Travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has released its list of top 10 countries to visit in 2016 and the .

(MORE: )

Praising the country for its journey "from poverty" to "one of Africa's most stable, thriving societies" as inspirational, Lonely Planet writes that Botswana is "."

Lonely Planet judges their destinations, including whether the countries are deemed "up-and-coming" and whether they have any special developments or events coming up. Botswana is celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence in 2015.

One ofs is its vast concentration of wildlife, including elephants, antelope, big cats and African dogs. According to Lonely Planet, . Notable parks to see wildlife includeasChobe National Park (best known for its Kalahari elephants), the Moremi Game Reserve, and the Mashatu game reserve. Also not to miss is the, which became the and the , renowned for its impressive sand dunes.

(MORE:

was given second place in Lonely Planet's rankings for beingone of the best places "for travelers in search of an otherworldly experience," according to the guidebook. The United States came in third.

Lonely Planet , which it called "the best idea America ever had." The U.S. National Park System oversees 59 national parks, as well as hundreds of historical landmarks and other sites, and it will be celebrating its centennial in 2016.

(MORE: )

Palau and Latvia came in fourth and fifth place respectively, followed by including The Great Barrier Reef, Tasmania and the Outback.

Other nations included on the list (listed in order) were Poland, Uruguay, Greenland and Fiji.

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2016 yearbook includes a total of 16 themed lists. Other travel destinations ranked first by the guidebook include Kotor (), Translyvania (), Estonia () and Playa del Carmen in Mexico ()

(For More Travel,)