Guest Author - Michelle R. Mangio
Let's face it - when it comes to endorsement for the best places to go, nothing rings truer than recommendations from your fellow travelers. After all, they've been there, done that, and now want to share the best (and worst) of their travels.
And if you're considering a trip to Australia but wonder if it's all it's cracked up to be (or that I keep telling you it is!), then look no further than TripAdvisor.com 2008 Traveler's Choice Awards. This year, Australia managed to snag fourteen (14) awards for some of the best destinations.
Six Australia Destinations made it into the Top 100 Most Popular list. This includes: Sydney (#22), Cairns (#23), Byron Bay (#30), Melbourne (#59), Port Douglas (#60), and Noosa (#78).
Eight Australia Destinations made it into the Top 25 South Pacific Destinations, including Sydney (#3), Cairns (#4), Byron Bay (#5), Melbourne (#9), Port Douglas (#10), Noosa (#11), Perth (#12), Cape Tribulation (#14), Fremantle (#20), Alice Springs (#21), Margaret River (#22), Airlie Beach (#23), and Hobart (#24).
If you're wondering where to go in Australia, you might want to consider some of these destinations. Unless you have a lot of time, you might not be able to catch them all - Perth and the Margaret River are in Western Australia, for example, while Cairns is on the completely opposite side - but you can put together a nice itinerary that visits many of them.
For example, a trip along the coastline of Queensland would allow you to visit Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, Cairns, Airlie Beach, and Noosa. Continue further south, and you can add in Byron Bay and Sydney. With the Qantas AirPass offers, it's easy enough to add on a stop in Melbourne or Hobart, Tasmania (and won't cost you extra, either).
So if everything you have read here hasn't already convinced you to visit Australia, then take heart in what travelers just like you are saying - Australia is a popular place to visit, and has many amazing destinations to enjoy. Best of all, it's an English-speaking country where the US Dollar still carries well, which means more value for your vacation dollars. Now might be the perfect time to travel down under.
