London is the most highly-rated city destination

London is hot right now, it basked in the glow of international attention during this Summer’s Jubilee celebrations and is currently where-it’s at for the 2012 Olympics, as well as benefitting from the residual glow from last year’s sumptuous Royal Wedding. It has snatched the crown to be named as the best city in the world.  Tourists responding to a survey on TripAdvisor have named it as the best city in the world, as a tourist destination.  Factors that helped it come out on top against stiff international competition were:

• The diverse and cosmopolitan lifestyle and attractions
• The history around every corner
• Free things to do e.g. galleries and museums, great for any budget
• Reliable and inexpensive public transport
• Lots of beautiful parks, gardens and green spaces
• Iconic experiences like open-top red bus tours
• A variety of colourful and great-value markets

The rest of the list is as follows:

1.  London
2. New York
3. Rome
4. Paris
5. San Francisco
6. Marrakech
7. Istanbul
8. Barcelona
9. Siem Reap
10. Berlin

The rest of the list doesn’t hold many surprises, but….Siem Reap?  Where is that and how has it made it onto the list?

Well, it is capital city of Cambodia and gateway to the Angkor region.  A key attraction is the Angkor Wat temple, the main feature of the Angkor Unesco World Heritage Site, which contains the remains of the Khmer civilization.  Other attractions include colonial and Chinese-style architecture, traditional Aspara dance performances, craft shops, silk farms, rice-paddy countryside, fishing villages and a bird sanctuary.

If you are lucky enough to be planning a trip to Cambodia or another city in the hot Top 10, don’t forget to make plans for your travel insurance.  Travel insurance is not an expensive luxury, but a competitively-priced travel essential with a variety of products to choose from.  What will suit you best?  Backpackers insurance, gap year insurance or something else to suit your needs?