Quorum's Fun Stuff:
20 Favorite Countries of the World

1

Australia and New Zealand

Well you can't go all the way around the globe to Australia without visiting New Zealand too. Australia is big so this is going to require a full month to visit the key sites. Most important has to be Sydney Harbour with the Opera House and a walk over the famous harbour bridge.

Sydney Opera House, opened in 1973, is one of those fabulous buildings you just have to look at in awe.  It hosts about 3000 events a year for which about a million people come to visit.

Once Sydney is out of the way there's a trip into the interior to see Uluru, known to us Brits as Ayres Rock, probably with Alice Springs thrown in for good measure.  For me, an absolute must will be the balloon trip over this ancient land, available from www.austravel.com.

2

The USA

America is too big to do in a single visit, but most of us will visit the US several times in a lifetime.  The key places to visit are New York, Niagara Falls, Washington DC, The Grand Canyon, the Las Vegas and the Arizona desert, and the Rockies.  Los Angeles and Florida are also popular with the kids.

The Grand Canyon is really something I really want to do in a helicopter. I've always had a dream of flying in a whirly-bird, and there's no better place to do it than down the Grand Canyon. A once in a lifetime 45 minute trip with www.papillon.com or www.looktours.com will cost less that £100 - Bargain!

Although over-rated, I suppose I have to list New York at one of those must-visit places.  I've been there several times and to me it's not much more that a big city full of tall buildings and people.  However, it is arguably the world's capitol so deserves at lease a mention.  Do the "Circle Line", which is a boat trip around Manhattan.  This will give you a good chance to see the main sights.  Also have a stroll in central park and a trip up the Empire State Building while it's still standing.
 If you're staying in New York, then Washington DC is just a few hours drive south. Stop in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh on the way. The Sights to see in DC are the White House, Lincoln Memorial, the WWII, Korean and Vietnam war memorials, and many more memorials. A free visit to the Space and Aviation Museum is also a must. Here you can see the Apollo and Gemini craft, walk into Skylab, and touch the moon (as I did in 2004).

3

Canada, East and West

Canada needs two visits, or possibly one with a flight from East to West.  Four from Quorum are planning a trip to the Rockies in Sept-2008.

Start with Toronto City on the East side, with a trip to Niagara Falls.  Descend the gorge in a cable car, or take the 9 minute helicopter trip to see the Niagara River, Whirlpool Rapids, Rainbow Bridge, and the American and Horseshow Falls.  Other cities close to Toronto to visit are Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec.

Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle are in British Colombia, on the West Coast with the Rocky Mountains just a few hundred miles away.  One of the best ways of seeing the Canadian Rockies in by the glass roofed Rocky Mountaineer Rail-tours (gold-leaf service).  Trips from Vancouver to Calgary or Jasper range from $600 upwards.

4

Mexico City and Teotihuacán

This expansive city of 20 million and over a mile high is built on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the ancient Aztec capital. Reminders of past civilization pervade the city, particularly at the Templo Mayor excavation and Anthropological Museum at Chapultepec Park. Fine shops can be found in profusion in the Zona Rosa.

The ancient city of Teotihuacán, about 30 miles NE of Mexico City, is the most visited of Mexico’s archaeological sites and a must-see if you’re in Mexico City. The site is impressive for its scale, both in the size of the Pyramid of the Sun (the third largest pyramid in the world) and the majesty of the Calle de los Muertos (Street of the Dead) - originally 4km long and flanked by temples, palaces and platforms. Look for amazingly well preserved murals in the Palace of the Jaguars or the Palace of the Quetzal-butterfly and bold sculptures in the Temple of Quetzalcoátl.

Due south of Mexico City lies Accapulco, world renowned for its glitz, glamour and luxury, with a reputation as a haven for the rich and famous. It has many fine white sandy beaches where you can relax while you watch the latest fashions pass by.

5

Machu Picchu, Peru

6

Brazil and the Amazon

Iguacu falls on the Amazon must be one of the best sights in South America.

7

Egypt and Jordan

I visited Egypt and Jordan with Prem, Julie and Derek as part of a two week holiday in 2001.

The Sphinx and Great Pyramid, just on the Edge of Cairo are the top attractions for Egypt. While in Cairo, take a trip to the Cairo museum to see Egypt's most famous pharaoh - King Tutankhamen's treasures. If you want to take in a camera or video then take some extra cash. To video costs more than the taxi from the hotel!

The other obvious place to visit is Luxor-on-Nile.  Here you can see the valleys of the Kings and Queens, and look inside some of the tombs. While stating in Luxor, you can walk to the great temples of Karnack and Luxor.

From Cairo, we flew on to Amman in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan, one of the more friendly Arab countries for us westerners. In fact, Amman seemed rather like Britain - wet, cold, and built up. Just outside Amman is Jerash, an unexpected treasure of well preserved Roman roads, theatres and buildings. Well worth a half-day to explore.

Heading south, you should try to visit the Read Sea, which even for non-swimmers is worth a dip to experience your body's buoyancy. Further south is Wadi-Rum and then, hidden amongst the rocks, Petra.

The southern tip of Jordan meets the Gulf of Aqaba, a bustling port and not a place I'd recommend staying in long.

8

Rome, the Vatican and the Coliseum

Oh what a splendid city!

 The Vatican city should be visited by all good Christians, whether Catholic or not.

9

South Africa and Table Mountain

The Kruger National Park is packed with wildlife, and has excellent roads, lodges and camp sites.

Swaziland is also well worth a visit, with more game reserves.  Here we saw Lion and Rhino very close up, as well as plenty of other wildlife.

Lesotho was un unexpected gem.  Such a lovely country, high up in the mountains.

10

Tanzania Safari and Victoria Falls

If there's one waterfall in the World worth visiting, then it has to be this.

First buy a good camera of video, and then go on safari.  The big five (Rhino, Lion, Rhino, Leopard, and Buffalo) can be seen in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa and several other African countries, with many companies providing good offers.

11

Madagascar and the Lemurs

If you love soft fury creatures, then this is the place for you. Madagascar has few predators and therefore, support about 54 different species of Lemurs.  European flights are from Paris to the capital, Antananarivo (Tana). From here its a 2 to 3 hour drive to the Perinet reserve where you can see many of the Lemur species including the famous whaling Indri, Common Brown and Diademed Sifaka. My favorite has to be a lovely tame black and white ruffed lemur at our lodge, who after a meal of sticky dried figs decided my fingers needed a good wash, so very gently licked them clean.

A flight down to Fort Dolphin in the south is highly recommended. Here you can stay at the Berenty Reserve and see the cheeky ring-tails, Verreaux's White Sifaka, Brown lemur, dwarf and several others species that live in the spiny forest.

That was our holiday in 2003 with Prem and Derek.

12

Iceland (and whale watching)

Iceland has so much to offer.  Try dog sledging, Snow Scooters and Quad biking with Iceland Excursions for only €175.

With regular daily flights from the UK, Iceland is quite easy to get to.  Simply fly to Reykjavik, hire a car and you're away.  Accommodation and food is expensive, so pack a few wine boxes and a picnic set to keep down costs.  Also, don't forget a very warm coat!

13

Tibet, Everest and the Himalayas

Potala palace, Lhasa, Tibet (left) is a stunning view.

The Himalayas contain the 10 highest peaks in the World and most are in Nepal. Mount Everest is the Holy Grail and there are many treks that will take you to the Base Camp. Don't try to climb the 29035 feet, but just sit at the base camp and be amazed. Kathmandu is a fascinating city to visit as well as the Swayambhunath Stupa.

14

Malaysia, Borneo and the Orangutans

Kuala Lumpur, of just KL for those in the know, is an amazing modern city of tower blocks and towers.

In a totally different world to mainland Malaysia is the Island of Borneo.

15

China & the great wall

This was the 2004 holiday.  Beijing is the main tourist centre, with all the popular sights including the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven.  For me though, the greatest and best attraction of them all has to be the Great Wall, which is just a 40 minute drive from the centre of Beijing.

Shanghai is a surprisingly modern and rapidly growing city of about 16M people.  There are more tower blocks and sky scrapers here than anywhere else in the world.  The place to stay is near the Bund waterfront, where the views across the water are spectacular.

A trip to China isn't complete without a short flight to Xian to see the Terracotta Army.

16

Scandinavia and the fjords

While cursing the fjords, visit the three capitols - Bergen, Stockholm (Sweden), and Helsinki (Finland), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Oslo (Norway) and maybe cross over to St. Petersburg to see some of old Russia!

In Copenhagen see Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid sculpture; The Christiansburg Palace, seat of the parliament; and the recently restored district of Nyhave.

17

Russia, Moscow and the Kremlin

18

Thailand’s ("Phi Phi" and "James bond") Islands

19

India

India has such a wealth of culture, religion and history.

Varanasi is a very spiritual place for all Hindus. The steps (or Ghats) leading down to the river bustle with pilgrims bathing in the holy Ganges. Funeral pyres burn and their ashes scattered into the water. 10km away at Sarnath is the site of Buddha's first sermon, and if you're a keen follower of Buddhism then I would recommend a visit to Bodhgaya and Kushinagar, and just over the border to Lumbini, Nepal, is the birthplace of the Buddha.

You couldn't call India done without a visit to the Taj Mahal.  Completed in 1648 this monument to eternal love was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan for his wife Mumatz Mahal who died in childbirth. It is arguably the most beautiful building in the world. If you have time, I would recommend a visit the Lake Palace in Udaipur. An ultra-romantic palace built in the centre of Lake Pichola. Other places of interest are Jaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar (Camel Fair).

20

Costa-Rica, Central America

As well as volcanoes, Costa-Rica is packed with tropical wildlife.  Sloth's crawl around in trees, there's turtles on the beaches, several species of monkey, and frogs of all colors, shapes and sizes.