Travel Guide Names Vanuatu Happiest Place On Earth

Montreal, Quebec, Canada (AHN) – Travel guide Lonely Planet released its latest list of the world’s happiest places. On top of the list is the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, while Montreal in Quebec came in second.

Lonely Planet said it was not surprised by Vanuatu emerging as the happiest place because the general idea of a happy life has images of a hammock in a white-sand beach. All these could be found in the island, known for its blue waters teeming with life, lush vegetation and scenic environment.

The travel guide pointed out Montreal is considered a happy city because it hosts Just for Laughs, which is one of the world’s biggest comedy festivals during summer. Although it holds the comedy festivals on summer, it is a happy city all year round. Lonely Planet said the Quebec city is also clean, welcoming and multicultural.

The travel guide said other happy cities could be found in Wuyi Shan in China and Malawi in Africa. Wuyi Shan is described as a place of secret valleys with waterfalls and mysterious caves. Malawi is known for greeting visitors with effusive grins.

In 2009, Forbes.com named Rio de Janiero in Brazil as the world’s happiest city, followed by Sydney in Australia.

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