A few days ago, I was exchanging a couple of emails with a friend and TWL reader (you know who you are) about traveling around the world on one of those “around the world” tickets. It is something of a dream of mine and I just haven’t managed the experience yet. I know little about planning an itinerary so my thoughts ran toward my list of places I have yet to visit. I cannot help but feel a little embarrassed for not having already visited a few of these countries, which only means I need to go soon. So in the spirit of “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours,” let’s start off Sunday right with my top 10 countries I haven’t been to, but need to in descending order.
10. Argentina/Uruguay
I have added these two together because I am drawn to both countries and would never make a trip to one without stopping at the other.
9. Cambodia
Two words, Angkor Wat. I have more words about why to see Cambodia, but the two are enough to justify the visit.
8. Turkey
Over the last five years, I have had more stories submissions come in about Turkey to ITKT than any other place. I should see what I am missing.
7. Kenya
I am not sure of Kenya has the best safari possibilities, just the most familiar one.
6. Oman
I have heard too many good things about Muscat from too many travelers that I respect.
5. Cuba
Please don’t tell me I can’t go and expect me not to want to go. This is before music, food and communism is added into the interest mix.
4. Jordan
The origin of civilization, maybe? I sent an ITKT writer there a few years back and I have been jealous ever since.
3. Madagasca
The lemurs alone make it of particular interest.
2. Mongolia
I want to travel with a nomadic family and live in a yurt for a week. I doubt I will ever get this lucky, but still nice to consider.
1. Papua New Guinea (which with any luck should happen this year)
There is simply too many different cultures and too much flora and fauna diversity to miss. Maybe the most interesting place on Earth.
Ask me tomorrow, and I will probably have a different list, but for now, planning this adventure has me drooling. I think I will add my top ten travel list for places I have already been for next week.
What’s your list?
Photo by me. Map by the Wizard of New Zealand (placing south and New Zealand at the top of the world)
ok, my top ten are
10. turkmenistan
i have yet to go to any of the ‘stans and i really want to see all the statues of turkmenbasy!
9. armenia
i know quite a few people from there and would love to be able to tell them first hand that they are from a beautiful country
8. vanuatu
just love me some tribal stuff
7. papua new guinea
i need to get lost in a jungle somewhere!
6. the philipines
i need to eat my way thru those islands
5. guyana
cuz no one really goes there
4. namibia
sand boarding down those dunes sounds magnificent!
3. rwanda
the gorillas and the people
2. madagascar
i need to kiss a lemur at least once in my life
1. the cook islands
me and my mom need to see blue starfish and get our snorkel on! and i miss
staying in a thatch hut and hearing the water lap the shore
and i would never tell you not to go to cuba. it’s great but bring some power bars cuz the food is terrible!
cuban food in the states is awesome but they don’t have the same resources there so the food suffers greatly!
I just got back from Vancouver and my first time out of the US. I am 21, so I still time and now all I am doing is thinking about traveling more and making more money. Here is my list
10. Spain
9. Irerland
8. Australia
7. Thailand a buddy just returned and had a blast
6. Japan
5. China
4. Brazil for carnival
3. Russia I am part russian
2. Greece
1. Italy
Cambodia is one of the saddest and most beautiful places I have ever been. Angkor is something that will stay with me forever.
My top ten:
10.Cuba
9. Japan: I may never have enough money for this, but I would love see the modern Tokyo and the old world Kyoto.
8. Egypt
7. China: I want to see the Great Wall and visit with Mao
6. Germany
5. Czech Republic & Croatia: I have this fantasy of an eastern Europe tour. I will see it long before western.
4. Jordan: I must see Petra!
3. Italy: I have this idea that Rome is similar to Mexico City, but even bigger and better. Plus I need to see Venice at some point in my life. Oh! And Pompey. So many things!
2. Guatemala: Must see Tikal!
1. Russia: I love Russian history. I want to see palaces like the Kremlin, go to St. Petersburg,and Sochi (mostly because it sounds like my name)
I think I have a thing for ruins and communists :^D
.-= Xochitl-Julisa´s last blog ..Education and Jaime Escalante =-.
Great lists. I don’t even know where some of these places are. Vanuatu?! Good luck getting there. I really don’t have ten places, but I have three I am just dying to go to!
3. Vietnam: My dad was there during the war and had some great things to say and some awful things. I am really curious and almost feel like I know it!
2. Italy: There is so much great art there, and food!
1. Costa Rica: I have a cousin there who said I could stay with him. Sounds scary but fun!
I also want to go back to the UK and France.
My wishlist:
10. Jan Mayenland. I have never heard of anyone who has actually been there; I even doubt if there are any inhabitants at all.
09. Easter Island. Would like to have a word with those statues.
08. Bukhara and Samarkand (Uzbekistan). The names sound like a fairy tale and the historic centres appear to be amazingly intact.
07. Kashmir. Because of the mountains and, of course, the legendary city of Srinagar.
06. Lesotho. A kind of kingdom in the clouds and so remote that it must be worth visiting.
05. Mali. The desert and Timbuktu, another legendary city.
04. Tchad. Another desert country, very remote and hardly known.
03 Iran. Always wanted to see Isfahan.
02. Patagonia. The mountains, of course.
01. Tibet. But most likely I will never see it because I have sworn not to go there as long as it is occupied by the Chinese.
Hey all, impressive lists. I am completely drooling over some of your choices.
@Tin, Vanuatu is high on my list after reading Maarten Troost’s “Getting Stoned with Savages.” Namibia is also high up as I had a writer send in lots of stories about the place. Both sound like a great adventure. Funny comment about Cuba. I have a similar comment about the Philippines.
@Davi, Good on you. Starting to travel young is a good idea. You will learn that you can do anything.
@Xochitl, Japan is probably cheaper than you think and will have more cheap food options.
.-= Devin Galaudet´s last blog ..My Top 10 Places I Need to Travel, What’s Yours? =-.
@Sara, I can vouch for both Italy and Costa Rica as places that show you have good taste.
@Dirk, You clearly like far flung. I don’t know anyone who has been to Jan Mayenland, but a buddy has visited Svalbard, which is fairly remote. He write a story here, http://www.intheknowtraveler.com/archives/2747. If you ever make it there, please let me know how it goes.
.-= Devin Galaudet´s last blog ..In Video: Nepal =-.
Have to say that I am surprised to know that you have not been to Argentina or Turkey. Okay, here is my top ten:
10. Easter Island
9. Mongolia (totally with you on the yurt fantasy!)
8. Fiji
7. Greece
6. Denmark
5. Galapagos
4. Argentina
3. Croatia
2. Bali
1. Iceland
It was an interesting exercise putting this list together! Thanks for the prompt.
Hey Melissa,
I have had my chances with Turkey and sent a couple of other writers. Argentina, I just have not made the plans… yet.
.-= Devin Galaudet´s last blog ..My Top Ten Places I Need to Travel to Again, What’s Yours? =-.
I’ve heard and read so many great things about the following countries (and South America in particular), that given the chance (and time and money!) I would love to visit them one day..
10. Hong Kong / China (Would love to see the Great Wall.)
9. Mauritius (I have a friend from there who has gone back to live there for a couple of years, so may have to pay her a visit!)
8. Bolivia
7. St Lucia
6. Costa Rica
5. Argentina
4. Peru
3. Brazil
2. Japan
1. Vietnam (didn’t have time to cover this country on my travels and reeeally wanna go!)