Yup, that's right folks - Bangkok takes the cake, up two spots from last year and followed closely by Buenos Aires. The publication came out with this ruling only a few days ago and since, The Bangkok Post, among other periodicals, have gotten cries of protest and confusion - including from native Bangkokians themselves. Just today, a fellow wrote in suggesting his adopted hometown of Honolulu instead. Why Bangkok? It's sweltering, it's smoggy, it's smelly, it's got soi dogs everywhere, it's...Bangkok**.
To read more, see here: http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2008/results.cfm?cat=cities
Though I've come to love Bangkok for everything that it is, I also am curious about the indicators used by Travel + Leisure. If they were calculating the best bang for a tourist buck (and really, I'm not talking about sex tourism here - though maybe I should be), I would understand. Bangkok has a little something for everyone - the best, and sometimes pieces of the worst, of all worlds. There's a sprawling Chinatown with authentic Chinese food, gold jewelery stores and supercheap wholesale markets. Little India has winding roads bursting with delicious Indian restaurants, Bollywood movie rentals and sari seamstresses. Early on Sukhumvit is Soi Arab, where Middle Eastern and North African men share shisha pipes, women (at the very least cover) their hair, and outdoor restaurants offer great, cheap Middle Eastern food. There's even a Little Tokyo. That's where I live.
Right on Soi 35, my house is right in the middle of Little Tokyo. This means I can pretty much get great, decently-priced sushi anytime I want. (Being a semi-strict vegetarian, some people may contest my barometer for "great" sushi.) Besides the multiple restaurants, the Little Tokyo neighbourhood is made complete with: Japanese bookstores, chock-full of manga, Japanese video rentals, Japanese dry cleaners, spas catered towards Japanese housewives, stores full of teeny, clever Japanese gadgets, and a Fuji, the major Japanese supermarket chain (not to be confused with Fuji, the major Japanese restaurant chain - which has great futo maki).
Walking the mere 350 metres from my front gate to the main road, I am temporarily transported. Mini song-taaews zoom past, within an inch of my life, transporting Japanese women and kids between Fuji and their service apartments. Japanese housewives push Hello Kitty strollers carrying adorable, pink-cheeked Japanese toddlers sporting Hermes baby booties. The Thai salesgirls yell at you upon entry into the NEO 50,60,70 Baht Shop, shouting something in Japanese that sounds like either, "WEL-come to the STORE!!!!" or "DON'T even think about shop-LIFTING!!!!" After work, Japanese businessmen sit and smoke outside the Fuji Coffeeshop, wearing shorts and sandals, proudly bearing severe sock tans from the previous weekend's golf outing. I start to feel that perhaps it isn't so shameful that I've transitted through the Tokyo Narita airport at least 10 times and have never actually been through Tokyo immigration and customs.
Getting closer to Sukhumvit though, Little Tokyo becomes even Littler London as I pass the popular Bull's Head Pub and the Robin Hood Pub. On down Sukhumvit, you can find Londoner's. All have posters boasting something - the coldest beer on tap, the best bangers & mash, the cheapest and longest happy hour in Bangkok.
So, like I said, there's a little something for everyone and surprisingly little gets lost in translation.
**Speaking of translation, Bangkok is not actually what most Thais call their capital city. Thais refer to Bangkok as Krung Thep, roughly meaning "The City of Angels". However, Bangkok holds a much earlier awarded no. 1 spot in the Guiness Book of World Records - for having the longest name for a geographic location.
The full ceremonial name is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.
This means something like: "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (of Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn" (thanks www.bangkok.com!).
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