Bangkok Tops Global Travel Cities Ranking, Istanbul Climbs to Third

By MOOK Scenic Spots Tourism Life Network, compiled and reported by Li Xinyi

 

The globally renowned travel magazine Travel + Leisure announced the 2012 World’s Best Awards on the 6th, as voted by readers for the world’s best hotels, travel cities, cruises, resort islands, and airlines. Among them, the top spots in the global TOP 10 CITIES were still firmly held by Bangkok and Florence, while third place was taken by Istanbul, which ranked fifth last year. The rest of the rankings were Cape Town, Sydney, Rome, New York, Hong Kong, Kyoto, and Paris. These rankings are not far off from the top 10 countries/regions most frequently visited by Taiwanese people last year, including Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, the United States, and Australia, all of which are included in Travel + Leisure’s list. Meanwhile, this year’s TOP 10 ISLANDS were topped by the Philippines’ Boracay, which claimedfirst place., and [second place was secured by...]

 

Top Three Best Travel Cities:

1. Bangkok

Bangkok has risen at an astonishing speed, with international hotel chains setting up shop and new design brands or boutique hotels opening one after another. However, amid rapid development, Bangkok’s traditional local culture has not disappeared. Street vendors remain active under streetlights, and landmarks such as the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew, and Bangkok’s Chinatown gold jewelry streets remain unchanged. The riverside communities along the Chao Phraya River continue their daily lives as always. The entire city is like the works of many emerging Thai designers — packaging millennia-old traditions in a new, globally approachable form that offers visitors endless novelty and surprises.

2. Florence

Known as the “City of Flowers,” Florence is home to countless museums and churches, with its buildings and artistic displays showcasing the most dazzling treasures of the Renaissance, all thanks to the Medici family. Rising from commerce to governance, the Medicis infused humanist spirit throughout Florence, promoting art forms such as painting, sculpture, and architecture that beautified the secular world, reviving the spirit of ancient Greece and Rome, and giving rise to the Renaissance. Master artists of the time such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Brunelleschi, and Botticelli left behind immortal works of art in this movement.

3. Istanbul

Surrounded by water on three sides — the Sea of Marmara, the Golden Horn, and the Bosporus Strait — Istanbul is not only the only city in the world that straddles Europe and Asia, but also the former capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. For two thousand years, it served as the center of global politics, religion, and art. In this ancient metropolis, the civilizations of Asia Minor, Byzantine ruins, and Ottoman culture coexist, with mosques where Christians and Muslims peacefully worship being among the greatest wonders.

Additionally, this year’s list of best hotels features 100 entries, with the top spot still held by Tanzania’s Singita Grumeti Reserves in Africa. Among Asian hotels, only India’s Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur and the Discovery Shores in Boracay, Philippines, made the top 10. Bangkok’s Peninsula Hotel ranked 11th, Shanghai’s Peninsula Hotel came in 23rd, and Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel was 31st. To stay at the world’s best hotels at discounted rates, from now until September 30, all Peninsula Hotels worldwide are offering a “Summer Gift” promotion, including complimentary breakfast, room upgrades to the next level, and a rebate of up to 30% of the daily rate to be used as credit for hotel services. Additionally, guests staying in the “Suite Life” package at Peninsula Hotels (excluding Hong Kong and Beverly Hills Peninsula) will receive a free second night.

 

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