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1. USA= Unequal with the amount of hiking. If you want to rough it in the wilderness there is a lot of that. If you want to hike, but still enjoy an urban environment there is a lot of that.
2. Argentina= Amazing diversity...From the rain forests in the north to the glaciers in the south to the highest peaks outside of the Himalayas in the west. Combine this with a few days in the vibrant city of Buenos Aires, and it is a must see.
3. New Zealand= Frequently voted the best hiking in the world. What it lacks in diversity, it makes up for it in solitude and beauty.
4. Nepal= Himalayas...that is all that need to be said.
5. Canada= From the islands off the coast of BC to Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, and from the majestic Canadian Rockies up to extreme wilderness hiking in the Yukon and NW Territories it is an amazing place.
I know it's nitpicky , but the Andes are not the second highest mountain range after the Himalayas,
because the Karakoram, Hindukush, Tian Shan, Pamir Mountains and Kunlun Mountains are all higher than the Andes, and they are not part of the Himalayas. But it's true, that the Andes are the highest mountains outside of Asia.
I guess it depends on your goal, but if I met an alien from another world and it wanted to visit 5 countries to better understand humankind, I would probably recommend:
-United States
-China
-Russia
-Iran
-Democratic Republic of Congo
I feel these are some of the most different and contrasting places in the world and visiting them would help you get a decent understanding of the current state of humankind.
1. Italy - good food, good weather, good landscape, just about more visual history than anywhere else in the world. Beauty everywhere you look.
2. China - the Beast. Go for the cities, go for the villages, go for the staggering diversity of landscapes that most visitors completely miss out on. Past and future combined, and a good dose of culture shock - a different version of the world (plus the fact you'll be treated like a celebrity out of the tourist trails).
3. USA - what you were brought up seeing on TV, now made flesh, from skyscrapers to fast food to cowboys. The diversity of landscape and peoples, and some of the friendliest, most talkative strangers this side of the Western hemisphere.
4. France - what you thought you were bought up seeing in history books, exposed as a modern nation - amazing food, landscape, history and lifestyles. There's a reason they say Vive la vie Francaise, it's pretty damn good.
5. India - everything about poverty, heat, open sewers, touting and the Third World writ large, yet opens your eyes through the filth to the good humour, generosity and happiness people still have in spades, in vivid colour. Mix the chaos of the city with the peace of the rural ashram. Life-changing.
Id love to throw Japan, Turkey, Laos, Colombia, New Zealand and Switzerland in there too.
In terms of history, food, culture, people and landscape I'd put in Morocco too - beauty, history and scenes that will sear into your memory everywhere you look. However completely wrecked by some of the worst touting in the world.
Spain and France are number 1 and 2 in tourism. USA could be number 1 but is has tough tourist visa requirements for citizens of developing countries.
For tourists, it is easier to visit Europa than USA.
Spain and France are number 1 and 2 in tourism. USA could be number 1 but is has tough tourist visa requirements for citizens of developing countries.
For tourists, it is easier to visit Europa than USA.
Visa requirements are not the reason why Spain and France are ahead of the USA. The main reason is proximity -- over 70% of France's 83 million foreign visitors are from countries that share a land border with France, or the UK, or the Netherlands. There's just a lot more foreigners living within a short flight/drive/train ride of Paris than anywhere in the US -- Canada just doesn't have enough people and the northern half of Mexico just isn't wealthy enough. All statistics show that the US is #1 by far in terms of total money spent by foreign tourists.
I am not saying visa requirements are not a deterrent to visitors but travel cost (and proximity) are a lot more important.
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, but the Andes are not the second highest mountain range after the Himalayas,
