A heads up on top destinations, shopping havens and fairytale temptations
Jennifer Chen
What can top Bangkok as the world's best city? Udaipur, India, that's what. The city where James Bond seduces the eponymous heroine in the 1983 film Octopussy is the world's top this year according to Travel + Leisure magazine.
The annual list of the world's best cities was compiled this year with the input of the magazine's readers all over the world, which include editions in South-east Asia, South Asia, China, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and Mexico.
An ancient city in Rajasthan, Udaipur boasts sumptuous palaces, some of which have been converted into hotels. At its heart is a lake on which sits the Taj Lake Palace hotel, where Bond gets it on.
Travel + Leisure's editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod said that she has noticed a "huge migration and interest away from the classic European capitals and classic resorts to destinations that offer a very particular sense of place. The world has gotten smaller in some ways and the traditional places have gotten less interesting and more familiar."
Completing the top 10 list of best cities behind Udaipur this year were Cape Town; Bangkok; Buenos Aires; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Florence, Italy; Luang Prabang, Laos; New York; Rome; and San Francisco.
Aside from these hotspots, which destinations would appeal to Singaporeans? Today asks some travel agents to weigh in.
Udaipur
Where: Loire Valley, France
Why go: Fairytale splendour with a glass of wine
An hour's drive south of Paris, the Loire Valley - often referred to as the "Garden of France" - is world-renowned for its fairytale chateaux and wine caves. The Loire region produces some of the world's best wine, and wine-tasting is usually free with no obligations to purchase.
Other than visiting the valley known for its wineries and the tours they offer, many also come to this Unesco World Heritage Site to see its architectural heritage.
Forbes once listed a tour of Loire Valley in its "list of grand things you must do in life". Besides a truly French experience, soak in the medieval magic in the air - after all, this is where Sleeping Beauty's castle was found. Chateau de Usse was apparently so beautiful that it inspired Charles Perrault to write the fairytale.
Jane Chang, Chan Brothers Travel
Where: Las Vegas, the United States
WHY GO: To shop, enough said
Aside from its well-known casinos, Las Vegas is fast becoming a gateway to factory outlet and megamall shopping. You can find brand name and designer fashion as well as accessories for the entire family. There's jewellery, houseware and china, home decor, luggage, toys, books, CDs and more.
You'll find stores filled with merchandise from your favourite brands, at discounts of up to 70 per cent. Examples include Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas, Desert Hill Premium Outlets or Tanger Outlets Barstow en route to Las Vegas.
Eileen Oh, UOB Travel
Machu Picchu ruins
Where: Peru
WHY GO: To see a world wonder, Machu Picchu
Peru's sites will inspire you to crack open the history books or buy a new camera.
Cusco, capital of the Inca Empire, has remnants of buildings that date back to the 11th century. The 46km Inca Trail, which leads to one of the world's seven wonders, Machu Picchu, will take trekkers through the breathtaking Andes. Lake Titicaca is a popular destination for the beauty of its surrounds and for its floating homes - artificial islands made from reeds.
Melissa Siew, Zuji Singapore
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From TODAY, Living – Weekend, 29/30-Aug-2009
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