Where are The World’s Dirtiest Cities? Forbes recently came up with a list. The 25 cities deemed the world’s dirtiest won their places on the list with disease-infested water supplies, life-threatening air pollution, plentiful raw sewage and rank public sanitation problems. Drum roll, puh-lease. The cities are:

1. Baku, Azerbaijan (pictured)

2. Dhaka, Bangladesh

3. Antananarivo, Madagascar

4. Port au Prince, Haiti

5. Mexico City, Mexico

6. Addis Abada, Ethiopia

7. Mumbai, India

8. Baghdad, Iraq

9. Almaty, Kazakhstan

10. Brazzaville, Congo

11. Ndjamena, Chad

12. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

13. Bangui, Central African Republic

14. Moscow, Russia

15. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

16. Bamako, Mali

17. Pointe Noire, Congo

18. Lome, Togo

19. Conakry, Guinea Republic

20. Nouakchott, Mauritania

21. Niamey, Niger

22. Luanda, Angola

23. Maputo, Mozambique

24. New Delhi, India

25. Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Forbes recently published a list of the Top 30 Most-Wired Airports. Problem is, you have to sit through a while slide show to figure out which airports around the world made the list. Yeah, you could be a responsible media consumer and actually read the entire story. But if you want to just consume the list, here it is:

1. Atlanta Hartsfield

2. Denver International Airport

3. Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

4. Hong Kong International Airport

5. (tie) Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

6. (tie) Singapore Changi Airport

7. London Heathrow

8. Tokyo Haneda Airport

9. Orlando International Airport

10. Tokyo Narita International Airport

11. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport

12. Paris Charles De Gualle International Airport

13. Los Angeles International Airport

14. Amsterdam Airport Schipol

15. Bangkok International Airport

16. Chicago O’Hare International Airport

17. Frankfurt Airport

18. Sydney Airport

19. Munich Airport

20. Charlotte Douglass International

21. Dubai International Airport

22. Seoul Incheon International Airport

23. Toronto Pearson International Airport

24. Madrid Barajas International Airport

25. London Gatwick Airport

26. Paris Orly Airport

27. (tie) Rome Fiumicino

28. (tie) Kuala Lumpur International

29. Barcelona Airport

30. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

Want a good value on your next vacation? Sure, we all do. Phoenix, shown here from atop Camelback Mountain, was recently rated one of the top places for good travel deals. According to the Hotwire Travel Value Index released yesterday, these are top U.S. cities for travelers to hit up when they’re looking to stretch their vacay dollars:

1. Phoenix

2. Dallas-Fort Worth

3. Orlando

4. Denver

5. Atlanta

6. Los Angeles

7. Washington, DC

8. Kansas City

9. Miami

10. Milwaukee

Frankly, I’m surprised to see L.A. and Miami on the list, as I was just last week hunting for decent deals on hotels in both cities and came up surprisingly short. I mean, yeah, you can stay somewhere cheap, but it often means staying somewhere really bland, really out of the way or really sketch. And that’s not what I call a “value.” In my mind, a good value is something a traveler can get excited about. Not just an inexpensive place to bunk in.

That said, the HTVI rates cities on more than just existing hotel rates. The range of activities in a city and availability of affordable entertainment also figure in. And both Miami and L.A. have plenty of affordable entertainment options (beaches, museums, landmarks). Then again, both cities also happen to have some of the country’s most expensive and exclusive restaurants, bars, retail shops and clubs. Really, in the end, whether or not you’ll get a good value in in any of the cities on the list depends heavily on what you enjoy doing when you travel.

SmarterTravel.com’s list of 10 Amazing Adventures Under $1,000 is a round-up that’s worth reading. They’ve hunted down some cool ideas for adventurous vacations that hit the inexpensive end of the spectrum. And six of the suggested trips (hiking, rafting, camping, sailing, biking) are outside the good ‘ole US of A (Peru, Canada, Croatia, Tanzania, Laos, New Zealand). Trips range in length from four to 10 days. Most are packages offered by tour operators, and none include airfare in the price.

Behold, Travel + Leisure’s roundup of the best airport restaurants, bars, lounges and spas:

Best Airport Restaurants and Other Time Killers

Today Mobil Travel Guide announced its 2008 Four- and Five-star ratings for U.S. hotels, restaurants and spas. Notoriously picky (they don’t just hand out five-star ratings to any old Four Seasons or Ritz Carlton), Mobil added eight new hotels to its five-star list for 2008. We’ve listed all 41 of the five-star hotel winners below. For four-star results and winners in the restaurant and spa categories, you can check out all the ratings in the Mobil Travel Guide’s 50th Annual Star Awards.

Mobil Five-Star Hotels

California - Beverly Hills

Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills Hotel

The Peninsula Beverly Hills

California - Dana Point

St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach

California - Los Angeles

Hotel Bel-Air

California - Oakhurst

Chateau du Sureau

California - San Francisco

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

Colorado - Aspen

The Little Nell

Colorado - Colorado Springs

The Broadmoor

Connecticut - Washington

Mayflower Inn & Spa

District of Columbia - Washington

Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C.

Florida - Manalapan

The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach

Florida - Naples

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

Florida - Palm Beach

Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach

Georgia - Atlanta

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta

Georgia - St. Simons Island

The Lodge at Sea Island Golf Club

Hawaii - Wailea

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Illinois - Chicago

Four Seasons Hotel Chicago

The Peninsula Chicago

The Ritz-Carlton, A Four Seasons Hotel

Massachusetts - Boston

Boston Harbor Hotel

Four Seasons Hotel Boston

Massachusetts - Lenox

Blantyre

Nevada - Las Vegas

The Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas

New York - New York

Four Seasons Hotel New York

Mandarin Oriental, New York

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park

The St. Regis

New York - Saranac Lake

The Point

North Carolina - Pittsboro

The Fearrington House Country Inn

South Carolina - Kiawah Island

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island

South Carolina - Summerville

Woodlands Resort & Inn

Tennessee - Nashville

The Hermitage Hotel

Texas - Dallas

The Mansion on Turtle Creek

Utah - Park City

Stein Eriksen Lodge

Vermont - Barnard

Twin Farms

Virginia - Richmond

The Jefferson Hotel

Virginia - Washington

The Inn at Little Washington

Wyoming - Jackson

Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole

This recent bit I wrote for San Francisco Citysearch aims to give the jilted and cheated-upon help hunting down and busting their wayward lovers before moving on to the next great love affair. But really, it’s just a thinly-veiled roundup of cool San Francisco destinations good for city visitors and us local folk. Check it out:

To Catch a Cheater: Where Pigs Hide in San Francisco

We’re not exactly sure why, but at the end of the year, everyone seems to get obsessed with top 10 travel lists. Over the past calendar year, we’ve created a few lists of our own. We’re reprising them one last time before we wipe the slate clean in 2008:

Take These 10 Trips Before you Have Kids

10 Top Hotel Restaurants

10 Reasons to Visit the Mall of America

10 No-Tech Escapes

10 Top Unique Hotels

Over the weekend, I landed in Beaver Creek, Colorado for a little pre-holiday snow. There’s just nothing like downhill in the Rocky Mountains, even if it’s 14 friggin’ degrees. (That, by the way, was the high.) While there, I had the chance to snoop around a bit. Here are my picks for some of the best this resort area has to offer:

Best ski-in, ski-out hotel: For sheer location and proximity to the lifts, the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa can’t be beat. The hotel sits literally at the base of the ski area - not across a road, not via a shuttle. It’s right there. After braving the c-c-cold Colorado temps all day, guests can sidle up to the outdoor bonfire for s’mores in the afternoons or get the blood flowing again with a visit to the Allegria Spa.

Best luxury splurge: Spa day at the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Don’t miss the Grotto, which I blogged about during a visit there earlier this year. Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch: The Grotto on the TravelPost.com Insider

Best airport shuttle service: Colorado Mountain Express. Sure, it’s one of the only options for shuttle transportation to and from Vail-Eagle County and Denver International airports, but it’s a reliable company with friendly service. And it’s much cheaper than hiring a private car service. I also like the fact that the drivers take time to introduce themselves, tell passengers where they are from and offer up insider advice on area attractions and activities.

Best romantic dining: Mirabelle. We’ll elaborate on this pick tomorrow.

Beers with buddies: The Dusty Boot Steakhouse & Saloon. If you’re looking for a place to knock back a few after a long day on the slopes, this cozy little spot is one of the most convenient options. Located in Beaver Creek village, this bar and restaurant fills up in the afternoons with patrons seeking a casual spot to refuel. Wooden stools flank the long bar, which offers frozen Margaritas, a solid selection of beers on tap and even some decent wines by the glass. Eats are typical Americana, Tex-Mex options and on the cheaper side - relatively speaking, of course.

Massage you can actually afford: Simply Massage. While hotels can easily charge over $100 for a 60-minute rubdown, this Avon massage destination prices its hour-long massage at $60 and its 90-minute massage at $90. You won’t find marble soaking tubs, steam showers or body wraps here - just massages. If you’re looking for the full day spa experience, head to one of the resort hotels. But if you’re just looking for a good massage to work out the kinks, this is the place. Same day appointments are also often available.

Best wine shop: Beaver Liquors. Yes, the name is somewhat obscene, and, yes, they sell copious t-shirts flaunting that fact. But head downstairs in this Avon, CO liquor store for an extensive inventory of wines from around the world. Being a fan of the often hard-to-find pinotage varietal, I was please to see a sizable selection of South African wines. The staff is also ready with plenty of suggestions if you need them. Another bonus: Order $100 or more from the store before your trip, and they’ll stock your condo before you arrive.

Where to rent: Christy Sports. This is the ski and snowboard rental choice of many a regular Beaver Creek visitor. And for Internet-savvy travelers (which I assume you are if you’re reading this), the shop offers 20 percent off rentals made online at least three days in advance. And with locations in Avon, Beaver Creek, Vail and other nearby ski resort areas from Breckenridge to Snowbird, you can get service on your rentals pretty much anywhere your mountain adventures take you.

With the push of the holidays upon us, travelers have even more reason to seek out pampering and personal maintenance services in airport terminals. And hey, what better way is there to spend a lengthy layover than indulging in a massage? But which airports have the best spas? According to Style.com, the Five Great Airport Spas that stand out from the crowd are:

1. Oasis Day Spa - John F. Kennedy International Airport

2. Jetsetter Spa - Boston Logan International and Miami International Airport

3. OraOxygen (pictured) - Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and Calgary International Airport

4. Departure Spa - Newark Liberty International Airport and Orlando International Airport

5. Elemis Travel Spa - John F. Kennedy International Airport and London Heathrow Airport

Looking for a second opinion? Citysearch has a longer list titled Top 10 U.S. Airport Spas.