Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster is seen from the Millennium Wheel on the river Thames in central London on October 24, 2001.REUTERS
Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster is seen from the Millennium Wheel on the river Thames in central London on October 24, 2001.REUTERSCommuters are seen on a busy commercial street in the southern Indian city of Bangalore in this photo taken on October 2, 2004. [When narrow colonial-era streets get jammed with evening traffic in India's technology capital, the radio disc jockey on car stereos turns agony aunt. "I want you to vent all your frustrations by screaming as hard as you want to," Darius Sunawala tells a rush-hour commuter moaning by phone about potholed roads in Bangalore.REUTERSAir balloons sail off into the sunset after participating in a Nordic competition over Stockholm, Salt lake, June 5, 2002. The event takes is part of a week of celebrations for Stockholm's 750th year jubilee. The balloons dropped markers on targets, floating on the water surface.REUTERSOutside view of the Guiamares castle in Northern Portugal, July 24, 2003. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001REUTERSTwo tourists walk in front of "Moai" statues, near the town of Hanga Roa on Easter Island, 4,000 km (2,486 miles) west of Santiago, October 20, 2003. Easter Island's mysterious "Moai," giant head statues carved out of volcanic rock, are in danger of being destroyed by years of tropical rains and wind as well as careless humans and farms animals. Experts have called on the international community to commit funds to preserve the monoliths, whose mystery draws tourists to the world's most remote inhabited island.REUTERSA general view of the Hong Kong Island skyline is seen from the Peak in Hong Kong in the eveningREUTERSA kayaker paddles on Beagle Gulf north of Darwin as the sun sets July 4, 2004. Darwin, Australia's primary northern city and maritime centre, has become a major stopping point on the Australian tourist route for budget and luxury traveller alike.REUTERS
London has been named the top city in the world to visit next year in the seventh annual Lonely Planet Best in Travel guide.
Taking into consideration events coming in 2012 such as the Olympics and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, Lonely Planet considers London to be the top place to go next year.
The British capital is considered to be a "powerhouse of commerce, fashion and culture" and says it has always had "a bit of a personality crisis."
Whilst London got the top city, Uganda tops the country list and coastal Wales tops the region chart.
The selections are made based on the advice on Lonely Planet's authors, the guidebook commissioning team and selected members of the travel committee.
