THE SKELLIG RING in Co. Kerry has been named among the world’s top 10 regions to visit next year by Lonely Planet.
The Ring is made up of Little Skellig, Valentia Island, Waterville and the Gaeltacht area of Ballinskelligs – along with the legendary Skellig Michael itself.
The sixth century monastic island played host to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens last year, which brought the area to international attention and boosted the amount of tourists visiting the Skellig Ring.
With Skellig Michael set to feature even more prominently in next year’s as yet untitled Star Wars Episode VIII, things can only get better for this little pocket of Kerry coastline.
So what stunning locations pipped Skellig to the post? Here are the nine other must-visits in the world...
9. Perak, Malaysia
![Ipoh City, Malaysia [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Malaysia.jpg)
The tropical city of Ipoh boasts huge mansions from its colonial past, craft shops and world-renowned food. Outside the city lie cave temples precariously balanced atop breath-taking cliffs. Not bad.
8. Coastal Georgia, USA
![Jekyll Island, Georgia [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Georgia.jpg)
Remnants of colossal, ancient trees decorate its beaches, while wild horses roam free along the coastal wetlands. Off the coast, a number of picturesque islands showcase everything from natural caves and cliffs to world-class golf courses.
7. The Tuamotus, French Polynesia
![Tropical Tuamotu [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Tuamotus.jpg)
The Tuamatos feature 77 individual attols – narrow coral rings encircling turquoise lagoons – making up the kind of azure paradise everyone dreams of seeing with their own eyes.
6. Aysén, Chile
![Marble Caves of Lake General Carrera in Chile [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Chile.jpg)
Huge glaciers forming lakes, channels and fjords dot the landscape. Many of the region’s most popular spots – including Laguna San Rafael National Park – are only reachable by boat or plane.
5. South Australia
![South Australia's Hunter Valley [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/South-Australia-1.jpg)
A bit of a southern hemisphere Italy – the plains around its capital, Adelaide, are famed for their incredible valley folds, historical towns and epic vineyards.
4. North Wales
![Snowdonia National Park, North Wales [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Snowdonia.jpg)
With castles, valleys, historic industrial sites and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands in Mount Snowdon, North Wales is an underrated part of Britain – let alone the world.
3. The Azores, Portugal
![Angra de Heroismo, the Azures [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Azures.jpg)
The Azores feature two of Portugal’s 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites – the vineyards of Pico and the old town of Angra do Heroismo Terceira.
2. Taranaki, New Zealand
![Mount Taranaki, New Zealand [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/NZ.jpg)
Taranaki is also known for its strange yet beautiful beaches of black sand, along with the numerous offshore oil rigs, which give its nickname as the ‘Texas of New Zealand.’
1. Choquequirao, Peru
![The lost ruins of Choquequirao [Picture: iStock]](https://media.irishpost.co.uk/uploads/2016/10/Peru-1.jpg)
Due to a huge increase in visitor numbers, the Peruvian government has green-lighted controversial plans for a tramway to increase access to the site.
For now though, visitors to Choquequirao are unlikely to get stuck in a crowd.