I am often asked, “What is your favorite country to visit?”
For an avid adventurer, it’s a confusing question. How to distill the culture, the vibes, the food, the scenery and all the other factors that shape the international travel experience?
Locating the nations I’ve explored in depth with multiple visits—popular places like Turkey, Nepal, South Africa, and Indonesia—is one measure. A more original approach might be to look at the places I expected to visit only once, but which surprisingly left me wanting more.
Here are the spots I thought would be “one and done” but are on my return trip list.
Rwanda
I was unprepared for the natural beauty of Rwanda. Like many, I traveled to Rwanda for the primate trek. But the sudden closure of the Burundi border meant I had a little extra time.
What a wonderful gift it was to discover lovely tea plantations, a luscious landscape of a thousand hills and the singing fishermen of Lake Kivu working at night from three-hulled boats.
A village in Rwanda, a country with a population of nearly 14 million people.
Edwin Remsberg | The Image Bank | Getty Images
Rwanda takes credit for its reconciliation after the 1994 genocide. Throughout the country there are genocide memorials, which approach its difficult history with respect and transparency.
The primate trek isn’t too shabby either. I ventured into Volcanoes National Park in search of the golden monkey, a photogenic subspecies found in the Virunga Mountains of central Africa. I was hoping for a close-up, but instead I had a close encounter. A mischievous monkey found its happy place between my legs.
Saudi Arabia
On a dramatic cliff called “Edge of the World”, I watched the amber sun drift below the horizon on my first day in the Kingdom. The vast, uninterrupted view will be hard to beat, I thought.
A few days later I experienced another Saudi superlative while immersed in a lush green valley surrounded by massive red sandstone pillars. I wandered into Wadi Al Dish, or the “Valley of the Palms,” in disbelief that a desert environment could be so magnificent.
Photo taken by Todd Miller at the “Edge of the World” cliff in Saudi Arabia.
Source: Todd Miller
Wadi Al Disah is the geological cousin of Jordan’s Wadi Rum — but without the crowds. The Nabateans built the now world-famous site of Petra 2,000 years ago. They also built Hegra, a valuable world heritage site in Saudi Arabia, which is more interesting after dark.
At night, a section of its monumental tombs is illuminated by thousands of candles, creating the mystery of an ancient civilization. Mass tourism is relatively new in the Kingdom, and I felt really welcome, thanks to the Arab hospitality. The highlight of my trip: a spontaneous offer to visit a Bedouin camp. The hosts invited us into their tent area and shared tea, photos and stories of their nomadic lifestyle.
Montenegro
A few years ago, I cycled past this little gem of a country and its mountains, turquoise waters and Orthodox churches. While nearby Croatia gets most of the attention and visitors, Montenegro is the place to wander in the Adriatic atmosphere.
The UNESCO-listed Bay of Kotor is often called Europe’s southernmost fjord, but it’s actually a submerged river gorge.
Aerial view of Sveti Stefan, a fortified island village with 15th-century stone buildings on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro.
Feng Wei Photo | Moment | Getty Images
Near Kotor’s Stari Grad (Old Town), I climbed a fortress and dropped into a Serbian Orthodox church dating back to 1305. Inside I found a chatty priest. Somehow, he and I got over the language barrier to have a good conversation.
Cycling along the Adriatic towards Albania, I spotted the peninsula village of Sveti Stefan. I was just passing through. But the lingering image of this rustic village with its red clay roofs, surrounded by blue hues of the sea, calls me back.
Antarctic
On my “Way Down Under” trip I was one of the first visitors of the season, which begins in mid-November.
In Antarctica the colors are pure and spectacular: endless, flawless whites punctuated by fiery orange sunsets. The pristine places we explored on foot and by kayak were untouched for at least six months during the brutal winter.
Sunset on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Andrew Peacock | Stone | Getty Images
On King George Island, a crew member of our expedition ship arrived at the nearby Polish research base, staffed by just seven. After a long winter, researchers were all too eager for some fresh faces. They invited us into their intimate living room, generously handing out chocolates, snacks and precious fruits. I can’t wait to return to the White Continent again to experience the coldest, windiest, driest and perhaps most peaceful part of the planet.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu is one of the least visited countries in the world, not because it isn’t welcoming or rewarding, but because of its remote location. The voluntary liquidation of its national airline, Air Vanuatu, in May; it does not help.
However, this Melanesian country offers breathtaking experiences — including the world’s most accessible active volcano, Mount Yasur, known for its natural pyrotechnics of agitated lava. I was enveloped in thick toxic volcanic smog with almost zero visibility during my visit to the rim.
A tribal ritual in Vanuatu.
Source: Todd Miller
The clear waters and coral reefs of the archipelago are world class. Off the coast of Efate Island, I snorkeled over a damaged but intact World War II Corsair fighter plane. The pilot reportedly survived the crash.
Vanuatu also exudes a tribal tradition. On Pentecost Island we witnessed a diving ritual, the original bungee jumping. During this annual ritual, men take a leap of faith from tall wooden towers with vines wrapped around their ankles. In the background, men wearing penis pouches and women in grass skirts sing and dance ritualistically. They say a good dip ensures a bountiful crop of yams. We witnessed 10 successful dives that day, which should bode well for the harvest.
