Lonely Planet ranks Canberra number three city in the world for 2018

A big two fingers to Sydney and Melbourne as Canberra is ranked third in Lonely Planet’s Best Travel in 2018, Top 10 Cities.

“Criminally overlooked Canberra packs a big punch for such a small city,” Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher said.

And overlooked it seemed in the Sydney tabloid newspaper I flicked through this morning (at Maccas at 6:30 am waiting for Woolies to open so I could buy bird seed for the wonderful parrots we get in our gardens in Canberra). This tabloid gave this wonderful Australian achievement two paragraphs on a left-hand page deep into the paper…

“National treasures are found round almost every corner and exciting new boutique precincts have emerged, bulging with gastronomic highlights and cultural must-dos. This is the first year that Canberra’s picturesque Manuka Oval will host an International Test cricket match, providing sporting fans the perfect excuse to visit Australia’s federal capital. Later in 2018 the Australian War Memorial will take centre stage as it hosts the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice.”

Best in Travel 2018 is Lonely Planet’s 13th annual agenda-setting collection of the world’s hottest destinations, experiences and trends for the year ahead. The best-selling inspirational travel yearbook highlights the top 10 cities, countries and regions that Lonely Planet’s experts recommend travellers experience in 2018.

“Revitalised precincts such as NewActon and Braddon best illustrate Canberra’s new lease of life,” Chris said.

“The deliciously decorated Hotel Hotel in NewActon is the epitome of new Canberra style, with materials such as reclaimed wood evoking the Australian landscape. NewActon is also home to A Baker, where the five-course ‘Just Feed Me’ and ‘Just Wine Me’ selections offer a perfect array of locally sourced produce and wine. Meanwhile, a brilliant blend of pop-up shops and lively cafes are sprinkled along Lonsdale Street in boutique Braddon,” Chris explained.

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities 2018 are:

1. Seville, Spain
2. Detroit, USA
3. Canberra
4. Hamburg, Germany
5. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
6. Antwerp, Belgium
7. Matera, Italy
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
9. Guanajuato, Mexico
10. Oslo, Norway

But as most Canberrans know this is the tip of the iceberg. We have Australia’s best bacon (Pialligo Smokehouse), some of Australia’s finest rieslings, per capita most recognised restaurants, highest incomes, highest educated, best universities, safest community…

So basically a massive two fingers to you Sydneysiders and Melburnians that insist on flying into Canberra for work and fly out for the weekend, as though Canberra is a hardship posting!

It is a pity that it takes the rest of the world to recognise Canberra as a world-class destination. Let’s see how Canberra’s Australian detractors explain this to their international mates.