Seeing how so many have become desperate to get around following two years of pandemic-induced travel blocks, CNN has gone and put up a list of best places in the world to check out for the year 2022.
Incidentally, the Malaysian island of Penang is included among the 22 destinations found in the list, joining the likes of Italy's Naples, Norway's Oslo, Palau island, and Jordan. Surprisingly, it's also the only Southeast Asian destination to be featured.
In a brief write-up about Penang, CNN highlighted the island's wide spread of authentic foodie picks catering to different tastebuds.
"The pandemic has left many of us longing for epic culinary-focused journeys, and Penang ranks up there with Asia's best," CNN said.
"This Malaysian island in the Andaman Sea offers a wide mix of traditional Malay, Chinese, and Indian dishes. And then there's Baba Nyonya – also known as Peranakan – cuisine, which incorporates regional ingredients and Chinese and Malay cooking methods."
The list segued into talking about Penang's splendid architectural heritage found in George Town, which the writers said were full of "historic buildings, from old English mansions to classical Chinese shop houses and Islamic mosques".
Mention was also made of Penang Hill and its status as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
"Home to Penang's highest point, it's filled with excellent hiking trails that stretch from its peak down to the lovely botanical gardens, which were created in 1884 and serve as a repository of Penang Hill's flora and fauna – including more than 200 species of orchids," said CNN.
The inclusion of Penang on such a list is pretty much unsurprising nowadays when you take into account the continuous coverage the island receives from international visitors and travel bloggers/sites – most of them having nothing but nice things to say about the place.
For example, travel website International Living has continuously listed Penang as one of the best islands in the world for retirement, while Gurney Drive has been listed as one of the top streets in the world to see before you die by Traveller.
Of course, asam laksa has also been praised as one of the world's greatest street foods, while Penang itself also continues to rank high on street food lists created by reputable publications.
Happy with the inclusion on CNN's list, Penang's chief minister Chow Kon Yeow took to his Facebook page to heap more praise upon the island and its standing among the world's best travel destinations.
"Among the many must-go destinations in 2022 across the world as listed by CNN Travel, Penang is one of the inevitable ones waiting to capture your heart," he wrote.
"Rich in various cultures, food, heritage, and other key elements that would attract tourists from afar and near, Penang, or also known as the Pearl of the Orient by many, is proud to have made it to the world platform."
The entries on CNN's "Where to travel 2022: The best destinations to go" list include (in alphabetical order):
1. Antigua and Barbuda.
2. Bissagos Islands, Guinea-Bissau.
3. Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
4. Chile.
5. Colombo.
6. Dijon, France.
7. Disko Bay, Greenland.
8. Gabon National Parks.
9. Jordan.
10. Lahti, Finland.
11. Munga-Thirri-Simpson Desert, Australia.
12. Naples, Italy.
13. Ollantaytambo, Peru.
14. Orkney Islands, UK.
15. Oslo.
16. Palau.
17. Penang, Malaysia.
18. South Africa.
19. St. Eustatius, Netherlands.
20. Tulsa, Oklahoma.
21. Valencia, Spain.
22. Yellowstone National Park, US.
What do you make of the list? Do you agree with it, or do you feel that other deserving destinations have been left out?
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Cover image sourced from The Next Somewhere and TripSavvy.
