Looking for the ideal vacation city for the summer, according to CNN Travel, these ten cities are the cremé de la cremé. Personally, this writer feels Bali, Indonesia takes the number 1 spot with it's blue crystal clear waters, amazing beaches, awesome scenery and multiple fun activities. But it does not even make the top ten cut.
1. Kyoto (Japan)
For more than 1,000 years, Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan, and vestiges of this royal history remain in sites such as the Kyoto Gosho palace.
You can't see Kyoto without exploring the city's incredible Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines -- there are more than 2,000 scattered across the city -- but insiders recommend Sanjusangendo, which houses 1,001 statues of the god Kannon, carved from cypress in the 12th and 13th centuries, as well as the iconic Kinkaku-Ji (Golden Pavilion).
2. Charleston (South Carolina)
It's the only U.S. city represented in the overall list, and repeatedly appears on its America's Favorite Cities lists.
Despite its famed friendliness, Charleston has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, becoming the most recent site of a great national tragedy and intense civic debate.
It's been applauded for its beautiful, jasmine-fringed neighborhoods and historic battlegrounds.
Not far from downtown is Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach, where locals and visitors go to cool off amongst the grassy, soft sand dunes on hot summer days.
3. Siem Reap (Cambodia)
Angkor Wat might be the star, but there's so much more to Siem Reap than temple ruins.
For adventurous travelers, this Cambodian city is nothing short of a necessary pilgrimage.
The unmistakable silhouette of Angkor Wat, the massive, 12th century Buddhist temple, is perhaps Siem Reap's best-known landmark.
To make the most of your visit, we recommend splurging on an Angkor Wat pass, which will allow you to return throughout the day or week, for various shots of the temples in different weather and light.
4. Florence (Italy)
This Italian city is a perfect example of a destination that's constantly reinventing itself and offering even veteran visitors variation and excitement.
Known for being a Renaissance repository with such highlights as Michelangelo's David and red-roofed buildings reflected in the river Arno, Florence is livelier than ever.
Still, the city is a monument to its monuments, and the magnificent Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (known simply as Il Duomo), with features dating back to the 7th century, remains the most recognizable feature of the Florentine skyline.
A jaw-dropping vista from the Giardini & Villa Bardini, or the impeccably restored San Niccolò tower, really puts things in perspective.
5. Rome (Italy)
Eternal City, indeed.
It's impossible to tire of the capital city's storied landmarks, such as The Pantheon and The Colosseum, both relics of the Roman Empire.
Not to mention St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel in the sovereign Vatican, and the 2,300-year-old cobblestones that make up Appian Way.
When you've had your fill of the old, a new breed of design-forward buildings have risen in brilliant contrast to the original masterworks.
Most Tourists agree that one trip simply is not enough.
"There will never be sufficient time to see all there is in Rome," one said.
6. Bangkok (Thailand)
Bangkok's Grand Palace, one of the city's top atttractions.
After a year of unrest, Bangkok has been restored to the World's Best list, where it clung to the No. 1 spot from 2010 to 2013.
It's frenetic, colorful and a curious amalgamation of past and present: tuk-tuks and monks fill the streets at dawn, their reflections cast in the steel and glass high-rises.
At night, Sukhumvit Soi 38 offers an equally vibrant street-side feast, where pedestrians elbow up to tables for fat rice noodles, mango sticky rice and pathong ko (Thai doughnuts) with pandan leaf custard.
For a moment of serenity consider heading for Wat Suthat temple, the Himalayan-style art gallery, Serindia, or jump on a long-tail boat tour along the Chao Phraya River.
7. Krakow (Poland)
Poland's second city has been experiencing a quiet cultural revolution, and it's finally getting the attention it deserves.
This World's Best debut, known for Gothic fortifications and a laid-back, blase attitude, has enchanted travelers and overcome even stalwart favorites like Istanbul and New York.
Perhaps it's the marvels of the Old City, like Rynek Glowny -- the largest Medieval square in Europe -- and the Royal Castle of Wawel that have captivated intrepid travelers seeking something unfamiliar out of their explorations abroad.
Some, however, will tell you it's the mystic chakhra stone of Wawel Hill that has bewitched the world.
8. Barcelona (Spain)
This beachside city is the offbeat counterpart to Madrid.
It's unquestionably hip and strikes a perfect balance between its iconic attractions (the Antoni Gaudí-designed Parc Guell) and cutting-edge developments (the zinc-and-glass design center DHUB, Michelin-starred restaurant Saüc).
Museo Picasso is a must-see, with an impressive collection of the artist's early works.
Catalan culture may be best appreciated through the city's renowned food scene.
You can grab breakfast at the Pinotxo counter inside La Boquería market, or another small-plates-centric spot, Tickets.
9. Cape Town (South Africa)
Cape Town: A city that really does have it all.
Forget everything you thought you knew about Africa.
Cape Town is cutting-edge, artsy and buzzing with energy.
There are few places in the world where you can exercise your shopping skills (Woodstock's Neighborgoods Market on Saturday mornings is the place to go for Afrikaans jerky and silk-and-leather sandals), take off on a safari, or enjoy world-famous cuisine all in one weekend.
Atlantic-facing Clifton Beaches are the South Beach of South Africa, known for enormous natural boulders tumbling into the sea, pristine sunbathing conditions and the capoeira dancers that entertain crowds with fire and African drums on Monday nights.
10. Jerusalem
Christians, Jews, and Muslims converge to worship in this 4,000-year-old holy city, and their respective churches, synagogues and mosques surround the historic Old City.
Here, you can tuck a miniature prayer into the Western Wall, or see a fragment of clay engraved with cuneiform at the excavation site at Temple Mount.
The iconic, gleaming gold Dome of the Rock is best photographed from the Austrian Hospice, which offers unparalleled views of the city and Mount of Olives.
Jerusalem, like every other city on this list, also has a stake in the contemporary and the secular.
Luxury apartment buildings now erupt like stalagmites from the Judean Desert, and high-end restaurants, such as King's Court at the restored Waldorf Astoria, are bringing a new upmarket appeal to this arid oasis.
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