Light trails made by a passing bus illuminate the night sky in front of Britain's Houses of Parliament in London, February 4, 2010.Reuters
Light trails made by a passing bus illuminate the night sky in front of Britain's Houses of Parliament in London, February 4, 2010.ReutersAn Omani man sits in front of a display of jambiyas (traditional daggers) in Mattrah Souq, the oldest market in Oman, in the capital Muscat June 7, 2010.ReutersThe launch of the Metro Rail in October 2011 has made Bangalore a better place to live and commute.IBTimesPilgrims sing and dance "sevillanas" (a regional dance) as they rest on their way to the shrine of El Rocio in the province of Cadiz, southern Spain, May 22, 2007. Every spring hundreds of thousands of devotees converge at a shrine to pay homage to the Virgin del Rocio during an annual pilgrimage which combines religious fervour and festive colour.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 2001.ReutersSantiago, Chile Two 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.ReutersHong Kong scored well in several categories like digital governance (3), but was brought down by the quality of life score (70).ReutersThe space shuttle Endeavour is seen to lift off over the moon in Orlando, Florida November 14, 2008. The U.S. space shuttle Endeavour soared off its seaside launch pad on Friday on a mission to upgrade the International Space Station.ReutersA 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
It's official! If there is one 'best' place in the world where you should be in 2012, it is London for all reasons. Influential travel guide publisher Lonely Planet has named London the "best city" in the world to visit in 2012.
In its seventh annual "Lonely Planet Best in Travel" guide to the best travel destinations, journeys and experiences for the 2012, Lonely Planet has cited London as the top city as it will host the 2012 Summer Olympic Games and celebrations will be marked to honor the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The list, released Oct. 28, ranks Muscat in Oman at the second place and Bengaluru (Bangalore) in India at the third place. Spanish city of Cadiz and Swedish capital Stockholm rounded off the top five list.
"London will have the spotlight firmly on it next year when it plays host to the Olympics but there are lots of other reasons why it is our number one city for 2012," Lonely Planet's Tom Hall was quoted as saying by AFP.
"Although traditionally an expensive destination for international tourists, it is now something of a bargain for many visitors including those from the Middle East, Australia and parts of Europe. Added to that London's wealth of world-class free attractions and it's easy to see why people continue to flock here."
The book, priced at €9.99, identifies 10 cities, 10 countries and 10 regions which are a "must-do" on every traveler's list of places to visit in 2012. Uganda tops the country list whilst the beautiful and wild coasts of Wales top the regions list.
Meanwhile, in another star attraction, London's historic borough of Greenwich made it into an exclusive list of the world's top ten tourist attractions for 2012. Travel guide Frommer's has included the southeast London spot in the list for its ability to reinvent itself since it emerged as a naval centre in the 18th century.
