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Hoi An in Vietnam voted best place in the world for 2019

Lanterns
Lanterns

Called “a little gem of a place”, Hoi An in Vietnam has been voted as the best city in the world by Travel + Leisure.

The cities were ranked by the publication’s readership based on the factors of sights, culture, food, warmth of the locals and overall value.

Their readers share their travel experiences and opinions on various cities as part of the feedback.

While on holiday it is sometimes hard to find suitable food if you have specific dietary requirements, but people praised Hoi An’s vegetarian and vegan options.

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For others, the accessibility of the city was its winning feature, with one traveller saying: “It’s great that the inner part of the city is restricted and cars aren’t allowed, so one can walk down the center of the street to the shops and markets. The city has a nice atmosphere, being right on a river.”

Japanese covered bridge on Thu Bon River in Hoi An, Vietnam. Late in the evening
Japanese covered bridge on Thu Bon River in Hoi An, Vietnam. Late in the evening

Vietnam as a whole is very inexpensive, making it a desirable getaway location.

According to Numbeo, a city comparison site, half a litre of beer in Hoi An costs just under 70p while the same size is about £5 in London.

Top 15 best cities, according to Travel + Leisure

  1. Hoi An, Vietnam

  2. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

  3. Chiang Mai, Thailand

  4. Mexico City, Mexico

  5. Oaxaca, Mexico

  6. Ubud, Indonesia

  7. Tokyo, Japan

  8. Kyoto, Japan

  9. Florence, Italy

  10. Udaipur, India

  11. Rome, Italy

  12. Charleston, South Carolina

  13. Seville, Spain

  14. Santa Fe, New Mexico

  15. Bangkok, Thailand

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Last year’s winner was the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende, which is now in second place.

Readers called it “a unique art community in the mountains, with a mix of rich history and amazing food” and praised its “gorgeous, sumptuous modern interiors... mixed with 500-year-old façades”.

Other cities in Mexico made an appearance, like Mexico City and Oaxaca - the other countries with multiple options are Japan and Italy.

Only three European cities made the cut - Florence, Rome and Seville.