The Temples of Angkor, the world's top-ranked destination according to Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist. Photo / Supplied
Put any group of unwashed, harem pant-wearing backpackers together over a few bottles of Bintang and the conversation will soon turn to competitive travel listing.
"Oh, dude, if you were impressed by Jokhang Temple, you'll love Phong Nhe-Ke Bang."
"Yeah, that place is okay, but Lake Manasarovar is more unspoiled."
You can't beat a good list - and a good bit of travel bragging. Lonely Planet knows it, and the
Ultimate Travelist
, a beautiful hardback celebration of the best places on the planet, is their contribution to the debate about the best place to visit on Earth.
Besieged though they are by the likes of TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet is still the world's biggest travel-writing brand and, if they look us in the eye and declare that the Temples of Angkor are the world's top-ranked destination, then who are we to disagree?
Well, we're us, actually. And opinions are like passports: every travel writer has one. So, I'd take issue with some of the rankings in here. Which is fine, because the book serves as a great conversation starter. And, as the publishers explain in a short - and slightly confusing - introduction, these aren't just any old opinions. They've added up a whole heap of opinions. Counting up votes, measuring rankings, dividing by the square root of air miles ... and et voila! Take a bow, Temples of Angkor!
Old temples and the great outdoors are the big winners. Joining Angkor in the top 10 are the Great Barrier Reef, Grand Canyon National Park and Iguazu Falls along with Machu Picchu, Aya Sofia and the Taj Mahal. Fiordland National Park is the first Kiwi destination, coming in at a meritorious 17.
As it's aggregated a bunch of people's lists, there are few really big surprises in here. Which is a disappointment. Lonely Planet used to pride itself on telling readers something new about a destination, in these pages it's simply affirming to us what other readers think - kind of like a hardback TripAdvisor.
Big beautiful lists like this are part of Lonely Planet's publishing plan, I'd love to read more of their top writers' recommendations for secret spots.
Regardless, Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist serves a purpose as a debate-starter and looks great on a coffee table. Also, like many of the glossy hardback books LP has produced in recent years, it's fuel for your wanderlust. Pick a page and let your imagination get the better of you.
Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist, RRP: $36.90
When there's nothing as far as the eye can see, you may appreciate the company.