Udaipur, India Named Best City
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
Travel + Leisure magazine, a leading consumer travel publication recently announced the results of its 2009 World's Best Awards and has named Udaipur, India as the World's Best City. Udaipur is an ancient city in the region of Rajasthan, India and home to several world-class hotels, luxury resorts, famous spas and historic attractions.The survey is based on the result of a questionnaire distributed to Travel + Leisure readers from around the globe. The 2009 survey was the first in the history of Travel + Leisure to include responses from international Travel + Leisure readers. According to the Associated Press, Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure magazine points out that readers from China, Southeast Asia, Turkey, Mexico, Australia and Asia were permitted to participate this year, and she has noticed a 'migration of interest' away from European capitals to exotic locales and other destinations around the globe.
Udaipur earned a score of 87.94 to win the number one spot for the Top 10 Cities lineup. The city boasts several luxury properties including the Taj Lake Palace located on the edge of Lake Pichola, Oberoi Udaivilas, an opulent estate that is only accessible by a private boat, and the Leela Palace Kempinski, a traditional Rajasthani palace that boasts scenic views of Lake Pichola. The city has been named the "Venice of the East" and the "Most Romantic City of India" by tourists from around the globe. Attractions include the Duddhtalai and Musical Garden, the Sukhadia Circle and the City Palace Museum.
Other cities that made the top ten list are: Cape Town, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, Florence, Luang Prabang, New York, Rome and San Francisco. Last year's winner was Bangkok, Thailand. The World's Best survey results have been posted online on travelandleisure.com/worldsbest, and will be published in the July 24 issue of the print magazine.
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