Want to enjoy the best urban jungles the planet has to offer? Forget Sydney, San Francisco or Shanghai... check out these top cities across the globe attracting tourists by the fistful.

Guangzhou, China
Guangzhou has always been one of China's economic miracles, with its bustling population of 6-million working hard to ensure post-Mao prosperity. But in recent times it's become a tourism leviathan, too.

Why? It's got a few thousand years of history on its side, manifest in ancient architecture and tradition, green scenery and renowned Cantonese cuisine. And now a ramped-up infrastructure, with a few hundred billion yen being pumped into improving facilities in preparation for the 2010 Asian Games here.

Helsinki, Finland
Cold Helsinki is sooooo hot right now, with its cutting-edge design and music scenes, its affordability (by northern European standards), its chilled Nordic good looks… and its status as the host of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest (some may argue that last point). Yes, Helsinki has the lot: old-world culture (a plethora of museums and galleries), new-world hedonism (bleeding-edge cafes and clubs), and future-forward cool (there's even a band named Architecture in Helsinki for all you 'twee pop' freaks).

Marseille, France
France's oldest city is shaking off its former stature as a rough-and-ready Mediterranean coastal town for a stake in the Golden Dawn of discerning tourism. The 1998 World Cup gave all of this a super kick-off and now Marseille is capitalising on the exposure to smarten up its act and present a stellar forward line to the world: all that history, embodied in architecture and tradition; fashionable music and film niches; a punchy multiethnic population; and the Med location, but of course.

Oloumouc, Czech Republic
Lying roughly midway between Prague and Warsaw, Oloumouc has naturally been overshadowed by its flashy, more muscular 'neighbours'. But if you prefer the 'silent, contemplative' type, then get off the train here. With a population of around 100 000 and a flavourful history, Oloumouc delivers for the discerning city hopper, with Baroque architecture, a peaceful air, grand old cobblestone streets, cheap beer and sleepy good times. You've probably heard this about all Slavic cities on the rise, but think 'Prague before tourism'.

Palm Springs, USA
If location's your thing then Palm Springs is king, surrounded by the Colorado Desert and the eye-catching San Jacinto mountains. Meanwhile, connoisseurs of '70s moustaches know that Sonny Bono was the former mayor and the founder of the Palm Springs International Film Festival, a popular pre-Oscars event that packs 'em in. Even more niche is the city's rep as the spiritual home for 'clothing optional' tourism (that's 'nudist resorts' to you, chief): the climate's right for getting your kit off, and because it's a desert city, Palm Springs doesn't have mosquitoes, which means no painful welts you-know-where.

Panama City, Panama
Panama hats, the Panama Canal… Panama has always been a burr in the collective consciousness. And now its capital is an up-and-coming tourist hotspot, as confirmed by none other than 'Brangelina', the famous two-headed celebrity monster that visited the city recently (taking in the shops and investment opportunities, primarily). But if you prefer a bit more under-the-radar meat and a little less Hollywood tinsel to your recommendations, then strap these on for size: lush rainforest on the city's perimeter; 16th-century ruins; the grand colonial district; the vibrant Latin vibes.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia's largest city and its capital, has a super-violent past that virtually everyone knows about. But today its charming, if crumbling, French colonial architecture and its Cambodian tradition combines with newfound optimism and a bustling new riverside precinct to push the Khmer Rouge further and deeper into the past. With economic growth comes the requisite hotels, bars and restaurants, and Phnom Penh certainly delivers these, but with a tangy Southeast Asian twist. Food's good, too.

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Lonely Planet Bluelist
São Paulo, Brazil
Bryan Ferry once sang 'You're so sheer/you're so chic' and he may as well have been crooning about São Paulo, which impresses with its nests of boutiques, galleries and eateries. You won't see everything — this is the world's third-largest metropolis. São Paulo has long played second fiddle to Rio, but with its blend of European and Latin influences, it's now screaming up the hipster charts. Actually, chic and São Paulo go way back — Chic the band, that is, whose track 'São Paulo' is a super-smooth lounge ballad. Style never dates, so who needs Rio?

Sighisoara, Romania
This exceedingly well preserved medieval fort town (it's World Heritage–listed) sits in the heart of Transylvania, its famous citadel dating back to the 12th century. Mmmmmm — you can cut the history with a knife, so thick and rich is it. The surrounding mountainside adds green splendour to the proceedings, but Sighisoara has impeccable 'dark tourism' credentials, too: it's the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler, better known to you and I — and all his victims — as Dracula. Watch for garlic on the menu.

Tripoli, Libya
Libya?! Bet that raised a few eyebrows out there in Reader Land… but you read right. What's more, Tripoli, Libya's capital, is rapidly becoming one of Northern Africa's biggest draws — against the odds, given that Colonel Gaddafi, Libya's dictator, has made a career out of alienating the country from the rest of the world. But now that tensions have eased and sanctions have been lifted, tourists are flying in to Tripoli, with the capital's ancient medina and unbeatable coastal location providing the flypaper.


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