Park, CanadaFinland Travel
Finland is an old favourite with us, and we’re glad to see its name gracing the charts. Home to traditional Scandinavian forests filled with mystery and bisected by thunderous rivers of ice-cold water, this landscape could have easily been lifted from a children’s fairytale.
With their centenary in 2017, no doubt there will be even more magic in the air as the Finns crack out the cloudberry liqueur and start to celebrate.
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Oulanka National Park, FinlandDominica Travel
Dominica is a destination tipped to hit the big time very soon. Teetering on the brink of being ‘discovered’, Dominica is a verdant tropical paradise which has largely been left alone thanks to its lack of brochure-white beaches.
But what it lacks in sunbathing opportunities it more than makes up for in adventure – these waters may not lap golden shores, but deep in the sparkling depths gargantuan whales gracefully roam. And we know which we’d rather see.
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Emerald pool, DominicaColombia Travel
The other left-field entrant is Colombia. Another country emerging cheerfully into prominence, Colombia is about to make it big. Colourful charming towns, welcoming highland haciendas and peerless coffee wherever you go make it a matter of time before this underdog achieves legendary status with travellers.
Colourful Cartagena Peru Travel
The final selection we’re stupidly excited about is in Peru. Number One on the Lonely Planet Regions list is Choquequirao, and rightly so. This ancient city is tipped for stardom, with many believing it will be the “next Machu Picchu”. We couldn’t agree more – which is why we’ve already introduced a new trek here earlier this year.
One thing is for sure – the spectacular trek to get here, winding through the misty mountains and verdant valleys of the Andes, is only going to get busier in the future. It’s no surprise they’re building a cable car to whisk travellers up the mountainsides to visit, and more and more people are starting to sit up and take notice of these beautiful ruins.
But travel before the plans are completed, and you’ll be able to see this incredible place before it becomes more accessible.
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Browse our trips to these wonderful destinations below and plan your getaway.
