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Last month’s Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice Awards featured Melbourne and Sydney, Australia among the top 10 big travel cities. These cities beat the usual culprits, Paris, Barcelona and Singapore. The Conde Nast Traveler Reader’s Choice is global awards that recognize the world’s finest travel destinations each year. Australian cities are giving other traditionally popular cities a run for their money. Melbourne beat Sydney to become number three. Sydney was named number six. Two cities from the same countries appearing on the list is no little feat. It says a lot of great things about Australia. What’s it about these cities and Australia in general that is so fine? Click here for some great travel deals for your trip.
Melbourne
Melbourne could be described as sophisticated, classic, bold and stylish. Melbourne is the city that you visit when you want to have a thrill of a lifetime. The classic cafes and restaurants are incredible. The arts scene is breathtaking.
One of Melbourne most popular attractions is the Royal Botanic Gardens along Yarra River. These gardens are some of the finest in the world. The gardens have a history dating back to 1846. Covering an area of 38 hectares, the gardens have more than 8500 species of plants.
Sydney
Sydney came in behind Melbourne, though it is bigger. That was still quite impressive, as it beat some of the big boys in the game. Sydney is a city of luxury. You get to swim in rock pools, as well as Bondi and Redleaf beaches. The winter vivid festival is incredible too.
The Opera House is arguably the most iconic building in Australia. It is home to Australia’s thriving performing arts scene. It is one of the busiest performing arts centers in the world. The modern architecture of the complex is a wonder. The complex hosts 1600 performances in a year. From ballet, theatre, dance, music, comedy to talks, you will not lack something to entertain you at this magnificent place.
Tokyo beat Australia on the list with Tokyo and Kyoto cities taking the first and second positions respectively. That is not surprising though. Japan has always held its head high when it comes to urban tourism. It was quite impressive of Melbourne and Sydney to have come ahead of Paris and Singapore. You should probably choose Melbourne or Sydney if you hadn’t settled on any travel destination this holiday. You will certainly have an incredible experience in one of these cities.