Best country to go on holiday to: the first debate; what's missing?

[Sporting]

So we're just nominating our top three? Are they in a specific order (1st, 2nd, 3rd) or all ranked the same?

ranked the same

[Levin]

Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia

As much as I like Austria it loses out to the potential of Armenia. Antigua gets in purely on being able to visit the Rec.

Group B is much tougher

Azerbaijan - Baku looks incredible.
Barbados
Benin

I feel like a wuss for not going for Bangladesh over Barbados

[Greenlander]

Group A

Albania - has been on my list since I was small and it was resolutely communist. One of my dream destinations believe it or not. Missed out on the infamous WSC trip in 1989 as it was around exam time iirc and, more annoyingly, when my mate went a couple years back for a long weekend to do a load of football as I was completely skint. I was so jealous I still can barely bring myself to look as his pictures. He plans to go back, this time I'll be there whatever.

Austria - been to the western part before for an Argyle pre-season tour. The scenery was stunning but we stayed in Munich so didn't get around much. Want to see more of Salzburg and go to Vienna.

Australia - had three months travelling around in 1993. Would love to go back and see what it's like now. Didn't see anything of Melbourne (or Victoria except the view from a bus window). Would like to watch cricket anywhere, but especially Sydney (not necessarily Ashes). I love Perth and WA, would like do the Indian Ocean coast up to Broome. Oh, and Kakadu. Three months again would be perfect.

[Diable Rouge]

Andorra
Armenia - probably more exotic in theory, than in practice
Argentina - Patagonia has always looked stunning

Bahamas
Bangladesh
Bhutan

[Greenlander]

Group B

Where's Bermuda gone. I could swear it was on the original list.

Anyway:

Bhutan - another country on my childhood list. It looks beautiful and unspoilt. The whole Happiness Index thing swings in its favour too.
Belarus - mainlly to watch a game at the Dinamo stadium. A long weekend would be fine.
Barbados - one of many Caribbean islands I went to in the first year of my life my dad was the captain of a cruise ship but I always feel they don't really count in my list so need to recitfy it. It was his favourite island - I'd want to watch a test match though.

[Lobachevsky]

Group A

Argentina - I'd love to go to footie there and try clubbing and go tot he cold south.

Australia - been there quite a lot but its pretty amazing

Andorra - would love to do a cycle holiday based here


Group B

Bhutan -

Belize

Belgium

[ad hoc]

Group A
Would love to go to Afghanistan, but for the time being seems like a long way off. Nearly did go to Kabul for work about 10 years ago bu then the hotel we were supposed to be staying in got bombed and we switched to the much less interesting (but safe) Dubai. Parts of Algeria sound amazing but large parts of the country seem a bit empty. Andorra would be nice, but a bit small, and I fail to see how it would be substantially different from other bits of the Pyrenees. Austria's nice and has a lot going for it, the art and imperial bombast of Vienna, and the amazing mountains. Salzburg is a bit too over the top tourist as pretty as it is. Australia is really fascinating in many places and has so much variety. From Tasmania to tropical Queensland and then the desert . There are loads of bits that I haven;t seen but would love to. Argentina has always been on my list. Armenia would be gorgeous I reckon, with Yerevan dominated by Mt Ararat. I know nothing about the Caribbean really but imagine that all the islands are stunning. Angola doesn;t really excite (and is supposed to be the most expensive country to visit in the world?). Albania really appeals too

Albania
Argentina
Armenia

(Australia just misses out on the basis that I've been a fair number of times already)

Group B
Of all the places I've been I would dearly love to go back to Bangladesh. I absolutely loved it. The food, the people, the variety of scenery, the madness of Dhaka. Bhutan sounds amazing, and has to be on the list. Belgium is lovely, but again I've been a fair bit. Belize sounds great.

Bangladesh
Bhutan
Belize

[Sporting]

Bermuda was edited out. British Overseas Territory...many nations have these or similar and to include all would clutter things up. When it gets to UK you can specify Bermuda etc,

[lambers]

I've not been to any of Group A, so this is based purely on where I'd like to go:

Australia – been meaning to go for a few years now, would love to see an entire new array of fauna, flora, and landscapes.
Argentina – would like to see the landscapes, particularly the waterfalls.
Algeria – from a history perspective, I think this would be more interesting than the other options, edging out Austria on that perspective by it being more similar to other European countries I've visited.


Group B has one country I've been to (Belgium), which was nice enough but not somewhere I'm itching to go back to.

Bahamas – for beautiful beaches and snorkelling
Barbados – see above, although my impression is that it has more "touristy" areas.
Bhutan – to see the Himalayas.

[elguapo4]

Austria, been there a couple of times. Last time was a 18 hour stopover in Vienna, which I'd like to see more of.

Antigua

Albania

No interest in Australia, been to Andorra, boring as a dog's arse.

Group 2

Belgium, Bermuda and Bhutan (just to say I've been there)

[Balderdasha]

Group A

Australia: never been and despite my deep fear of the poisonous wildlife I'd love to see Uluru and a wild kangaroo.

Austria: I've been twice but never properly seen the country. I went on a university ski trip so only saw one small skiing town. Then I went to Vienna with my husband and daughter when she was very small, but I was horrendously sick for the three days we were there and barely managed to leave the hotel. Cheesy as it is, I'd love to visit Salzburg and sing all the Sound of Music songs in various locations.

Argentina: I've enjoyed a lot of South American countries but never been here and I'd like to see the penguins on the Southern tip.

[Balderdasha]

Group B:

Barbados: one of my favourite countries I've visited. Me and my husband count that trip as our unofficial honeymoon. We went before we got married and had kids. Beautiful white sandy beaches and none of them are private. Wonderful snorkelling. Turtles. Everyone speaks English and the national dish is macaroni pie.

Bhutan: always been intrigued. Would love to visit.

Belize: my favourite part of visiting Mexico was going round the Mayan archaeological sites. There are loads more in Belize and Guatamala that I'd love to see.

[elguapo4]

Group A

Australia: never been and despite my deep fear of the poisonous wildlife I'd love to see Uluru and a wild kangaroo.

Austria: I've been twice but never properly seen the country. I went on a university ski trip so only saw one small skiing town. Then I went to Vienna with my husband and daughter when she was very small, but I was horrendously sick for the three days we were there and barely managed to leave the hotel. Cheesy as it is, I'd love to visit Salzburg and sing all the Sound of Music songs in various locations.

Argentina: I've enjoyed a lot of South American countries but never been here and I'd like to see the penguins on the Southern tip.

I've been in Salzburg a couple of times, it's a beautiful city and worth a visit, they certainly know how to milk the Mozart and Sound of Music connection.

[Bored Of Education]

OK, I think I understand. I have got a bit of an issue in that quite a few countries - USA, Australia, Russia, China, even Spain and Italy - are so large that different regions are massively different from each other. However, I will play along with the spirit of the thing

A
Angola - just beat Algeria. Have an interest in its history, a vague affinity with its national football team through a friend that lived there.
Argentina - always been fascinated by it which started with the World Cup there, then enjoying the national team knocking out England, then, of course, Maradona, Welsh-speaking Patagonia (and that area in general), Buenos Aires seems like a great city, topped off by friends who visited there - and, of course, Sam from this parish - extolling the virtues
Australia - taken me a while to warm to the idea of it as it seems like such a long way to go to see a country full of Brexiteers (I joke). Melbourne (because of Neighbours and, knowing friends from there, seems like the sort of place I would like) and I think I could find a lot to enjoy with a month there.

B
Bangladesh - never been to Asia, haven't picked a country from there yet and I am sure I would find it fascinating. I like the food that purports to be from there.
Belize - didn't read the second page of this and enough people have convinced me of the positives of this place.
Bhutan - I think I would love to go to here, Nepal and/or Tibet. Can tie it in with Bangladesh as well.

[San Bernardhinault]

I'm gonna be boring with group A:

Austria: I love it to bits. Great, great mountains. Superb hiking. Good wine. Really friendly people. And so much spaetzle and speck.

Argentina: I've not been to, but has a lot in common with Austria: Wine, mountains, etc. I was half-planning a trip this year to go down to Patagonia to play in the glaciers. It's right near the top of "places I've not been where I want to go"

Australia: Another one fairly high on the list of places I've not been. Not as high, because I don't want to get eaten by spiders or sharks or kangaroos.

(Albania was fighting hard with Australia for the number 3 spot).

--

The B's are a weaker group

Belgium isn't great, but Bruges and beer and some of the food get it through

Barbados is the best of the Caribbean Sea bunch, I think. But very touristy unless you go and hang out on the Atlantic seabord beaches.

Bhutan for the mountains and weirdness.

Benin sounds too humid, Bahamas is like off-shore Florida, Bangladesh sounds crowded and swampy and not to my tastes at all, Belarus seems to just have the worst aspects of Russia distilled...

[Sporting]

OK, I think I understand. I have got a bit of an issue in that quite a few countries - USA, Australia, Russia, China, even Spain and Italy - are so large that different regions are massively different from each other

I get what you say, but to divide up bigger countries into regional areas would have made the running of the competition far too unwieldy and anyway, where do you begin?

As well as this, in my case there are quite a few smaller nations - for example, Uruguay - which I would prefer to visit ahead of the likes of Russia or China.

In any case, it's not the winner of the whole thing which is the most interesting factor, but the observations made along the way. Like yours, for instance.

[Sporting]

Clearly, I don’t need to list Australia.

You are entitled to have a vacation in the country where you live, if you wish.

[Sits]

Yes but I feel as though it's easy enough to do as and when I choose and can afford to, even if not right now!

Bahamas
Barbados
Belgium

Keeping it predictable here.

[ad hoc]

I spent a week at an ashram in the Bahamas. Wake up early, do yoga and meditate on the beach, eat delicious vegetarian food, swim, walk on the sand, more yoga eat swim yoga eat swim etc you get the picture

Can't say I've had many better weeks.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

Albania - lived there for four years, and have been back three times since for holidays and to visit old friends. Beautiful scenery down south - particularly Himara, Saranda and Dhermi. Tirana is an interesting city, lots of good bars and restaurants. Great people.
Argentina - always wanted to visit Patagonia and speak Welsh with the locals.
Australia - I was offered the chance to go and play cricket for a season in Adelaide in 1984, but turned it down. That is my only regret in life.

Bhutan - a friend has visited recently and said it's absolutely stunning
Barbados - Mrs. VT used to work there, says it's a beautiful island and I trust her judgement
Belgium - I've always enjoyed my visits there.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

Group A - three big bucket ones for me here, Australia, Argentina and Albania. I've been tantalisingly close to Albania before (sat looking at it for a week once on a beach in northern Corfu) and I've wanted to go ever since it began opening up for tourism.

Group B - I would recommend Azerbaijan as one of those places that are a fascinating mix of medieval, post-communist and super-modern, but I've been there. I've also been to Barbados, which is probably the Caribbean destination most suitable for (and prepared for) western tourists expecting all the luxuries like shops, spa hotels and golf courses, and Belize (which is certainly the least modernised and most deprived of the places I've been but as a result very 'authentic' and friendly), so take your pick of those depending on your idea of fun and adventure. So while I do love a plate of moules frites and a couple of pints, my Group B ones would be Bahamas, Bhutan and Bangladesh.

[Sporting]

It's interesting to read comments about the Caribbean islands. Inexcusably, I've often tended to lump them all in together in a much of a muchness kind of way, but when you look at the distances between various capitals in the region it makes you think. Well, it made me think. From Bridgetown to Kingston is just over 1,900 km. Port of Spain to Kingston is more than 1,800 km. London to Belgrade, for comparison, is around 1,700 km. I blame my ignorance on the West Indies cricket team and the idea I once had that all these islands jostled next to one another, an easy ferry ride away.Thinking about it now (with more geographical nous than before) it's impressive how the different island states were able to combine their cricketing resources into some pretty potent teams.

[jwdd27]

And then there's Guyana - many don't realise it is on the South American mainland, but is culturally part if the West Indies, and they've supplied the likes of Fredericks, Lloyd, Hooper and Chanderpaul to the Windies team. They must have had quite some administrative and scouting network in previous years to pull them together into a cohesive team, without the bigger islands dominating unduly.

anyway

Argentina
Algeria
Armenia

Bahamas
Bhutan
Belize

(restricting to places I've not been)

[Sporting]

Guyana - many don't realise it is on the South American mainland, but is culturally part of the West Indies

That's interesting, because what is it exactly that defines West Indies' culture? Offhand and verging on semi racist caricature I can idly come up with cricket itself, fantastic beaches, a laid-back way of life, and colonialism as a common suffered denominator. But merely on the basis of what's been posted on this thread (surface scratching, I know) the differences between these countries may add up to more than similarities therein. Or not?

[jwdd27]

I think being Anglophone is probably a big factor, as well as a large population of African heritage.