Australian city named best holiday destination in the world
Our hotels rated well, too.
Australia has new bragging rights as one of the world's best tourist destinations after Sydney was named the best city in the world to visit by Conde Nast Traveller.
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Its Readers' Choice Awards 2024 had more than 125,000 readers across the UK vote for the prestigious gong.
Sydney was followed by Valencia in Spain, and Singapore, which were named the second and third-best cities in the world.
Sydney was also named the second-friendliest city in the world to visit behind Singapore in first place, with Las Vegas, Nevada coming in third place.
Conde Nast Traveller said: "If you've experienced a snippet of life Down Under, you've probably fallen hard for the unique, indoor-outdoor way of life the Aussies embrace so well."
Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island was named 29th in the Best Hotels in the World, and the only Australian hotel to be named in the top 50. The hotel burned down in the black summer bushfires in 2020 and was rebuilt in 2023. The number-one hotel in the world was L'Horizon Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, California.
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney was named number one in the Best Hotels in Australasia, with Park Hyatt Sydney coming in second, Halcyon House at Cabarita Beach, NSW, in third place, Osborn House in Bundanoon, NSW in ninth place and The Langham Melbourne in tenth.
Halcyon House's general manager, Laura Proctor, said: "To be ranked the No.3 hotel in Australasia is wonderful and that it's voted by readers makes it even more special. It takes a dedicated team to deliver outstanding guest experiences, who go above and beyond to welcome our guests back time and time again. This accolade is a testament to their professionalism."
The Best Resorts in Asia and the South Pacific had Queensland take four of the top-10 positions, including the Bedarra Island Resort in first place, while Saffire Freycinet in Tasmania took second place and the NT's Longitude 131° was named fourth.
For Aussie travellers looking to go overseas, the best resort in Greece was Sani Resort in Halkidiki, and in the rest of Europe, it was Six Senses Ibiza in Spain, while South Africa's best resort was Makanyi Private Game Lodge in Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, and for the rest of Africa, Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond Safari, Botswana, was named number one.
In Mexico, the best resort was Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, in Riviera Maya, Quintiana Roo; in the USA and Canada it was Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.
The Oberoi Beach Resort was the best resort in Bali and in Thailand it was Banyan Tree in Phuket. For the rest of Asia, Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka was number one.
The top airline in the world, as voted by readers, went to Air New Zealand, followed by Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways.
Conde Nast Traveller is an award-winning luxury travel magazine headquartered in London.
Earlier in September, Sydney was named Oceania's Leading City Destination in the World Travel Awards 2024.
My all-time favourite destination is ... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me.
Next on my bucket list is … Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life.
My top travel tip is … Don’t plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what’s within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.
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