Alderney and Sark beaten only by Spain

ALDERNEY and Sark have been jointly ranked the second-best-kept travel secret in the world by Lonely Planet.

The magazine, which is part-owned by the BBC, published a list of 50 great travel secrets in its July edition. Included in the rundown were far-flung destinations in Georgia, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Australia, Britain and many other countries.

Belgrade, Serbia, was ranked fifth and Capitol Reef National Park in Utah, USA, was fourth, while Lebanon's capital Beirut was placed third. Only the undiscovered Spanish region of Almeria came between Alderney and Sark and the top spot.

Miranda Krestovnikoff, presenter of BBC2's Coast, recommended the Channel Islands as havens for wildlife and birds.

Writing about Alderney, she said: 'The atmosphere on the island today is what I imagine it was like in post-war Britain. There's a great sense of community and common generosity, where everyone helps each other out.

'I love the flavour of France that comes through, too - all the place names have French spellings but are said with English pronunciation, so you often feel like you are in an alternative France where everyone speaks English.

'You can even see over to Normandy on a clear day.

'Like Sark, it is a quiet, peaceful place where, even at the height of the season, you can find yourself alone on an absolutely beautiful beach. There are not many places in the British Isles today about which you can say that.'

• Visit www.lonelyplanet.com/magazine for information on how to buy the July issue.