Wanderlust - 04.2020

wanderlust.co.uk April 2020 65

TOP COUNTRY

Namibia

“BORING!”Shoutsabsolutelynobody,asNamibia

takesyourtopspotforthesecondyearin

arow,andasithasdoneonmultipleoccasions

inthehistoryoftheseawards.Namibia–wild,

wonderful,diverse,conservation-dedicated

Namibia–isaworthywinnereverytime.

It’saneatbirthdaypresenttoo–Namibia

celebratesits30thyearofindependencein

2020,andit’sageingwell.Ofcourse,manyof

itsattractionsaretimeless–theancientapricot

deserts,theBigFivewildlife,theuntamed

SkeletonCoast,thegapingFishRiverCanyon.

Butthere’smore.Thisisacountrythatseems,

largely,tobegettingitrightintermsofprotecting

itsnaturalassets.Anemphasisoncommunity-

focusedconservationisseeingspeciesthrive

andlocalpeoplebeneit.It’sabeaconofhope in

thesemostworryingoftimes.

Talkingofthetimes,perhapsthat’sanother

partofNamibia’sappeal.Astheworld’s

second-leastdenselypopulatedcountry–with

onlythreepeoplepersquarekilometre–it’s

theperfectplacetoescapethetech-noisy,

overcrowded,in-your-face-nessthatdominates

elsewhere.CometoNamibiatoindthe

antidote;toindspace,peaceandstars.

It’sgreattoseePerurisingbackupthelisttoo

• upfromninthin2019.TheenticingAndean
  nationhasbeenavictimofitsownsuccess,
  sueringfromovertourismasweallclamour
  toitsheadlineacts.Butthegovernment
  isincreasinglytryingtochangethatby
  encouragingtravellerstochoosedierent
  hikestoMachuPicchu–suchasthenewer
  QuarryTrail–andtobranchouttothecountry’s
  less-heraldedbutalso-impressivearchaeological
  sitessuchasChavíndeHuántarandthe
  hugecomplexofKuélap.
  LovelyLaosroundsoutthetopthree.Probably
  becauseit’slaidbackSouth-EastAsiajustright:
  smiley,scenic,good-valueanddeliciouswith
  apleasingamountofcharacterfulhotelsand
  moderncomfortsbutnotsomuchthatit’slost
  itscharmandsoul.Longmaythatlast.

RANKINGS
1 Namibia 96.47
2 Peru 96.33
3 Laos 96.25
4 NewZealand 96.19
5 Japan 95.63
6 Tanzania 94.84
7 Canada 94.71
8 Kenya 94.59
9 Vietnam 94.49
AWL^10 India 93.33

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