Wanderlust READER TRAVEL AWARDS 2020 -THE WINNERS

Last year you ranged far and wide, thumbed many guidebooks, put a lot of gear to the test and generally proved yourself the most-travelled lot around. What you think really matters – so here are your top picks: definitively the best of the best

TOP COUNTRY

Namibia

“BORING!” Shouts absolutely nobody, as Namibia takes your top spot for the second year in a row, and as it has done on multiple occasions in the history of these awards. Namibia – wild, wonderful, diverse, conservation-dedicated Namibia – is a worthy winner every time.

It’s a neat birthday present too – Namibia celebrates its 30th year of independence in 2020, and it’s ageing well. Of course, many of its attractions are timeless – the ancient apricot deserts, the Big Five wildlife, the untamed Skeleton Coast, the gaping Fish River Canyon. But there’s more. This is a country that seems, largely, to be getting it right in terms of protecting its natural assets. An emphasis on community-focused conservation is seeing species thrive and local people benefit. It’s a beacon of hope in these most worrying of times.

Talking of the times, perhaps that’s another part of Namibia’s appeal. As the world’s second-least densely populated country – with only three people per square kilometre – it’s the perfect place to escape the tech-noisy, overcrowded, in-your-face-ness that dominates elsewhere. Come to Namibia to find the antidote; to find space, peace and stars.