South Indian city of Kochi has been named as the seventh-best destination in the world to visit next year by the global travel book publisher, Lonely Planet.
Kochi, which will host the contemporary Kochi-Muziris Biennale next year, is the only Indian city selected by the travel guide, which unveiled its annual list of countries, cities and other destinations that it says travellers should visit next year.
The recommendations are included in the upcoming book "Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2020," which will be released on October 23.
Lonely Planet, which focuses on cities that make a positive impact on the environment, describes the Kerala city as a destination that embraces its heritage.
"Kochi has become a shining example of renewable energy in recent years, launching the world's first fully solar-power airport, which snagged it a UN Champions of the Earth award," said Lonely Plant, highlighting the boho cafes and homestays nestled in greenery.
Tourist Attractions
As the city is known for its blend of cultures, tourists can see its legacy in old synagogues, mosques, Dutch houses and Chinese fishing nets. "It's a delightful place to explore, laze in arty cafes and relax at some of India's finest homestays and heritage hotels," the publication added.
However, the most popular attractions of the city include Paradesi Synagogue, the Chinese fishing nets, Hill Palace Museum, Princess Street and David Hall. For many foreign tourists, Kochi is one of the best destinations to visit in India.
Like in the previous years, the publication has selected the top destinations after considering feedback from hundreds of contributors from around the world. And the selected destinations include popular attractions as well as lesser-known unique places of attraction.
Other major tourist attractions on the list are Salzburg in Austria, Washington D.C and Denver in the United States, Cairo in Egypt, Galway in Ireland, Bonn In Germany, La Paz in Bolivia, Vancouver in Canada and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
While the sound of music permeates Salzburg, a charming city of more than 145,000 inhabitants in western Austria, Washington D.C houses some of the most important monuments, museums and relics of American history.
