Top-Pick Cities 2008

From Lonely Planet’s Bluelist.

Apia (Samoa) The low-key, laid-back atmosphere of Apia encourages a similarly low-key travel itinerary. Forget the big ticket thrills – join the sunset crowd sitting on the breakwater with a cool beer and takeaway food. For a literary thrill, it’s worth taking a bus trip to Vailima, Robert Louis Stevenson’s grand old manor in the hills behind Apia.

Bologna (Italy) Wave bye-bye to your good intentions when you go to Bologna. Dubbed la rossa, la grassa, la dotta (the red, the fat, the wise), this is Italy’s culinary capital. Its centre is drenched in medieval history but its large student population and active gay scene makes for great nightlife.

Córdoba (Argentina) Córdoba has more contemporary art, independent film, theatre and live music than you could ever get to. But when the sun goes down, the city really heats up, with tango shows, reggae clubs and underground DJs. And if you like it underground, check out the maze of Jesuit crypts that run under the city centre.

Miami (USA) Miami is south enough to be eternally warm and east enough to enjoy the Gulf Stream’s sweet water and sweeter breezes. Dive into its Latin living – sophisticated on the mainland, party central on Miami Beach. Slink down to Little Haiti for some voodoo charm or pull up a banana hammock and work on your tan.

Matsuyama (Japan) Matsuyama ramps up the contradictions – lightning-fast trains race alongside old ladies on bicycles while mountaintop shrines are lit up by walls of vending machines. The city is centred on one of the country’s finest feudal-era castles, and is home to a storied public bath house and a famous temple.

Chengdu (China) A construction boom is totally transforming the city, and Chengdu’s mayor is pursuing the national ‘Best Tourism City in China’ award with a near religious fervour, making it one of the most traveller-friendly places in the country. There’s also the city’s legendary throat-searing snacks and the chance to see the endangered giant panda.

Fes (Morocco) The medina of Fes is a journey back in time. Get lost among the souqs selling everything from rose petals to camel’s heads and quail’s eggs. Recline on cushions in a pasha’s palace to sample local cuisine before retiring to the roof terrace of your riad as the sun sets over the medina and the last call to prayer echoes across the city.

Mumbai (India) With the film of Shantaram, touted for release this year, Mumbai is set to reclaim the world’s attention. Growing economic strength has seen the city become noted for its sleek shopping, gourmet dining and swanky bars as well as its hordes of bazaars and temples. Its pace and its extremes make it a truly pulse-racing experience.

Thessaloniki (Greece) This spirited, energetic, forward-looking city (known affectionately as ‘Thess’) is the cultural heart of Greece: it’s the gateway to Mt Athos, the spiritual home of the Greek Orthodox church, and was the birthplace of rembetika, the Greek musical equivalent of the blues. The largest student population in Greece makes for a legendary nightlife.

Punta del Diablo (Uruguay) Punta has long been a favourite for vacationing Uruguayans looking to avoid the excesses of Uruguay’s other coastal resort towns. Now it’s starting to register on foreign visitors’ radars. There’s precious little development here – come here for the whale watching, the seafood and lazy days exploring on horseback and roaming the beaches.

Damascus (Syria) With Syria replacing Iraq as a member of the ‘axis of evil’, Western tourists are thin on the ground – so no annoying travel groups! The World-Heritage-listed Old City is a gem. It still retains the feel of a city of the ‘Orient’, with labyrinthine bazaars, narrow alleyways, medieval mosques, and the echo of the muezzins’ call to prayer.

Vienna (Austria) In the last few years Vienna has begun to shake itself free from the heavy hand of the Habsburg legacy, and a younger, edgier city has emerged. Modern architecture, ‘new Austrian’ cuisine and an exploding bar and club scene attract a flock of bright young things. Old-fashioned, staid, a bit of a fuddy-duddy? Nah. Vienna is cool.

~ by Steven Viviers on June 6, 2008.