PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur has upstaged more popular cities such as Dubai and Las Vegas in a recent World’s Best Cities survey.

       In the list of 37 favourite cities worldwide, Britons ranked Kuala Lumpur 18th, ahead of more popular cities such as Abu Dhabi (21st), Dubai (31st) and even the most populous city in the US state of Nevada, Las Vegas (37th).

       Australia’s Sydney took the first place where it was praised for its “spectacular” scenery and “buzzing” atmosphere. It is followed by Cape Town in South Africa and Chicago in the US.

       Other Asian cities that fared better than Kuala Lumpur were Kyoto (4th), Singapore (5th), Tokyo (8th), Bangkok (12th) and Ho Chi Minh City (17th).

       Other Asian cities in the list that finished below Kuala Lumpur were Hong Kong (19th) and Hanoi (23rd).

       Las Vegas, a popular tourist destination renowned for its casinos and entertainment scene, took the bottom spot.

       The survey by Where?, a UK not-for-profit consumer organisation, was published by the British newspaper the Daily Mail.

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       The ranking is based on feedback from 1,800 respondents who answered based on their experience of travelling outside Europe for the past three years.

       The locations were assessed based on seven criteria, including the quality of food and drink, cultural sights, tourist attractions, transportation, and value. Each city's score was calculated by combining overall satisfaction and the probability of recommending the destination to others.