TRAVEL WRITING:DARWIN HAS been named as one of the top 10 cities to visit in the world in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2012.
The book, released on Monday, says the city that was once a frontier town of brawling fishermen and rednecks is now a place with a “pumping nocturnal scene, magical markets and restaurants, and world class wilderness areas”.
It says now is the time to go to beat the crowds to the city’s redeveloped Waterfront precinct and before east coast galleries snap up the indigenous art that is on offer.
Darwin is the only destination in Australia to be picked by Lonely Planet.
It made the list in 10th place, behind London (home to the 2012 Olympic Games), Muscat, Bengaluru, Cadiz, Stockholm, Guimaraes, Santiago, Hong Kong and Orlando.
In the list of top 10 countries to visit, Uganda was named number one ahead of Burma and Ukraine. After being devastated by Idi Amin, the book says Uganda’s wildlife is returning with a vengeance.
“It’s taken nasty dictatorships and a brutal civil war to keep Uganda off the tourist radar, but stability is returning and it won’t be long before visitors come flocking back,” according to Lonely Planet.
Rounding out the top 10 countries were Jordan, Denmark, Bhutan, Cuba, New Caledonia, Taiwan and Switzerland.