‘Wat’ top icons will you be visiting this year?

‘Wat’ top icons will you be visiting this year?

The world may have some pretty wonderful sites, but our homegrown attractions still cut it on the global stage.

TripAdvisor has released its Travellers’ Choice awards for Landmarks, with more than 700 iconic hotspots making the list from around the world.

It’s no surprise that Angkor Wat in Cambodia took out the gold medal, followed by another ancient wonder Machu Picchu in Peru, and India’s Taj Mahal.

Down under, our proud Sydney Opera House brought home a win, coming in at number 23 in the world’s favourite landmark list, up two spots from last year.

The Australian War Memorial and Sydney Harbour Bridge took second and third places on the Australian lists respectively.

The annual awards are based on the millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers across the globe.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for landmarks worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

“The Travellers’ Choice Landmarks highlight some of the world’s most iconic, must-see attractions that have won over the TripAdvisor community,” TripAdvisor’s chief marketing officer Barbara Messing said.

“Travellers can experience colourful history and culture at these award-winning sights.”

You can check out the complete list of winners from the 2015 Travellers’ Choice Landmarks here, but we’ve also popped the top 10 below.

  1. Angkor Wat – Siem Reap, Cambodia
  2. Machu Picchu – Machu Picchu, Peru
  3. Taj Mahal – Agra, India
  4. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  5. Basilica of the Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain
  6. St. Peter’s Basilica – Vatican City, Italy
  7. Milan Cathedral (Duomo) – Milan, Italy
  8. Alcatraz– San Francisco, California
  9. Corcovado – Cristo Redentor – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  10. Golden Gate Bridge – San Francisco, California

The announcement comes as TripAdvisor launches its app for Android Wear smartwatches, available on Google Play to help travellers find nearby things to do with access to TripAdvisor traveller reviews and ratings of hotels, restaurants and attractions.

The launch of the new TripAdvisor Android Wear app follows the company’s launch of its Apple Watch app in April 2015 and Pebble smartwatch app last week.

TripAdvisor’s Android Wear app features recommendations for nearby restaurants, attractions and hotels, point of interest details, ‘save’ options for easy access, and direct links to the phone.

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