Waiheke Island One of 2016’s Top 10 Regions

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STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL: 06:00 (NZDT), WEDNESDAY 28 OCTOBER 2015

Lonely Planet Names Waiheke Island One of 2016’s Top 10 Regions

Leading global travel authority Lonely Planet has chosen Waiheke Island, New Zealand as one of the world’s Top 10 Regions for next year in LONELY PLANET’S BEST IN TRAVEL 2016, published today.

BEST IN TRAVEL 2016 is Lonely Planet’s 11th eagerly-awaited annual collection of the best trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the upcoming year.

Waiheke Island, New Zealand is ranked fifth on the book’s list of Top 10 Regions 2016.

“The secret is out and in 2016, Waiheke Island is welcoming the world to sample from its abundant offerings and inviting all visitors to fall under its spell,” writes Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher.

“A mere 35-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland, New Zealand’s third-most densely populated island is a utopia of secret coves, beautiful beaches, rolling vineyards, luxury lodges and bohemian sensibilities,” Chris says. “Affectionately known as the ‘Island of Wine’, Waiheke is home to over 30 wineries and some of the best boutique cellar door experiences New Zealand has to offer.”

“Waiheke’s bohemian and hippie past is not far from the surface and the island continues to have a thriving artistic community where over a hundred working artists ply their trades in disciplines such as sculpture, glass blowing, painting and woodwork,” Chris adds.

“The island is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground, where mountain biking, sea kayaking and sailing can all be indulged,” Chris says. “Waiheke is an electric, heady mix set against a Buddha Bar soundtrack: fast yet slow all at the same time – there’s nowhere else on earth quite like it.”

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Regions 2016 are:
1. Transylvania, Romania
2. West Iceland
3. Valle de Viñales, Cuba
4. Friuli’s wine regions, Italy
5. Waiheke Island, New Zealand
6. The Auvergne, France
7. Hawaii, USA
8. Bavaria, Germany
9. Costa Verde, Brazil
10. St Helena, British Territories

Each year, BEST IN TRAVEL’s recommendations are drawn from hundreds of ideas submitted by Lonely Planet’s staff, authors and extended community of travellers, bloggers and tweeters. Their suggestions are then refined by a panel of in-house travel experts, based on topicality, excitement, value and that special X-factor. Lonely Planet’s focus is on the merits of each destination and the unique experiences they offer travellers.

New Zealand is also featured in three other lists published in LONELY PLANET’S BEST IN TRAVEL 2016 today:

Best Places to Test Your Survival Skills
#2) Speight’s Coast to Coast: “What we love most about the iconic 33-year-old event is that it’s achievable for mortals — the spirit among competitors is classic Kiwi enthusiasm and the atmosphere is more fun-run than Iron Man.”

Best Burger Experiences
#5) Kiwi burger: “Born in the pumping heart of one of the world’s true adventure capitals, Queenstown’s funky Fergburger serves protein-heavy fodder to fuel you up for any number of bungee jumps, jet-boat rides and zorbing forays.”

The World’s Most Extraordinary Sleepovers
#8) Boot Bed & Breakfast, Tasman: “Step into a living fairy tale in the epically beautiful area of Tasman in New Zealand. Looking like something out of a children’s book, the boot sleeps two, with a cosy Hobbit-meets- Beatrix Potter-meets-twee feel.”

Other BEST IN TRAVEL 2016 highlights include:
Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Countries to visit in 2016: Botswana, Japan, USA, Palau, Latvia, Australia, Poland, Uruguay, Greenland, and Fiji.

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities to visit in 2016: Kotor, Quito, Dublin, George Town, Rotterdam, Mumbai, Fremantle, Manchester, Nashville, and Rome.

Lonely Planet’s best travel experiences for the year ahead in the book’s 17 additional “Top Travel Lists”, including “Best Value Destinations for 2016” (Estonia scores the top spot).

More than 35 events mapped out month by month in the 2016 Travel Planner.

LONELY PLANET’S BEST IN TRAVEL 2016
206pp, full colour, 180mm x 145mm, paperback, NZ$26.99
www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel includes details of a competition in which travellers have the chance to win a trip to the Best in Travel 2016 destination their choice (conditions apply). This year's global sponsor for Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 is Turkish Airlines, who have provided the competition prize of flights to a Best in Travel destination.

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