Are these really the best countries to visit in 2022?

Are these really the best countries to visit in 2022?

Winter is approaching and with it comes the usual “Best Of” and “Must Do” lists, rounding up everything from the funniest one-liners on Twitter to the best countries to visit in 2018. Everyone is involved, from The New York Times, which is ready to publish its 52 places, to industry stalwarts Lonely Planet, which has just published its Best in Travel.

These peppy lists of perfect places do exactly what they're supposed to: inspire intense wanderlust, but in the midst of dreaming at your desk, it's wise to ask whether it's dangerous to kowtow to the experts. Should we really collect these pieces of wisdom and add them to our bucket lists?

There is certainly something to be objected to. By highlighting specific locations, travel publishers (and indeed travel bloggers) can tarnish the very thing they want to share: secret sandy beaches, elusive wildlife within reach, the hole-in-the-wall full of locals. It's no fun replacing local culture with thirsty tourists looking for adventure.

alt=“The best travel countries in 2018″>DreamtimeDjibouti offers an excellent opportunity to swim with whale sharks

So – should we ignore these lists to do things our own way? With the ready availability of crowd-sourced knowledge, have we had enough of experts, as some might claim?

It may not be fashionable, but our answer is no. We still trust the experts and value their input. As we said in our defense of the guidebook, travel publishers tend to know more than the travel press; they offer better advice than other travelers; and can even share secrets unknown to the locals.

At Atlas & Boots we have our own list of countries we most want to see, but we are also open to ideas, especially if those ideas come from writers, editors and travelers who have seen every corner and country of the world. In the case of Best in Travel, suggestions are curated to include only those that will deliver an outstanding experience in the coming year, be it a special event, a new access route or rapidly improving infrastructure.

With this in mind, you will understand why Djibouti is at the top of our travel list.

Lonely Planet's best countries to visit in 2018

Lonely Planet listed it as one of the best countries to visit in 2018, describing it as follows:

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With a new railway improving access to Djibouti, it's an excellent time to visit the country - and so are we! We're combining it with an upcoming trip to Ethiopia, which happens to be on our list of countries we'd most like to see and Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2017. Sometimes - most of the time, actually - the travel experts get it right.

Read the Lonely Planet list of the 10 best countries, cities, regions and budget destinations for 2018 or buy the book.

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