Sydney World's 2nd Favourite Destination

[wheelspinner]

Big deal, but I'm posting this because I am so surprised at #1. I was sure it would be NY; is anyone else surprised at this?
Sydney named world's second-best destination
May 4, 2011 - 11:25AM


Sydney has been named the world's second best destination by the world's biggest travel website, TripAdvisor.

Australia's largest city came in at No.2 on TripAdvisor's annual Travellers' Choice Destination awards, behind Cape Town in South Africa.

Award winners were determined based on a combination of travelers' favorite places and overall destination popularity. TripAdvisor said more than one million travellers contributed to the awards.

“Tourism is vital to the Australian economy so it's encouraging to see Sydney at number two in the global table, outshining significant tourism hotspots such as Paris, New York and London,” said TripAdvisor's Emma O'Boyle

Australia dominated its region, the South Pacific in the awards, with Sydney coming in at No.1, Melbourne, Perth, Byron Bay and Cairns taking out numbers 3 to 6 respectively.

2011 Travelers' Choice World Destinations:
1. Cape Town, South Africa

2. Sydney, Australia

3. Machu Picchu, Peru

4. Paris, France

5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

6. New York City, United States

7. Rome, Italy

8. London, United Kingdom

9. Barcelona, Spain

10. Hong Kong, China

Top 10 South Pacific destinations:

1. Sydney, Australia

2. Queenstown, New Zealand

3. Melbourne, Australia

4. Perth, Australia

5. Byron Bay, Australia

6. Cairns, Australia

7. Auckland, New Zealand

8. Milford Sound, New Zealand

9. Papeete, French Polynesia

10. Christchurch, New Zealand

- theage.com.au


Read more: www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/sydney-named-worlds-secondbest-destination-20110504-1e7i3.html#ixzz1LLecw2lw

[Peltigera]

I find several of those surprising but not the fact that New York is not top. Perhaps my lack of surprise is because I do not like big cities and would find New York a nightmare after twenty minutes or so.

Actually, I am not a traveller and about the only places I would be willing to travel to are Tuscany, Vermont and Kentucky. I intend to go to Tuscany next year, but USA is going to be outwith my budget unless the lottery is good to me.

[patchoulli]

New York's #6 place is a bit surprising but then maybe it's just another sign that the world is moving away from finding the USA as attractive as it used to. I think that's a good thing. Lots to learn from the rest of the world. Africa has to be more colorful - in a natural way.
Pelti - why Vermont and Kentucky? If you ever get to KY I will drive down to meet you. Just a hop, skip and a jump away.

[wheelspinner]

May 4, 2011 5:41:01 GMT -5 patchoulli said:

Pelti - why Vermont and Kentucky? If you ever get to KY I will drive down to meet you. Just a hop, skip and a jump away.

Is Vermont one of the NE states that puts on the autumn foliage display? I always wished I'd seen that when I was living in the USA. The other things I kick myself over are missing Niagara Falls and Yosemite National Park.

[cattleman]

Well, Sydney is absolutely beautiful .... If you are rich! There is a big difference between living in Penrith and living in Rose Bay.

Even so, a couple of days there is plenty.

I have no desire to go to NY.

London is a nightmare

So, why isn't Yamba (for example) on the list?

[Pax]

There's a number of those that I was surprised were on the top-ten list... including New York, Cape Town, Paris, and London. Didn't know there was anything in Cape Town, but I've been to the other places. All of them are huge messes of cities. Rome I enjoyed though for some reason... possibly because the art in the Vatican made such an impression on me. For that matter I plan to go to St. Petersburg one more time just to see the Hermitage art museum. Absolutely stunning.

[patchoulli]

Yeah, Wheel, Vermont is like fall foliage central.
I'm like Pelti in that I do not like big cities. They make me feel closed in. I've been to New York City and I was lucky - it was 1974 or '75 and the twin towers had just been completed so I got to see them before 911. But I couldn't stand looking out of the hotel window, which was 40 stories or so up, and seeing nothing but other buildings and traffic down below. I did a lot of work in Houston for the job I held when we lived in Conroe, TX. The traffic was horrendous.
I've been to many big cities and lived in Indianapolis for many years. But I really don't like them. I like the open road and farmlands and other natural stuff. Peaceful, quiet.
Pax, I think I would like Rome also, if only for the art. I will probably never get to go but I would love to see Michaelangelo's work in person.

[MacBeth]

We prefer smaller trips - I am getting ansty for another trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival again. Have not been for about 3 years, and it is one of my favorite 'long weekend' places. I love the town as well, nice layout for walkers, decent art galleries and the like to visit as well as taking in a number of wonderful plays - one after the other.

If Richard can make the time, I may make some reservations.

[wheelspinner]

We like to alternate, or at least mix it up a bit. Some years we will do lots of little trips to nice places in SE Australia. Other years we take on something bigger, like our trip to WA last year.

Last time we went abroad was to Hong Kong 5 years ago. We're in a position to do another overseas trip later this year, and are planning on going to Scandinavia in January. That will be in the middle of an Arctic winter; pretty different for us!

[Peltigera]

May 4, 2011 5:41:01 GMT -5 patchoulli said:

Pelti - why Vermont and Kentucky? If you ever get to KY I will drive down to meet you. Just a hop, skip and a jump away.

When the USA wants to promote itself, it presents us with New York, Los Angeles and Texas. To me, none of those is attractive. A while ago, on a photographic site, I exchanged an extensive series of photographs of Lincolnshire with those of Kentucky with a chap who lives there. It looks to be an a very attractive place - much more appealing than New York, Los Angeles or Texas.

Vermont? I have friends who moved there a decade or so ago. They do NOT exchange photos (they just do not understand images!) but their verbal descriptions are nearly as good.

[patchoulli]

Kentucky is very pretty, it's rolling hills and greenery. Southern Indiana is the same. The Ohio river separates the two states. Kentucky is also a good place to experience the southern USA culture. Laid back, hearty food, the smell of wood smoke, simple pleasures. Also rednecks, gun racks in pickup trucks, racism. It's pastoral and colorful all at the same time.
I have not been to Vermont, the northeast is the one section of the country I haven't visited, other than New York City, and hope to do that some time. But anyone here can tell you that the northeast US is the place to go to see the best fall foliage (we call it 'leaf peeping' here in the midwest which is also a great place to see fall foliage) at its finest. And Vermont is the place to buy the best maple syrup for your pancakes.