My favorite country in the world

Every travelers favorite question to ask. And for many, the most difficult question to answer. Once you are part of the travel community, travel from hostel to hostel, you are bound to meet new people. Bound to start new conversations, make friends and be impulsive together. One of those conversation starters often is “What is your favorite country in the world?”. I don’t think I have ever been able to answer that. But I will try.

Back when I first started traveling, my answer would have been Ecuador. It was before I had seen as much of the world as I have now, but it left a huge impression on me. Ecuador was beautiful. I loved traveling around the country by bus, seeing places I had never even heard of, and immersing myself in a new culture.

Not long after I left Ecuador, I went to Cape Town, South Africa. Pretty fast, this became my favorite city in the world, still is to this day. Cape Town was incredible. It felt like an entire world immersed in one city. I met incredible people, relaxed by the beach, climbed mountains and indulged in the amazing food. Without having visited more of South Africa, it became my favorite country because of a single city.

As I left Cape Town, I went to Venezuela. I could see, already back then, that something was wrong, even though my guide tried to shield us from everything happening in the country. It was a beautiful country though. Amazing beaches, mountains, waterfalls and too many adventures. On top of that, it was extremely cheap to visit as a tourist at the time. I think it was about this time that I really decided that I wanted to see more of the world. Within a year I had visited three amazing countries, and couldn’t even put my finger on which was my favorite. Would I have the same experience in the rest of th world?

Not long after I went to Asia. I visited mega cities, paradise beaches, rice terraces, mountains, volcanoes, temples, world heritages sites and so much more. I visited six countries and every new country gave me different experiences. I started to realize how much traveling really meant to me. Waking up in a new city when I wanted to, trying out new food, meeting new friends and having new experiences everyday. I also realized how much the people I met meant to me. How they affected my perception of every place I went, as much as the experiences I had there. Every time I visit the same old place again, I have an entirely new experience because I meet new people.
I loved everything about my experience in India. I have never experienced anything like it. Never. India is one of the best travel experiences I have ever had. It is also where I have had some of the hardest travel moments. However India feels so real. It is a real travel experience. It is travel as I love it.
China was beautiful. So beautiful. There is so much diversity in China and so many places to visit. The photography opportunities in China are unrivalled in my opinion.
The beauty of Indonesia is well known. There are so many amazing places to visit. What an unbelievable country, and the people as well!

After Asia, I traveled around South America, and loved every place I went. Rio de Janeiro became one of my favorite cities in the world. What a place. My experience there was nothing short of magical. Cuba with my family was incredible. It is a country like no other I had ever visited but I loved it. Especially in retro respect. Looking back I have so many great memories from that trip.
The scenery and national beauty of the national parks in Canada is almost unrivalled. I have been few places as beautiful. The mountains in Peru took my breath away. Surrounded by giants and multicolored mountains for four days in the Andes was absolutely incredible.

So what is my favorite country I have ever visited? I don’t think I can give a proper answer to that question. Every place brings something different, and every experience depends as much on the people I meet. I can go back to places I loved the first time I visited, and have a completely different experience when going back. I love traveling. I love experiencing new places and I love experiencing the same places again. Being able to travel is a beautiful thing, and it is something I have started to appreciate even more since the world was put on a hold.