Canada claims one spot - Montreal - on Top 10 list of world's happiest places

MONTREAL - Canada has an entry on the list of the 10 happiest places on the planet — no small feat considering the rundown included Happy, Texas, the self-proclaimed "town without a frown."

The popular Lonely Planet travel guide picked Montreal for its list of cheerful locales, noting that Canada's second-largest city hosts one of the world's biggest comedy events every July.

Lonely Planet's U.S. travel editor, Robert Reid, says the list was drawn by surveying a panel of the guide's editors and authors.

"Happy is a relative term and the truth is you can find happiness anywhere you go," he said in a phone interview from New York. "You have to pick some places that have certain things about it that kind of pop out."

Happy, Texas, for instance, made the cut because its name is "irresistible," he said with a laugh.

"What works for a place like Montreal is that a lot of travellers, they go there and it feels like a city that loves itself in all the right ways. Food is fantastic, it parties like crazy. I live in New York City and, believe me, this part of the (U.S.) knows where to party: you go north of the border to Montreal."

First mention on the list went to the South Pacific island paradise of Vanuatu — which has the advantage of being considerably warmer than the next city listed, Montreal.

Lonely Planet says Montreal has a variety of other attributes, especially in the summer when it hosts the Just For Laughs Festival, which wrapped up its latest edition on Sunday.

"Clean, welcoming and refreshingly multicultural, Montreal is happy enough year-round," the travel guide says.

"Come July, though, it's downright hilarious. Just For Laughs takes over the city in summer, packing venues with the best in both Anglo- and Francophone comedy."

Montreal has placed high on Lonely Planet lists before — last year it followed Belgrade, Serbia, on the top 10 list of party towns.

While Lonely Planet loves Montreal, the city appeared nowhere on a similar recent list by Forbes magazine. Forbes preferred famed destinations like Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and Amsterdam.

Lonely Planet's list highlighted some lesser-known spots. Montreal is the only Canadian location selected, along with places in China, Japan, Colombia and Africa.

Happy, Texas, is described as the "town without a frown." Although it's "a disappointing collection of silos and gridded streets," tourists can find "the best of Texas" outside the city limits with stunning landscapes, sunsets and wildlife.

Of the other spots, Bhutan is described as a "jovial," "Himalayan Shangri-La."

Despite Colombia's history and reputation for violence, the guide says it's getting safer, calling a visit to the Caribbean coast, coffee plantations and carnival parties "infectious and uplifting."

Wuyi Shan, China, is "a realm of secret valleys splashed with waterfalls and pocked with mysterious caves."

Malawi is described as "the warm heart of Africa," where visitors are greeted generously.

"If it's grins you're after — big, unabashed ones — head to Malawi, dubbed the 'warm heart of Africa'. The country's people are renowned for the effusive welcome they give travellers, despite living in one of the poorest nations," says the guide.

"From the woodcarving markets of capital Lilongwe to the sandy shores of Lake Malawi and the elephant-grazed bush of Liwonde National Park, you’ll be accosted with smiles at every turn."

Still, it's tough to beat Vanuatu.

"Many a human's idea of blissful living involves swinging in a palm-strung hammock while the ocean swooshes gently onto a white-sand beach nearby," Lonely Planet says.

"The water’s ridiculously blue and teeming with life; the interior’s lush and volcanically rumbling, great for exploring amid the breadfruit trees.

"But it's the sense of community that makes this a truly happy place."

Reid acknowledges it was tough to pick places and that the list — which was whittled down from 100 suggestions — could easily have gone to 1,000.

"I'd be curious (about) what some of the other Canadian cities think with Montreal being at the top. Maybe Vancouver's furious. They had the Olympics this year.

"You could easily make a case. Vancouver's a good candidate, to be honest." He said he's had good times in Hamilton, Ont., as well.

And Toronto? Reid says he's actually headed there for a few days on business at the end of the month.

"I like Toronto. Big fan. But I have two free days at the end of it and I'm going to Montreal."

This cheerful list comes after several months where Montrealers found it difficult to crack a smile about their city.

Last spring saw the downtown vandalized in hockey-related hooliganism, and there are fears of a blood-spattered power struggle among the city's organized crime families.

Last fall, Maclean's magazine ran a cover story about the city's mayoral election with the headline, "Montreal is a corrupt, crumbling, mob-ridden disgrace."

While the happiness list was originally published in May, it was picked up Tuesday by the popular U.S. website the Huffington Post, where it quickly generated some discussion.

The page featuring Montreal includes a photo of two young men — their faces painted red, white and blue — wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys.

There was some debate on a number of the choices, and on those excluded, from the list.

As for Montreal, one person on the Lonely Planet website wrote: "Really glad to see a Canadian city included since I am originally from there."

Someone on the Huffington Post prompted a debate by writing: "Montreal? Ugh. That place is in a linguistic civil war."

To which someone replied: "Not a problem if you try hard enough to speak French. It comes handy. Vive (la) joie de vivre!"

And someone else offered a more philosophical measure of bliss.

"Happiness is anywhere you happen to be — with good health, good company, and a fat wallet in your pocket."