Bangkok & Chiang Mai The Worlds Best...

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) -- Australia's biggest city, Sydney, has again been named the world's best city by readers of the U.S. magazine Travel and Leisure.

It is the eighth time in 10 years that Sydney, known for its iconic opera house, harbor bridge and stunning beaches, has topped the list.

It was followed by the Thai capital Bangkok in second place, with Italy's Rome and Florence in third and fourth places respectively. The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai made its first appearance in the top 10, placing fifth.

New York ranked sixth, followed by Istanbul in Turkey, Cape Town in South Africa, Oaxaca in Mexico and San Francisco.

Travel and Leisure magazine announced the 2005 results in a variety of categories in New York on Monday. The scores are indexed averages of responses by readers to a questionnaire that asks them to rate destinations, properties and companies relevant to their recent travel.

From : http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/07/12/a...city/index.html