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| Limpeh @ Gardens By The Bay |
A quick guide to criteria: 'value for money' is looking at how cheap a city is - some destinations are very expensive and you feel yourself hemorrhaging money all the time, like, "I just went to the ATM two days ago and now I am broke already?!" A city with good value for money would always have budget options for travelers who wish to spend less (on food, accommodation, transport etc) whilst in some cities, there are far fewer options for the budget-conscious traveler.
Safety is self-explanatory - it is about how much crime there is in that city, whether you feel safe walking around at night, how relaxed you can be in the city: do you have to constantly watch your back? Can you trust the police? As for food, I am rating it on the basis of how tasty the typical local cuisine is, how easy it is to get good food and if there is a good variety available to suit all tastes. Public transport is rated on the ease of navigation, how efficient it is and how much it costs. Weather takes into account the comfort factor: how would you feel after having walked around town sightseeing for three hours? Hot and sticky? Comfortable? Frozen to death?
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| Feeling comfortable in a T-shirt at -2 degrees |
Culture looks at the historical attractions of the city - for example, ancient temples, old churches, ruins of castles etc, whilst 'fun' is looking at all other modern attractions for adventurous travelers (white water rafting, water theme park. clubbing scene, Disneyland type theme parks etc). Shopping is a category that I will score in terms of the overall shopping experience (do you feel like you're being ripped off, do you feel like you have good value for money, are you going to find bargains, are there interesting things to buy etc). Friendly locals is a controversial category - I will judge it on how easy it is to find help in the city, say if you get lost or need help for whatever reason (and it also reflects on how polite the locals are). Finally, the last category is 'English' - it is to rate the ability of the locals to speak English (and the availability of signs/menus/announcements/etc in English). Yes we should all make an effort to learn the local language(s) when we visit a country, but in reality, we'll eventually end up speaking English by default a lot of the time. Each category will be scored out of ten and there will be a total score out of 100.
1. Vienna: 89
Vienna narrowly beats Paris as the best city break destination in the world - the splendours of Vienna are best appreciated on foot where you can admire the city's architecture. You don't need to be an expect to tell if a building's style is baroque or neoclassical - just stand there and say, "wow!". A surprisingly good array of good food (given that Austrian cuisine isn't that well known), good shopping, friendly locals, pleasant climate, very friendly locals and an efficient public transport system - I am definitely going back for more despite the fact that it is not a cheap city.
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| I can't take regular holiday snaps like others... even in Vienna. |
Safety: 10
Food: 7
Public transport: 9
Weather: 10
Culture: 10
Fun: 8
Shopping: 9
Friendly locals: 10
English: 9
Vienna's total score: 892. Paris: 87
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| In second place, Paris! |
Having lived in Paris as a student, I have totally fallen in love with Paris but then it tends to illicit a rather strong reaction from visitors: you either love it or hate it. I love it! You can spend hours just wandering around the streets of Paris, admiring the lovely architecture. The food is one of the best in the world, shopping is fantastic (both high end and budget) public transport is efficient and user-friendly and whether you're after high art or hedonistic fun (from adult sex clubs to Disneyland), Paris has something for everyone. The downside is that Paris can be rather expensive and that the locals are less likely to be friendly if you don't make an effort to speak French - you were warned!
Value for money: 7
Safety: 9
Food: 10
Public transport: 9
Weather: 9
Culture: 10
Fun: 10
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 7
English: 6
Paris' total score: 87Definitely my favourite city in North America, you definitely should visit New York - and those who have been often return because they have fallen in love with this stunning city. Some cities feel dreary and grey in the winter months but New York can be very pretty in the period just before Christmas especially if you get some decent snow. Like Paris - it has something for everyone apart for budget travelers, trying to do New York on a budget could land you in some nasty flea pits. So be prepared to spend a decent amount of money to have a great holiday in New York.
Safety: 8
Food: 9
Public transport: 10
Weather: 8
Culture: 6
Fun: 10
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 7
English: 10
NY's total score: 844. Barcelona: 81
Hands down my favourite city in Spain. Stunningly good food, so many wonderous sights (Sagrada Familia, Park Güell are the two favourites), a great public transport system and so much history. It is hard to find anything to fault about Barcelona, but I would caution you against visiting in the summer months when it can get quite crowded and hot. Believe you me, you don't want to be queuing up to enter Sagrada Familia when it is 38 degrees. Spain is a bit cheaper than other northern European countries, so you can find better value for money here than in say England or Germany.
Safety: 8
Food: 10
Public transport: 9
Weather: 7
Culture: 10
Fun: 9
Shopping: 8
Friendly locals: 8
English: 7
Barcelona's total score: 815. London: 79
Samuel Johnson once said, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." That is true even today, with a city that offers something for everyone - whether you wish to go to the theatre every night in the West End, visit the numerous museums and galleries, go clubbing at the Ministry of Sound and Heaven or simply shop till you drop down Oxford Street, there is something for everyone whether you're old or young, rich or poor, a culture vulture or a complete Philistine. There are reasonably cheap options available for backpackers, though London has never been a cheap city - public transport, for example, is expensive (but reasonably efficient); oh and the food sucks. Really.
Safety: 8
Food: 5
Public transport: 7
Weather: 8
Culture: 9
Fun: 7
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 9
English: 10
London's total score: 79There is a certain appeal about Tokyo much like sushi - you either totally buy into it and love it or you don't like it at all. Tokyo has been described as organized chaos - there can be a certain 'lost in translation' confusion to Tokyo for those who are unfamiliar with Japan and don't speak Japanese. But for those who do go prepared and already have some knowledge of Tokyo, it can be great fun: excellent cuisine, great public transport, extremely safe and reasonably tourist-friendly, Tokyo can be great fun as long as you have plenty of money and can get over the language barrier.
Safety: 10
Food: 10
Public transport: 9
Weather: 9
Culture: 9
Fun: 10
Shopping: 8
Friendly locals: 5 (mostly down to the language barrier)
English: 3
Tokyo's total score: 78Prague used to be one of those budget destinations in the former Eastern Bloc - not any more, this extremely popular tourist destination has become expensive and the exchange rate is no longer than favourable, given how the Czech Koruna has strengthened over the last decade. Nonetheless, there is a reason why tourists flock to Prague - just walk around the old town and you can't take a bad photograph. It is like a scene out of some medieval fairy tale and it has a totally different character in winter, when the city is covered in a blanket of white snow. Good food, tourist-friendly public transport and friendly locals. Go to Prague soon, before it becomes even more expensive.
Value for money: 6
Safety: 7Food: 8
Public transport: 8
Weather: 9
Culture: 10
Fun: 7
Shopping: 6
Friendly locals: 9
English: 7
Prague's total score: 778. Istanbul: 76
Istanbul is indeed one of my favourite cities of all time and sadly, the city (and country) is undergoing political turmoil in 2013 - hence the very low safety score (it is normally a lot safer I assure you. It breaks my heart to see this happen to Istanbul as it is a stunning place with so much to offer for visitors in terms of its rich cultural heritage - just standing between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia gives you an idea of how this great city is a fusion of Middle Eastern and European influences. The food is stunning (best ice cream in the world - dondurma), the shopping is the best in the world and the locals are amazingly friendly (even if their English skills aren't great). I hope peace will return to Istanbul soon so you can all experience this wonderful, beautiful city.
Safety: 4
Food: 10
Public transport: 7
Weather: 7
Culture: 10
Fun: 7
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 9
English: 4
Istanbul's total score: 769. Singapore: 75
Singapore is certainly the most tourist friendly city in all of Asia. The local cuisine is fantastic and visitors are often blown away by the skyline of the modern city. With brand new attractions like Gardens By The Bay, The River and Night Safaris and Universal Studios, it is a great place to have a lot of fun if you have a lot of money. The strong Singapore dollar makes the city increasingly expensive and whilst public transport and eating out is still very cheap, hotels and tourist attractions do not come cheap in this city. The hot and sticky tropical climate can make any kind of outdoor activity very uncomfortable and if you're after history or culture - you're barking up the wrong tree.
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| Limpeh partying at Zouk! |
Safety: 10
Food: 10
Public transport: 10
Weather: 2
Culture: 1
Fun: 10
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 8
English: 8 (I know you're going to bitch about that score not being 10 but think about the older folks who don't speak any English - they do exist, along with all the PRCs who don't speak any English either)
Sngapore's total score: 7510. St Petersburg: 72
Not the easiest place to get to but for those who do make the effort, St Petersburg has plenty to offer. I have already done a review of the city here, so I will refer you to my piece here.
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| Limpeh in St Petersburg |
Safety: 8
Food: 9
Public transport: 8
Weather: 10
Culture: 10
Fun: 7
Shopping: 5
Friendly locals: 6 (language barrier notwithstanding)
English: 1
St Petersburg's total score: 7211. Marrakesh: 71
Marrakesh is one of the most popular destinations in Morocco and thanks to budget airlines, it has seen a huge boom in tourism as European tourists jet in on a shoestring, making Marrakesh more accessible than ever. Being a Northern African city, prices are reasonably cheap and you can get great bargains here. The city is actually also reasonably safe for foreign travelers as long as they exercise a healthy dose of common sense. Great food, plenty of history and culture - you will love Marrakesh. Public transport can be tricky though and few locals speak any English, though if you speak French you'll be alright as Morocco is a former French colony and French is always taught at school, so practically everyone speaks French. But if you speak neither French nor Arabic, there will be a huge language barrier. Marrakesh is best visited in the winter months when the weather is a lot cooler - it can get frightfully hot in the summer.
Safety: 7
Food: 9
Public transport: 4
Weather: 6
Culture: 10
Fun: 8
Shopping: 9
Friendly locals: 6
English: 3 (but if you speak French you'll be alright!)
Marrakesh's total score: 7112. Kuala Lumpur: 68
KL is remarkably similar to Singapore in many ways and I am fond of KL (despite the problems as discussed here). Great food, reliable public transport, excellent shopping and great value for money. The downside is the weather and the lack of culture - no offence my Malaysian friends, but KL is a relatively new city, there just isn't the kind of history one gets in other older cities like London, Beijing or Istanbul. It can also be hot and sticky if you are trying to see the sights during daylight hours - but if you like your malls, you're in retail heaven. My favourite KL mall is Berjaya Times Square (loads of independent boutiques), you are really spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping in KL!
Safety: 7
Food: 10
Public transport: 7
Weather: 2
Culture: 1
Fun: 7
Shopping: 10
Friendly locals: 8
English: 7
KL's total score: 68
13. Hanoi: 61
Hanoi can have its charms but I fear it has become just a little bit too touristy already - the old town of Hanoi where most tourists end up is really going that way, full of Australian backpackers, Irish pubs and gift shops. Oh dear. Nonetheless, Vietnam still offers good value for money, the cuisine is awesome and if you visit Northern Vietnam during the winter months, the weather can be very pleasant and cool. There is enough to keep you occupied for a long weekend, though the local public transport system is confusing to say the least. The locals simply don't speak any other language apart from Vietnamese and only some young people speak a little English - huge language barrier!
Food: 10
Public transport: 2
Weather: 6
Culture: 10
Fun: 6
14. Shanghai: 58
I am not a fan of Shanghai though I have included it on this list because it is becoming an increasingly popular city break destination in Asia. It is becoming increasingly expensive and crowded - and Shanghai must be avoided in the summer months when it gets ridiculously hot. It is nonetheless a remarkably safe city for tourists, there's plenty of good food and things to keep you amused in the city for a few days, though if you're looking for culture, you should have gone to Beijing instead. The locals however, aren't friendly at all I'm afraid and the city can overwhelm you - it is congested, polluted, crowded and claustrophobic. That's why I don't like Shanghai.
Value for money: 7
Safety: 8
Food: 8
Public transport: 7
Weather: 7
Culture: 3
Fun: 6
15. Dubai: 47
I had to include Dubai in this list as a friend of mine in Singapore is headed there soon and I think she will be disappointed. It really pales in comparison to other city break destinations for many reasons: it is very expensive to begin with and the weather is frightfully hot for most of the year, apart from the winter months when it is bearable. Unlike other older Middle Eastern cities, Dubai was a small village until the oil boom in the late 60s, so if you like skyscrapers and malls, then you're in heaven but if you're after some culture - you're so in the wrong town. Nonetheless, they have plenty of modern attractions to amuse you from water theme parks to indoor ski slopes to galleries to keep you occupied whilst in town and you can always drive out to see the desert and all the majestic landscapes outside the city (but really, that's not in the city itself and thus I will not include it as a city attraction).
Women travellers beware though, there was a shocking news report recently about a Norwegian woman who reported being raped in Dubai but landed up in jail herself with a harsher sentence than her rapist for sex outside marriage. I am appalled and speechless. In light of this, I had to drop the safety score for Dubai from 10 to 6 (I felt very safe there as a man - especially since I do not touch alcohol at all, I am teetotal.)
Value for money: 1
Safety: 6
Food: 4
Public transport: 3
Weather: 1
Culture: 2
Fun: 8
Hanoi can have its charms but I fear it has become just a little bit too touristy already - the old town of Hanoi where most tourists end up is really going that way, full of Australian backpackers, Irish pubs and gift shops. Oh dear. Nonetheless, Vietnam still offers good value for money, the cuisine is awesome and if you visit Northern Vietnam during the winter months, the weather can be very pleasant and cool. There is enough to keep you occupied for a long weekend, though the local public transport system is confusing to say the least. The locals simply don't speak any other language apart from Vietnamese and only some young people speak a little English - huge language barrier!
Value for money: 9
Safety: 6Food: 10
Public transport: 2
Weather: 6
Culture: 10
Fun: 6
Shopping: 5
Friendly locals: 5
English: 3
Hanoi's total score: 61
14. Shanghai: 58
I am not a fan of Shanghai though I have included it on this list because it is becoming an increasingly popular city break destination in Asia. It is becoming increasingly expensive and crowded - and Shanghai must be avoided in the summer months when it gets ridiculously hot. It is nonetheless a remarkably safe city for tourists, there's plenty of good food and things to keep you amused in the city for a few days, though if you're looking for culture, you should have gone to Beijing instead. The locals however, aren't friendly at all I'm afraid and the city can overwhelm you - it is congested, polluted, crowded and claustrophobic. That's why I don't like Shanghai.
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| Feeling very very hot in Shanghai - don't go there in the summer months! |
Value for money: 7
Safety: 8
Food: 8
Public transport: 7
Weather: 7
Culture: 3
Fun: 6
Shopping: 6
Friendly locals: 3
English: 3
Shanghai's total score: 58I had to include Dubai in this list as a friend of mine in Singapore is headed there soon and I think she will be disappointed. It really pales in comparison to other city break destinations for many reasons: it is very expensive to begin with and the weather is frightfully hot for most of the year, apart from the winter months when it is bearable. Unlike other older Middle Eastern cities, Dubai was a small village until the oil boom in the late 60s, so if you like skyscrapers and malls, then you're in heaven but if you're after some culture - you're so in the wrong town. Nonetheless, they have plenty of modern attractions to amuse you from water theme parks to indoor ski slopes to galleries to keep you occupied whilst in town and you can always drive out to see the desert and all the majestic landscapes outside the city (but really, that's not in the city itself and thus I will not include it as a city attraction).
Women travellers beware though, there was a shocking news report recently about a Norwegian woman who reported being raped in Dubai but landed up in jail herself with a harsher sentence than her rapist for sex outside marriage. I am appalled and speechless. In light of this, I had to drop the safety score for Dubai from 10 to 6 (I felt very safe there as a man - especially since I do not touch alcohol at all, I am teetotal.)
Safety: 6
Food: 4
Public transport: 3
Weather: 1
Culture: 2
Fun: 8
Shopping: 5
Friendly locals: 9
English: 8
Dubai's total score: 47There are actually plenty of other cities I can do - Amsterdam, Brussels, Nice, Milan, Edinburgh, Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, Reykjavik, Madrid, Malaga, Geneva, Zurich, Colombo, Bangkok., Hong Kong, Denpasar, Muscat, Zagreb, Berlin, Frankfurt, Bratislava, Ljubljana and a whole bunch of American cities... I think most European cities I have listed here (but didn't review) would score somewhere in between 75 - 85 I wanted to pick a range of destinations from around the world rather than focus on Europe (which would all end up with more or less the same score). I really wanted to do Seoul and on my rating system, it had a score of 84 - but it wouldn't be fair of me to include it as I haven't actually been to Seoul yet (and I desperately want to). So I rated Tokyo instead which I have been to years ago. Maybe I'll do part 2 at some stage if you guys like this article!
So there you go, what do you think of these city break destinations? Have you been to these places? Do you think my scores are fair? Are there any other destinations you would like me to review? Are you headed somewhere nice any time soon? Do leave a comment and let me know what you think - thanks for reading!
I was wondering what you think of Northern Europe(Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Finland). I'm planning to visit one or two of these places next year, and also, I would include Australia, Canada, and South Korea--awesome places--for any future posts on travelling. On my own end, I actually found Seoul, South Korea, easier to navigate than Tokyo, partially because I knew a lot of Korean--sometimes way more than my French or Chinese--and also, because people actually do their best to help you when you are finding your way(Japanese are rather 'shy' in this aspect, and the language barrier makes it worse). But Canada and Australia are still among my favorite countries to visit and even live in in the world.
ReplyDeleteHello Kev! I have actually done ALL of those Northern European countries you've listed above and I can summarize them like that:
DeleteValue for money: 2 (Norway & Iceland v expensive) or 4 Sweden & Finland moderately expensive)
Safety: 10
Food: 4 (sorry, nothing to write home about, the novelty of Moose/Elk/Reindeer meat wears thin and it's bloody expensive)
Public transport: 8 (always v good but expensive)
Weather: 10 (but that's me, I love it when it's -15)
Culture: 7 (if you're into Viking culture...)
Fun: 9 (if you visit in the winter months, plenty of snow orientated stuff to do)
Shopping: 2 (fashion sucks, local produce limited & expensive)
Friendly locals: 10
English: 10
Score for Iceland/Norway: 72
Score for Sweden/Finland: 75
So it is okay, you will have fun, just be prepared to spend a LOT of money as it's not cheap (esp Norway and Iceland) and the food will suck. There's plenty of novelty stuff to try (Hakarl, fermented shark, smoked puffin, whale meat, other kinds of seabirds they kill for food) ... but at the end of the day, it's bland and lacks variety and at least in big cities like Stockholm and Helsinki, you can get other kinds of foods - I had really good sushi in Helsinki ... if only I can remember the name of the restaurant!
According to my sister who has done Seoul, the Koreans are incredibly shy when you approach them in English as there is a language barrier. This woman literally ran away from her and my sister was like, "oh come on, all I wanted to do was ask you directions to the train station, even if you didn't speak English you didn't have to run away as if I was a killer with a chain saw." LOL.
Aaaargh, spotted a typo.
DeleteIt should be score for Iceland/Norway: 72
score for Sweden/Finland: 74 (and not 75) - just spotted the typo. Hit the wrong key ... sorry.
Your sister's comments were quite interesting haha...It might have to do with me being conversant in Korean though, since if I ever did not know of any places and needed help, the native Koreans would be willing to help. Some actually even think that I am a native Korean from the southeastern side of the peninsula LOL (Busan/Gyeongsangnamdo....LOL)....
DeleteI am actually VERY interested in Viking culture and medieval Nordic(Baltic) culture by default of my academic background, and during my time in the UK years back, it was a pity that the trip was a rushed 1 and a half weeks. There is so much medieval history everywhere in London and nearby Canterbury. Canada's weather is not much different from northern Europe's, as you might be aware, and even drier, so in a way, I am used to the weather.
I feel you're biased to rate KL higher than Shanghai.
ReplyDeleteFor public transport I would rate KL pretty low due to their cab drivers always refusing to go by the meter whereas Shanghai is one of the very few cities in China that always stick to the meter, even during CNY. KL also a lack of metro system (that puny LRT not counted) whereas Shanghai metro goes all the way to the airport. Never took the bus in KL so not sure of the quality but Shanhai buses have a route map and arrival times on display.
Also shopping I would rate Shanghai higher since they have lots of niche shops as well as most of the major international brands. When I was in KL looking around their department store (can't remember which one Isetan maybe) most of the brands are obscure local brands. It could be that their focus is not so much on intl brands therefore a smaller presence or it could be that their department stores are just lousy.
Shanghai has a few cultural sites maybe you just haven't seen them. Take The Bund, Old Walled City, Longhua Temple which is based on Song Dynasty designs and a few other historical grave sites. Maybe you kept mostly to Pudong during your stay there which is mainly newly built skyscraper. But Puxi has more historical value than KL for sure.
Hi there - thanks for your feedback.
DeleteI am happy to knock the score off KL for public transport from 9 to about 7 or even 6 but even then, it still puts KL way ahead of Shanghai by a very long way. Heck, I have even rated Hanoi ahead of Shanghai. Yes I am aware of the taxi situation in KL and have only had to take a taxi once late at night in KL, but otherwise I got around pretty well by public transport (the LRT was fine for me). There is the KLIA ekspress that gets you to the airport, but I remember the price was 35 RM from KL Sentral (non-stop 28 mins) so that's like £7.50 or S$15 which is expensive but otherwise KLIA is a very long way out and the price does reflect the distance of the airport from KL and the speed (28 mins only) of the journey. In short, yes it's expensive but damn it's good.
I have been MORTIFIED by the buses in Shanghai - I actually did do a lot of buses in Shanghai, I completely went local when I was there and explored a lot of places off the metro network which required me to take buses and it was the constant spitting in the buses that mortified me.
I disagree when it comes to shopping in Shanghai - international brands, I can get anywhere (London, Singapore, any major city), so I am less interested in those. Local brands, local produce, things I can't get anywhere else (or that I can get a lot cheaper in that city) - they did nothing for me either in Shanghai whilst at least I did find some things to buy in KL, things which did make me perk up and say, "oooh this is nice, I want this." But fair enough, that's completely dependent on my tastes and you may have a different take on that.
I did invest in a TimeOut Shanghai guide which I read cover to cover before I went to Shanghai and I even asked a lot of locals for help/advice when I was there, so I totally did NOT do what you said! I spent most of my time in Puxi and avoided Pudong (well, had to go via there for the airport) as I really didn't like Pudong but found Puxi a lot more interesting.
But if you're after history, head to Beijing instead. Or even Suzhou.
OK I have knocked 2 points of KL's score (transport score reduced from 9 to 7) but it still doesn't change the rankings.
DeleteBeijing and its forbidden city is quite crappy from what I've heard. Lots of the same rebuilt and reconstructed stuff like in most of China since all the valuable stuff was either plundered or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.
DeleteI would instead recommend Taipei and the National Palace Museum for anyone interested in authentic Chinese history and artifacts. Most of the stuff was smuggled out of Beijing during the civil war and it was a good thing they did otherwise the Chairman Mao would have destroyed everything.
I wouldn't mind checking out Beijing at some point if I get the chance to - work nearly took me there a few years ago, but alas it was not to be. Taipei is a city that I wouldn't mind visiting as well, but have never been. There's quite a lot of Asia that I've not done - the fact is I lived in Singapore as a child and as a child, you only go where your parents take you and my parents weren't keen on traveling at all. And as an adult, I've done so much of Europe because I live here...
DeleteHi Limpeh, thanks for sharing your ratings of all these great cities. I'm wondering about a few things though. How is Dubai culture 2 and Singapore culture 1? Also Dubai has had some notorious incidents involving women, so is it really a 10 for safety as well?
ReplyDeleteHi and thanks for your comment. Dubai and Singapore share the same problems and challenges when it comes to culture - a lack of a long history (compare these cities to Vienna, Istanbul or Beijing for example) The only reason why Dubai scores a 2 for culture is because the government gladly pours loads of their (oil) money into culture, attracting the best of ballets, theatres, operas, circuses etc to Dubai (Cirque du Soleil was in town when I was there) hence you do get to enjoy some culture (albeit not local culture) whilst Singaporeans really don't give a shit about culture and thus it is a cultural desert - Singaporeans prefer shopping to culture.
DeleteYou're right in that women have no rights in Dubai - the sexism is off the scale and women are second class citizens in the middle East. I was appalled by the case of the Norwegian woman who was raped in Dubai but instead landed up in jail for having had sex outside marriage - there's something seriously fucked up about a culture that can do that to women. In light of this, I will drop the safety score for Dubai. Sorry, I was writing about Dubai based on my experience as a man in Dubai and of course, as a man who doesn't touch alcohol (I am teetotal), I felt quite safe in Dubai.