Ethiopia’s famous rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are among Rough Guides 100 Best Places on Earth to visit in 2020.

In their brand-new guidebook to the most spectacular spots in the world, the travel publisher and tailor-made trip provider wants to encourage and inspire people to travel outside their comfort zone. The list reaches every corner of the globe and includes famous destinations as well as those that are up-and-coming, underrated, or have been previously overlooked.

“We hope this list inspires people to get out there and see what the world has to offer.”

The book’s editor, Helen Fanthorpe, said, “We pooled the knowledge of our many experienced and well-travelled authors and editors and together we decided on the spots the world over that are undiscovered, underrated, or simply spectacular. We’ve made sure there is a geographical mix, as well as a mixture of (justly) famous places and more off-the-beaten-track spots. We’ve also made sure to celebrate all types of travel by including a mix of type of attractions: urban and rural, atmospheric ruins and glittering cityscapes, biodiversity hotspots, cultural gems, and arresting architecture.”

Some of the recommendations featured in the book include the Sunken Churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, the ‘alternative Grand Canyon’ in France, the famously beautiful and symmetrical Taj Mahal and Victoria Falls’ enormous curtain of water between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“An enigmatic and utterly beguiling country, Ethiopia has endless intrigue. From its unique, highly sociable cuisine – the basis of which is injera, a spongy sourdough pancake, piled high with piquant curries and stews and shared between friends – to its ancient language and curly Amharic script, there’s very little that’s familiar about this place, and your trip will be all the better for it.”

“[Ethiopia’s] religious festivals and structures are something to behold. The sunken churches of Lalibela, hand-carved out of the red rock below ground some nine hundred years ago, are an astonishing feat of engineering. Come January, the network of tunnels and staircases that connect all eleven churches fill up with thousands of worshippers dressed in white, celebrating the birth of Christ with a twelve-hour mass.”

The new book, “The Rough Guide to the 100 Best Places on Earth 2020”,which will be published on 1^stSeptember, reveals 100 of the most extraordinary places to visit in the world – the ultimate travel bucket list. For a sneak peek of the book, go to http://bit.ly/RoughGuides2020List