Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2019: Sri Lanka tops list of countries to visit next year

The top countries include Sri Lanka, Germany and Zimbabwe

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Lonely Planet has revealed its annual list of the best destinations, regions and cities for 2019.

Sri Lanka took the top spot for the best country to visit next year, with Germany and Zimbabwe in second and third place respectively.

Denmark's capital Copenhagen is named the number one city, followed by China's high-tech city Shenzhen and Serbia's Novi Sad.

The Independent’s Simon Calder has called the choices “controversial”. Here's the full list.

Top 10 countries

1. Sri Lanka
2. Germany
3. Zimbabwe
4. Panama
5. Kyrgyzstan
6. Jordan
7. Indonesia
8. Belarus
9. Sao Tome and Principe
10. Belize

Top 10 regions

1. Piedmont, Italy
2. The Catskills, USA
3. Northern Peru
4. The Red Centre, Australia
5. Scotland’s Highlands and Islands
6. Russian Far East
7. Gujarat, India
8. Manitoba, Canada
9. Normandy, France
10. Elqui Valley, Chile

Top 10 cities

1. Copenhagen, Denmark
2. Shenzhen, China
3. Novi Sad, Serbia
4. Miami, Florida, USA
5. Kathmandu, Nepal
6. Mexico City, Mexico
7. Dakar, Senegal
8. Seattle, USA
9. Zadar, Croatia
10. Meknes, Morocco

Top 10 best value destinations

1. Southern Nile Valley, Egypt
2. Lodz, Poland
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA
4. Maldives
5. Houston, USA
6. Argentina
7. Bangladesh
8. Albania
9. Ecuador
10. Slovenia