I have visited 49 countries, if you count the Vatican, and I thought it would be good to point out some of the best and worst.
The best is Japan, which has orderliness, respect, a unique culture, safety, food, and politeness.
Governments badly serve Cuba and Myanmar. The people there deserve better. Many African countries, including South Africa, are not far behind.
The friendliest people are from the Philippines.
The easiest country to travel around is Thailand, everything seems to fall into place.
The best railway system is in Japan, with its bullet trains and extensive suburban network, but China has the most amazing huge stations packed with thousands of travelers.
The scariest flight was from Kathmandu to Lukla in Nepal.
The best wildlife experience was getting up close to the mountain gorillas in Rwanda, followed by the Serengeti, Phinda, and Botswana. Costa Rica ranks as a great wildlife destination.
The most dangerous moment was when we took the wrong road on foot in San Jose, Costa Rica on the way to the bus station and passed through junkies and mean looking hombres and then saw a cripple being beaten up by a thug. We were scammed with counterfeit money from the Beijing airport ATM or a threatening driver who threw us out of his taxi. This was not a very nice welcome to China.
The best mountain trek was to Mount Everest base camp, followed by Machu Picchu. The toughest was an 8-day trek in the Namib-Naukluft Park.
The worst air pollution was in Kathmandu and New Delhi. India had the worst river pollution.
The most unique and wonderful city was Venice.
Memorable Eastern temples were in Ayutthaya, Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, and riding a bike from temple to temple in Bagan, Myanmar. This doesn’t leave out the Taj Mahal, which certainly lives up to its” reputation.
I took wonderful bike rides through the tea plantations in Sri Lanka, rice fields in Laos and Cambodia, and villages and towns in Rajasthan, India.
The best beaches were in Boca Island, Panama, followed by Thailand and the Philippines.
Namibia’s desert scenery is wonderful, and I also enjoyed a camel ride at sunset in the Sahara, Morocco.
The sexiest girls are in Cuba. The best taxi ride was also in Cuba in a 1950s blue American vintage classic along the deserted freeway to Havana.
The best airport is Singapore and the best airline is Singapore Airlines.
The most expensive country was Japan, and the cheapest was Vietnam.
The hottest countries were in the Far East; I tended to avoid the cold countries.
The best classical architecture is in the old cities of Spain and Italy, and Dubai deserves a mention for its futuristic skyline and wide freeways.
The worst table manners and boorish behavior are from the Chinese.
If I could choose a country to be born in, it would be Switzerland because of its strong economy, scenery, sports possibilities, democracy, and strong social services.
To conclude, South Africa has it all: deserts, mountains, beaches, vineyards, and Cape Town, so I’m very happy to live here. I’m looking forward to visiting my 50th country.