It is
a recognition of the old and rich culture and breathtaking beauty of Albania - this
Mediterranean newest (and final) offer .
What
can you say when you are number 1…just thank you very much Lonely Planet !
Below
the link and the article:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/albania/travel-tips-and-articles/76164
Where in the world should you go next year?
Our in-house travel experts, including Lonely Planet cofounder Tony Wheeler,
have chosen their top 10 countries for next year based on scores for
topicality, excitement, value for money and…that special X-factor. Here they
are, in order of rank, from Lonely Planet’s latest book: Best
in Travel 2011.
1. Albania
Not so long ago, when the Balkans were
considered an ‘only for the brave’ travel destination, only the bravest of the
brave trickled into Albania.
Since backpackers started coming to elusive Albania in the 1990s, tales have
been told in ‘keep it to yourself’ whispers of azure beaches, confrontingly
good cuisine, heritage sites, nightlife, affordable adventures and the
possibility of old-style unplanned journeys complete with open-armed locals for
whom travellers are still a novelty. Sick to death of being dismissed with
blinged-up crime-boss clichés, Albania has announced ‘A New Mediterranean Love’
via its tourist board. The jig is almost up – Albania won’t be off the beaten
track for much longer.
2. Brazil
Famous for samba, football and cinematic
scenery, Brazil has always
been known for celebration (Carnaval being the most obvious manifestation of
this national joie de vivre). Yet, Brazil rings in 2011 with even more
cause for jubilation. Winning the bids to host both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and
the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is undertaking a flurry of
new projects, with billions of dollars earmarked for infrastructure (there’s
even discussion of building a high-speed rail line between Rio and São Paulo). Despite the
strong Brazilian real, travellers should benefit from the addition of thousands
of new hotel rooms, while increased competition from low-cost airline carriers
(including Azul, established by the Brazilian-born founder of JetBlue) should
make travel across this vast country more affordable.
3. Cape Verde
Cape Verdeans might have known about the
wider world forever, but it seems that the wider world is only just opening its
eyes to Cape Verde. On the
surface this is hardly a surprise; the country appears to be nothing but a
blink-and-you’ll-miss-it dot of dust floating off the coast of Africa, but the
islands have recently started catching sideways glances from European
winter-sun tourists. This growing international interest is bringing enormous
changes to an archipelago that looks and feels as if it were born from a
Caribbean mother and an African father. But what is it that these tourists come
for? When someone first mentioned trying to attract foreign visitors to their
‘dot of dust’ most Cape Verdeans must have laughingly thought ‘What can we offer
a tourist here?’. The answer turned out to be quite a lot. Soaring mountains
terraced in greens, a volcano with its head in the clouds, world-class
watersports and sizzling, saucy festivals – but it was the sun that clinched
the deal. With almost more days of sunshine than there are days in the year and
with soft sandy beaches to boot, someone only had to say the words ‘winter sun’
and the islands were being marketed as the ‘New Canary Islands’.
4. Panama
For Panama, the world economic crisis
offered a perfect excuse to hit the reset button. After an unchecked growth
spurt created a clutter of casinos, gated communities and glass towers in the
name of Trump, the investment slump has forced a return to basics. For
travellers, there’s a return to the authentic – local heartland festivals,
jungle treks and lodgings in sand-floor huts in the independent Comarca de Kuna
Yala. With plenty of the country still pristine, true adventure is only a boat
or bus fare away. In 2011 Panama City gets greener, with the anticipated
unveiling of the BíoMuseo, an innovative Frank Gehry-designed space celebrating
ecological diversity. Panama City’s new Cinta Costera (Coastal Belt) creates a
green stripe of waterfront paths that finishes in Casco
Viejo, a stunning historic neighbourhood remade after decades of neglect.
Like elsewhere, climate change and habitat destruction are taking their toll
here. Panama’s inch-long golden frogs, victims of a worldwide epidemic, are
fast disappearing. But the Darién Gap, considered one of the world’s wildest
places, still remains roadless. Countless Panamanian islands persist without
name or a sole inhabitant. Costa Rica eat your heart out.
5. Bulgaria
For those who looked, Bulgaria has always had its
moments – in its biggest cities, on its snow-capped peaks and great-value ski
fields, on its golden-sand beaches and in ancient Black Sea port towns. Yet,
over the years, with history’s contribution, Bulgaria has got lost amid its
more famous neighbours. From the south, the Ottoman soldiers of present-day
Turkey ran Bulgaria for 500 years. Legendary toga-clad Greeks to the south
mocked Bulgaria’s strong wines (before adopting the same). More recently, the
Romanians claimed the share of fame via distinguishing Latin bloodlines and
Transylvania’s mystic, fangy appeal. Bulgaria sometimes feels like the odd guy
out in this corner of Europe. But things are changing. Now proudly part of the
21st-century EU, Bulgaria has enjoyed more attention – and self confidence. Its
ski slopes are de facto destinations for Europeans looking for cheaper
alternatives, empty patches of lovely Black Sea beaches can still be found, and
its quietly brilliant wine industry is flourishing. Whatever happens,
Bulgarians will take it in their stride. As one local song goes, ‘We win, we
lose…either way we get drunk, we’re Bulgarians!’ That oughta be on a T-shirt.
6. Vanuatu
For those in search of authentic experiences,
Vanuatu is hard to beat. From
mighty mountains and thunderous waterfalls to remote villages, from huge
lagoons to tropical islets, there’s so much on offer, far from the crowds.
Don’t expect ritzy resorts and Cancun-style nightlife; with a good choice of
family-run guesthouses in traditional villages and a smattering of comfortable,
romantic hideaways, it’s tailor-made for ecotourists. With 83 islands, you’re
spoilt for choice. Vanuatu has recently seen an increased number of direct
flights from Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji and the Solomon
Islands – go now, before the secret’s out.
7. Italy
Italy
is a beguiling, beautiful, charismatic mess. The press might be largely owned
by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, stories of corruption, bribery and sex
scandals might be everyday news, and the economy might be in the doldrums, but
this is still one of the world’s most magnificent places to be. The food is
delicious, sunshine is plentiful, scenery and towns are sublime, and there is
millennia-worth of art to look at. There are 44 Unesco World Heritage Sites
here, more than in any other country. That Italy is celebrating only 150 years
as a country in 2011 (it was unified in 1861) highlights how clearly it still
feels like a collection of regions. Local people hail from their region; their
nationality comes second. Each region has a pronounced character and qualities
worthy of the small nations they once were, which makes it particularly
rewarding to explore Italy bit by bit.
8. Tanzania
It’s true, Tanzania is a place of great
marvels – Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar…
The names slip off the tongue like a roll call of Africa’s most alluring
destinations. But that’s not all. It also has great herds of elephants in
Ruaha, treeclimbing lions around Lake Manyara, chimpanzee sanctuaries in Gombe
and Mahale and packs of wild dogs in Selous. There are also sunsets on the
Rufiji River, when the water boils with hippos and crocodiles. In fact, the
country has the whole panoply of east Africa’s wildlife – including such
rarities as the red colobus monkey, black rhino, hawksbill and leatherback
turtles and Pemba flying foxes – concentrated in an unrivalled collection of
parks and reserves. So you think you’ve seen it all? We’re betting Tanzania
still has a surprise or two for you.
9. Syria
Heard the one about Bashar al-Assad and the
US Ambassador? Well it’s no joke. After five years of cold-shoulder treatment
relations have thawed and Syria
is officially off the naughty step. There’s a definite upwardly-mobile attitude
taking over the streets, thanks in part to the state-controlled economy slowly
being overhauled and the noose of the ‘Axis of Evil’ tag no longer hanging
around the nation’s neck. Savvy tourists can lord it up like a pasha, staying
in lovingly restored Ottoman palaces and sipping cappuccino after shopping it
up in the souq. But with all this modernisation it’s good to see some things
are still the same. Out east the Bedouin still herd their scraggly sheep and
welcome strangers into goat-hair tents for tea. Aleppo and Damascus’ Old Cities
remain mazes where the best maps won’t work, and the countryside is still a
vast open-air museum, strewn with the abandoned playgrounds of fallen empires.
With hospitality still a national obsession, the attitude to visitors hasn’t
changed
either.
either.
10. Japan
Japan
has an ill-deserved reputation as an expensive destination where the English
language is in short supply. But US$100 cuts of Kobe beef and the occasional Lost
in Translation moment aside, Japan is surprisingly affordable and
user-friendly. Before you go, stop by your local travel agency and purchase a
Japan Rail Pass, which grants you unlimited access to the country’s
sophisticated transport network. While Tokyo was ultimately unsuccessful in its
bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, the campaign resulted in increased English
signage across the country. So, if Japan has been on your travel wishlist for a
while, make this the year that you fi nally see the birthplace of sushi, sake and
sumo.