Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam are the two destinations standing in the winner list of World’s Best Awards 2023 as the favourite cities in Asia, voted by readers of by US travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

A corner of Hoi An ancient town

According to the website, whether you’re honeymooning in a dreamy Indian capital or eating your way through an awe-inspiring Japanese megalopolis, this year’s reader picks for the 15 best cities in Asia all share a wealth of options for fantastic food, layers of history, and a glimpse at the magic that happens when ancient history and modernity intersect.

With 87.86 points, Hoi An ranked 13th, followed by Ho Chi Minh City with 87.64 points. Over the years, Hoi An has maintained its position in the rankings of Travel Leisure as well as many prestigious international magazines.

Located in the central province of Quang Nam, Hoi An has long been known for its ancient quarters, a world heritage site, with a typical architectural heritage complex.

Serving as a trading port from the 15th to the 19th century, today it is easy to see the vibrant and lively atmosphere remains mostly unchanged in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hoi An is a walk of life, which is full of things to see, eat and do.

Previously, Hoi An was also honoured by Travel Leisure many times as the most wonderful city in the world in 2019, the leading city in Asia in 2020, the top 10 Asian cities in 2018 and in 2021, or one of the 50 best places to travel in 2019.

Hoi An has also maintained its position as one of the world’s 13 most romantic destinations, as selected by CNN.

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City

Unlike the tranquility in Hoi An, Vietnam’s cosmopolitan metropolis – Ho Chi Minh City appears as one of the busiest hubs in the country. The city draws together old and new and historical landmarks that give this city its distinct appeal. The city is also famous for its lively night scene filled with bars, live music and plenty of entertainment for solo travellers looking to hit after dark.

In Ho Chi Minh City, visitors can enjoy street food at Ben Thanh Market, one of the city’s oldest surviving structures. To better understand the heroic resistance wars of the southern army and people, visitors can take a tour of the War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnels.

The World’s Best Awards survey of Travel Leisure aims to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe to share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more.

Topping this year’s list is Udaipur city of India with 93.33 points. Udaipur is no stranger to the top spot on this Travel Leisure list. In the past five years, Udaipur has won the first place twice.

Last year, Travel Leisure readers named Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang in the top 25 best islands in the world.