Margaret River Has Been Named Asia Pacific’s Best Place To Visit For 2019
Lonely Planet’s Best in Asia Pacific names the hottest destinations in the region every year, and its just named the top spots of 2019. No surprises here, but Australia has cleaned up with Margaret River and Southern WA being named the best places to visit this year.
We always knew Australia had some of the most gorgeous travel destinations in the world, but now it’s official.
[related_articles]71493,70153,49894[/related_articles]Experts from the travel giant have declared that Margaret River and Southern WA are objectively better than Singapore, Japan, The Cook Islands and New Zealand – the Kiwi accent might be the sexiest, but Aussies win this round.
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Here’s their very expert ruling:
“Take one look at Meelup Beach and you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life: the West Australian bush parts to reveal ocean the hue of a Bombay Sapphire bottle, which is typical of the coastline stretching from Margaret River to the state’s south. Beyond the sand, some of the country’s slickest wineries, breweries and restaurants lie between tracts of tall-tree forest and kangaroo-dotted farmland.”
We can’t agree more. We’re in love with the adventure haven‘s spectacular beaches, caves and gorgeous hikes. You can find expert mountain bike tracks and surfing in Margaret River, and the wreck of the HMAS Swan is one of the state’s best diving spots.
[related_articles]72150,59279,56520[/related_articles]This is the first year that the Best in Asia Pacific has included Australia and New Zealand. We’re proud — but not at all shocked – that one of our own scored the top spot in its first year possible.
Here’s the rest of the Best in Asia Pacific 2019 top ten:
#2 Shikoku, Japan
“This somewhat off-the-beaten-path haven is finally being discovered by non-Japanese visitors, with an increasing number of international flights winging into the main cities of Takamatsu and Matsuyama.”
#3 Bay of Islands and Northland, New Zealand
“Endless extraordinary surf beaches, myriad islands and forests of giant trees are the hallmarks of the northernmost part of New Zealand (Aotearoa) – but that’s only part of the story. Northland is the cradle of the country’s culture and history – both for the indigenous Māori people and for the European settlers who followed them.”
#4 Singapore
“Singapore was one of the brightest stars in the 2018 movie blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians, and the Lion City is hipper and hotter than ever. 2019 offers a chance to participate in the city’s bicentennial – marking 200 years since the founding of modern Singapore – but also to celebrate more than 700 years of Singapore’s rich, diverse history.”
#5 The Cook Islands
“A visit to the Cook Islands, 15 tiny islets, far-flung over a swathe of the deep-blue, breezy Pacific Ocean, is bound to rejuvenate even the most jaded. And locals on the main island, Rarotonga, are welcoming visitors off an increasing number of international flights to their Polynesian paradise.”
#6 Central Vietnam
“Central Vietnam is one of the country’s most diverse regions. Hue’s vibrant cuisine showcases the city’s imperial legacy, while south in Hoi An’s storied laneways, local dishes include fragrant cao lầu noodles. Seafood stars in nearby Danang, and the city alongside the Han River is becoming one of Vietnam’s most exciting urban destinations”
#7 Fiji
“From solar-powered resorts that serve locally harvested food to coral reef restoration projects and limited plastic usage, this vulnerable island nation has moved headlong into eco-tourism.”
#8 Palawan, Philippines
“Long known as the Philippines’ last frontier, Palawan has ridden a slew of media accolades to the cusp of international superstardom.”
#9 Beijing, China
“Beijing is modernising without sacrificing a jot of history, feted in all its dizzying splendour at sights like the colossal Forbidden City, the biggest palace complex in the world, the Lama Temple, the visible-from-space Great Wall and the narrow, ancient alleys of the hútòngs where Beijingers now party in some of the city’s hippest bars.”
#10 Cambodia
“The skyline of the capital, Phnom Penh, is on the up, bringing sky bars and designer dining; the Southern Islands are generating a beach buzz thanks to new boutique and luxury resorts like Six Senses and Alila Villas; colonial-era vestiges are under restoration in Battambang and Kampot; and in remote areas like Koh Kong and Mondulkiri, wildlife spotting is drawing visitors off-the-beaten track”
[qantas_widget code=PER]Check out Qantas flights to Perth to begin your next adventure.[/qantas_widget](Lead image: TNP Photography / Instagram via The Margaret River Region)
