An idyllic island located just off the South Australian coast has earned silver in the best regional places to travel on Lonely Planet’s 2024 travel list.
Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga, was named the world’s second-best region to visit by a panel of the travel publisher’s top experts.
Australia’s third-biggest island came in above other top choices like Tuscany, Italy; Donegal, Ireland; and the Basque Country autonomous region in Spain.
The index broke down the top 10 countries, regions and cities worth visiting and the top destinations for sustainable and value tourism.
The getaway destination is acclaimed for its ‘otherworldliness’ and has been endorsed by celebrities like Zac Efron. Large parts of it were razed by Australia’s horrific 2019-20 bushfires.
Kangaroo Island, also known as Karta Pintingga, has been named the second best regional location in the world to visit in 2024 by the travel magazine Lonely Planet
The island, which is Australia’s third-largest and only 13km away from the nearest inland coastline, is famed for its vibrant wildlife
Efron, 33, travelled to Kangaroo Island in March 2021 while filming his Netflix docuseries, Down To Earth.
In a clip shared on Adelaide Now, he spoke fondly of the destination, saying it was a ‘beautiful island’.
‘All of it is just amazing, it’s a beautiful island, there’s nature absolutely abundant, everywhere, it’s really come back in a big way since the fires which were pretty devastating,’ he said.
‘What a gem of a place, I just love it here.’
Zac Efron (pictured) raved about South Australia’s Kangaroo Island after filming part of his Netflix series Down To Earth in the location
The High School Musical star swam with the dolphins along the coast of the island, which all tourists have the opportunity to do.
Getting to Kangaroo Island only takes 45 minutes via ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw or 30 minutes by flying between Adelaide to Kingscote Airport.
The island is only 112km south-west of Adelaide and 13km off the closest inland shoreline.
Tourism has been slowly recouping after the horrific Black Summer bushfires wiped out around 38 per cent of the island, or 211,474 hectares of land, in early 2020.
All travel to the island stopped for two years as the bushland regrew and animals returned to their natural habitats again.
The island was partially reduced to ashes after the 2020 Black Summer bushfires which decimated around 38 per cent of the island – roughly 211,474 hectares of land
Tourism closed for two years after the fires while dramatic regrowth took place and the local wildlife returned to their natural habitats
Chris Zeiher, Lonely Planet’s senior director trade sales and marketing, said Kangaroo Island ‘provides such a quintessential Australian travel experience’.
‘It is blessed with amazing beaches, offers delicious food, wine, and spirits experiences, and delivers on the drama when it comes to outdoor adventures,’ he said in a statement.
‘It’s been much lauded of late but 2024 is the year that Kangaroo Island will be set to capitalise on all of the accolades.’
The Lonely Planet experts said the best things to experience were a gin-blending masterclass at Australia’s oldest dedicated gin distillery, KI Spirits, and Stokes Bay which is considered one of Australia’s best ‘secret’ beaches.
There are also guided beach tours at the Seal Bay Conservation Park, one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of endangered Australian sea lions.
Sea Lions are a staple of the island which are often spotted by travelers, as well as the island’s namesake – the kangaroo.
Elsewhere on the island visitors can visit the 120-year-old ‘Enchanted Fig Tree‘, which is visible only once guests walk inside a hidden entrance.
A restaurant lies in the centre of the tree, surrounded by vines which have been growing for more than a century.
Up to 45 diners can be seated inside during its limited opening times.
The menu has been curated by executive chef Stephanie Vass and incorporates a ‘hint of local history, a splash of fairy tale, and a sprinkle of the unexpected’.
Elsewhere on the island visitors can visit the 120-year-old ‘Enchanted Fig Tree ‘ restaurant which lies in the centre of the tree and is surrounded by century-old vines
Other top ranking locations on 2024’s best travel list include Mongolia, Spain, the United States Midwest and Kenya.
Elsewhere on Lonely Planet’s list, which ranked the best cities, countries, regions and sustainable locations, Kenya’s capital of Nairobi took the top place for cities and Italy’s Tuscany came in third for regions
Kenya’s capital of Nairobi was ranked the best city in the world to travel to due to its vibrant cultural scenes and dining options.
Mongolia took the top spot as far as countries were concerned, with the panelists crediting its wide-open spaces and distinct music as key reasons to visit.
Spain was the most sustainable location on the list because of the country’s recent drive to expand their renewable energy capacity and efforts to expand tourism to lesser-known locations.
But for those looking to save money, the American Midwest was awarded the honour and described as an ‘underrated region’ with great food which encompassed the entire country.
