After a week being bashed in international media following the death of blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia, some good news: Malta has been named one of the best countries in the world to visit in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018.

The bestselling, inspirational travel yearbook from the world’s leading travel authority highlights the top 10 countries, cities, regions and best value destinations that Lonely Planet’s experts recommend travellers experience in 2018.

Malta earned its place on the list thanks to its ‘astounding cultural riches’, which include ‘the dripping-in-gold baroque-style St John’s Co-Cathedral and Valletta’s suitably named Grand Harbour…’ along with its welcoming climate, with plenty to look forward to in 2018 making the country worth a visit.

This tiny nation’s buzz has been building to a crescendo in preparation for Valletta’s stint as European Capital of Culture for 2018

The book highlights: “Its riches have been here for centuries, if not millennia, but Malta is experiencing a moment. This tiny nation’s buzz has been building to a crescendo in preparation for Valletta’s stint as European Capital of Culture for 2018. Expect baroque, pop and international film festivals, plus a contemporary art biennial. Not to mention a laid-back lifestyle born out of proximity to warm sea, beaches and more than 300 annual days of sunshine.”

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s editorial director explained; “Although small in size, Malta is a bigger hitter as a travel destination, with its combination of clear seas, blue skies and rich history. With Valetta set to sparkle as European Capital of Culture next year, Malta continues to be a great destination for travellers.”

Malta features alongside countries including South Korea, New Zealand and China on the list of best countries to visit in 2018, with Chile taking the top spot as number one country in the world.

In other categories, Seville in Spain was named number one city, with Belfast & the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland picked as the best region, and Tallinn, Estonia as best value destination.

Lonely Planet’s expert writers and travellers provide hundreds of suggestions of destinations not to be missed from the places they have visited over the past year. These places are then shortlisted by a panel of in-house travel experts who consider criteria such as topicality, excitement and wow-factor to decide what to include in the best-selling, inspirational travel yearbook.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018 also features five travel trends that consumers should look out for next year, with destination races, vegetarian & vegan travel and private islands among those selected as ones to watch, while the travel experts at Lonely Planet also rank the top 10 best culture trips for families, new openings and best places to stay.

www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel features all of the Best in Travel 2018 destinations and additional advice on visiting them.