Rough Guides reveals the 100 best places on earth to visit in 2020 from America to New Zealand

The Gorges du Verdon in Provence is praised by the book as being & # 39; breathtaking beauty and majesty & # 39 ;. It is peppered with & # 39; spectacular vantage points, pits up to 700 m deep and glorious azure lakes & # 39 ;. The book adds: & # 39; This part of Provence in France is absolutely irresistible & # 39;

The world famous temples of Angkor dot the Cambodian countryside from the surrounding forest as the classic ancient ruins in the jungle of the wildest dreams of every Hollywood filmmaker. Angkor Watt itself, pictured, consists of five high towers enclosed by a canal. It was built around 1113 and 1150 by Suryavarman II. The book says: & # 39; Stunning from a distance, its complexity becomes clear as you approach, with every surface covered in every detail. During the day, the color of his stone changes with the light & # 39;

Tucked away in the southern Basilicata region of Italy, the guide says there are not enough superlatives to describe Matera in the photo. The city is carved in rocks and the cave dwellings were inhabited from the Paleolithic until just 60 years ago. The book adds: & # 39; Make sure you free up time to explore a Case Cave, a reconstructed traditional cave, to gain a fascinating insight into the throbbing pulse of Matera, past and present. Zigzag through the rolling streets, pausing on Santa Lucia all Mallow and the Crypt of the Original Sin to admire extraordinary frescoes from the eighth and 13th centuries & # 39;

The Forbidden City – or the Imperial Palace – is located in the heart of Beijing and, according to the book, is one of the most beautiful monuments in China. It is surrounded by a moat and consists of 11 south-facing halls or gates, described as & # 39; exquisite and graceful & # 39 ;. Of these, 800 buildings branch with imperial red walls and yellow roof tiles. Elsewhere, jade green, gold and azure blue decorate woodwork, arches, and balconies. According to the book, for many visitors it is the side rooms, with their displays of the more & # 39; intimate outfits, that bring home the reality of court life for its residents & # 39;

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The Pacific Coast Highway follows highways 1 and 101 and runs from the sunny beaches of San Diego to the sequoia forests of Northern California. Highway 1 was closed for more than a year in 2017 due to huge landslides, but is now re-opened after a $ 54 million reconstruction. The guide says: & Embrace the cliffs, the road winds high above the rugged coast and gives dramatic views of whitewashed surf crashing against the rocks and sun-drenched waves that stretch across the horizon & # 39;

Madagascar is & # 39; the world's fourth largest island and is more than 300 miles off the coast of Africa. It is one of the most isolated land masses of similar proportions anywhere in the tropics. The primary attraction is the & # 39; postcard perfect beaches, turquoise lagoons, whispering palm plantations, steep islets and snorkel-friendly coral reefs & # 39 ;. The book adds: & # 39; For adventurous travelers, however, Madagascar comes into its own well away from the beaches. This immense tropical island is sometimes called the eighth continent because of its unique biodiversity, which contains an estimated 10,000 animal and plant species found nowhere else in the world & # 39;

According to the book, the northern Slovenian Kamniške-Savinja Alps are among the most beautiful and least spoiled mountain ranges in Europe. And the big attraction is the impossibly picturesque Logarska dolina (Logar Valley), pictured. The guide says: – Formed during the ice age, the 7 km long U-shaped glacier valley has a flat, green valley floor covered with flower-speckled meadows and beech forests, enclosed by step-shaped cliff sides dotted with icy boulders, waterfalls, springs, streams and a majestic wreath of whimsical gray tops, most of which top 2,000 m & # 39;

The scattering of limestone pinnacles protruding from the smooth water of Halong Bay in Vietnam is an incredible sight, the book says, adding that drop of anchor to explore small islands and caves is a one-time experience. The guide adds that the best tugboats have private cabins and serve gourmet food, and in the early morning you can pull back the curtains to watch the sunlight dance on the emerald green water. A cheaper way to explore the area is to take the ferry from Halong City (Tuan Chau Island) to Cat Ba Island, in the photo, which reveals a glimpse of the majesty of Halong Bay for a fraction of the costs & # 39;

An aerial view of Cape Town, the guide says it is one of the & # 39; most beautiful and visited cities in Africa & # 39; is. The book adds that there is a range of high-octane activities to participate in, from paragliding to kite surfing and partying. Away from the excitement, there are & # 39; fantastic beaches, rolling vineyards and beautiful museums & # 39;

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The pictured Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania has been designated as a World Heritage Site since 1979. And despite the high tourist numbers, hype and costs, the book says it meets all expectations. It adds: & # 39; The highlight of Ngorongoro is a huge volcanic crater, formed by the same huge geological revolutions as the Great Rift Valley. Once a mountain as high as Kilimanjaro, about three million years ago, Ngorongoro blew itself to pieces and covered the Serengeti in ashes while the crater floor sank into the mountain. Today the edge stands at an impressive 2,285m. & # 39; The area has an abundance of wildlife and has & # 39; the world's densest population of lions, hyena & # 39; s and elephants – and is home to some of the last black rhinos in East Africa

The book describes the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, as a & # 39; shining beacon on the edge of the desert & # 39 ;. And that is partly because all public buildings, including the Wedding Palace, shown, must be clad in white marble, ideally Italian Carrara

Former Mongol leader Genghis Khan has plastered his face on everything from banknotes to packs of cigarettes in Mongolia. And the Genghis Khan equestrian statue, 54 km (33 miles) from the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar, is a tribute to him with a & # 39; modern, man-made structure of gigantic proportions & # 39 ;. It is the largest equestrian statue in the world at 44 meters high and made with 250 tons of stainless steel. According to the book you can climb to the head of the horse for panoramic views of the surrounding countryside. It adds: & # 39; The visitor center contains an idiosyncratic museum with traditional Mongolian costumes and portraits of the Great Khans & # 39;

Only three of the great pyramids of Giza have stood the test of time, and according to the book, no other monuments are recognized so instantly around the world. However, the guide adds that & # 39; relatively few foreigners realize that there are at least 115 other pyramids scattered over 70 km of desert, from the suburbs of Cairo to the edge of the Fayoum oasis & # 39 ;. The book says: & # 39; During the day the tourist hordes dispel the mystique, but visit at sunset, dawn or late night and you will find their brooding majesty returning & # 39;

The Monument Valley depicted extends across the state border of Arizona and Utah and is the & # 39; classic southwestern American landscape of stark sandstone buttes and forbidding peaks of rock poking from an endless expanse of floating red sand & # 39; . The book says: & # 39; Moviemakers have been coming here since the early days of Hollywood, the enormous majesty of the place is still breathtaking. Add the fact that it remains a stronghold of Navajo culture and Monument Valley is one of & # 39; the world's must-sees & # 39;

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Norway's long coastline is interrupted by more than 1,000 fjords that stretch all the way from Oslo in the southeast to the Arctic. Many visitors come to the Lofoten Islands, pictured, and according to the guide the sights there have turned many visitors into a sturdy Norwegian enthusiast. The book says: & # 39; The fjords are beautiful, timeless and everyone's idea of ​​the soul of Norway & # 39;

Iceland is listed as one of the best places to visit thanks to the & # 39; moon-lava fields, creaking glaciers and electric-blue geothermal swimming pools & # 39 ;. The book says: & # 39; It is a place of dramatic contrasts: gloomy and blasted, yet intensely beautiful, full of grinding ice and fiery outbursts, with a small capital that generates an enormous amount of quirky, energetic culture. & # 39; Depicted is the city of Isafjordur, in the West Fjords region

Ethiopia is included in the guide because it is a & # 39; enigmatic and extremely tempting country with endless intrigues & # 39 ;. It is a largely orthodox Christian country and the religious festivals and structures are & # 39; something to behold & # 39 ;. Depicted are the sunken churches of Lalibela. The book says: & # 39; They were carved out of red rock underground by hand about 900 years ago and are an astounding achievement of engineering & # 39;

Een van de sterrenattracties van Turkije, het buitenaardse terrein van Cappadocië, afgebeeld, heeft 'heuvels bezaaid met fantastische vormen en bezaaid met grotsteden die plaatsmaken voor met keien bezaaide vlakten'. In de vierde eeuw na Christus begonnen mensen een labyrint van grotwoningen en tunnels te snijden in en onder de steen – sommige gegraven 18 verdiepingen diep. De gids suggereert: 'Een van de beste ervaringen hier is slapen in een uitgehouwen hotel voordat je een ballonvaart maakt om de adembenemende landschappen van bovenaf te bekijken'

Queenstown wordt de avonturenhoofdstad van Nieuw-Zeeland genoemd en is 'prachtig gelegen aan het diepblauwe Lake Wakatipu en ingesloten door steile bergen'. Het boek zegt: 'Queenstown heeft een uitgesproken Europese smaak, met zijn besneeuwde toppen en de stille wateren van Lake Wakitipu in het midden. Zowel inwoners als bezoekers verzamelen zich in gezellige restaurants, lopen de voetgangersstraten op om verhalen van leuke dagen uit te wisselen met een koud biertje of een warme chocolademelk. & # 39; Afgebeeld is een luchtfoto van Queenstown

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Tuamotu and Marquesas Islands are two of the less visited archipelagos in French Polynesia. But according to the guide, are even more rewarding than the likes of Tahiti or Bora Bota. The Tuamoto Islands are described as 'seriously off-the-grid' with no shopping or nightlife options but enchanting pink-sand beaches. The more secluded Marquesas Islands are described as 'raw and rugged' with white and black-sand beaches, looming cliffs swathed in green, and wild horses, boars and goats wandering free. Pictured is Moorea Island