Queensland’s Scenic Rim dubbed ‘hottest destination’ in the world by Lonely Planet

Forget Sydney, Byron Bay or the Gold Coast – because this slice of Australia has just been named as one of the best places in the world to visit by Lonely Planet.

When it comes to a holiday in Queensland, it’s easy to get swept up in all that the vast coastline has to offer.

From kicking back in Noosa, to island hopping around the Whitsundays, it’s no surprise holiday-makers around the world turn to the Sunshine State to find just that.

But a slice of the state, which was devastated by bushfires between August and November 2019, has made a miraculous recovery and has been named as one of the top destinations to visit in 2022.

This part of Queensland is stunning.

Hiking in the Scenic Rim is a must-do.

Set among the stunning scenery of lush rainforests and mountain ranges in an ancient volcanic caldera, Queensland’s Scenic Rim is a hidden haven of nature, food and adventure.

Just over an hour west of Brisbane and two hours from the Gold Coast, the region is filled with quaint villages, luxury rural retreats, wineries, breweries and an abundance of local paddock-to-plate producers.

And with the border finally reopening to NSW and Victorians after 141 days, there's never been a better time to visit.

The Scenic Rim, with its streets of unique shops and markets, nature walks and dense rainforests, doesn’t normally struggle to attract visitors given it’s the home of the World Heritage Mount Barney National Park.

The Scenic Rim is a food lover’s paradise.

But the publisher has named the region as the only Aussie destination in their ‘Best in Travel’ list, making it to number eight of the top 10 of the annual roundup categorised by country, city and region.

Winning the top spot was the wild Westfjords peninsula in Iceland. Next came West Virginia in the US, Xishuangbanna in China’s Yunnan province, Kent’s Heritage Coast in the UK, Puerto Rico, Shikoku in Japan, Chile’s Atacama Desert, Queensland’s Scenic Rim, Vancouver Island in Canada and Burgundy in France.

The prestigious list is curated by travel experts, staff, writers and bloggers.

Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher said the appeal of the Scenic Rim was its “untouched” and “diverse” eco-based appeal and location.

“From the amazing food and wine to the incredible rainforest and bush walks and memorable places to stay, this is an unexpected pocket of Australia that has it all,” he said.

Immerse yourself in nature within the Scenic Rim.

As for the top 10 cities, no Australian destination managed to get onto the list, with Auckland taking out the top spot followed by Taipei in Taiwan, Freiburg in Germany, Atlanta in the US, Lagos in Nigeria, Nicosia/Lefkosia in Cyprus, Dublin in Ireland, Merida in Mexico, Florence in Italy and rounding out the top 10 was Gyeongju in South Korea.

As for the top 10 countries, Australia also failed to crack the top spots – with the Cook Islands winning the top crown, followed by Norway, Mauritius, Belize, Slovenia, Anguilla, Oman, Nepal, Malawi and Egypt.