For a holiday where you can truly switch off and be surrounded by peace, quiet and the most incredible scenery the world has to offer, then there is one location that needs to be on your list. Far away on the other side of the world, nestled between the crystal-clear waters of Lake Wakatipu and the towering Southern Alps, lies the New Zealand city of Queenstown.
Recently voted the most tranquil destination in the world by TravelBag, this charming city is a pristine wonderland to explore. It offers a pristine environment that invites you to truly slow down, switch off, and connect with nature. Queenstown boasted an impressive cleanliness score of 91.7, higher than any other destination, and a high green space quality score of 94.4.
The travel specialists analysed 26 destinations to find the most peaceful by tracking key indicators such as noise and light pollution, cleanliness and the quality of green spaces and Queenstown came out on top.
Queenstown has relatively low traffic congestion, very little light pollution, making it the perfect spot for some star gazing.
It’s also a great place to visit year round.
In the winter, there’s fabulous ski fields and cosy restaurants to explore, and in the summer months, the city transforms into a sunsoaked wonderland with plenty of hiking and biking trails as well as gorgeous swimming spots.
For the adrenalin junkies, there’s bungee jumping, ziplines and paragliding. And for the more sedate among us, there are hot pools with incredible views over the alps, spas and wellness centres.
If you want to visit this gorgeous spot and see all it has to offer, it is a bit out of the way.
To fly from the UK to Queenstown takes around 25 hours, but flights leave every day. If you want a winter holiday, the best time to travel is between June and August, but for a summer trip, December through to February is the best time to visit.