For the past two and a half years, most of my time has been spent abroad: living, vacationing, backpacking, working. In all, I’ve been to 41 countries. Some have been great. Some have been boring. Some have been shocking.
Below are my 15 favorite places in the world, presented in order. This list is not scientific at all. I asked myself questions such as “How much would/did I enjoy living there?” “How much do I want to go back?” and “How blown away was I by it?” and ordered my list loosely based on the answers.
These are not the “best” places in the world. These are not even places I recommend visiting the most. They’re merely my personal favorites — the locations that mean the most to me and that I enjoy the most. Take that for what its worth.
15. Prague, Czech Republic
Of all the European cities completely overrun and gutted by tourists, Prague is my favorite. I figured I’d kick this list off with a backhanded compliment. But really, when you wade through the overweight British girls on their gap year, Prague’s Old Town is charming. Its vistas are beautiful. And its culture is a nice blend of the best of East and West. Prague is backpacker and tourist hell at times, particularly in the summers. But if you’re willing to get a little adventurous, to stray off the beaten path, to lean into the language barrier and try your luck out in the outskirts of town, you’ll be rewarded with friendly locals, beautiful women, underrated food, and some strong nightlife. Just don’t go to the strip clubs, they’re scams. Wait, what am I saying? Strip clubs everywhere are scams.
14. Beijing, China
The only reason I even stopped in Beijing was because it was the cheapest hub back to the US from Thailand. I had little interest in the country but I figured I may as well stop and see the Great Wall and Forbidden City. Call it a moral travel obligation.
To my surprise, I really liked it and I will go back to China one day. I’m not sure when, but I will go back and I will spend a lot of time there. The culture fascinated me. The city fascinated me. Everything’s new and exciting there, not just for you, but for the locals as well. It feels like a social explosion is happening there. And I’m not sure what it is about former communist countries, but it feels like there’s a sense of community in them, even among strangers, that we lack in the West. I can’t put my finger on it, but perhaps that’s why I want to go back.
13. Jerusalem, Israel
Israel is perhaps the most fascinating place I’ve ever been which I don’t intend on ever going back to. Israel is intense, too intense if you ask me. I have nothing against the people and have no position in their religious/political quagmire. I just don’t like going to a shopping mall full of civilians with rifles strapped to their backs.
But that wasn’t even the most intense part. Jerusalem. I’m not religious and not Jewish. But I was still floored by the historical relevance of the Jerusalem. Not even floored, but awed, dumbstruck, mystified. It’s the cradle of civilization. And it only takes a stroll through the Old City to understand why this is the most politically contentious place on Earth: three of the world’s major religions have some of their most holy locations within a couple miles of one another. It’s an amazing disaster, and I mean that in the best way possible. You can be at the Wailing Wall, the final remaining part of the temple of David, and then a few blocks away is where Jesus Christ was crucified, and then around the corner is where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept, and a stone’s throw away is the Dome of the Rock, one of the most holy mosques in the world… all while meandering through limestone paths built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago.
Jerusalem kind of ruined me for a lot of other tourist sites in the world. After Jerusalem, so many places feel insignificant or historically unimportant by comparison. For instance, my trip through Baria Gotica in Barcelona was a snooze, “Oh, this fortress is only 1,000 years old? And those old Roman ruins were built in 500 AD? Oh, OK, where do we eat?”
12. South Beach, Miami, USA
South Beach is one of two places in the US that doesn’t feel like it’s part of the US. It also arguably has the most beautiful women in the US (there’s a strong argument for New York City; LA is flat-out overrated, in almost every way imaginable).
The first time I traveled to South Beach, I was young, broke, and dressed like an idiot. I hated it. The second time I traveled to South Beach, I was a bit older, had money, and dressed very well. I loved it. Like it or not, status plays here. South Beach is like a slice of Europe and a slice of Latin America smashed together on a tropical island made of American excess. Great music scene, perfect weather, gorgeous beach. One of the few cities in the US I’d consider living in permanently.
11. Sydney, Australia
Of the English-speaking countries, Australia is my favorite. I really feel like Australia is what the US should have been, were we not so fat or superficial and didn’t spend 1/3 our money on a military instead of health care and education. Australia’s great. They’re like England without the self-loathing and bad weather. They’re like Canada without the snow and ice. They’re like New Zealand without the hobbits and sheep. But before all of my Australian readers start to get a big head, keep in mind that being the best of the English-speaking countries to me is like winning the Special Olympics, you’re still culture-less and a bunch of binge-drinking retards. But at least you get to have perfect weather, great beaches, clean and modern cities, and raging nightlife while you do it, unlike the rest of us.
So why Sydney? I love big cities. And I’ll be honest, I haven’t been to Melbourne yet. Everyone tells me that Melbourne is better — it has more art, more culture, nicer girls. Whatever. Sydney treated me pretty damn well. Wonderful city and I have wonderful friends there as well. All of the amenities of a world class city without many of the drawbacks you get in places like New York and London.
10. Hong Kong, China
If cities were people, Hong Kong would be a rich Wall Street guy with sweat stains and an Asian fetish. Hong Kong has by far the highest population density in the world. Imagine if Manhattan was a gigantic hill and every building was twice as tall. Throw in some sky bridges and the longest escalator in the world and you end up with the most urban environment on the planet.
There are so many young western expats living in Hong Kong, you forget that you’re in Asia at times. The island has everything you could want back home — great restaurants and night clubs, big career opportunities, over-educated single 20-something women — while the mainland still delivers the cultural diversity (or insanity, depending on what you’re going for) that you come to expect from Southeast Asia. I could live here.
9. São Paulo, Brazil
You have not met urban sprawl until you’ve met São Paulo. Most people think of São Paulo as Rio de Janeiro’s fat, ugly cousin with an urban-planning problem. And I guess they’re right… but that’s not all São Paulo is. Most people don’t enjoy São Paulo because they drop in for a few days, find out that it’s almost impossible to get anywhere, spend a fortune on the most basic amenities, can’t find anything interesting or fun to do because they don’t know any locals, realize no one speaks English, and quickly leave annoyed and slightly broke.
If they stayed longer, they’d realize a few things: São Paulo has the best night life in South America (yes, better than Buenos Aires). It has the best food in South America (yes, better than Buenos Aires). It has some of the most beautiful and educated women in South America (yes, better than Buenos Aires). And it’s within a day-trip of a number of great beaches (unlike… *drumroll* you guessed it, Buenos Aires).
You just have to know the right places, which in a city so large, is not easy. São Paulo requires an investment of time, energy and money: three things most foreigners won’t be willing to put in. And I’m fine with that — happy about it, even. The city remains fairly unscathed by the hordes of backpackers, resort-goers and sex tourists which populate Rio. And now that I’ve put the time in to learn the city and meet some special people, I’ll gladly go back.
8. Berlin, Germany
Best nightlife in the world, hands down. And if you don’t agree, please tell me of another place where you can leave a club at 9AM and have there still be a line to get in.
Berlin is almost like its own country, it’s as culturally diverse as you’ll find in the world. From what I understand, when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the real estate market clusterfucked itself. The amount of land doubled over night. Rent prices plummeted, and swarms of artists, musicians, and performers came from all over Europe to live cheaply and lay the foundation to the neo-bohemian smorgasbord of culture you find there today. I imagine the excessive partying came with them.
(Sidenote: Berlin is also a great biking city, which wins big points from me.)
(Another side note: Berlin is home to the scariest bouncer I’ve ever seen in my life.)
7. Singapore
Singapore is almost too perfect. Everything is spotless. The buildings are modern and gorgeous. Everyone is friendly and helpful. Everything is orderly and there’s no crime. Walking around it, you almost wish you could see a semi-toothed homeless man peeing in the street and laughing about it. Just once, so you’d remember that, oh yeah, the world is shit and we’re here to suffer through it together. But in Singapore you’ll never see it. You’ll never see bars on store windows, or police cars checking suspicious alleys, or even gum stains on the sidewalk, or anything but the perfectly clean, the educated and friendly.
I won’t bore you with the history lesson, but I find Singapore’s system fascinating. Chewing gum laws aside, they rate among the best in the world in wealth, education, health and quality of life. They really do have something special there. Staying there is a joy. The people, the food, getting around, all of it. The nightlife isn’t crazy, but it’s quality, with beautiful locals and a surprisingly large amount of international models. The catch is it costs slightly less than the GDP of Ghana to live there. No seriously, Singaporeans laugh at New York and London prices. $25 for a mixed drink, $30 for a casual dinner (for one). $200 a night gets you a small, basic hotel room. If you go, I hope your wallet is fat.
6. Ibiza, Spain
OK, imagine Las Vegas, except it’s on a small island in the Mediterranean. Then replace the cheesy casinos with crazy beach parties, make the clubs the best and biggest in the world, and then fill it with drunk English kids and beautiful Spanish people. Take that, make it 20 times more awesome and that will give you a vague idea of what Ibiza is like.
Ibiza is where I fell in love with electronic music. We had been flirting for a couple years and had a few flings together, but in Ibiza we consummated our relationship. We’ve been happily together ever since.
After Ibiza, anything else referred to as a “club” feels like a parody, like a cheap knock-off of the real thing. The clubs in Ibiza are indescribable. They’re not clubs, they’re an experience. Rope dancing strippers who play saxophone solos over house music, hip hop performers walking on glass bridges above the dance floor, a club with a wind tunnel built into it, the best DJ’s in the world spinning every night from 2AM until 9AM, drunk Eastern European women running around on the beach topless, ecstasy pills that cost less than a Red Bull Vodka — OK, I’m going to stop there before my lawyer emails me.
5. Medellin, Colombia
Medellin is known for two things: drug cartels and beautiful women. Fortunately, the drug cartels left and the women stayed.
Despite being relatively safe and pleasant now, most people are still terrified of Colombia. I’m living in Medellin at the moment, and I’ve now heard all of the (unfunny) jokes about kidnapping, coke binges, armored cars, getting robbed, etc. I get where people back home are coming from, but if they came down here and walked around they would feel stupid pretty fast. It’s really nice here. The quality of life to cost of living ratio is the one of the highest I’ve found anywhere. Just tonight I described the penthouse apartment I’m moving into next week to a friend on Facebook. When I told him how much I was paying, he took a moment to respond, and then said, “Sorry, I just passed out when I read that number. What the fuck am I still doing here?”
The culture here is surprisingly warm and welcoming. It caught me a bit off-guard, but it’s not unusual for the locals to come over and chat you up during dinner, to buy you a beer and excitedly practice their English with you, or to even invite you to their homes for a barbecue on a random Sunday. And no, I never got mugged, drugged, or robbed accepting any of these invitations, nor has anyone I’ve met here.
4. St. Petersburg, Russia
I love Russia. The food is terrible. The weather is terrible. Nothing works. The service is horrible. People are rude. It’s always cold (it snowed in May when I lived there, MAY!). And everything is overpriced. But I love Russia and desperately want to go back.
Why? The culture. I am enthralled by Russian culture, hypnotized by it. Anyone who’s read my book knows I’m big on honesty. And not just, “Oh, tell the truth, kind of” type of honesty — but painfully real, unpleasant yet necessary honesty. Russians say what they feel and don’t really give a damn who it offends or upsets. And as a Westerner, once I became accustomed to it, the clarity felt amazing, as if I had gone my entire life without ever actually communicating.
It’s not easy to get used to though. Russians are not impressed with frivolities. The fact that I was attempting their impossible language and could even communicate a bit meant absolutely nothing to them. My travels impressed few of them. They were primarily interested in two things: my ideas and my feelings.
It was jarring at first and somewhat uncomfortable. I fell back to the classic English-speaking habit of wiggling my way out of honesty with sarcasm and jokes. Of course, none of the Russians laughed. But pretty soon I began to open up and appreciate it. When my Russian teacher calmly told me my answer was stupid, or when the guy at the gym told me I was trying to squat more than I should be — it stopped stinging and I began to appreciate the authenticity. And once I appreciated that, the other side of Russian culture opened up: the passionate, fun-loving, crazy, side of the culture; the common camaraderie I hadn’t quite experienced before; the “well, we may fucking die tomorrow, so let’s do it anyway,” attitude that went against more or less everything I grew up considering. Don’t get me wrong, Russia’s a pretty screwed up place. But the day-to-day communication there, once you get used to it, is like a drug.
3. Phuket, Thailand
I love Thailand for all of the same reasons most people love Thailand: the friendly culture, the great food, the full-body massages, the insanely cheap prices and some of the world’s best beaches. But there’s something about Phuket that I can’t get enough of, and no, it’s not the bar girls or night life. In fact, out of the top 10 places on this list, Phuket is the only place where I don’t enjoy the partying or night life. It’s disgusting. And I don’t like Thai women.
When I was a teenager, my mom fell in love with Jamaica. She had been all over the world, but for whatever reason, she kept returning to Jamaica — Negril, specifically. She spent a large portion of the next six years there. After a few days in Rawai, a small town at the southern tip of Phuket, I skyped her and told her I think I finally got it. There’s no logical explanation as to why I like Phuket or Koh Phi Phi so much. But if someone said I had a week to live and I could spend that week anywhere I wanted, I’d probably spend it on Phuket, motorbiking across the island from beach to beach, stopping at little bars and restaurants along the way, getting lost in the trees and sand until I was gone.
2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Most beautiful city in the world. Best beach city in the world. Best culture in the world.
People are either a Rio person or a São Paulo person. Going purely on your eyes and your senses, it’s impossible to imagine why someone wouldn’t be a Rio person. The place is like the Angelina Jolie of metropolises. Brazilians tell me that Rio is great to visit, but bad to live in. I’m apt to believe them, except most of those same Brazilians are from São Paulo. Granted, Rio lacks a lot of the culture, night life and education of São Paulo. But the richer neighborhoods and tourist areas by the beaches are excellent places to stay, and I imagine with enough time one could find things to do regularly.
Regardless, for a vacation, Rio has everything you could ever want. Beaches, food, tourist sites, fun activities, bars, ridiculously good-looking people. I loved it there and can’t wait to go back.
1. New York City, USA
When I was 16-years-old, I went to New York City for the first time. I immediately fell in love with Manhattan and promised myself that I’d live there one day. I still haven’t, but in the dozen or so times I’ve been back since, I’ve made the same promise. There’s an energy to that island that you don’t feel anywhere else in the world.
Manhattan is noisy, crowded, preposterously commercial, and very American. Yet, it doesn’t feel like the US. It feels like its own country. When I was there a few weeks ago, I must have heard at least 10 languages spoken at one point or another during my time there.
Manhattan has the best of every culture represented. Chic Venezuelan food in the East Village before a live theatrical performance by an Argentinian troupe, French cuisine the next night before hitting a club to dance to dub step until 4AM on a Wednesday. Manhattan has anything you want, whenever you want it. It has every scene you could be into — whether it’s pretentious hipster rock, cocaine-addled fashion shows, head banging black metal concerts, quiet jazz lounges, after work happy hours, drunken Irish pubs with shitty folk music — you name it, you can find it in New York, and likely any night of the week. That goes for food, music, performances, hell, even people. Where else could I chat with an Ethiopian women about what it’s like to live in another country while on my way to meet a Brazilian girl for lunch at a favorite Thai restaurant? That’s right, nowhere.
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awesome post! I loved this!
“But before all of my Australian readers start to get a big head, keep in mind that being the best of the English-speaking countries to me is like winning the Special Olympics, you’re still culture-less and a bunch of binge-drinking retards. But at least you get to have perfect weather, great beaches, clean and modern cities, and raging nightlife while you do it, unlike the rest of us.”
hahaah! (I’m from the UK btw)
OK, FIRST go to Melbourne, THEN you can write this list again
Btw several other Czech cities are well worth seeing, but then again, let’s keep all them pua-guys in Prague…
This is an awesome list. And of course I’d want to be able to visit all these place, but it does come down to money. Tips on how to make these trips as inexpensive as possible?
That’s a good idea for another post.
That’s a bloody good idea for another post! It is my biggest gripe with wanting to travel, I just can’t fathom how to save enough money to travel, stay and enjoy even relatively cheap destinations. Everyone else seems to do it, even students on gap years. I’m still baffled.
Gap year kids are often traveling on mommy and daddy’s dime. Other times they actually pick up jobs wherever they go. I was surprised how many young English kids in Ibiza were living there and working as waitresses or promoters.
For most travelers (again, depends where you go and what you do), transportation and lodging are the biggest items in terms of expenses. Here are some thoughts:
Transportation:
To find cheap tickets, you just have to be flexible about your dates and continuously monitor sites like kayak and Bing travel and seize good deals soon as you see them. Credit cards which give you frequent flier miles can sometimes be helpful (in the main, it works out better than cash back, but not always).
Lodging:
Friends of mine who’ve traveled around Western Europe are big fans of Couch Surfing (www.couchsurfing.org) for accommodations. The additional benefit is that you get to stay with locals who can expose you to the native flair.
The disadvantage is that it’s not feasible if you’re planning to plant yourself in one city for an extended period of time (in my opinion, the best way to travel and experience another culture). Also, outside of Western Europe, and North America, the CS network is quite small.
CS is actually pretty damn big in South America. Sao Paulo’s meetings pulled 60-100 people every week.
Rio, Medellin, Bogota, Buenos Aires all have large active groups now as well.
But yeah, agree with you on the feasibility of it. I like CS for meeting up with cool people when I arrive somewhere new. I don’t ever use it to actually couch surf.
Ah, I see. That’s good to know. I’m hoping to travel to South America within the year, so that’ll be handy.
And I second Mark on using CS for beyond just accommodations. Hell, I even go to some of their meetups in my own city because they usually draw an interesting and varied crowd.
What a great article. You really communicate your passion. I want to visit these places now.
My personal favourite is Berlin, but I have not travelled a lot outside Europe. Also, I was surprised to see an American city in the first place.
I’m surprised you didn’t include more classic European cities: I would consider Paris (hard to beat its unique bohemian flair), London and Copenhagen among some of the best in the world and would highly recommend them if you haven’t been.
Definitely agree about Berlin and NYC though!
I lived in London for a while and have been many times. Too spread out, expensive, shitty food. It’s fun and I tend to get along really well with English folk. I always enjoy a stopover in England, but not one of my favorite places. Certainly not on the same level as Berlin or Hong Kong or something.
Paris, when I went I didn’t speak French, so people were kind of rude. The tourist sites were amazing of course, but I thought the city was a bit overrated and definitely overrun with tourists. Poor nightlife for a city its size as well. I want to go back to France and learn French at some point, but can’t say I was terribly impressed my first time there.
Haven’t been to Copenhagen.
I disagree – the food in London isn’t ‘shitty’! I mean in some places it can be, but there are just as many great places to eat! Granted, it is expensive, but you do get a huge variety of cuisines, and there are many great restaurants with tasty food (as opposed to bland american food – found everywhere but NYC). But I do agree with your decision to not put London on this list, not that there’s anything wrong with it (I am a Londoner and love the city), but these other places are much more awesome! Great list!
Great article! How come Buenos Aires or Argentine in general didnt make the cut?
I like Buenos Aires and lived there in 2010, but I didn’t include it for two reasons:
1) The locals are relatively unfriendly to foreigners compared to other places.
2) I went back last month and I feel like the place is really going down hill, it was dirtier, more expensive, night life was worse (cheesier).
It’s still a great city, and I would never mind visiting there again. But I can’t see myself ever living there again.
>Where else could I chat with an Ethiopian women about what it’s like to live in another country while on my way to meet a Brazilian girl for lunch at a favorite Thai restaurant? That’s right, no where.
Psh, try Toronto
Toronto? Psh indeed…
Come here and say that again!
I’d agree about Toronto. It really is the most multicultural city in the world. In Toronto I’ve been on dates with Ethiopian, South African, Senegalese, Bermudan, German, Romanian, Brazilian, Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi, Australian, British, French, Italian, Greek, Maltese, Cypriot, Turkish, American, Mexican, Spanish, Portuguese, Colombian, Irish, Kiwi, Egyptian, Azerbaijani, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Japanese, Israeli, South Korean, etc… women (among many others- that was just a small taste of the multiculturalism). Same thing goes with the food. Anyway, it is your list after all.
Just two side points: Jerusalem isn’t considered the culture of western culture and civilization- Athens typically is. Also your point about the U.S. spending a third of their GNP on their defence budget is not even remotely true. Other than that, I thought it was a really interesting article.
Actually, London is the most multi-cultural city in the world.
The US government spends 1/3 of its budget on defense spending.
And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization is what I meant. Edited to reflect that.
Thanks for stopping by!
You’re actually probably right about London- my mistake.
But the U.S. government doesn’t spend 1/3 of it’s budget on defence. DOD actually spends around of 3-5% of the GDP (currently 4.7%)- varying by year. Trust me, I’m an international relations graduate student and that would be unheard of- and would never be passed by Congress. Really the crux of the issue though is that you were making the point that because the U.S. government spends so much on it’s military, and Australia tends to invest in it’s education and health care, it represents what the U.S. could have been. I’d simply say two things: 1. The percentage of U.S. GDP that actually goes into defence isn’t THAT much more than Australia- it’s that the U.S. economy is so much larger relative to Australia’s that really matters. Secondly, if the U.S. didn’t spend 4.7% of their GDP on defence, Australia would cut costs for health care and education and reinvest in its military (i.e. the U.S. security umbrella)- particularly with a rising and more assertive China in the region. Anyway, this is probably getting a bit ridiculous now- so I’ll end there.
As an international relations graduate, you may want to brush up on what GNP is. It’s a measurement of total economic output of a country, similar to GDP.
Government spending is VERY different from GNP, and the US actually spends 25% of its budget on defense and that’s not counting the war in Afghanistan which is about another 2%.
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/defense_budget_2012_3.html
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I was referring to US government spending in the article, not GDP. I was making a political statement, not an economic statement. So yeah, not sure why you’re going on about GDP and GNP.
But yes, let’s end it here.
Oh, and I also graduated in IR…
Haha- brush up- as in just getting accepted to do my M.A. at Johns Hopkins brush up? lol.
When I said GNP in the first (and only time I mentioned) message I actually didn’t edit it first. Secondly, my point was political. Just didn’t make it explicit because I thought the political implications of what I was saying led inextricably from the economic
.
Interesting- I assumed you had probably done your degree in English. Why did you decide not to apply to the civil service to work for State or something if you don’t mind me asking?
I don’t handle authority well…
And I have no idea what you’re talking about in regards to GNP/GDP/government spending anymore. In the article I was referring to government spending, I think that should have been obvious.
Not that it’s very important, but I always thought Amsterdam is the most multi-cultural city in the world? http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/news/Amsterdam_again_city_with_the_most_nationalities_177_in_the_world.htm
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=%22most+multicultural+city%22
Right there in the third paragraph it says this is a personal list, not the voice of objective Truth. For me, I love sprint car racing and cheap beer, so for me Mark is crazy because all my friends know Terra Haute Indiana is the best place on earth. OK, just kidding, but you get the point.
I love/hate Los Angeles. I think it might be a bit like Sao Paulo, it takes some effort and maybe a friend with connections. LA can be like Marilyn Monroe (and other flaky starlets). So alluring in ways that reach deep into the psyche, yet chaotic and narcissistic as a borderline. “I’m selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I’m out of control and a little hard to handle, but if you can’t handle me at my worst, you sure the hell don’t deserve me at my best” She said.
I live in Melbourne. It’s ok, it’s liveable – not to be confused with ‘exciting’. If I was super wealthy I’d probably move to Sydney. From what I’ve heard New York and Berlin seem to have everything Melbourne represents but much more.
Phuket seems an odd choice. It’s generally seen as the worst place in Thailand by anyone that lives there. Better beaches, nightlife, people, culture, etc. – can be found elsewhere in Thailand (not Pattaya). I love Bangkok. It has a really buzz and most backpackers have no comprehension of its greatness because they only stay a couple of days in Khao San, which is not at all Bangkok. Also loved 1000+ people rooftop parties at the Queen Imperial Hotel.
I’ve been to St. Petersburg. Russian history is my favourite area of study so it was impossible for me not to be completely blown away. The Hermitage sets the mark for culture in my experiences to date. Found the Russians quite aggressive and intimidating but I know they are renowned for their generosity if you can get to befriend them. Skinhead security guards with rifles in many of the up-market malls was not pleasant.
Haven’t been to South America and would love to visit. People on RooshV’s travel forum rave about Medellin. The consensus seems to be it is the best city in the world for women – that’s before regarding any other charms it offers. How well is this city know by the average American or European?
I think you have your Thai beaches backwards, the beaches in the east (Koh Samui and Koh Phangan and yes, Pattaya) are not nearly as nice. The beaches in the west are generally considered some of the best in the world (Phuket, Krabi, and Phi Phi). I have to say I agree (I’ve been to a fuckload of beaches in my life).
Bangkok is great and agree 100% about the backpacker thing.
Colombians are consistently the most friendly people ever.
The ones I met in Spain, Argentina, Melbourne etc.. always live up to it.. they are ALWAYS inviting you back to their place. Which is the coolest thing. You’re never alone in Colombia .. but with one big caveat.. you gotta be at least slightly interested in learning Spanish
Great post
Great selection!
But… Where is Cape Town?
Never been… Hear it’s great though.
Disagree about New York being number 1, in fact if you are going to put anything in the states in should be California. Best weather, lifestyle, women, weed, cars, restaurants, entertainment, snowboarding and surfing in the same day, amazing beaches etc etc etc
I’m totally NOT a west coast guy. You guys have sunshine… that’s about it.
I like both LA and SF… but no way. Let’s deconstruct this one by one:
Weather: Yeah it’s good (in SoCal), but only if you want a never-ending summer. Personally I need varying seasons to keep me sane, and enjoy winter as long as it’s not too long. I accept that lots of people prefer a constantly warm climate, but in that case Miami (which is on the list) is actually better.
Lifestyle: This means nothing. You can live in NYC and have a shitty lifestyle or you can live in Pittsburgh and have a great one. It’s really up to the way you live your life. I’d agree that LA has the highest roof for how awesome and varied your life can be, but no more than NYC.
Women: I haven’t spent enough time in LA to have an opinion, but Mark says the women are overrated, so that’s why they’re not on this list. Overall, it’s much easier for the average guy (i.e. one without a lifestyle built around it) to meet beautiful women in NYC than LA.
Weed: Um, who cares? Go to the Netherlands or something if this is that big of a deal to you.
Cars: How is this specific to Cali? You can buy whatever car you want pretty much anywhere if you have the money. If you mean looking at the cars around you then 1) this is pretty minor and 2) most nice cars in LA are boring Mercedes and BMWs.
Restaurants: Maybe, but definitely not more than NYC. Have a look at Michelin stars if you want to argue this one.
Entertainment: Do you mean clubs and bars? Because when it comes to ‘culture’ i.e. museums, art galleries, theatre, etc, then LA is a desert compared to NYC. I don’t even like musicals, but I think you forgot this thing called Broadway… The only thing that LA can stand toe to toe with NYC on is nightlife, and that’s really going to come down to the places you like to go to and the people you like to party with.
Snowboarding and surfing and beaches: Yep, LA is a clear winner here. But how many people care about that stuff? No-one I know who lives in LA spends anywhere near the amount of time at the beach that everyone who’s never been there assumes they do. I grew up around beaches and I love both skiing and surfing, but I know I wouldn’t spend that much time doing that if I lived there. And neither would the vast majority of people.
On the other hand, if you live there and it fits around your lifestyle, then that’s great for you. Plenty of people love the Cali lifestyle, and that’s cool too.
NYC has best nightlife, restaurants, music and women in the US, easily. I’ve been to LA four times and NYC about a dozen times. If I never went back to LA again, I wouldn’t really miss it. Women in LA are overrated. As are the clubs. LA may get more of the fake-blonde, fake-boob, trashy kind of hot girls. NYC has more class and culture. In NYC, you could meet an former Argentinian model who is pursuing her master’s degree in sociology and can dance tango. In LA, the women top out at C-level actress wannabes with hair extensions and a $50 nail job.
Only way I could see the argument for LA is if you were really into surfing/snowboarding and cars… and yeah, I guess weed. Although I don’t smoke weed, hate cars, and don’t really care about surfing that much. So yeah, NYC all the way.
Sydney should be at the top of the list.
At least my virtual list,it would be at the top.
I strongly discourage living in Miami unless you can cope with hordes of mindless superficial people everyday. The music is terrible. Mostly top 40 English and Spanish club music, and rap. There is no live-music scene. And the Hispanics that live in Miami are the worst of the worst, they all think they are better than each other. Everyone BS’s and acts like they are celebrities. Women are attractive but disagreeable, only care about status and will dump you for someone with a nicer car.
I agree Steve.
I’d never live in Miami neither.Too superficial for me.Not that I don’t mine superficiality,but not with women at least.
Restaurant food might be expensive in Singapore, but if you go to food courts and hawker centres, it’s much cheaper.
+1 on your No. 1
Austin, TX. Amazing place to visit and live, but sucks a lot of people in.
LA was fun for a little but just getting around the city is a nightmare. I had friends 10 miles away I never saw because traffic prohibited it. There are some gems, and it does have culture, you just have to find it. When I go back, I always tell myself “I could move back here”
NYC is entirely different but amazing.
“But that wasn’t even the most intense part. Jerusalem. I’m not religious and not Jewish. But I was still floored by the historical relevance of the Jerusalem. Not even floored, but awed, dumbstruck, mystified. It’s the cradle of civilization.”
This is how I feel about India.
” And it only takes a stroll through the Old City to understand why this is the most politically contentious place on Earth: three of the world’s major religions have some of their most holy locations within a couple miles of one another. It’s an amazing disaster, and I mean that in the best way possible. You can be at the Wailing Wall, the final remaining part of the temple of David, and then a few blocks away is where Jesus Christ was crucified, and then around the corner is where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept, and a stone’s throw away is the Dome of the Rock, one of the most holy mosques in the world… all while meandering through limestone paths built by the Romans over 2,000 years ago. ”
India is the seat of the world’s oldest religions, and oldest atheism! And the seat of most of the world’s major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
“Jerusalem kind of ruined me for a lot of other tourist sites in the world.”
After India’s ancient temples, monuments and still living and thriving thousands of years old cultures, what’s left to see?
” After Jerusalem, so many places feel insignificant or historically unimportant by comparison. ”
Ditto for me, for India.
“For instance, my trip through Baria Gotica in Barcelona was a snooze, “Oh, this fortress is only 1,000 years old? And those old Roman ruins were built in 500 AD? Oh, OK, where do we eat?”
I feel that way everywhere now after having been to India, including Israel.
AS FAR AS MIAMI: I lived there so don’t get the European vibe from it all that you did. Where exactly does that come in? I get the Latin American vibe, but that vibe to me is not very cultured. As far as beautiful people on South Beach, they don’t look anymore beautiful than people I see anywhere else in the States.
SAME WITH NEW YORK: Guess I never had enough money to be impressed by it. Doing New York on a shoe string budget is not that exciting.
Cool blog. I’ve been to 21 countries and thought that was cool, I’m jealous of your 41! I used to live in Medellin, but my heart brought me back to Cali. MDE definitely a nicer city to live, more modern etc. But purely for women, MDE can’t compare to Cali.
.
Seems the ultra high end cat in MDE has been cherry picked by guys from good families when they were teenagers. In Cali, those girls are all available.
.
Buenos Aires has hot tail. It’s the only country I visited where I didn’t get laid! And I was there for 5 weeks. Way stuck up. It’s like a big Paris.
Great article, Mark. You’ve made me realize how much I still have to explore. It seems Berlin and St. Pete deserve at least a few months of my life. Enjoy Medellin and the penthouse… the neighbors never complain, so you and the interns better turn that thing into a mini Ibiza with drunk Colombian women running around on the terrace topless :p
Actually Berlin was already special before the Wall came down. As it wasn’t really a part of the FRG in all aspects, people living there were exempt from compulsory military service even without doing civil service as an alternative. So a lot of young people moved to Berlin for this reason alone, and they obviously weren’t the most conservative ones. Also because it was an enclave in the East the economic opportunities were rather limited in comparison to the rest of western Germany, which meant reduced demand, but for political reasons the West supported Berlin financially, which both lead to keeping the cost of living down. Of course that only applies to the western part, but with the collapse of the GDR there isn’t much left culturally from the old East Berlin.
I agree, that Berlin is a very interesting city, and I love visiting it and it’s a cool place to live for some time as a young person, but I definitely wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life there. After a while I always begin to resent the dirt and poverty of the city. Not that I blame people for being poor, but I get the feeling that the city’s history of being subsidized by the rest of the country, first as an outpost in the East and now as the capital has left many people (and even the city itself) relying on those subsidies in many ways and has killed their drive and ambition to achieve anything in life.
your remarks about Berlin brought back memories–I spent the summer of 1990 there, and I remember well that vast invasion of Euro-bohemians that took over East Berlin at the time. what a great time to be in Berlin that was! it was as if we had all just awakened from a nightmare, into the sunshine of a beautiful summer. anytime you were near the wall, you would hear a constant ‘tink, tink, tink’ as people tried to chip away at the concrete with hammers and chisels.
at night, all of us in the west would wander over to the east and explore–little clubs, literally holes in the exterior walls of old warehouses and such, or large, friendly gatherings of squatters at impromptu raves in some of the elegant old apartment buildings. I never saw so many different colors of hair, so many piercings–and such friendly people! we were all just happy to be there.
it was amazing in many ways–just watching the folks from the east trying to acclimate to the west, for example–but I remember constantly thinking, this cannot last. these beautiful buildings, with first-story windows open to the night air, without any bars on them? unimaginable. these squatters, from everywhere in Europe, living in these terrific old buildings? how long will that last? as it was, it lasted until the first autumnal cold snap. then the cops washed them out with power hoses…
but it was a great summer…
Ever been to New Orleans? Your opinions are compelling.
Hey there,
When have you been/lived in Berlin ?!?
Interesting selection. I am a French citizen, living and working abroad for the past 20 years. First time I got in the plane was as a UNIFIL soldier (back when the military service was mandatory in my home land and I volunteered to get more action, and wasn’t disappointed). This to say I left home late in my life and got the bug right away. It did put everything in perspective and I had sufficient maturity by then to appreciate the cultural heritage and differences of the places I went through. I have been to most places on that list and all have a valid argument for being there. My top 15 would include London (nightlife; pace; and yes, food scene), Paris (architecture; culture; elegance), Istanbul (cultural melting pot; breathtakingly beautiful city; hospitality; and among the most beautiful girls I have seen); Shanghai (this century New York City), and Cape Town (same reasons as you pick Sydney with the African warmth on top of it). And in terms of beach destination, I would pick Bali above Phuket, as I find the place absolutely magical.
Your summary of Russians is great! I lived in St Pete for six months and hope to make it back, believe me, even when you speak Russian they do not hesitate to tell you how much you suck at it and laugh because They think people who are not fluent sound like children.
I think people find the places they connect to, even if it makes no sense, mine was Krakow. That city is so amazing, it has such a great mojo. If you haven’t been, go. Ride a bike along the river, get lost walking the little streets. It is an amazing place and in my top 3 places in the world I will go back to.
So… I don’t think 41 countries in two and a half years can actually give you a real understanding of any of these places. Sorry to be harsh, but really, you just go in, see the sights, and head off to the next place, I mean how else do you see 41 places in 2 and a half years?
Also, nothing from the continent of Africa? Or anywhere else in the middle east other than Jerusalem? What about India? If those places didn’t blow you away, that just does not compute. And if they didn’t make the list of 41 countries, WTF?
Not all 41 happened in the past three years. I had already been to about 10 before I started traveling. I’ve lived in England, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Thailand for 3+ months. I have spent more than a month in Russia, Guatemala, New Zealand and Jamaica. Everything else was just stopovers. There’s my resume.
And yes, I’ve been to India.
bro, have you checked out cape town? clubs arent out of control, but then again i was there in winter, but there is steady electronic/trance/house music that is still 12 months from getting a single play on an edgy american radio station. food is good but not great. but the culture was like if hawaii and netherlands had a child: relaxed and friendly but with crazy languages that no one can understand… AND THEY KNOW IT!! id go back to cape town any day and stay forever
Hold on! I liked your posts and started reading more. Then you refered to China as a “former communist country.” Are you kidding me? Really? Wow. You really are nothing more than an unintelligent holier than though idiot.
Additionally, how can you say all English speaking countries have no culture? What kind of statement is that? They are filled with drunk retards? And Hong Kong is not the most densely populated city on Earth, it’s like 4th.
It’s funny that you insult Mark for making an accurate statement, which only reveals your own embarrassing ignorance. China has an authoritarian government (which can exist whether or not a country is communist), but it’s an open secret in the country that it has abandoned communism as an economic system, starting with Deng Xiaoping’s reforms in the 1980′s. Mark is correct to call it a former communist country. It remains “communist” nominally for political reasons. Looks like you need to brush up on your history and actually travel to the country if you still think China is communist.
You’ve lived in St. Petersburg! Any advice? I’m hopefully heading off to go to school there next month. My goal is to eventually become an English/Russian interpreter. Right now I have to decide between going there or going back to Kiev. I know Russia would be a lot better to learn Russian in, but I have my reservations about it.
[...] get a lot of emails from readers asking me how I manage to travel the world without holding down a so-called “steady [...]
I am not sure if you have visited Greece yet, but you definitely should! I think your list would change just a bit haha
Also, have you been to Ukraine at all? Kiev is a very interesting city, with a beautiful opera house and inexpensive restaurants with great food. Personally, I liked L’viv the best though. You should definitely go if you haven’t.
I’ve been to 11 out of the 15 named places and couldn’t agree with you more. They are awesome !
“Where else could I chat with an Ethiopian women about what it’s like to live in another country while on my way to meet a Brazilian girl for lunch at a favorite Thai restaurant? That’s right, nowhere.” How about London, United Kingdom :p
I’m quite shocked that Paris nor London made your list, but to be fair you’ve done a hell of a lot more travelling than I have! I’ve only been to 3 of the countries on that list (USA, Germany and Spain) and one of the places (Ibiza).
Great article by the way and I appreciate this is your personal opinion and you can’t please everybody, but has definitely given me a good insight into some amazing cities that I’ve always wanted to visit but have not yet had the chance.
It would be interesting to hear your thoughts on Africa and Dubai, I know alot of people have mixed feelings about Dubai.
Anyway keep up the good work!
you apparently haven’t met my ex from pereira in medellin neighborhood of colombia………..not as you described at all!
Pretty interesting. Been to all those places (sort of a nomadic entrepreneur & pro traveler too myself), and my list is very similar, big discrepancies being the absence of Cape Town (definitely, a must-go, if not a must-live-for-a-while), and that I’m not that sure about Phuket. Liked it a lot, but for me, the scarce nightlife+women binomial would take it off the list. Regarding the top, 100% agreed. After a few years in NYC, just recently moved back to my hometown, Rio. Let me know in case you’re here, and congrats on the website, really enjoyed it.
Oh, Mark, so glad to see NY there! Just recently got back from NYC and I’m a goner!
I couldn’t help but laugh about Russia … Russia loves you back! : )
Glad to have discovered your site! Amazing writer you are.
let there always be a road..
Russian gal,
EL
Hey,
I know I’m commenting on an old (in internet time) blog post but I need some advice.
I was thinking about going to the Czech Republic and it looked awesome, it (Prague) is on one of your 15 top places in the world and that’s great But.
But.
I read this article in the internet and it was like:
Dining Etiquette
“If you are visiting a Czech’s house:
. Arrive on time.
. Remove your shoes..
. Expect to be treated with great honour and respect.
. Dress modestly and well.
. Do not discuss business. Czechs separate their business and personal lives.
. Table manners are rather formal in Czech Republic.
. Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.
. Table manners are Continental — the fork is held in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
. Do not begin eating until the hostess starts.
. Unless the meal is formal, the napkin remains folded next to the plate. At formal meals, the napkin is unfolded and put on your lap.
. The oldest woman or honoured guest is generally served first.
. Always refuse second helpings the first time they are offered. Wait for the hostess to insist.
. Compliment the meal while you are eating. This allows the hostess to discuss the food and the preparation.
. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel across the right side of your plate.”
Are people in the Czech Republic really this repressed and formal? I know I’m being like an Oprah in India here but I hate manners, loath formality and spit on social etiquette. I’m a really loud guy and I don’t want to sacrifice my self-expression for nobody.
Are people in CR really like this or is it just a random internet article? I don’t mind someone not sucking my dick the moment I met them but if everyones an emotionally repressed robot I’ll just go to France/Spain.
@Jack – yes, it is just a random internet article, although points 1 & 2 are true. You’re lucky to be invited over to dinner as a tourist – usually this takes time, Czech culture is reserved. Reserved, but not repressed. That said, I had some super burcak (half fermented young wine) at the house of a farmer in the middle of nowhere, Czech Rep. Go to eastern Europe! The west is tame.
[...] But like any fear, my fear of failure is still there and always will be. As will yours. I was scared to move to Boston. I was scared to start my own business. I was scared to quit my day job. I was scared to start living abroad. [...]
Is Israel the only place you’ve traveled to in the Middle East ?
Yes.
If you haven’t been to Istanbul, I highly recommend it. I’d even wager it would knock out one of the other top 15 picks. And if you do go, give yourself plenty of time to adventure in the rest of Turkey as well – beautiful, wild, and with amazing hospitality.
To the poster who asked about Dubai… it is the most overrated and fake city I’ve ever been to. It is too difficult to find its culture and is not worth trying. As a single tourist, you will walk into bars and restaurants (the typical places to ask where to go/what to do) and there is nothing but cheap imported labor from Pakistan/India/Phillipines. Asking a Paki taxi driver where to go is completely fruitless. Many seem to actually seem dislike Westerners openly.
For a vacation, avoid at all costs. If you have a long layover, you can easily hit every tourist spot (Burj Al Arab/Burj Abu Dhabi/Palm Island) in a few hours.
I’ve been there 25+ times and have spent extended time there and in the Middle East in general.
And Barcelona is a hell of a great city. I believe the author mentioned it in his Jerusalem bit. I’m off to Phuket for the first time in December:)
Cute!!
[...] take more of an active role in advising people on what they should do. Still others just offer personal stories about what they liked most about a place, with no attempt to compare all of the named places on all [...]
[...] get a lot of emails from readers asking me how I manage to travel the world without holding down a so-called “steady [...]
Berlin — has long had a history of partying, David Bowie made his party home there way back during the Cold War. The Artist influx to East Berlin happened after the wall fell, but the now comfortable neighborhood of Charlottenburg (for example) was a huge artist enclave during the Cold War. During that time, the West German government required mandatory conscription for all males, but they didn’t really bother “finding” you if you were in West Berlin (too far from West Germany), so the city ended up becoming an enclave for all the liberals and hippies who liked to party. That tradition compounded dramatically after the fall of the wall, when artists and musicians moved into the very cheap Mitte and Prenzlauerberg neighborhoods.
Hey Mark, I’m curious what it is about Thai women you don’t like. I’ve had a couple Thai girlfriends and have travelled to Thailand several times and I gotta say I really love the women. I don’t have too much experience with other types of women other than Americans so I wondered how the Thais compare. Yes there are a lot of nasty bar girls there but I find most Thai girls to be sweet, fun and beautiful.
Very clingy. Too passive. They can be sweet and fun. But just not my thing.