Coastal Wales is Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2012

Robert Doyle READ TIME: 2 MIN.

New York, NY - Coastal Wales is the greatest region on Earth to visit next year. This is the verdict of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2012, the seventh annual collection of the best places to go and things to do around the world.

The highly anticipated title highlights 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities which have been handpicked by Lonely Planet's travel experts as the best places to visit in 2012. "Beautiful and wild" Coastal Wales is the top pick of regions around the world.

The book, now available in stores and in a beautiful full-color digital edition, states; "What a wonderful thing: to walk the entire length of a country's coastline, to trace its every nook, cranny, cliff-face, indent and estuary. How better to truly appreciate the shape - and soul - of a nation?

Well, in 2012 Wales will become the only country in the world where you can do just that. Due for completion in May, the All Wales Coast Path (AWCP) will squiggle continuously from Chepstow in the south to near Queensferry in the north - via dramatic serrations, sandy bays and domineering castles..."

Lonely Planet's Tom Hall contributed to the book. He said, "These are some of Lonely Planet's must-see spots for 2012, either because they have something special going on next year, there's a lot of buzz about the place, or because we are tipping it as an up-and-coming spot that you should visit, before the crowds get there."

Tom continued, "As well as the novel ability to walk its entire coastline, the region comes out top because of its wildlife, great surf, castles and fantastic spots such as Barafundle Bay and St David's. Now that Wills and Kate have set up home in the area it has also received the Royal stamp of approval."

As well as the hottest countries, cities and regions to visit Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2012 contains inspirational lists to get the travel juices flowing.

From the 10 best-value destinations, to the top places for intrepid romantics, to the top 007 destinations, the lists offer great ideas of where to go and what to do.

The book's selections are based on the advice of Lonely Planet's authors, guidebook commissioning team, and selected members of our travel community, and are ranked in order by a panel of travel experts.

For more information about fabulous Wales, log on to www.visitwales.com .

Follow Visit Wales: blog.visitwales.co.uk; www.facebook.com/visitwales ; www.twitter.com/visitwales ; www.flickr.com/visitwales .

Lonely Planet's Top 10 Regions for 2012

1. Coastal Wales

2. Ruta Maya, Central America

3. Northern Kenya

4. Arundachal Pradesh, India

5. Hvar, Croatia

6. Sicily, Italy

7. Maritime Provinces, Canada

8. Queenstown & Southern lakes, New Zealand

9. Borneo, Indonesia/Malaysia

10. Poitou-Charentes, France


by Robert Doyle

Long-term New Yorkers, Mark and Robert have also lived in San Francisco, Boston, Provincetown, D.C., Miami Beach and the south of France. The recipient of fellowships at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Blue Mountain Center, Mark is a PhD in American history and literature, as well as the author of the novels Wolfchild and My Hawaiian Penthouse. Robert is the producer of the documentary We Are All Children of God. Their work has appeared in numerous publications, as well as at : www.mrny.com.

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