TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Destinations for 2010

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

See recent posts by Carl Unger

Our sister site, TripAdvisor, released its Travelers’ Choice Destinations for 2010 this morning. This year’s award categories for destinations include beach/sun, culture/sightseeing, emerging destinations, family, great food/wine, nightlife, outdoor/adventure, relaxation/spa, and romance. And new for 2010, TripAdvisor has included Europeans’ Favorites, where TripAdvisor’s European members share their local insights on the top places to visit throughout Europe.

You can also browse travelers’ Top 25 destinations by region: United States, Europe, Asia, South Pacific, Africa, Canada, Caribbean/Mexico, South/Central America, and India.

Now, I don’t want to spoil the results, so I figured I’d give you the second-place destination for a few categories, just to pique your interest:

Beach & Sun, World: Tulum, Mexico
Beach & Sun, U.S.: San Diego
Emerging Destination, World: Dangriga, Belize
Food & Wine, Asia: Hakodate, Japan
Europeans’ Favorites, Spain: Seville
Europeans’ Favorites, France: St. Tropez

That’s all for now. Check out the actual winners and the rest of the results at TripAdvisor, and find out if your favorite places top the list!

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