My Top Ten Favourite Countries (6 to 10)
Brazil is such a massive country it was difficult to decide where to go / what to do. I loved the variety from the big cities with their truly iconic sights to natural wonders to gorgeous white sandy beaches and the vast Amazon jungle.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the most famous cities in the world and doesn’t really need an introduction. The view from Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is one of the best views I’ve ever seen. Copacabana beach was fun to walk along and watch the locals enjoy life. My first view of Iguacu Falls was from the plane on a flight from Rio to Foz Do Iguacu and I don’t think I could appreciate the scale of it until you get closer. The power and volume of water is breath-taking. Staying on a floating lodge on the Amazon river in the middle of the jungle was an amazing experience. The highlight here was catching a piranha while fishing (I was the only one to be successful). I loved the city of Salvador with all the African influences. It had a very different feel to other places and it was filled with music which added to the atmosphere. Yummy food included local specialities churrascaria, moqueca, pastel de nata, an enormous variety of tropical fruit plus there are Caipirinhas for sale everywhere!
7.Australia
Another vast country. I spent a month travelling around and visited four main ‘destinations’ and I’ve hardly seen any of Australia when I look at a map.
Like Rio, Sydney is a world-famous city and seeing the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Bondi beach, taking the ferry to Manly etc were fabulous and I really enjoyed my time here. A possibly controversial opinion is that I think my favourite city was Melbourne. I loved all the art and culture, the food and drink, the different neighbourhoods and it felt more like somewhere I would choose to live. A road trip along the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne offers spectacular scenery all the way along. I stopped off ‘in the middle’ to visit Uluru and experienced watching the sunrise which was magical. I also enjoyed a day hiking in The Olgas which are nearby and have a similar ‘look’ with distinctive red earth and scrubby bush. Finally to Perth, often quoted as being the most geographically isolated city in the world. I really liked the city, particularly all the galleries and museums and the gorgeous Kings Park and Botanic Gardens. In addition, I was lucky to go on a weekend break with friends further south to Margaret River and Busselton and loved visiting the vineyards (and sampling the wine of course) as well as all the wonderful beaches.
8.Malaysia
Malaysia is unique because it has such a mixture of different cultures and influences - Malay, Chinese, Indian and British – and I had a great holiday here.
The country is geographically varied too with lots of different options for things to see and do. You’ve got Kuala Lumpur, a massive city with high rise skyscrapers like the Petronas Towers plus sights such as the Islamic Arts Museum, Masjid Jamek and Sri Maha Mariamman Temple. Then Penang in the north west with its lovely colonial buildings and delicious street food. Next the gorgeous white powder sand beaches of the Perhentian islands. Followed by a hot and sweaty jungle trek in Taman Negara and after all that, some respite from the heat, in the cooler climate of the tea plantations in the Cameron Highlands. The different cultures have influenced the food here too and there’s such a wide variety of delicious dishes that I enjoyed including Nasi Lemak, Nasi Goreng, Rendang, Laksa, tandoori chicken and murtabak followed by cendol for dessert.
9.Spain
Spain is the country I have visited the most to date, partly because I’ve had family living in the region of Murcia for the last ten years or so.
Aside from visiting family, I’ve been lucky to experience a lot of fabulous Spanish cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, Bilbao, Palma, Murcia, Seville, Granada, Cordoba and Ronda. Great history, art, architecture and culture in all of these. In the south you’ve got the additional influence of the Moors and their legacy in spectacular sights such as The Alhambra in Granada and the Mezquita in Cordoba, both of which are stunning. The country is probably more well-known as a beach destination, especially for us Brits, with hundreds of miles of coastline and lovely beaches. It turns out I haven’t been to that many Spanish beaches so perhaps that’s something I need to address in the future. In addition, I’ve got to mention the delicious food and wine that I’ve had over the years including paella, gazpacho, jamon, manchego, tortilla, croquetas, albondigas, flan, Rioja (red and white), Priorat, Verdejo and Albarino.
10.New Zealand
I went to New Zealand quite some time ago, back in 2003, however it’s still one of my favourite places I’ve ever been. It’s a very long journey but it’s definitely worth it when you get there.
I think it’s probably the spectacular scenery / landscapes and the wildlife that I loved the most. Some of my most memorable experiences include swimming with dolphins in the wild, whale watching, hiking on a glacier (Fox Glacier), seeing the bubbling mud pools and geysers at Rotorua, canoeing along the beautiful coastline of Abel Tasman National Park, white water rafting on the Kaituna river, experiencing thrills on the Shotover Jet and flying in a tiny plane over Milford Sound. The scenery all around Queenstown is gorgeous plus you get amazing views from the TranzAlpine train on its journey from Greymouth to Christchurch. I didn’t spend all my time outdoors and also enjoyed the cities of Wellington and Auckland. And of course I can’t finish without mentioning the fantastic food and wine – there’s more to New Zealand than just lamb and Sauvignon Blanc!