Travel + Leisure's 2025 World's Best Awards highlight the top cities, city hotels, and resorts across Africa and the Middle East, with readers demonstrating a strong preference for destinations offering a mix of historical richness, modern luxury, stunning scenery, and exceptional service. Nearly 180,000 T+L readers participated in the extensive survey, casting over 657,000 votes across various travel experiences. Cities were rated based on sights/landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping, and value, while hotels were judged on rooms/facilities, location, service, food, and value.

This year, cities in North Africa and the Middle East largely dominated the list, with only one exception: Cape Town, South Africa, which emerged as the overall winner. Cape Town, moving up from second place last year, was lauded by readers as “one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” Its appeal stems from breathtaking views of Table Mountain, Constantia vineyards, and the Atlantic Ocean, complemented by “amazing” food and wine, “friendly and welcoming” people, unique wildlife experiences like the Boulders Beach penguin colony, and excellent value for money. Other top cities included Dubai, celebrated for its “jaw-dropping” architecture, safety, and diverse experiences, and Petra in Jordan, recognized for its “remarkable” architectural sights. Safety was a recurring theme among readers' reasons for loving these destinations, alongside history, culture, and food.

The full list of top cities in Africa and the Middle East is as follows:

1. Cape Town, South Africa (Reader Score: 88.98)
2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Reader Score: 87.38)
3. Jerusalem, Israel (Reader Score: 87.02)
4. Marrakesh, Morocco (Reader Score: 86.44)
5. Tel Aviv, Israel (Reader Score: 85.90)
6. Fez, Morocco (Reader Score: 85.00)
7. Luxor, Egypt (Reader Score: 83.63)
8. Petra, Jordan (Reader Score: 83.08)
9. Doha, Qatar (Reader Score: 82.89)
10. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Reader Score: 82.56)

When it came to African city hotels, Cape Town continued its strong showing, with four of the top five properties located in the “Mother City.” Readers particularly favored waterside properties, with Ellerman House, One&Only Cape Town, and Cape Grace (a Fairmont Managed Hotel) all offering stunning ocean or harbor views. Exceptional service was also a key highlight, with readers praising the “friendly staff” and “over-the-top” service. However, the top spot for city hotels went to Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya. Climbing from fifth place last year, Giraffe Manor is famed for its resident herd of Rothschild’s giraffes that interact with guests, poking their heads through windows during breakfast, creating a truly “delightful experience.”

The full list of top African city hotels is:

1. Giraffe Manor: Nairobi, Kenya (Reader Score: 97.33)
2. Ellerman House: Cape Town (Reader Score: 96.80)
3. One&Only Cape Town (Reader Score: 96.57)
4. Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, Cape Town (Reader Score: 96.14)
5. Cape Grace: Cape Town (Reader Score: 93.80)

African resort hotels showcased diversity across the continent, from a South African wine farm to a beach resort in Seychelles. Scenery and service were paramount in readers' choices. Kilindi Zanzibar in Tanzania debuted as the 2025 favorite African resort hotel. Located on the island of Zanzibar off the Indian Ocean coast, Kilindi was celebrated for its “paradise” location, suitability for honeymooners, and especially its “attentive, smart, and hardworking” staff and management. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe also featured twice in the top five, with readers describing The Victoria Falls Hotel as “a beautiful hotel on a beautiful property.”

The full list of top African resorts is:

1. Kilindi Zanzibar: Tanzania (Reader Score: 99.50)
2. Matetsi Victoria Falls: Matetsi Private Game Reserve, Zimbabwe (Reader Score: 97.47)
3. Babylonstoren: Simondium, South Africa (Reader Score: 95.41)
4. Four Seasons Resort Seychelles (Reader Score: 94.75)
5. The Victoria Falls Hotel: Zimbabwe (Reader Score: 86.55)