From villages and valleys to castles and cliffs, the planet is chock-full of beautiful places – but which country can lay claim to being the most gorgeous on the planet?

Rough Guidesthe online trip-planning company, asked its readers to vote on where they thought were the world’s most beautiful countries, and the results are in.

Claiming the number one spot is (drum roll, please!) New Zealand. The island nation is loved particularly for ‘the contrast in scenery and beauty to be found in the people and culture’, according to Rough Guide’s readers.

The country is made up of