Germany is famous because of its capacity to reinvent itself. It has done it several times during the history, and after the reunification in 1990, Germany has born again. An entire quarter is built in Hamburg on the ruins of a harbor, in Dresden the dome of Frauenkirche is as astounding as ever, and Berlin is more open minded and creative than ever.
Greece is a country everybody will find charming. Those who are looking for cultural relaxation can visit museums and ruins, while hedonists who only care about their tan can sunbathe at the beach. Light and air are clear, floral aromas are carried by the wind, and the best thing about all is the combination of ouzo and octopus.
El Salvador is an overlooked country: those who travel in that area of South America usually choose Guatemala and Costa Rica, because of the persisting stories about the civil war and gang violence in El Salvador. In fact the civil war ended long ago, while the stories about gang violence are true. The thing is, gangs target only each other, and never involve tourists. While it has many beautiful landscapes, El Salvador doesn’t have as many natural reservations as Guatemala and Costa Rica. But the good thing is, if you visit El Salvador, you can have all the forests, alpine lakes and volcanoes, because it is not very likely you will meet another traveler.
Malaysia is an island of peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia. There are no floods or political turmoil, roads are excellent, transportation is good and hotels are of international standard. The best thing in Malaysia that it lets you explore problem free the exciting culture of Southeast Asia. And it is not a very expensive country, either.
Morocco is an unforgettable mix of Berber and Arab, Muslim and secular, Mediterranean and African world. The country is in touch with the latest technology, and can see how the Middle East is portrayed by western news channels and internet. Morocco is just as concerned with violent threats as westerners do. Most Moroccans are occupied with their daily lives, and see the tourism industry as the future of their country, therefore every visitor will be treated with hospitality.
Nepal had a lot of troubles in the last decade, but in 2008 it seems everything came to a resting point: the rebels started to govern, the kingdom became a republic and the king became a civilian. The fall of monarchy means peace for Nepal. This is really good news for tourists.
New Zealand has a rented place in every tourism top list because it has everything a traveler could want: spectacular landscapes from rainforests to glaciers, geothermal springs and volcanic plains. There is lots of wildlife, the maori culture is as attractive as ever, and the food and drink is also fine.
Portugal today consists of two different worlds. This is a land with great tradition with saints-day festivals, ancient vineyards and medieval villages. On the other hand, modern lifestyle is spreading rapidly, old city centers are filled once again with life by a new wave of boutiques, cafes and art galleries.
Suriname is undoubtedly the smallest, most diverse and most interesting country in South America. Inhabitants are descendants of Chinese, Javanese and Indian workers, West African slaves, indigenous Amerindians and Lebanese, Jewish and Dutch settlers. This may sound as the perfect recipe of civil war: wrong, all these people live together peacefully.
Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including many European countries by car. Tolearn more about car hire worldwide, visit www.zencarhire.com