Guernsey second to Sri Lanka in ‘must-see places for 2020’
GUERNSEY has been placed second in a list of the world’s must-see places in 2020.
The Sunday Times Travel team selected the top 20 holiday destinations for next year, with Sri Lanka in top spot and Guernsey, referred to as an ‘old favourite’, in second.
‘Flight-free island-hopping starts right here,’ the article said. ‘Expect top beaches and buckets of retro charm.’
The article focused on the Bailiwick and its ‘four islands for the price of one’ value with pictures from Sark.
‘Channel Island charm is always irresistible, and for 2020, with a new initiative launching, we’re setting our sights on Guernsey and its near neighbours Alderney for birdwatching and walking, Sark [for] eccentricity and dark skies, and Herm [for] brilliant beaches,’ the article said.
In third place was Tasmania, fourth was Rijeka in Croatia, then the Azores, Galway, the Caucasus, Taipei, Yukon, Raja Ampat, Malaga, Andermatt, Washington DC, Marrakesh, Metz, Jamaica, Kimolos, Nicoya Peninsula, Caramarthenshire and Saudi Arabia.
‘There’s no question that the Channel Islands should be among our 20 for 2020. We love their retro beach vibe, their ambitious foodie scene — 16 island restaurants are listed in the Good Food Guide — and a native eco-friendliness that ranges from locally sourced produce to a kindness to cyclists.’
Jersey was mentioned as ‘the cosmopolitan one with, arguably, the best beaches’, but Guernsey’s closeness to other islands was the focus.
‘A destination previously famous for cream and the Wehrmacht occupation, [Guernsey] has been rebranded to include offshore assets Alderney, Sark and Herm, and is presenting itself as 2020’s island-hopping alternative to the Aegean,’ Times author Chris Haslam wrote.
Mr Haslam said that he worked in Sark in the 1980s and could testify to its eccentricity: ‘Cars are banned, as are overflights. There’s no customs post and no street lighting.’
