After visiting 44 countries, these are my favourites so far…
- Thailand – Inexpensive, awesome food, tons of cultural history, warm weather, lots of beaches, and a great place to party. Most people in the tourism industry speak English well enough so it’s pretty easy to get around. I spent a month in Thailand had a great time. Best place was Railay (Rai Leh) Beach, just around the corner from Ao Nang which is a very scenic coast town on the Krabi coast that has a fun vibe, decent beaches, beautiful islands to kayak to and beautiful cliffs. http://wikitravel.org/en/Rai_Leh
- Italy – There are so many amazing places in Italy… But Rome is likely my favourite place that I’ve been to in Europe. The history is just mind boggling. And there are so many ruins, cathedrals, museums, art galleries and other notable attractions. Even if you only have a couple of days, a visit to the Colosseum, Forum and Vatican City are outstanding. http://wikitravel.org/en/Rome
- Nepal – A great place to experience the Indian Subcontinent without feeling as overwhelmed as visiting India itself. The mountain tourism makes for some great tourist mecas in Kathmandu while still experiencing some of the Indian/Nepalese culture. http://wikitravel.org/en/Kathmandu Then from there the tallest mountains in the world are at your fingertips! Personally, I hiked to Everest Base Camp just to say that I did it, but I’ve heard that the Annapurna Circuit is the more scenic route. http://wikitravel.org/en/Everest_Base_Camp_Trek
- Czech Republic – Relatively inexpensive in European terms, castles on the scenic landscape, and Prague: one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with its rivers, historical streets and buildings (untouched by the world wars unlike most other European cities), and fun atmosphere. I haven’t been here in almost 20 years but I was blown away by Prague’s beauty. http://wikitravel.org/en/Prague
- New Zealand – I had so much fun on the South Island of New Zealand. Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world! And with all the beautiful mountains, lakes and rivers, what better place. I recommend the AJ Hackett Thrillogy (http://www.bungy.co.nz/) which involves 3 bungee jumps in different locations in one day! And don’t miss all of the Lord of the Rings filming locations. http://wikitravel.org/en/Queenstown_(New_Zealand)
And for an added bonus, there’s one country that is at the top of my list of places I’d like to go:
- Norway – I have a love for mountains and scenic beauty and Norway happens to have an abundance of this. From the photos and videos I’ve seen, the fjords that skirt the entire northern coast of Norway are beyond words. The only downside (and the only reason I haven’t gone yet) is that you need a ton of time to travel it all and therefore is a quite costly trip to do it right. It’ll happen… eventually…
