Sydney has been voted the world’s best city destination for the eighth year in a row in Travel and Leisure magazine’s annual readers’ survey, which also selected Bali as the top island.
The Australian city beat out a strong challenge from the Thai capital Bangkok, as well as the Italian tourist magnets Rome and Florence. Another Thai city, Chiang Mai, was voted the fifth best city. It was a fourth successive triumph for Bali, which remained the top island destination, ahead of Santorini in Italy and the Hawaiian Islands of Kauai and Maui. The Asia-Pacific region dominated the best international airline category, taking eight of the top 10 places with Singapore Airlines in the number one slot.
More: dailytimes.com.pk
Related Travel Information
An Australian travel agent is refusing to sell holidays to the Indonesian island of Bali in protest against the treatment of alleged Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby.
The 27-year-old is accused of trying to smuggle more than four kilograms of marijuana into the Indonesian island of Bali last October, a crime punishable by firing squad.
Tony Foster, who runs a travel agency in the island state of Tasmania, says he believes Ms Corby is not receiving a fair trial in Indonesia.
He says his refusal to sell holiday packages to Bali is his way of making a personal protest against the Indonesian justice
A Tasmanian travel agent will stop selling holidays to Bali if alleged Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby is found guilty by an Indonesian court.
Tony Foster, who runs Harvey World Travel in Hobart and is also the mayor of Brighton, said he intended to take the action as a "personal protest" against the Indonesian judiciary.
"I am not advocating that people boycott going to Bali, I am just saying I will not be involved in promoting it as a destination," he said.
"I will probably suggest alternatives.
"A lot of the time when people come in they are looking at two or three different
Veterans to travel free on Anzac Day
Veterans and their families participating in Anzac Day events in Sydney and Newcastle will travel free on public transport.
CityRail, State Transit buses and Sydney Ferries will offer free travel on April 25, NSW Transport Minister John Watkins said.
Free travel is open to veterans, widows, children, grandchildren and all serving Defence Force Personnel, he said.
"Veterans, their families and serving personnel who are either in uniform, wearing medals displaying their RSL badge or carrying identification on RSL letterhead will travel free," he said in a statement.
People from rural and regional areas would be able to buy
Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index fell from a record, led by Woodside Petroleum Ltd. on concern the share price doesn't reflect earnings prospects after the company's first- half profit met analysts' estimates.
``The focus is on Woodside being able to increase earnings at the same or better rate in the future, and that's a dangerous game when you consider just how much has already been factored into the shares,'' said Richard Wallace, who manages the equivalent of $102 million at Wallace Funds Management in Sydney. Wallace said he's recently been selling Woodside shares.
The S&P/ASX 200 Index dropped 13.3, or 0.3
SYDNEY has again been singled out as the world's best city by American travellers.
Sydney trumped Paris, New York and Barcelona taking US Travel + Leisure magazine's award for the eighth time since the publication started 10 years ago, newspapers reported today.
The magazines 900,000 subscribers were asked to evaluate each city by its sights, culture, arts, restaurants, and food, people, shopping and value.
This year Sydneysiders rated particularly highly in the "people" category, Fairfax papers said.
More: theadvertiser.news.com.au
