Rotorua in Lonely Planet's top tourism spots

111013bf8 The previously dormant Papakura geyser in the Whakarewarewa valley has burst into life 11 October 2013 Rotorua Daily Post Photograph by Ben Fraser

Whakarewarewa has made it into travel guide Lonely Planet's list of the "500 best places in the world".

There are nine New Zealand places in the list, with Fiordland National Park the highest ranked at number 17.

Lonely Planet's "ultimate travel list" comes out today and is billed as "the 500 most thrilling, memorable and interesting places in the world - ranked in order of brilliance."

Other New Zealand sights are: Abel Tasman National Park, number 35; Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, 81; Lake Wanaka, 94; Stewart Island, 125; Bay of Islands, 130; Whakarewarewa, 276; Waitomo Caves, 280; and Te Papa, 285.

The list was compiled from listings in Lonely Planet's guidebooks, which have been around since 1973.

The Cambodian temples at Angkor top the bill, with Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Peru's Machu Picchu rounding out the top three.

The Great Wall of China is number four and India's Taj Mahal number five.