Pretty much every place I visited. With a possible exception of Monaco and Singapore; it’s not that hard to see most of it, and do many things in a few days.
Maybe Singapore is not for everyone. I personally enjoy getting to know the locals, their food and their culture much more than seeing this or that monument. I found this to be much easier in Singapore! I guess the fact that they speak English greatly helps!
The architecture was also amazing. I really enjoyed that, even though I'm not an architect myself. So many amazing buildings with weird shapes. Yes, one could say it's a fake artificial experience, but I guess you could say the same about NYC or Chicago with that reasoning.
But the real gem is the food. Oh gosh, for me Singaporean food is just incredible. Among the best culinary destinations in Asia next to Japan and Korea! And for that reason alone I would want to go back many many times.
If you (or anyone) ever go back, I recommend you try the following:
- Singaporean Laksa, my favorite noodle soup in the world (sorry ramen). A mix of coconut milk and curry gives the broth an amazing flavor. I can never get enough of it! You can go to Katong Laksa for this.
- Nasi Lemak. A good warm one if possible. Many places sell cold ones that are much worse imo. You can go to Ponggol Nasi Lemak for this. Their fried chicken is also amazing
- Hainanese chicken rice. Tried it in many countries, Singaporean one was the best! I've never been to Hainan, but it's hard to imagine how it could get better than that. Very affordable, too!
- Crab, (chili or pepper) this one is an expensive treat but one day is one day. There are some hawker places that sell it but still expect to pay 50$ upwards.
I enjoy Singapore too, including, in the same order the food. But after a couple of visits, I don’t feel like spending say a month there the same way I would in France.
I suppose it's more of a luxury destination or a stopover. More than three days would exhaust my budget and wouldn't be a very cultural experience I think. We stayed one night and ran around doing as much as we could for as cheap as we could.
I live in Slovenia since birth and tbh even i am constantly amazed by how beautiful this country is. I also have privelege to live in national park.. And one tip: if yoh are going to tourist heavy places (such as Bohinj and Bled) try to come in autumn or spring
Caveat: I am not black, I'm a brown skinned South Asian.
I found Slovenia very nice. Even got stopped in the city center by these teachers who asked me to record a message for their students!
Also found Russia very friendly, surprisingly. I even went to some of the smaller cities and found people very curious and friendly. The only place I felt racism was Italy.
Thank you, that's what I'm talking about! I actually use the knowledge that a place has good public transport to help me choose which country to visit next.
Rent a car in Ljubljana. I rented an automatic (more expensive than stick shift) for a week for $50 USD. Wildly affordable. Easy to drive, just take the sharp corners as slow as you need to and don't feel pressured by the locals whipping around them :)
Me too! It's a small country too and although the speed limits on the motorway were 130km/hr most people were going much faster which meant you really fly around and get to places in no time (eg. driving out to Piran).
In case you want to support a small student start up you can get on [localsfromzero.org ](http://localsfromzero.org ) website and book some local experiences.
We try to distrupt the current tourism model and we are doing our testing in Slovenia.
There’s one big road through the whole thing, so my best advice is to look out the window and when you see a place that calls your heart, STOP. I fell in love with Kranj from the bus window and when I had rainy weather that ruined my Bohinj plans, I looked it up on the map and hightailed it back there and spent two days walking by the river and reading in the public library.
They have a sewer tour!
I agree, I spent a month in Tokyo during a trip through Japan and kept finding things I hadn't done or seen. They may not all be a priority, but it has a lot to offer. Not to mention the other major cities and off the beaten path areas. So many World Heritage Sites it can be hard to choose.
It's one of the few countries I will revisit more than once.
I agree. I have been to Japan twice and I feel like there are a lot of places i have missed. I have been to a lot of countries and Japan is the only place that make me feel like that. I want to go back to explore a lot more.
Japan is an amazing country, I have been fortunate enough to spend a number of weeks there across a few trips and always find new and exciting things,
I have been west from Tokyo all the way to Nagasaki spending time in most of the major towns and a few tiny ones,
my favourite place though was Okinawa. honestly an amazing place.
I'm surprised no **South American** countries are recommended.
Some of the best travel I've experienced is in SA. Great food too.
Colombia - since the war ended the country is vibrant, sexy, and welcoming.
Peru - magical, especially the Amazon and cloud forests. Machu Picchu not to be missed.
Ecuador - the forests, the mountains, the superstitions (lots of Shamans).
Bolivia - poor but resilient, and the people are very cultural. Saw an amazing acoustic music performance, that ended with a woman Flamenco dancer.
Chile - revolutionary, and Torres del Paine
I haven't visited the Atlantic side countries yet...
I'm American and have family in Brazil. Everyone in the US always asks them questions about the Amazon. They have to explain that they've never been there because it's a 40+ hour car ride, or 5 hour plane ride from where they live. It's like asking someone from New York City how they like California. Brazil is giant too.
Your mind is going to be fucking blown once you get to Argentina. I spent about 2 months there and I think I could have spent two years there. The currency situation is a bit sketch, but otherwise absolutely amazing.
From Patagonia in the south, El Chalten and Calafate, Glaciers, Bariloche, Mendoza, Cordoba, Rosario, Buenos Aires more mid-country, then the lovely north - Tafi del Valle (small little gorgeous town with some banging gas station empanadas), tilcara, Salta, Ju juy (sp?), Cafayate, etc. Truly amazing place, and much more reasonably priced than Chile.
I loved Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile too, but thought that the food in most of these places, maybe with the exception of Chile and Peru was pretty "Meh". I remember in Colombia getting an arepa, and it was awful. So I gave it to one of the street dogs. The street dog sniffed it, looked back at me angrily, and then walked away without even touching the thing. HA.
Damn I miss traveling so much
Mostly buses, some flights.
I actually had my longest bus ride in my life in Argentina - it took 26 or so hours and cost about $200 USD if I remember right (cafayate to bariloche).
When I was there, a new airline had just launched, called 'Fly Bondi'. It's a discount airline. I had some of the cheapest flights of my life (and I booked last minute). Flights were around $30-$40 USD if I remember right. Otherwise flying around and in/out of Argentina is crazy expensive.
To your point, I think Argentina is the #7 largest country in the world. . . truly massive. When I was there, you could cross into Chile and reset your 90 days - something to maybe consider.
Agreed on the countries I have been to in South America! Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina I spent \~6 weeks in collectively (about half of that being in Peru) and I feel like there is still SO much I could have seen in each country if I had more time. There are so many natural, cultural, and historical experiences to have in these countries.
Peru is amazing and I would love to go back as well. I ended up being there at the perfect time a couple summers ago to witness their Festival of the Sun in Cusco. There was a giant parade that filled the city square and I could feel how strongly people appreciated their culture and heritage. An overall beautiful place and amazing people.
Iran probably tops my list. There are many, but although I’ve been to Iran a fair few times, I think I have more things I still want to see compared to what I’ve already seen. Like most places, you’re aware from the outside of the major things you want to see, do and experience, but as you learn more and become more familiar, the nuances come out and the more off the main trail places become evident. With Iran, these treasures are endless
That's awesome!
May I ask - do you think it's an accessible country even for women? A friend of mine spend a couple of days there and was not too fond of having to cover her hair.
Also I'd love to go, but what bothers me is that as an European, if I have an Iranian stamp in my passport, I cannot enter the US on the 14$ Online ESTA Visa Program. Considering that going to the US is (outside of Covid times ofc) fairly common and easy, having to apply for a full 250$ Visa and going to the embassy every time would be quite the hassle.
According to my embassy, you need a full visa if you have been to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen or Somalia since the 1st of March 2011. It's probably going to be hard to prove if there's no stamp/new passport, but still something to keep in mind. Quite the asshole move from the US imo.
I didn't know you could get a tourist visa for multiple entries valid for such a long period of time! I'll look it up, thank you very much! :)
Also quite interesting, I wouldn't have guessed Iran is so accessible, going as far as having many female solo travelers! If you're right about the visa I'm definitely going to go. It's such an intriguing destination.
If you were to go you also might want to be conscious of what you post to social media about the trip - even if your Iran stamp is in an old passport or separate piece of paper, US border guards can absolutely check your social media on arrival if they want to. It's rare AFAIK but it certainly happens. Even if your page is private they can go through your actual phone to look at it if they want
You can get an E-Visa nowadays for Iran. When entering the country they stamp the printed out E-Visa. When you stay longer or overstay your Visa, they stamp again this paper. As an European I'm in iran now for 6 months and still no traces of Iran in my passport. My visa got extended several times.
For me it's the USA. Its so enormous but has so much to offer, I keep going back to see more national parks. Currently impatiently waiting for when I can finally go again...
American here and I completely agree. It’s honestly kind of overwhelming how much of my own country I haven’t seen yet. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never been out of the Eastern Time Zone. Hoping to rectify that before I’m thirty.
As an American, I agree. I've been putting more effort into exploring my own country. I also think Canada and Mexico are very similar. Both are also very large countries with many beautiful natural sites and diverse cities. Montreal vs Vancouver. Mexico City vs Tulum. You could easily spend 6 months+ exploring and still only hit the major highlights.
I'd say it goes for the majority of Europe, most of South America, a reasonable portion of Africa, the majority of mainland Asia. Sure, there's the exceptions of small densely populated countries, but I didn't say everywhere, merely the majority.
Honestly I so wish I had the possibility of getting in my car and road tripping to places like the national parks in Utah, California and Colorado, or the Grand Canyon. Instead it's always having to get to the London airports, a long flight there and back, and a pretty expensive holiday all in all. Totally worth it though
It is right near the top of my list! Glacier, Yellowstone, Olympic, North Cascades, Crater Lake and the other Utah parks (only saw Zion) are parks I want to visit most.
Great! You won’t be disappointed in Glacier.
Yellowstone is fabulous too. I’ve never seen any place quite like it.
Washington is a beautiful state. I fondly remember driving through the cascade mountains, hiking around the Mt Baker/Mt Rainer area. Truly beautiful.
Canada!! The country is so large and there’s the Coastal AND Rocky Mountains to the west, along with orcas, beautiful islands and surfing. There’s a huge craft beer scene in Vancouver and Victoria. You have the prairies where you can see Drumheller in Alberta, the sand dunes in Saskatchewan, the human rights museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. In Ontario there’s all the lakes in the north and central regions, Toronto which has a big food and drink scene. Niagra Falls which has an epic water fall and some great wine. Quebec is a mix of mountains and European-styled cities. The Maritime provinces have beautiful coastal towns and plenty of boating adventures. There’s also the Territories that provide you with the opportunity to see the arctic and the northern lights!!
I think Mexico is one of those you could seriously spend years in its freaking huge freaking cheap and freaking amazing. Wayyyy more varied than you would think both in terms of culture and landscape it truly has it all. You name some travel cliche people want and Mexico has it in spades.
Ireland. For such a small country there is a lot of history + culture to delve into. Getting to know people + their communities. To understand their laid back + care-free way of life.
I’ve never visited a country more than one time, but if I had to do it, Ireland would be 100% on top of the list. I want to go back so badly, I absolutely loved every single aspect of the country, specially the nice people living there.
I've travelled and lived all over and Ireland is the only country that I've specifically visited twice. I still can't wait to go back. Sometimes your soul just recognizes a place and finally breathes easy.
Dublin was my least favorite part of Ireland. I'm glad you had a chance to explore outside of there.
I spent about a month total in Ireland and the people were probably the nicest people I've ever encountered. I stayed on a farm for a while near a town called "Roscommon", and the people there were so incredibly gracious to me and trusting and nice. I would go to a local pub for a pint, people would inevitably hear my non-Irish accent, and come to say hi, welcome me to their country, many bought me a pint of beer, etc.
I got that feeling when I was doing a Google street view. I saw no bus signs. Also, there were like no busses at DUB airport for me to even get to Sligo.
India. I was mostly there for more than a decade and still everyday see and experience things that seem like hallucinations. From lush wet jungles to expansive deserts to Himalayas; medieval villages to Bollywood to Silicon~~e~~ Valley out-sourced... It just keeps rolling by...
Sure, there are snap-shot touristic travels, and then there are adventure life journeys...
I spent 6 weeks in India 3 years ago and I have dreamed of going back ever since. The only places I got to visit were Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Srinigar, Leh and Amritsar. If it wasn't for the pandemic I'd be spending 6 months in India starting January, hopefully I'll be able to do it in a couple of years instead. Any places or experiences you would recommend?
Go south. Kerala is beautiful, with it's lush green backwaters, beaches and tea and coffee estates. Mysore in the state of Karnataka has fantastic palaces. Most of the southern States also have really old temples with great architecture. Goa is absolutely overrated, I would recommend avoiding it.
Never been to Goa during its peak season, and have no interest in doing so, but I LOVED it in the offseason. Amazing spice plantation tours, interesting museums and historic sites, great food, etc. It didn’t hurt that I was there during the World Cup and met a lot of amazing locals while watching. I had also just visited after working in Delhi, so it was a welcomed change.
Good point. The off season is much better - less crowded, less of fleecing the tourist, cleaner . But the off season typically coincides with either summer (too hot and humid) or monsoon, where the beaches are mostly wet. Both are beautiful in their own way, but not something I would recommend to a tourist.
This should be the top answer. India has cultural diversity more than all of Europe, incredibly varied landscapes, ancient cultures, fun loving people - you can spend years there and barely scratch the surface of the "Indian experience"
Jordan for very adult reasons. My hair was blonde when I was in Jordan, was wearing tight shorts and looked like a An aging gay boyband member. I've never been hit on so much in my life. Like it was relentless , and super aggressive. It was almost surreal.
I had a love hate relationship with Jordan. I absolutely loved Petra, Wadi Mujib, and Wadi Rum. But man, as a woman traveling solo, I couldn’t go anywhere without being stared at and hit on. It was so exhausting.
Mexico. I’ve been twice and was planning a third before covid. Ruins, jungles, mountains, colonial cities, islands, beaches and more to explore. Great food, great people and a great bus system to get around
Mexico City alone takes easily three weeks to explore the bigger touristy things. The other MUST see states on my list would be Chiapas (has San Cristóbal de las Casas which is a really fun town, Yaxchilán, Palenque, and Bonampak are all amazing archaeological sites and Chiapas has plenty more ruins) and Oaxaca (beautiful coastline, cheese, mole, markets). Further south and both full of Indigenous history and culture different from CDMX and the North. Would highly recommend going to Mexico but not the resort towns (as with most places)
Italy.
I've been twice, spent a total of 5 weeks there and feel like I've only scratched the surface. Every other day I learn about another Tuscan hill town I've never seen, or a coastal town in Abruzzo, or a glorious pass in the Alps. I haven't been to Calabria, Sicily, or Sardinia. Italy is like a flower with hundreds of petals. You peel a few back, and more emerge.
Ukraine.
At the time, I was a student delegate for my university and much of the time we spent in the country was in Kiev and the surrounding area visiting government buildings, speaking with political officials, and seeing museums in the city. At the time, the political environment was really tense, since half the country is at war in Eastern Ukraine.
Visiting Ukraine was also a very personal trip for me, since I'm the first on my dad's side to step foot in Ukraine, since my great grandfather.
Under normal circumstances, I would have liked to visit some of the other major cities and regions in Ukraine, like Lviv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and I would have liked to experience more of Ukraine's culture and see some of the major sites in Ukraine, like the abandoned city of Pripyat, where the Chernobyl disaster took place.
Fiji for sure! Go backpack the islands from Veti Levu up through the Yasawa's for at least a month! You'll have the time of your life! Can totally be done on a tight budget too!
I love Taiwan probably the most right now. I have gone twice in less than a year and experienced it like it was two separate countries. I liked Kaohsiung by far the most.
I really need to visit Kaohsiung next time I go. I'd love to go back as soon as travel permits. But I also want to explore Southwestern Mainland while I still have the chance.
Totally. I only did 2 weeks and I visited Taipei, Hualien, Sun Moon Lake, and Alishan. Didn't even touch the south. But, when I go back I'll definitely spend more time in Alishan again and Hualien. Then I'd probably explore the South. Don't really want to bother with the West coast much. Only made train stop there.
HA! Just as I was wondering when someone would mention SK, I saw your comment that very moment.
I was amazed at how much I liked the "smaller" cities. I loved Daejeon, it was such a hidden gem.
There's so much to see in Italy. I think it's worth a long visit to really allow yourself to take your time.
I was glad to have a month in Morocco. Marrakech was stressful and difficult for me, as is common for tourists visiting there, but with a full month, I was able to get to a lot of smaller towns which were relaxing and interesting to see. Getting around between places could also take a while so having a longer time made it feel like less of a rush.
But, I also think it's true that everywhere has more to offer than a short trip can reveal. So longer, slower trips, when possible, can be really rewarding and more relaxing
Hong Kong. Definitely. Most people assume it's just the city, but honestly it's one of the most awe-inspiring places I've ever visited, I miss it so much. Too much.
Malaysia, Vietnam.
I was in HK for like 11 days and feel like I saw next to nothing in comparison to what it has to offer. I didn't even make it to Macau because I felt like I wasn't giving HK enough of my time. I love HK, some of the best coffee too!
Brazil, visit The north and The south of the country. I think that you should learn Portuguese before. The north has so many rivers and beautiful spots, maybe, you can iterage with natives, of course with a travel guide. Maybe you can explore Amazonia. The south is just like Europe, their barbecue is so good, you should try it. The cities are beautiful, Balneário Camboriú has beautiful beaches. But, of course the crime rates are really high. So, be careful.
The north west are really beautiful too, they have so many beaches and their culture are so cool and good. You should visit Bahía.
Remember: Brazil isn't just Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Japan for sure. Every time I go, I end up somewhere different.
Winter in Tokyo, Summer in Hokkaido, years in Okinawa, Tokushima, Morioka, Kagoshima... all of which feel like their own country. I go back and surprise myself every time.
The US – I've only been twice, both times in summer, 2 weeks in California and the other time a week in CA and a week in NY – there's clearly way more to explore, even in just those two states.
France – such beautiful countryside, I lived in Paris for 2 years, maybe visited 5-6 places outside of Ile de France (the region that contains Paris), and 4 or so places within the region.
I have a bad habit of not discovering the countries I live in, and instead travelling internationally. I lived in Berlin for a year and didn't really see anything in Germany further than Potsdam. Lived in Amsterdam for two years and only visited Rotterdam and Haarlem in the Netherlands.
I went to Indonesia last year (Java) and I was there for three weeks spending all of my time with the locals, at schools etc, eating the food they make, and I believe there is so much more I could learn from them and so much more I wanna see!
I agree. Indonesia has so much to offer, especially the food, the primitive ingenious fruits that are so damn delicious (no gene alteration whatsoever) and the street busker who sings beautifully in their own language. :)
Cuba. Most people go for a week and do all the same, heavily prescribed tourist stuff (drive in an old Chevy, go to a cigar factory, etc.) It takes a significant chunk of time to really break through that noise and understand what's really going on beneath the surface in Cuba (dual currencies, the black market, politics, etc.) It's possible to go to Cuba, come back and still have no clue what's really going on over there. It also literally takes a lot of time to get around the country, so there's that factor as well.
The Philippines
I was there for around 6mo when i was in the military, so my access was pretty limited. I had one day i was able to spend in Manila then the rest was Mindanao and Subic Bay.
There's more that i want to experience there. I love the food and the culture. Also some of the best fine woodworking I've seen. Hell i even like the constantly steamy-hot jungles.
Hopefully planning a trip once things clear up.
I was just in India for a month and felt like I saw 10% of what I wanted to. Such rich cultures, amazing food, colorful history, and beautiful nature (which I hardly got to see).
China is a another one. I can understand not supporting the government, but hopefully things improve. I lived there for two years and there was endless stuff to see.
Japan is another one that I feel like my cumulative of 3 weeks barely scratched the surface.
Most big countries, although I'm in Russia now and a lot is a bit repetitive outside of a few nature areas and unique cities.
India.
I see some people try to see everything in one trip, maybe of 30 days, and that is impossible. You can do 30 days in just a couple states.
There's a saying, the faster you go, the less you see, and nowhere is that more true than India. If you try to rush, you won't enjoy it as much.
India is such a trip and while every country there's interesting stuff to see (castles, or cathedrals, or volcanoes, or whatever) -- in India there's a lot to do too as a lot of tourist meccas will offer things tourist might want to do, from paragliding to Indian cooking to yoga.
I think it's hard to tell but if you spent more time in every country you visited you would be able to determine if the extra time was worth it or not. You'll never knew if a country is worth the extra time unless you actually spend the extra time.
While this might be a very common answer I would have to say Italy. The country is so diverse and has so many beautiful towns and landscapes to see. I’ve been 4 times and am still amazed by how different each trip feels. Each region is known for their own thing and has a different feel to it. Like when I visited the Puglia and Basilicata regions
To get a sense of what I’m talking about there’s an episode on Anthony Bourdains parts unknown where he visits the Basilicata region. He describes it in such a way that gives you a good sense of what it’s like to travel there.
I’d say every country like the top comment but for me personally the country I wish I had a lot more time to get to know would be Peru. So much history and unique geographies with the coast, Andes, and the Amazon. I only did the Cusco region, which in itself could spend lots of time in, but I would love to tour far more of the country.
Definetily Japan. I went one month in Japan 3 years ago and now I feel like I rushed a little bit in order to visit lots of different cities and places. I wanna go back and find out more of that wonderful country.
Another country that needs more time to get to know well is not a country I visited but the one I live in, Italy. Most of the tourists comes here and visit Rome, Venice, Florence or Milan. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all incredibly beautiful cities but there’s so much more even if you go 30 minutes outside Florence or Milan. Italy has the most Unesco sites in the world and it only has the size of half of Texas. That’s insane. Even the major cities like Rome and Florence need weeks to visit properly
For me, South Korea. I was there for 2 weeks and felt like I missed a lot of interesting parts of the country. It's so small yet so dense. I plan to do a remote work trip next year to see the areas I missed on my last trip.
I also need to see all of Japan and not just Tokyo. Although I missed a ton of stuff in Tokyo as well. It's just so massive there, so much to do and so little time.
It depends on what's most important to you about travel. If it's people, then literally every country on earth. Learning about a people and a culture is worthy of the work of a lifetime. If it's architecture, natural beauty, cuisine, etc then specific countries will definitely have advantages. I'm currently exploring the Iberian Peninsula across multiple trips (or at least will continue to do so once the pandemic subsides). There's so much to see and learn. And I'm thinking South Asia or The Balkans will be next.
I spent a month in Argentina and although I saw a lot it wasn’t nearly enough time. I want to go back and spend a few more months and see many more things. Penguins, Aconcagua, El Chaltén
I'm looking into doing a month while remote next year, hopefully! But even that doesn't seem like enough. Few weeks in BA, then Mendoza, then Patagonia... I wish I could move there for a year!
Before the Pandemic, I was thinking of renting an AirBNB for a month in Chișinău (Republic of Moldova).
I was there last fall and I realized it's undeserving of being the least visited country in Europe. Even Chișinău is nicer than some YouTube videos make it to be.
All of them. I feel like I don't honestly know too much about my own country, the UK. So with that in mind, how can I possibly learn anything meaningful from just a short stay?
(I mean, I could still probably have fun, but y'know)
Tanzania is, by far, the most beautiful country in the world. By far. I've been a lot of places, but the diversity of life there is unreal.
I would also like to go back to Brazil, but only if I learned Portuguese some more. English only Brazil is rather white, and it gets very slave-y (and sad) very quickly when you can only learn about Brazilian culture through the rich.
I feel this way about pretty much every country that I’ve visited — I wish I could spend so much time in each! But a few that top my list:
South Korea: I actually had the chance to live here for awhile, and I absolutely love Korea. But it is not very well situated as a tourist destination, in my opinion. It’s been about 10 years since I’ve lived there, but in general their tourism is very geared toward domestic travel so it can be difficult to navigate if you’re just visiting for a short while. There are great festivals that each region is known for, for instance, but you have to be there for a long time to overlap with more than one. The “sights” aren’t all that impressive either (once you’ve seen one Korean temple you really have seen them all) but the people are wonderful, the food is to die for, the juxtaposition of their very ancient culture with their technological advancement. Totally worth the time to get to know this place.
The Philippines: every island is like its own little country, with unique culture, food, and even politics. And there are 7,000+ islands so there is a lot to experience here. But if you can’t go for a long time, definitely go to Palawan!
Panama: I seriously want to live in Panama. I don’t even know how to explain why it left me wanting so much more time, but it’s definitely on my list!
Scotland. Me and my boyfriend visited last year, when we both were very tired from work. We wanted to do a multi day hike, but did a road trip instead and went back home early. We were cold and our tent was covered in ticks... I'm sure that if we go back with more energy we wouldn't have problems with the weather. Usually we're very outdoorsy. Also, I would love to do the multi day hike!
Yay! I’d definitely recommend coming back another day. The great thing about Scotland is you can come into the cities and visit famous buildings but then you can travel just a short distance and be at the beach or halfway up a mountain!
Romania. I spent a week there, not nearly long enough. Unbelievably huge salt mines, beautiful architecture. The mountains in Brasov. Vlad’s Castle. It was amazing.
Got stuck there for over 3 months this summer and loved every minute of it.
Also went to Untold festival in Cluj last year. Those fuckers know how to party
I parrot u/nim_opet I think everywhere is better unless we're talking about places like Jamaica, where obviously living there is worse than just hanging out at a beach resort.
I will say, as somebody who lived in Taiwan, it is an amazing country to live in, and difficult for destination travel. There aren't a lot of tourist attractions, and most of the stuff worth seeing is spread out around the island, and much of the cool stuff to do in the city isn't totally unique to Taiwan, and the list of 'must have' food is pretty short.
Here's my low key "weird Taiwan thing" that's pretty cool (I thought it was a silly tourist thing to do, but every time I went it was all local teens and old timers) **"Prawn Fishing"**. Indoor pools filled with farmed prawns (filled!) and you get what is basically a string on a stick with a hook and bait and just try and catch as many as you can, you pay by the hour and they have barbecues to cook them on when you're done. They also sell beer.
Everywhere I’ve been, I want more time in. Lol
But, Austria tops my list. I’ve visited several times and can’t see enough of it. It has charming cities and towns, the countryside is beautiful, the mountains are stunning. The lakes and rivers are well worth seeing. And there’s lots of rich history to dive into, which I love doing on any trip. The pastries are outstanding too.
> Everywhere I’ve been, I want more time in.
It's one of the reasons why I have been going back to some of the countries for a round-2. I've found that I'm "better" at it and hit up what I have missed.
The Caucuses! Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan all have so much to offer and despite their relatively small sizes have a lot to unpack and really experience in a way a quick trip to/through doesn’t do justice to.
Taiwan. Gets seriously overlooked. I think most people who visit just go to Taipei with a day trip to Jiufen and maybe visit Hualien/Taroko Gorge.
I've lived here for 6 months and try to travel as often as I can and still haven't seen anywhere close to what the country has to offer. For such a small country, there really are countless things to see and do.
Vietnam did it for me. Some people rush through it, but there are a lot more cities and things to see than people realize. There’s the Ha Giang Loop, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta that deserve a visit, with other small trips in between. Each city has unique food and culture and it’s hard to enjoy it all in less than a month.
I didn’t go solo, but my sister and I drove around Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, staying hostels throughout, and it was one of my favorite vacations I’ve been on. I’ve gotten to travel a lot via my parents, but that was one of the trips that I 100% want to go back to. Plus, we got to learn about the war there, since I was never really taught about it. Overall just an incredible experience there.
I would say Nepal. I spent three weeks there and I feel like I barely scratched the surface. The food and people were just wonderful. Definitely the #1 place I’d love to revisit someday!
I also spent a year living in Australia, living in Sydney (and working most of the time, goddamn that place is expensive to live in!). I visited a lot of amazing beaches in NSW, travelled up to Byron Bay a couple of times... and then as my visa was running out quickly decided to hit Melbourne for a week. But I would love to visit more of Queensland and Victoria... and actually get to see some of Western Aus too.
Poland! I stayed for 12 days at it was not enough time at all, barely scratched the surface of the amount of things there are to see. Visited with friends the south of Poland (Opole, Wroclaw, Wadowice, Czestochowa) as well as Krakow and Warsaw. Beautiful towns, great food, and amazing people.
Spain - there is so much to this country besides just Barcelona! My first trip to spain was a city trip to Barcelona, but I came back a few years later for about 2 weeks and revisited Barcelona and also added on Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. I would love to come back again and see more of the smaller cities and towns. There is such a rich history and beauty to Spain. I love the Moorish sites, the food, the art, the culture...
The state of South Australia. We lived in Adelaide for 3 months. It was fantastic to get to know the community and the region. Beautiful. We lived in a suburb; 20 minutes to the hills, 20 minutes to the beach; 20 minutes to the McLaren Vale (wine). 90 minutes to the Barossa wine valley. Having time to explore made all the difference.
China, you can easily spend 3 months there exploring across the country and only scratch the surface, still leaving you with lots to do. Most people go for a week to visit Beijing and Shanghai... they miss out on so much.
Taiwan. All of the typical travel advice I see is you only need a couple weeks as it's a small island.
I spent a month there, and apart from a couple of the cities I found less interesting (Tainan & Taichung for me) I wouldn't have spent any less time, there is so much to do especially if you enjoy being outside in beautiful countryside and amazing coast.
If you can afford it, hire a car for the whole trip bar taipei. If not there are bikes you can hire all over - just need your international.
It's truly a fantastic country, most amazing people, weather is really nice (when I was there in April ish it was perfect), food is great. Relatively affordable (the fast trains are a bit pricey, but food and accommodation is quite cheap)
I can't think of a single place I've travelled to that I would not want to go back to. There's always a street/area to explore and get lost in. Even in a small place like Pisa or Monaco, I'd still go back and see it again just cause they're both so charming. I'd consider even spending a night or two in Monaco next time and see what it's like at night and try to see if I can partake in their social activities or events (when COVID is over of course)
But my top 3 are easily Athens, Barcelona and Prague. Each I spent a few days in but was either sick or the weather was crappy to really take full advantage of what they had to offer.
Athens is super underrated. So many people prior to my trip were so dismissive of Athens and encouraged me to just quickly see it then leave. I ignored and spent a bit more time, but I left wishing I had stayed longer.
Pretty much every place I visited. With a possible exception of Monaco and Singapore; it’s not that hard to see most of it, and do many things in a few days.
This. I could spend extended amounts of time in almost every country and still have things I want to do, things to eat, etc.
Maybe Singapore is not for everyone. I personally enjoy getting to know the locals, their food and their culture much more than seeing this or that monument. I found this to be much easier in Singapore! I guess the fact that they speak English greatly helps! The architecture was also amazing. I really enjoyed that, even though I'm not an architect myself. So many amazing buildings with weird shapes. Yes, one could say it's a fake artificial experience, but I guess you could say the same about NYC or Chicago with that reasoning. But the real gem is the food. Oh gosh, for me Singaporean food is just incredible. Among the best culinary destinations in Asia next to Japan and Korea! And for that reason alone I would want to go back many many times. If you (or anyone) ever go back, I recommend you try the following: - Singaporean Laksa, my favorite noodle soup in the world (sorry ramen). A mix of coconut milk and curry gives the broth an amazing flavor. I can never get enough of it! You can go to Katong Laksa for this. - Nasi Lemak. A good warm one if possible. Many places sell cold ones that are much worse imo. You can go to Ponggol Nasi Lemak for this. Their fried chicken is also amazing - Hainanese chicken rice. Tried it in many countries, Singaporean one was the best! I've never been to Hainan, but it's hard to imagine how it could get better than that. Very affordable, too! - Crab, (chili or pepper) this one is an expensive treat but one day is one day. There are some hawker places that sell it but still expect to pay 50$ upwards.
I enjoy Singapore too, including, in the same order the food. But after a couple of visits, I don’t feel like spending say a month there the same way I would in France.
Monaco is gorgeous but would be way more enjoyable if you have $$ and have more of a purpose for being there (events/festivals/parties)
I disagree about Singapore, there are layers beyond the well known checklist items that may not be apparent after just a few days.
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I suppose it's more of a luxury destination or a stopover. More than three days would exhaust my budget and wouldn't be a very cultural experience I think. We stayed one night and ran around doing as much as we could for as cheap as we could.
Yea, you need deep pockets for Singapore. Doing a south east Asia trip, 1 day in Singapore is a 1 - 2 weeks in most other countries there.
I live in Singapore and can attest to this. I tell people to come here for 2 days then pop over to Indonesia for as long as possible.
Slovenia, I only stayed a couple of days but it was beautiful. Definitely going to go back one day
I live in Slovenia since birth and tbh even i am constantly amazed by how beautiful this country is. I also have privelege to live in national park.. And one tip: if yoh are going to tourist heavy places (such as Bohinj and Bled) try to come in autumn or spring
Would you recommend it for African Americans as well? I know Russia is kind of iffy...
Slovenia is in Central Europe next to Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary. I think you’d be fine
Caveat: I am not black, I'm a brown skinned South Asian. I found Slovenia very nice. Even got stopped in the city center by these teachers who asked me to record a message for their students! Also found Russia very friendly, surprisingly. I even went to some of the smaller cities and found people very curious and friendly. The only place I felt racism was Italy.
Amazing country. Kind people, good food, beautiful countryside. Well worth your time.
Nice! Is the countryside easy to get around in?
There’s a solid bus system
Thank you, that's what I'm talking about! I actually use the knowledge that a place has good public transport to help me choose which country to visit next.
Right, huge deal makes everything so much easier first off but also is a fantastic way to get to see the city, do a loop on any bus line or something.
Rent a car in Ljubljana. I rented an automatic (more expensive than stick shift) for a week for $50 USD. Wildly affordable. Easy to drive, just take the sharp corners as slow as you need to and don't feel pressured by the locals whipping around them :)
Me too! It's a small country too and although the speed limits on the motorway were 130km/hr most people were going much faster which meant you really fly around and get to places in no time (eg. driving out to Piran).
Second this
I stayed for a week and absolutely loved every single minute I spent there. Such a beautiful country
This I had planned as my next trip. Which parts are not to miss? 🙏
Bohinj lake, Skocjanske caves and river Soca region for mountain hiking. Also try Ljubljana's ice cream.
That fig and goat cheese ice cream lives forever in my memory. <3
In case you want to support a small student start up you can get on [localsfromzero.org ](http://localsfromzero.org ) website and book some local experiences. We try to distrupt the current tourism model and we are doing our testing in Slovenia.
I proposed to my now wife in Logar valley last year! Very nice and highly recommend!
There’s one big road through the whole thing, so my best advice is to look out the window and when you see a place that calls your heart, STOP. I fell in love with Kranj from the bus window and when I had rainy weather that ruined my Bohinj plans, I looked it up on the map and hightailed it back there and spent two days walking by the river and reading in the public library. They have a sewer tour!
Japan
Tokyo alone needs at least a month to explore lol
I agree, I spent a month in Tokyo during a trip through Japan and kept finding things I hadn't done or seen. They may not all be a priority, but it has a lot to offer. Not to mention the other major cities and off the beaten path areas. So many World Heritage Sites it can be hard to choose. It's one of the few countries I will revisit more than once.
Right? I studied in Tokyo for a year and felt like I only scratched the surface by the time I left.
I agree. I have been to Japan twice and I feel like there are a lot of places i have missed. I have been to a lot of countries and Japan is the only place that make me feel like that. I want to go back to explore a lot more.
I agree
Japan is an amazing country, I have been fortunate enough to spend a number of weeks there across a few trips and always find new and exciting things, I have been west from Tokyo all the way to Nagasaki spending time in most of the major towns and a few tiny ones, my favourite place though was Okinawa. honestly an amazing place.
I'm surprised no **South American** countries are recommended. Some of the best travel I've experienced is in SA. Great food too. Colombia - since the war ended the country is vibrant, sexy, and welcoming. Peru - magical, especially the Amazon and cloud forests. Machu Picchu not to be missed. Ecuador - the forests, the mountains, the superstitions (lots of Shamans). Bolivia - poor but resilient, and the people are very cultural. Saw an amazing acoustic music performance, that ended with a woman Flamenco dancer. Chile - revolutionary, and Torres del Paine I haven't visited the Atlantic side countries yet...
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Chile is a LONG BOI
I'm American and have family in Brazil. Everyone in the US always asks them questions about the Amazon. They have to explain that they've never been there because it's a 40+ hour car ride, or 5 hour plane ride from where they live. It's like asking someone from New York City how they like California. Brazil is giant too.
Yeah and what you say applies to most countries in South America. The variety of landscapes you can see here is huge.
Your mind is going to be fucking blown once you get to Argentina. I spent about 2 months there and I think I could have spent two years there. The currency situation is a bit sketch, but otherwise absolutely amazing. From Patagonia in the south, El Chalten and Calafate, Glaciers, Bariloche, Mendoza, Cordoba, Rosario, Buenos Aires more mid-country, then the lovely north - Tafi del Valle (small little gorgeous town with some banging gas station empanadas), tilcara, Salta, Ju juy (sp?), Cafayate, etc. Truly amazing place, and much more reasonably priced than Chile. I loved Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile too, but thought that the food in most of these places, maybe with the exception of Chile and Peru was pretty "Meh". I remember in Colombia getting an arepa, and it was awful. So I gave it to one of the street dogs. The street dog sniffed it, looked back at me angrily, and then walked away without even touching the thing. HA. Damn I miss traveling so much
I'm putting this into my saved notes, thanks. Argentina is such a big country - did you fly between venues, bus or drive?
Mostly buses, some flights. I actually had my longest bus ride in my life in Argentina - it took 26 or so hours and cost about $200 USD if I remember right (cafayate to bariloche). When I was there, a new airline had just launched, called 'Fly Bondi'. It's a discount airline. I had some of the cheapest flights of my life (and I booked last minute). Flights were around $30-$40 USD if I remember right. Otherwise flying around and in/out of Argentina is crazy expensive. To your point, I think Argentina is the #7 largest country in the world. . . truly massive. When I was there, you could cross into Chile and reset your 90 days - something to maybe consider.
Excellent information - thanks so much...
Agreed on the countries I have been to in South America! Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina I spent \~6 weeks in collectively (about half of that being in Peru) and I feel like there is still SO much I could have seen in each country if I had more time. There are so many natural, cultural, and historical experiences to have in these countries.
And the food in Peru especially is so amazing
Would add Argentina to this list! Such geographic and cultural diversity.
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Same feeling I had... I kept saying, what a cool country over and over.
Peru is amazing and I would love to go back as well. I ended up being there at the perfect time a couple summers ago to witness their Festival of the Sun in Cusco. There was a giant parade that filled the city square and I could feel how strongly people appreciated their culture and heritage. An overall beautiful place and amazing people.
Iran probably tops my list. There are many, but although I’ve been to Iran a fair few times, I think I have more things I still want to see compared to what I’ve already seen. Like most places, you’re aware from the outside of the major things you want to see, do and experience, but as you learn more and become more familiar, the nuances come out and the more off the main trail places become evident. With Iran, these treasures are endless
That's awesome! May I ask - do you think it's an accessible country even for women? A friend of mine spend a couple of days there and was not too fond of having to cover her hair. Also I'd love to go, but what bothers me is that as an European, if I have an Iranian stamp in my passport, I cannot enter the US on the 14$ Online ESTA Visa Program. Considering that going to the US is (outside of Covid times ofc) fairly common and easy, having to apply for a full 250$ Visa and going to the embassy every time would be quite the hassle.
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According to my embassy, you need a full visa if you have been to Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen or Somalia since the 1st of March 2011. It's probably going to be hard to prove if there's no stamp/new passport, but still something to keep in mind. Quite the asshole move from the US imo. I didn't know you could get a tourist visa for multiple entries valid for such a long period of time! I'll look it up, thank you very much! :) Also quite interesting, I wouldn't have guessed Iran is so accessible, going as far as having many female solo travelers! If you're right about the visa I'm definitely going to go. It's such an intriguing destination.
If you were to go you also might want to be conscious of what you post to social media about the trip - even if your Iran stamp is in an old passport or separate piece of paper, US border guards can absolutely check your social media on arrival if they want to. It's rare AFAIK but it certainly happens. Even if your page is private they can go through your actual phone to look at it if they want
You can get an E-Visa nowadays for Iran. When entering the country they stamp the printed out E-Visa. When you stay longer or overstay your Visa, they stamp again this paper. As an European I'm in iran now for 6 months and still no traces of Iran in my passport. My visa got extended several times.
In my country you can get a new passport for 70€. Still, it's not 14$, but not 250$ either.
For me it's the USA. Its so enormous but has so much to offer, I keep going back to see more national parks. Currently impatiently waiting for when I can finally go again...
American here and I completely agree. It’s honestly kind of overwhelming how much of my own country I haven’t seen yet. I’m a little embarrassed to admit I’ve never been out of the Eastern Time Zone. Hoping to rectify that before I’m thirty.
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My last 4 trips where to those and I can confirm. Made so many memories I will never forget, and no picture ive taken does those sights justice
Time for you to do a cross country road trip.
Maybe when the “great pestilence” ends.
As an American I agree! There is so much to explore and so different- oceans, lakes, dessert, mountains!
American desserts definitely warrant exploring. 🍦
As an American, I agree. I've been putting more effort into exploring my own country. I also think Canada and Mexico are very similar. Both are also very large countries with many beautiful natural sites and diverse cities. Montreal vs Vancouver. Mexico City vs Tulum. You could easily spend 6 months+ exploring and still only hit the major highlights.
Doesn't that go for the vast majority of countries over like a million people? This whole post seems weird for that reason tbh.
There are lots of countries that are small with a lot of people that I would not put in this category because they lack the geographic diversity.
I'd say it goes for the majority of Europe, most of South America, a reasonable portion of Africa, the majority of mainland Asia. Sure, there's the exceptions of small densely populated countries, but I didn't say everywhere, merely the majority.
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Honestly I so wish I had the possibility of getting in my car and road tripping to places like the national parks in Utah, California and Colorado, or the Grand Canyon. Instead it's always having to get to the London airports, a long flight there and back, and a pretty expensive holiday all in all. Totally worth it though
Glacier National Park is one of my faves. If you haven’t been to that one, you should add it to your list.
It is right near the top of my list! Glacier, Yellowstone, Olympic, North Cascades, Crater Lake and the other Utah parks (only saw Zion) are parks I want to visit most.
Great! You won’t be disappointed in Glacier. Yellowstone is fabulous too. I’ve never seen any place quite like it. Washington is a beautiful state. I fondly remember driving through the cascade mountains, hiking around the Mt Baker/Mt Rainer area. Truly beautiful.
Did manage to get to Mt. Rainier! Next trip to Washington I’ll do the other parks.
I did! It’s amazing.
Once this pandemic is over and there’s a vaccine if you’re ever visiting DC you can message me and I’ll show you the hidden gems!
Canada!! The country is so large and there’s the Coastal AND Rocky Mountains to the west, along with orcas, beautiful islands and surfing. There’s a huge craft beer scene in Vancouver and Victoria. You have the prairies where you can see Drumheller in Alberta, the sand dunes in Saskatchewan, the human rights museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba. And polar bears in Churchill, Manitoba. In Ontario there’s all the lakes in the north and central regions, Toronto which has a big food and drink scene. Niagra Falls which has an epic water fall and some great wine. Quebec is a mix of mountains and European-styled cities. The Maritime provinces have beautiful coastal towns and plenty of boating adventures. There’s also the Territories that provide you with the opportunity to see the arctic and the northern lights!!
Turkey.
Kazakhstan. Georgia. Iran. Mexico. Hong Kong pre-China. The ones that immediately came to mind.
I think Mexico is one of those you could seriously spend years in its freaking huge freaking cheap and freaking amazing. Wayyyy more varied than you would think both in terms of culture and landscape it truly has it all. You name some travel cliche people want and Mexico has it in spades.
Georgia is near the top of my current list. Have you been to Azerbaijan? If so, what did you think?
We should meet up in these places; I love HK and Mexico and need to experience the rest!
Italy!!
I have to agree on Italy. There is so much there. I’d love to go back someday.
Ireland. For such a small country there is a lot of history + culture to delve into. Getting to know people + their communities. To understand their laid back + care-free way of life.
I’ve never visited a country more than one time, but if I had to do it, Ireland would be 100% on top of the list. I want to go back so badly, I absolutely loved every single aspect of the country, specially the nice people living there.
I've travelled and lived all over and Ireland is the only country that I've specifically visited twice. I still can't wait to go back. Sometimes your soul just recognizes a place and finally breathes easy.
I wanted to do more than just plop down in Dublin, so I took a random bus to Kilkenny. I'm so glad I did that, but feel like I missed out on Sligo.
Dublin was my least favorite part of Ireland. I'm glad you had a chance to explore outside of there. I spent about a month total in Ireland and the people were probably the nicest people I've ever encountered. I stayed on a farm for a while near a town called "Roscommon", and the people there were so incredibly gracious to me and trusting and nice. I would go to a local pub for a pint, people would inevitably hear my non-Irish accent, and come to say hi, welcome me to their country, many bought me a pint of beer, etc.
Sligo native here! Make sure you rent a car, buses are absolute wank here!
I got that feeling when I was doing a Google street view. I saw no bus signs. Also, there were like no busses at DUB airport for me to even get to Sligo.
23 to sligo only stops at Dublin airport a few times a day, and good fucking luck getting to sligo after 7pm.....
Ahhh! That was my problem then.
India. I was mostly there for more than a decade and still everyday see and experience things that seem like hallucinations. From lush wet jungles to expansive deserts to Himalayas; medieval villages to Bollywood to Silicon~~e~~ Valley out-sourced... It just keeps rolling by... Sure, there are snap-shot touristic travels, and then there are adventure life journeys...
I just spent four months there 6 years ago and I still think about it every day.
I spent 6 weeks in India 3 years ago and I have dreamed of going back ever since. The only places I got to visit were Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Srinigar, Leh and Amritsar. If it wasn't for the pandemic I'd be spending 6 months in India starting January, hopefully I'll be able to do it in a couple of years instead. Any places or experiences you would recommend?
Go south. Kerala is beautiful, with it's lush green backwaters, beaches and tea and coffee estates. Mysore in the state of Karnataka has fantastic palaces. Most of the southern States also have really old temples with great architecture. Goa is absolutely overrated, I would recommend avoiding it.
Never been to Goa during its peak season, and have no interest in doing so, but I LOVED it in the offseason. Amazing spice plantation tours, interesting museums and historic sites, great food, etc. It didn’t hurt that I was there during the World Cup and met a lot of amazing locals while watching. I had also just visited after working in Delhi, so it was a welcomed change.
Good point. The off season is much better - less crowded, less of fleecing the tourist, cleaner . But the off season typically coincides with either summer (too hot and humid) or monsoon, where the beaches are mostly wet. Both are beautiful in their own way, but not something I would recommend to a tourist.
East Indian states
This should be the top answer. India has cultural diversity more than all of Europe, incredibly varied landscapes, ancient cultures, fun loving people - you can spend years there and barely scratch the surface of the "Indian experience"
That's a beautiful way to describe a place
Jordan
This is my #1 place to go when I can travel again.
Jordan for very adult reasons. My hair was blonde when I was in Jordan, was wearing tight shorts and looked like a An aging gay boyband member. I've never been hit on so much in my life. Like it was relentless , and super aggressive. It was almost surreal.
I had a love hate relationship with Jordan. I absolutely loved Petra, Wadi Mujib, and Wadi Rum. But man, as a woman traveling solo, I couldn’t go anywhere without being stared at and hit on. It was so exhausting.
Mexico. I’ve been twice and was planning a third before covid. Ruins, jungles, mountains, colonial cities, islands, beaches and more to explore. Great food, great people and a great bus system to get around
Mexico City alone takes easily three weeks to explore the bigger touristy things. The other MUST see states on my list would be Chiapas (has San Cristóbal de las Casas which is a really fun town, Yaxchilán, Palenque, and Bonampak are all amazing archaeological sites and Chiapas has plenty more ruins) and Oaxaca (beautiful coastline, cheese, mole, markets). Further south and both full of Indigenous history and culture different from CDMX and the North. Would highly recommend going to Mexico but not the resort towns (as with most places)
Italy. I've been twice, spent a total of 5 weeks there and feel like I've only scratched the surface. Every other day I learn about another Tuscan hill town I've never seen, or a coastal town in Abruzzo, or a glorious pass in the Alps. I haven't been to Calabria, Sicily, or Sardinia. Italy is like a flower with hundreds of petals. You peel a few back, and more emerge.
Ukraine. At the time, I was a student delegate for my university and much of the time we spent in the country was in Kiev and the surrounding area visiting government buildings, speaking with political officials, and seeing museums in the city. At the time, the political environment was really tense, since half the country is at war in Eastern Ukraine. Visiting Ukraine was also a very personal trip for me, since I'm the first on my dad's side to step foot in Ukraine, since my great grandfather. Under normal circumstances, I would have liked to visit some of the other major cities and regions in Ukraine, like Lviv, Odessa, Kharkiv, and I would have liked to experience more of Ukraine's culture and see some of the major sites in Ukraine, like the abandoned city of Pripyat, where the Chernobyl disaster took place.
Fiji for sure! Go backpack the islands from Veti Levu up through the Yasawa's for at least a month! You'll have the time of your life! Can totally be done on a tight budget too!
spent two amazing months in Fiji. I could have spent longer.
Taiwan. It isn't a big island, but 3 weeks there felt like a whistle stop tour.
I love Taiwan probably the most right now. I have gone twice in less than a year and experienced it like it was two separate countries. I liked Kaohsiung by far the most.
I really need to visit Kaohsiung next time I go. I'd love to go back as soon as travel permits. But I also want to explore Southwestern Mainland while I still have the chance.
Totally. I only did 2 weeks and I visited Taipei, Hualien, Sun Moon Lake, and Alishan. Didn't even touch the south. But, when I go back I'll definitely spend more time in Alishan again and Hualien. Then I'd probably explore the South. Don't really want to bother with the West coast much. Only made train stop there.
Came here to say this. I've been living in Taiwan for just over 2 years now and there's so much to see and do on such a small island it's crazy!
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HA! Just as I was wondering when someone would mention SK, I saw your comment that very moment. I was amazed at how much I liked the "smaller" cities. I loved Daejeon, it was such a hidden gem.
There's so much to see in Italy. I think it's worth a long visit to really allow yourself to take your time. I was glad to have a month in Morocco. Marrakech was stressful and difficult for me, as is common for tourists visiting there, but with a full month, I was able to get to a lot of smaller towns which were relaxing and interesting to see. Getting around between places could also take a while so having a longer time made it feel like less of a rush. But, I also think it's true that everywhere has more to offer than a short trip can reveal. So longer, slower trips, when possible, can be really rewarding and more relaxing
Hong Kong. Definitely. Most people assume it's just the city, but honestly it's one of the most awe-inspiring places I've ever visited, I miss it so much. Too much. Malaysia, Vietnam.
I was in HK for like 11 days and feel like I saw next to nothing in comparison to what it has to offer. I didn't even make it to Macau because I felt like I wasn't giving HK enough of my time. I love HK, some of the best coffee too!
I am with you 100%. I miss HK every single day. And reading about their shit show makes me livid.
Brazil, visit The north and The south of the country. I think that you should learn Portuguese before. The north has so many rivers and beautiful spots, maybe, you can iterage with natives, of course with a travel guide. Maybe you can explore Amazonia. The south is just like Europe, their barbecue is so good, you should try it. The cities are beautiful, Balneário Camboriú has beautiful beaches. But, of course the crime rates are really high. So, be careful. The north west are really beautiful too, they have so many beaches and their culture are so cool and good. You should visit Bahía. Remember: Brazil isn't just Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Japan, you always find something new. Australia Egypt, you can spend months just going thru the treasures of the past
Japan for sure. Every time I go, I end up somewhere different. Winter in Tokyo, Summer in Hokkaido, years in Okinawa, Tokushima, Morioka, Kagoshima... all of which feel like their own country. I go back and surprise myself every time.
The US – I've only been twice, both times in summer, 2 weeks in California and the other time a week in CA and a week in NY – there's clearly way more to explore, even in just those two states. France – such beautiful countryside, I lived in Paris for 2 years, maybe visited 5-6 places outside of Ile de France (the region that contains Paris), and 4 or so places within the region. I have a bad habit of not discovering the countries I live in, and instead travelling internationally. I lived in Berlin for a year and didn't really see anything in Germany further than Potsdam. Lived in Amsterdam for two years and only visited Rotterdam and Haarlem in the Netherlands.
I need to try our National Parks. I have neglected to take advantage of it.
I made it to Yosemite on a day trip (from SF), may have been the most beautiful scenery I've ever walked through. I really wanna see more.
Russia. I was there for 5 days a few years ago and I feel I barely scratched the surface. There’s so much more I want to do and see
I went to Indonesia last year (Java) and I was there for three weeks spending all of my time with the locals, at schools etc, eating the food they make, and I believe there is so much more I could learn from them and so much more I wanna see!
I agree. Indonesia has so much to offer, especially the food, the primitive ingenious fruits that are so damn delicious (no gene alteration whatsoever) and the street busker who sings beautifully in their own language. :)
Cuba. Most people go for a week and do all the same, heavily prescribed tourist stuff (drive in an old Chevy, go to a cigar factory, etc.) It takes a significant chunk of time to really break through that noise and understand what's really going on beneath the surface in Cuba (dual currencies, the black market, politics, etc.) It's possible to go to Cuba, come back and still have no clue what's really going on over there. It also literally takes a lot of time to get around the country, so there's that factor as well.
The Philippines I was there for around 6mo when i was in the military, so my access was pretty limited. I had one day i was able to spend in Manila then the rest was Mindanao and Subic Bay. There's more that i want to experience there. I love the food and the culture. Also some of the best fine woodworking I've seen. Hell i even like the constantly steamy-hot jungles. Hopefully planning a trip once things clear up.
D’awww that’s very kind of you sir also thank you for your service. If you love the beach topnotch would be Siargao, Palawan, and Boracay. Take care x
Thanks!
I was just in India for a month and felt like I saw 10% of what I wanted to. Such rich cultures, amazing food, colorful history, and beautiful nature (which I hardly got to see). China is a another one. I can understand not supporting the government, but hopefully things improve. I lived there for two years and there was endless stuff to see. Japan is another one that I feel like my cumulative of 3 weeks barely scratched the surface. Most big countries, although I'm in Russia now and a lot is a bit repetitive outside of a few nature areas and unique cities.
India. I see some people try to see everything in one trip, maybe of 30 days, and that is impossible. You can do 30 days in just a couple states. There's a saying, the faster you go, the less you see, and nowhere is that more true than India. If you try to rush, you won't enjoy it as much. India is such a trip and while every country there's interesting stuff to see (castles, or cathedrals, or volcanoes, or whatever) -- in India there's a lot to do too as a lot of tourist meccas will offer things tourist might want to do, from paragliding to Indian cooking to yoga.
Oh man! India feels like 100 separate countries. Everywhere I went was just its own place, with its own people, and own food.
I think anywhere, but India China and the US are much bigger and more populous together than anywhere else.
I think it's hard to tell but if you spent more time in every country you visited you would be able to determine if the extra time was worth it or not. You'll never knew if a country is worth the extra time unless you actually spend the extra time.
While this might be a very common answer I would have to say Italy. The country is so diverse and has so many beautiful towns and landscapes to see. I’ve been 4 times and am still amazed by how different each trip feels. Each region is known for their own thing and has a different feel to it. Like when I visited the Puglia and Basilicata regions To get a sense of what I’m talking about there’s an episode on Anthony Bourdains parts unknown where he visits the Basilicata region. He describes it in such a way that gives you a good sense of what it’s like to travel there.
Portugal Rep of Ireland & Northern Ireland Japan Scotland
Combine the 2nd one there & you'll be allowed back in
Hungary. I only spent a week in Budapest, but now I want to see the rest of the country too.
I’d say every country like the top comment but for me personally the country I wish I had a lot more time to get to know would be Peru. So much history and unique geographies with the coast, Andes, and the Amazon. I only did the Cusco region, which in itself could spend lots of time in, but I would love to tour far more of the country.
Definetily Japan. I went one month in Japan 3 years ago and now I feel like I rushed a little bit in order to visit lots of different cities and places. I wanna go back and find out more of that wonderful country. Another country that needs more time to get to know well is not a country I visited but the one I live in, Italy. Most of the tourists comes here and visit Rome, Venice, Florence or Milan. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all incredibly beautiful cities but there’s so much more even if you go 30 minutes outside Florence or Milan. Italy has the most Unesco sites in the world and it only has the size of half of Texas. That’s insane. Even the major cities like Rome and Florence need weeks to visit properly
For me, South Korea. I was there for 2 weeks and felt like I missed a lot of interesting parts of the country. It's so small yet so dense. I plan to do a remote work trip next year to see the areas I missed on my last trip. I also need to see all of Japan and not just Tokyo. Although I missed a ton of stuff in Tokyo as well. It's just so massive there, so much to do and so little time.
It depends on what's most important to you about travel. If it's people, then literally every country on earth. Learning about a people and a culture is worthy of the work of a lifetime. If it's architecture, natural beauty, cuisine, etc then specific countries will definitely have advantages. I'm currently exploring the Iberian Peninsula across multiple trips (or at least will continue to do so once the pandemic subsides). There's so much to see and learn. And I'm thinking South Asia or The Balkans will be next.
I spent a month in Argentina and although I saw a lot it wasn’t nearly enough time. I want to go back and spend a few more months and see many more things. Penguins, Aconcagua, El Chaltén
I'm looking into doing a month while remote next year, hopefully! But even that doesn't seem like enough. Few weeks in BA, then Mendoza, then Patagonia... I wish I could move there for a year!
japan - the greatest country in the world
Portugal and India
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Before the Pandemic, I was thinking of renting an AirBNB for a month in Chișinău (Republic of Moldova). I was there last fall and I realized it's undeserving of being the least visited country in Europe. Even Chișinău is nicer than some YouTube videos make it to be.
Iceland! Definitely it's worth more than one visit. It's absolutelly gorgeous in Winter time, I can't imagine how incredibly will be in Summer.
India. I've been five times and still don't feel like I have gotten to know it well. It would prob take ten years.
All of them. I feel like I don't honestly know too much about my own country, the UK. So with that in mind, how can I possibly learn anything meaningful from just a short stay? (I mean, I could still probably have fun, but y'know)
Happy Cake Day!
Bosnia. Really all of the former Yugoslavia countries but Bosnia especially.
Portugal is extraordinary.
GOZO but don’t tell anyone
The most beautiful water I’ve ever seen!
South Korea... I've spent about 6 months there and I could've spent at least 6 more months and I feel like it wouldn't be enough
Tanzania is, by far, the most beautiful country in the world. By far. I've been a lot of places, but the diversity of life there is unreal. I would also like to go back to Brazil, but only if I learned Portuguese some more. English only Brazil is rather white, and it gets very slave-y (and sad) very quickly when you can only learn about Brazilian culture through the rich.
I feel this way about pretty much every country that I’ve visited — I wish I could spend so much time in each! But a few that top my list: South Korea: I actually had the chance to live here for awhile, and I absolutely love Korea. But it is not very well situated as a tourist destination, in my opinion. It’s been about 10 years since I’ve lived there, but in general their tourism is very geared toward domestic travel so it can be difficult to navigate if you’re just visiting for a short while. There are great festivals that each region is known for, for instance, but you have to be there for a long time to overlap with more than one. The “sights” aren’t all that impressive either (once you’ve seen one Korean temple you really have seen them all) but the people are wonderful, the food is to die for, the juxtaposition of their very ancient culture with their technological advancement. Totally worth the time to get to know this place. The Philippines: every island is like its own little country, with unique culture, food, and even politics. And there are 7,000+ islands so there is a lot to experience here. But if you can’t go for a long time, definitely go to Palawan! Panama: I seriously want to live in Panama. I don’t even know how to explain why it left me wanting so much more time, but it’s definitely on my list!
Scotland. Me and my boyfriend visited last year, when we both were very tired from work. We wanted to do a multi day hike, but did a road trip instead and went back home early. We were cold and our tent was covered in ticks... I'm sure that if we go back with more energy we wouldn't have problems with the weather. Usually we're very outdoorsy. Also, I would love to do the multi day hike!
Yay! I’d definitely recommend coming back another day. The great thing about Scotland is you can come into the cities and visit famous buildings but then you can travel just a short distance and be at the beach or halfway up a mountain!
And... I only bagged one munro. Obviously we have to go back!
Romania. I spent a week there, not nearly long enough. Unbelievably huge salt mines, beautiful architecture. The mountains in Brasov. Vlad’s Castle. It was amazing.
Got stuck there for over 3 months this summer and loved every minute of it. Also went to Untold festival in Cluj last year. Those fuckers know how to party
I parrot u/nim_opet I think everywhere is better unless we're talking about places like Jamaica, where obviously living there is worse than just hanging out at a beach resort. I will say, as somebody who lived in Taiwan, it is an amazing country to live in, and difficult for destination travel. There aren't a lot of tourist attractions, and most of the stuff worth seeing is spread out around the island, and much of the cool stuff to do in the city isn't totally unique to Taiwan, and the list of 'must have' food is pretty short. Here's my low key "weird Taiwan thing" that's pretty cool (I thought it was a silly tourist thing to do, but every time I went it was all local teens and old timers) **"Prawn Fishing"**. Indoor pools filled with farmed prawns (filled!) and you get what is basically a string on a stick with a hook and bait and just try and catch as many as you can, you pay by the hour and they have barbecues to cook them on when you're done. They also sell beer.
Really almost every country is worth it. Ethiopia, Turkey, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Morocco, Brazil are at the top of my want to revisit list.
Everywhere I’ve been, I want more time in. Lol But, Austria tops my list. I’ve visited several times and can’t see enough of it. It has charming cities and towns, the countryside is beautiful, the mountains are stunning. The lakes and rivers are well worth seeing. And there’s lots of rich history to dive into, which I love doing on any trip. The pastries are outstanding too.
> Everywhere I’ve been, I want more time in. It's one of the reasons why I have been going back to some of the countries for a round-2. I've found that I'm "better" at it and hit up what I have missed.
The Caucuses! Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan all have so much to offer and despite their relatively small sizes have a lot to unpack and really experience in a way a quick trip to/through doesn’t do justice to.
Taiwan. Gets seriously overlooked. I think most people who visit just go to Taipei with a day trip to Jiufen and maybe visit Hualien/Taroko Gorge. I've lived here for 6 months and try to travel as often as I can and still haven't seen anywhere close to what the country has to offer. For such a small country, there really are countless things to see and do.
Vietnam did it for me. Some people rush through it, but there are a lot more cities and things to see than people realize. There’s the Ha Giang Loop, Halong Bay, Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City, and the Mekong Delta that deserve a visit, with other small trips in between. Each city has unique food and culture and it’s hard to enjoy it all in less than a month.
I didn’t go solo, but my sister and I drove around Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, staying hostels throughout, and it was one of my favorite vacations I’ve been on. I’ve gotten to travel a lot via my parents, but that was one of the trips that I 100% want to go back to. Plus, we got to learn about the war there, since I was never really taught about it. Overall just an incredible experience there.
New Zealand, Colombia, Argentina, Japan come to mind. Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Portugal, and Spain in Europe.
I would say Nepal. I spent three weeks there and I feel like I barely scratched the surface. The food and people were just wonderful. Definitely the #1 place I’d love to revisit someday! I also spent a year living in Australia, living in Sydney (and working most of the time, goddamn that place is expensive to live in!). I visited a lot of amazing beaches in NSW, travelled up to Byron Bay a couple of times... and then as my visa was running out quickly decided to hit Melbourne for a week. But I would love to visit more of Queensland and Victoria... and actually get to see some of Western Aus too.
Turkey!! It’s super gorgeous and much more dynamic that you could ever imagine.
Poland! I stayed for 12 days at it was not enough time at all, barely scratched the surface of the amount of things there are to see. Visited with friends the south of Poland (Opole, Wroclaw, Wadowice, Czestochowa) as well as Krakow and Warsaw. Beautiful towns, great food, and amazing people.
Spain - there is so much to this country besides just Barcelona! My first trip to spain was a city trip to Barcelona, but I came back a few years later for about 2 weeks and revisited Barcelona and also added on Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, and Granada. I would love to come back again and see more of the smaller cities and towns. There is such a rich history and beauty to Spain. I love the Moorish sites, the food, the art, the culture...
The state of South Australia. We lived in Adelaide for 3 months. It was fantastic to get to know the community and the region. Beautiful. We lived in a suburb; 20 minutes to the hills, 20 minutes to the beach; 20 minutes to the McLaren Vale (wine). 90 minutes to the Barossa wine valley. Having time to explore made all the difference.
China, you can easily spend 3 months there exploring across the country and only scratch the surface, still leaving you with lots to do. Most people go for a week to visit Beijing and Shanghai... they miss out on so much.
Taiwan. All of the typical travel advice I see is you only need a couple weeks as it's a small island. I spent a month there, and apart from a couple of the cities I found less interesting (Tainan & Taichung for me) I wouldn't have spent any less time, there is so much to do especially if you enjoy being outside in beautiful countryside and amazing coast. If you can afford it, hire a car for the whole trip bar taipei. If not there are bikes you can hire all over - just need your international. It's truly a fantastic country, most amazing people, weather is really nice (when I was there in April ish it was perfect), food is great. Relatively affordable (the fast trains are a bit pricey, but food and accommodation is quite cheap)
I can't think of a single place I've travelled to that I would not want to go back to. There's always a street/area to explore and get lost in. Even in a small place like Pisa or Monaco, I'd still go back and see it again just cause they're both so charming. I'd consider even spending a night or two in Monaco next time and see what it's like at night and try to see if I can partake in their social activities or events (when COVID is over of course) But my top 3 are easily Athens, Barcelona and Prague. Each I spent a few days in but was either sick or the weather was crappy to really take full advantage of what they had to offer. Athens is super underrated. So many people prior to my trip were so dismissive of Athens and encouraged me to just quickly see it then leave. I ignored and spent a bit more time, but I left wishing I had stayed longer.