Australia just cracked a list of the top 10 countries on Earth for travellers – but here's who beat us in 2025
Only five countries have ever been crowned the 'world's best' since the awards launched in 1998, with New Zealand reclaiming the top spot this year. Our friends across the ditch have held the number one position for the past decade, except when they were briefly dethroned by South Africa in the last readers' poll in 2023.
This year, Australia was voted the sixth-best country on Earth, which is a slight dip from our previous fifth-place finish. However, The Telegraph describes Australia as 'a picture of reliability when it comes to the Travel Awards,' having consistently ranked either fifth (twice), eighth (twice) or sixth (three times) in the past 11 years.
So, who outranked us in 2025? Japan, India, South Africa and Greece made up the top five – all destinations Aussies are obsessed with too.
Another coveted category in The Telegraph Traveller Awards is the 'best cities on Earth', with Sydney making a huge leap from eighth place in 2023 to third in 2025. Our Emerald City has held a firm spot in the global top ten every year since 2014 – now only trailing Seville and Cape Town in the race for number one.
New Zealand
Japan
India
South Africa
Greece
Australia
Peru
The Maldives
Costa Rica
Botswana
😂 A scientific study just ranked Australia as the world's 7th funniest country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Trump to meet Starmer in low-key Scotland trip
President Donald Trump will meet Sir Keir Starmer in Scotland in what UK officials are describing as a low-key visit. The White House played down the significance of the meeting, saying the two leaders are unlikely to announce any major policy breakthroughs. The bilateral is instead being framed by officials as a relationship building opportunity ahead of Mr Trump's official state visit in September. Mr Trump will depart the White House on Friday for the four-day visit. He will spend the weekend at his Turnberry golf club before meeting with the Prime Minister on Monday. He will then fly to Aberdeenshire to open a new links course beside the North Sea, according to Steven Cheung, the White House communications director. Mr Trump will also meet with British media executives while in Scotland. Sir Keir and Mr Trump have developed a warm rapport and Mr Trump's meeting with Sir Keir is 'a recognition of the relationship that the US has with the UK,' Mr Cheung told The Telegraph. 'And, you know, I think he (Trump) genuinely likes him as a person. That's why they get along.' A British official familiar with plans in Scotland, said the trip was being treated more like a family visit than the arrival of a foreign head of state. The full pomp and circumstance will follow for the state visit in September, according to a British source. The trip will follow a simple structure without a big reception party on the airport apron, for example. Mr Cheung said the president was not arriving with any particular asks from the Prime Minister, other than having the chance to catch up and build on their earlier meetings. 'You know right now there really isn't anything specific issue-wise on the agenda,' he told The Telegraph. 'I'm sure they'll talk about foreign policy. I'm sure they'll talk about coming to peace agreements. I'm sure they'll talk about trade.' Mr Trump will travel with a full kit of secure communications equipment allowing him to stay in touch with officials at home and leaders around the world, Mr Cheung said. 'It's a working trip because there's a lot of business that's being done, a lot of interviews being done, meetings with Starmer,' he said. 'So it's a working trip,' he added. The pre-planned visit could not come at a better time for the president who is under intense political and media scrutiny in Washington over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The president's supporters have criticised Mr Trump's failure to make good on a campaign promise to release all of the files the government holds on the late paedophile financier. Mr Trump is likely to be eager to play a few rounds on his courses during the visit but is accustomed to playing golf in the sunnier climes of Florida and Virginia, near the White House. Scotland's weather forecast promises showers and heavy downpours for Turnberry at the weekend. Aberdeenshire however is still set to see sunshine for its grand opening. Mr Trump's constructive relationship with Sir Keir was forged despite the pair coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum. The UK secured the first deal with Washington to roll back steep trade tariffs and Mr Trump has been invited for a state visit. Sir Keir first met the then Republican candidate at Trump Tower for dinner in September last year and the two hit it off quickly. British officials are keen to point out that Sir Keir was the only leader to meet Mr Trump in his private quarters rather than on the terrace at Mar-a-Lago, his club in Florida, which is open to members. Sir Keir visited the president at the White House in February, when he presented Mr Trump with a state visit invitation from the King, much to Mr Trump's obvious delight. The grand opening of his second course at his Aberdeenshire resort will be held on Tuesday. The MacLeod Course is named in honour of Mr Trump's Scottish mother Mary. In a promotional video last year, Mr Trump said he believed adding a second 18 holes beside an existing course improved the chances of hosting tournaments. 'Having a second course of equal quality is a big advantage for [hosting] tournaments because they can use both of the courses,' he said. 'We'll have many, many championships here between both courses. I think it'll be a great success.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Urgent travel warning issued to Aussies: What you need to know before you book flights to Cambodia and Thailand
The Australian government has updated its travel advice for Cambodia and Thailand, amid growing armed conflict between the two countries. Weeks of tension over a border dispute between the south-east Asian neighbours escalated into deadly clashes that killed at least 12 people on Thursday. It comes after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Cambodia and planned to expel Cambodia's envoy in Bangkok, after a second Thai soldier in the space of a week lost a limb to a landmine. Aussie tourists heading to provinces near the 800km-long border have been warned to reconsider their travel. The Department of Foreign Affairs' Smartraveller website was updated on Thursday night to reflect the concerning developments. Impacted Cambodian provinces include Preah Vihear and Oddar Meanchey, where there are a number of famous temples popular with foreign tourists. 'We now advise to reconsider your need to travel to the border areas of the northern and north-western provinces,' Smartraveller states. 'Armed conflict between Thai and Cambodian military forces along the Thai-Cambodian border has increased. 'This includes reports of military strikes, violence, and the use of landmines in the border areas.' Tourists are urged to follow the advice of authorities, monitor local media for updates, and pay close attention to their personal security. Land border crossing points along the Thai-Cambodian border remain closed. Aussies should exercise normal safety precautions in other parts of Cambodia. Aussies travelling to the Thai provinces of Buriram, Si Saket, Surin and Ubon Ratchathani should also reconsider plans. 'We've reviewed our advice for Thailand and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution overall,' Smartraveller added. 'Border crossing points along the Thai-Cambodian border continue to be closed at short notice.'
Time Out
4 days ago
- Time Out
Australia just cracked a list of the top 10 countries on Earth for travellers – but here's who beat us in 2025
We know Australia's great, and we're happy to hear more than 20,000 travellers agree. In the latest Telegraph Traveller Awards, we were voted among the ten best countries on Earth for 2025 – but a few countries dared to outrank us. Here's the list… Only five countries have ever been crowned the 'world's best' since the awards launched in 1998, with New Zealand reclaiming the top spot this year. Our friends across the ditch have held the number one position for the past decade, except when they were briefly dethroned by South Africa in the last readers' poll in 2023. This year, Australia was voted the sixth-best country on Earth, which is a slight dip from our previous fifth-place finish. However, The Telegraph describes Australia as 'a picture of reliability when it comes to the Travel Awards,' having consistently ranked either fifth (twice), eighth (twice) or sixth (three times) in the past 11 years. So, who outranked us in 2025? Japan, India, South Africa and Greece made up the top five – all destinations Aussies are obsessed with too. Another coveted category in The Telegraph Traveller Awards is the 'best cities on Earth', with Sydney making a huge leap from eighth place in 2023 to third in 2025. Our Emerald City has held a firm spot in the global top ten every year since 2014 – now only trailing Seville and Cape Town in the race for number one. New Zealand Japan India South Africa Greece Australia Peru The Maldives Costa Rica Botswana 😂 A scientific study just ranked Australia as the world's 7th funniest country
