World's best nightlife cities

We prefer to exchange culture over the clinking of glasses and between the flashes of strobe lights. Conversations punctuated by "Prost!" and "Salud!" show us more than any guidebook. I view myself as a kind of international nightlife connoisseur. As an entrepreneur, author and all-around life enthusiast, I've been around the world many times over. And of everyone I know, I feel the most qualified to throw an absurd list like this together, CNN reports. Each city is judged on four criteria, each given a score from one-to-10 1. Hours. How late each night and how many nights per week is the party good? 2. People. Is it a good crowd -- cosmopolitan, friendly and, yes, good looking? 3. Music. Judged on quality and variety offered in each city. 4. Experience. How likely you are to have an experience that you'll still be telling your friends about a decade from now. I'm embarrassed to admit how much time I spent on this list (seriously, there was an Excel spreadsheet involved), but I finally narrowed it to 10 cities and I'm confident with the end result. First, my honorary mentions: Hong Kong, Sydney, Miami, Stockholm, Tokyo and Tel Aviv. My apologies party people, but the competition was stiff. 10. Bangkok Hours: 7 People: 5 Music: 5 Experience: 10 Total: 27 A lot of travelers continue to pass through Bangkok not realizing there's more to it than the seedy dregs of Soi Cowboy, or the backpacker haven of Khao San Road. Bangkok has developed a vibrant and classy side as the city has become more cosmopolitan. Whether it's a series of gorgeous rooftop hotel bars downtown, rock bars near Ratchathewi, dance clubs just off Sukhumvit or trendy pubs in Thlonglor and Ekamai, there's legitimate, quality adventure to be had. Best place to mingle with the locals: The young kids prefer RCA, while many of the city's beautiful people are drawn to the clubs on Sukhumvit Soi 11 or upscale Ku De Ta, among others. 9. Buenos Aires Hours: 9 People: 7 Music: 6 Experience: 7 Total: 29 "The Paris of the South" puts a New World spin on the insane Spanish practice of eating dinner at midnight and then dancing until dawn. While living there, I remember trying to go home as the sun came up and an Argentinian friend telling me she wanted to go to an after-party instead. It was eight in the morning. On a Wednesday. Although not as affordable as it used to be, Buenos Aires is still a relative bargain among major world cities. The locals love good rock music, too. Best itinerary: Start with the calmer bars of Recoleta and work your way up to the taverns of Palermo Hollywood. There's no rush, believe me. 8. Las Vegas Hours: 8 People: 8 Music: 6 Experience: 9 Total: 31 A staple. No nightlife list would be complete without it. Sin City has something for everybody, from NBA power forwards blowing their signing bonuses to middle-agers gambling their way through a midlife crisis. I tend to stick to the southern end of the strip -- Marquee, XS, Tao -- but it's hard to have a bad night out in Vegas. Best place to waste your life savings and love every second of it: XS in the Encore. Get to this nightclub early or suffer through the two-hour line.

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