The ancient town of Hoi An in central Vietnam was ranked 20th in Travel + Leisure readers' list of 25 best cities in the world for their mix of culture, food, and friendliness.
The ranking is part of the World’s Best Awards 2022 conducted by the U.S. magazine annually. Readers ranked the cities based on factors like the quality of hotels and restaurants, cultural heritage, top attractions, cuisine, and Covid-19 protocols.
The remaining 24 cities in order include Oaxaca (Mexico), San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Ubud (Bali, Indonesia), Florence (Italy), Istanbul (Turkey), Mexico City (Mexico), Chiang Mai (Thailand), Jaipur (India), Osaka (Japan), Udaipur (India), Seville (Spain), Mérida (Venezuela), Tokyo và Kyoto (Japan), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Seoul (South Korea), Bodrum, Rome (Italy), Muscat (Oman), Cuzco (Peru), Cape Town (South Africa), Charleston (the U.S.), Bangkok (Thailand), and Ljubljana (Slovenia).
Travel + Leisure readers also placed Phu Quoc, Vietnam's largest island off the southern province of Kien Giang, at 14th position in the list of 25 world's best islands with "white-sand beaches and delectable food".
Previously, in 2019, the magazine honored Hoi An, a UNESCO-recognised heritage site in Quang Nam province, as "the best city" in the world.
"Hoi An is a charming city with ancient roots, distinct architecture, a contagious energy, and arguably one of the best street food scenes on the planet. Most importantly, Hoi An is home to friendly people who are eager to share the best their city has to offer," Travel + Leisure commented on its website in July 2019.
The World's Best Awards is carried out based on the votes of hundreds of thousands of readers who are tourists around the world, giving suggestions to help tourists have more new options for trips.