They include a giant chunk of China that’s home to 44m people, and a castaway bay in Tasmania with a population of just 300. The northernmost town on earth, and the furthest-flung islands on the planet.

This Wednesday, the guidebook giant Lonely Planet publishes its annual “Blue List” - its bible of hot destinations for 2009 - and the authors have cast a wide and adventurous net. Follow their advice, and your travelling year could feature polar-bear-spotting in Svalbard, volcano-hiking in Hawaii and sea-kayaking in Chile.

Always much anticipated, this year’s list will appear in book form under the title “Best in Travel 2009”, and we’ve got an exclusive preview. Here are Lonely Planet’s 10 must-see regions for 2009 - each one made easy with our expert guide on how to plan the perfect trip there.

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1 BAY OF FIRES Tasmania They say: “White beaches of hourglass-fine sand, Bombay Sapphire sea, an azure sky - and nobody. This is the secret edge of Tasmania, laid out like a pirate’s treasure map of perfect beach after sheltered cove, all fringed with forest. It’s not long since the Bay of Fires came to international attention, and the crowds are bound to flock. Now is the time to visit.”

The plan: the bay is an 18-mile ribbon of sea and surf spooling out from the old whaling town of St Helens. The best base for bronzing and boarding is Binalong Bay, which has cute cottages from £67 per night for two (00 61 3-6376 8262, www.bayoffirescottages.com.au ) and sensational lobster suppers at Angasi (www.angasi.com.au ). But the killer way to “do the Bay” is on a guided four-day hike with the Bay of Fires Lodge (6392 2211, www.bayoffires.com.au ): offered from October to April for £845pp. Bailey Robinson (01488 689700, www.baileyrobinson.com ) can include the walk in a nine-day Tasmania fly-drive, from £2,750pp.

2 BASQUE COUNTRY France & Spain They say: “Walkers fall head over heels for the Pyrenean vistas where vultures soar on the thermals; art fans trip out on the futuristic fantasy of Bilbao’s Guggenheim Museum; and everyone loses control at allnight street parties a million people strong. The Basque country is a cocktail of fun, sun, culture and beauty.”

The plan: for a freewheeling tour of the Basque costa, fly to Bilbao from Stansted with EasyJet (www.easyjet.com ) and check into the boutiquey Miro Hotel (www.mirohotelbilbao.com ; doubles from £91), in position A for the Guggenheim. Then hire a car and take a pinball whizz along the swerving 30-mile coast road to San Sebastian: highlights should include the seafood-scented fishing villages of Bermeo and Lekeito, and surfy Mundaka beach. Finish with a tapas-based tour of the palace-studded party town of San Sebastian, where the Pension Bellas Artes (www.pension-bellasartes.com ; doubles from £45) is a friendly overnight pick. Alternatively, Cities Direct (01242 536900, www.citiesdirect.co.uk ) can package up a five-night fly-drive from £349pp.

3 CHILOE Chile They say: “With a newly inaugurated ecological reserve and the country’s oldest agro-tourism network, Chiloé has adventure on tap.

This misty archipelago is the distilled, 80-proof version of traditional Chile. Witches and ghost ships go bump in the night, but modernity is on the march - the cool Museo de Arte Moderno is a worthy heir to Chiloé’s Unesco-listed shingle churches. Try a family homestay, outdoor lamb-roast and island-hopping via wooden fishing boat.”

The plan: forget the skyscraping summits of Andean Chile - Chiloé is a subtler, smudgier landscape of foggy farmsteads and faraway forests, stalked by Trauco, the virgin-seducing troll of Chilote myth. Pack your rain gear, and book your homestay with the island operator Austral Adventures (www.austral-adventures.com ) - it can also organise sea-kayaking and visits to Chiloé’s Puñihuil penguin colony. The fishing-boat option is best tackled aboard the Cahuella, a 50ft crewed wooden cruiser ; Andean Trails (0131 467 7086, www.andeantrails.co.uk ) teams it with the Patagonian wilds of Pumalin Park: six days from £1,020pp, plus about £850 for flights.

4 KO TAO Thailand They say: “First there was Ko Samui, then Ko Pha-Ngan; now, the cult of Ko Tao has emerged along Thailand’s crystalline Gulf Coast. Tiny Tao sure knows how to pack it in. Diving enthusiasts cavort with sharks and rays in a playground of tangled neon coral.

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