Historical Vietnamese city tops poll

Vietnam's Hoi An has been declared the world's top city destination by a leading UK travel magazine.

Wanderlust said nearly 3,000 of its readers voted Hoi An their favourite city in the magazine's latest Readers' Travel Awards.

Editor-in-Chief Lyn Hughes awarded the certificate to Le Thi Thu Hang, the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Vietnam to the UK after the city received a satisfaction rating from readers of more than 97%.

Nearly 1,000 cities, from Bognor in the UK to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, received votes in this year's awards but none could quite reach the popularity of Hoi An.

Wanderlust's Mark Stratton, who has just returned from a visit to Hoi An, commented: "It really is a very likeable and beautiful city. Beaches and rural surroundings add up to a great package for travellers. A worthy winner."

Located in Quang Nam Province, Hoi An was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. Its architecture and street planning reflect both indigenous and foreign influences that have combined to produce this unique historical site.

Wanderlust readers who had travelled from December 2011 to November 2012 gave their opinions in the poll. An average satisfaction score was then taken and used to pick up a winner.

Peruvian city Cusco came second with 95.76% satisfaction, while Japan's Kyoto came third.