It’s been a favourite with adventurous travelers - and Angelina Jolie - for the past two years but Namibia is no longer the nation’s top holiday destination. The results of the Wanderlust annual travel poll and awards reveal that perennial favourite New Zealand is back at the top of the list.

Based on customer satisfaction over the past year, nearly 3,000 travellers voted in the annual awards organised by the UK’s leading independent travel magazine.

New Zealand received an impressive 97.44% satisfaction rating with runners up Namibia and Ecuador both receiving over 95% each.  Wanderlust Top Country finalists were:
1. New Zealand
2. Namibia
3. Ecuador
4. Laos
5. Myanmar (Burma)
Commenting on the awards, Wanderlust editor-in-chief Lyn Hughes said: “Our readers visited 182 countries between them last year and I wasn’t at all surprised to see New Zealand voted the favourite. This iconic destination offers adventure, relaxation, fantastic food and drink, jaw-dropping scenery and a friendly welcome all supported by a great infrastructure. It truly is a world-class destination.”

However, if Iran had received just two more nominations, it may well have taken the top spot. Unfortunately due to the minimum numbers of votes required to be considered for the poll, it could not be included. Lyn Hughes commented: “I was thrilled to see Iran do so well. My own visit to Iran was one of my best trips ever. It overturned all my preconceptions about this much-maligned country. Ironically, it felt like one of the safest countries I’ve ever visited.”
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