Gap year travellers in the UK will be interested to hear that Australia has been named as the world's best country to visit in a prominent new survey.
Readers of the Sunday Times Travel Magazine have been voting in their droves to nominate their favourite destinations abroad.
Having assessed the results, the magazine has revealed that its top award went to Australia on the basis of its "sport, sunsets and super-happy people".
The country topped the standings ahead of the US, New Zealand, Thailand and the Maldives.
The magazine also quizzed readers on the best country in Europe for holidaymakers, with Italy coming out on top, followed by Greece, France, Spain and Switzerland.
The buzzing metropolis of New York scooped the prestigious prize of 'world's best city', while Sydney, San Francisco, Cape Town and Bangkok also made it into the top five.
The final award was for the best destination in Europe for a city break, a gong collected by London, ahead of Edinburgh, Paris, Barcelona and Rome.
