Countries I want to visit the most

vissaius (49)in #travel • 6 years ago

Recently I obtained my passport. Traveling the world is something I’ve always wanted to do and now that I am old enough to travel on my own here are a few countries I’m planning on visiting first and what I like about them.

Mongolia

A country which also goes by the name “Land of the Eternal Blue Sky” has fascinated me for sometime. Not too long ago I watched web series on Netflix entitled “Marco Polo” which I found really fascinating. The show depicted Mongolian life and culture quite vividly and it captivated my imagination about the vast steppe that occupies Mongolia. After watching “Marco Polo” I decided to do more research into the modern nation of Mongolia and what it’s like today. Today Mongolia only has a population of a little more than 3 million people however it occupies a wide area which ranges from the steppe, the desert, forests, lakes, and the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Also Mongolia is one of the few places on earth where there are still nomads who live in a manner very similar to their ancestors from centuries ago. While Mongolia is sandwiched between China and Russia two of the world’s biggest and most important nations Mongolia is a country that is unfortunately overlooked by many. Perhaps it is a good thing though that there are few people in Mongolia so that this beautiful landscape might be preserved.

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Bhutan

A land also known as “The Land of the Thunder Dragon” Bhutan like Mongolia is sandwiched between two much larger and more populated nations (China and India). While Bhutan is small is has a fascinating landscape and people. Bhutan is governed by a Monarch who is loved by his people and seen as a father to their country. The King of Bhutan believes that his country should focus on happiness first and taking care of the environment alongside having a developed economy. Bhutan is heavily forested and is the worlds ONLY carbon negative country. In other words Bhutan is the only country in the world that is actually reducing the overall pollution of the world and removing more carbon then it creates. Bhutan also ensures free college and medical care for all it’s citizens. While the country is by no means a utopia it seems like a lovely land which I would love to visit one day. Perhaps I could even have an audience with the king some day.

This video here is an excellent presentation of how Bhutan, a developing country is doing so much for their citizens and how the Bhutanese Monarchy has done so much to help their people. Again Bhutan is not a perfect nation but I think the rest of the world could learn from them.
Link to the video:
https://www.ted.com/talks/tshering_tobgay_this_country_isn_t_just_carbon_neutral_it_s_carbon_negative?language=en

A monastery in Bhutan. There are many monasteries throughout the nation. Bhutan is a very religious nation with almost all citizens being Buddhist and 1 per 100 residents being a monk.

Bali, Indonesia

Bali is an island in the Indonesian archipelago. It is known for it’s beautiful beaches, year round tropical weather, and friendly people. The land is very culturally rich and has some very wonderful scenery. Also the cost of living is very low. While getting plane ticket there might be expensive everything else would definitely be worth the price.

Switzerland

Switzerland is yet another small country yet very beautiful and pristine. I’ve always loved mountains and wanted to see them in person. I’ve lived in relatively flat regions most of my life so mountains are a very refreshing site indeed. Switzerland is also a polyglot of a country. In other words there are several languages all spoken in this small nation which I find quite fascinating as a lover of languages myself.

New Zealand

A small country located in the Southwestern Pacific, New Zealand is a remote but fascinating country. New Zealand is most famous for hosting it’s land as a filming ground for many films namely the Lord of the Rings” film trilogy. The land was first settled by Polynesians who are the ancestors of today’s Maori culture. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand or Aotearoa in the Maori tongue. They are essentially cousins of other Polynesian people groups such as the Native Hawaiians. I’ve always found the Moari culture quite fascinating and would love to visit one of their villages one day.

Today New Zealand hosts a population just shy of 5 million however the land is quite ethnically diverse with descendants of British and Irish colonists as well as more recent arrivals from East Asia. Not only are the people diverse but the landscape is very diverse from sub tropical lands in the north to vast forest, beaches, and mountain ranges. The landscape is so diverse that it’s almost like having many different lands all so close together. I would love to explore cities such as Auckland and Wellington as well as enjoy all the natural splenours that the nation offers in conjunction.