A travel company has released its list of the best places on Earth to visit. The Lonely Planet's "Ultimate Travel List" ranks 500 must-see places. It is the second time this list of unmissable places has been issued. The company said its guide is, "designed to be a companion to your armchair travels...to refuel your wanderlust". It added that the book, "features more than 200 new destinations in a picture-perfect wish-list." Lonely Planet said: "The list contains a mix of knock-out new...sights that have upped their game, or places more relevant to the way we travel now."
The number-one travel destination is the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. The guide said Petra was a "treasured" UNESCO Heritage Site. It said the city was, "once nearly lost to the outside world" but "is now one of the most loved places on the planet". It said travellers can, "rediscover the city's eternal air of mystery in the early morning...when it's at its most atmospheric". The Galapagos Islands was second on the list; the spectacular sandstone monolith Uluru in Australia was third. Lonely Planet says the book has something for everyone in every corner of the world.