Singapore and Washington DC deemed top destinations 2015: Lonely Planet
The year 2015 will belong to destinations like Singapore, Washington DC and the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey, each for reaching milestone anniversaries and presenting globetrotters with unique experiences and the “wow” factor, say travel experts at Lonely Planet.
In their newest edition of "Best in Travel 2015" -- their biggest book release of the year -- Lonely Planet editors and contributors curated lists of the top 10 countries, cities and regions they predict will be worth traveling to next year.
And as it turns out, 2015 will be a big year for historic milestones.
Singapore, for instance, celebrates its Golden Jubilee next year, 50 years of independence that will be marked by a country-wide party befitting a destination that’s well known for its love of glitz, glamour, food and high luxury. To prepare for the milestone, Singaporeans have been invited to help plan their own anniversary party themed ‘One People.’
In 2015 Singapore will also open the doors to a National Art Gallery and the Singapore Sports Hub, which will host the 28th Southeast Asian Games.
But what most defines the country as a travel destination, and helps put it at the top of LP’s list for best countries, is its food offering, be it eats from a casual, low-brow hawker center or one of its many fine dining institutions, says LP.
In fact, the guidebook calls Singaporean cuisine -- a literal melting pot of its Malay, Indian and Chinese cultures -- a “life-changing experience.”
Washington DC, meanwhile, is deemed to be the top city of 2015, also because the US capital is expected to mark the passing of history: the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination.
Commemorative events will include a full re-enactment of Lincoln’s funeral steam engine train trip from DC to his hometown of Springfield, Illinois and theater productions.
Next year will see the Smithsonian Institution open its first new museum in a decade, the highly anticipated National Museum of African American History and Culture and the country’s only national museum devoted to African-American culture.
The life-changing experience in DC, meanwhile is pegged as the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, a powerful exhibit that spans three floors and traces the rise of Nazism from 1933 to 1945.
As for top region in 2015, LP suggests hitting up Gallipoli, Turkey, which will observe the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli Campaign Empires, a failed military campaign for the Allied forces in WWI that Turkey regards as a defining moment in its history today.
In addition to the top 10 countries, regions and cities in the world, the guide also includes 16 top travel lists and ideas, including best value destinations, unforgettable family travel experiences and best free things to do in 2015.
Here are the top 10 cities for 2015:
1. Washington, DC, USA
2. El Chaltén, Argentina
3. Milan, Italy
4. Zermatt, Switzerland
5. Valletta, Malta
6. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
7. Salisbury, UK
8. Vienna, Austria
9. Chennai, India
10. Toronto, Canada
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2015 is out October 21 and retails for $15 USD.
