Top 10 Countries to Travel in 2019 (Part 1 of 2)
- Tripez
- Apr 5, 2019
- 5 min read
While I was reading an article written on Lonely Planet, one of the best travelling websites to know more about the best destinations to go, they have some suggestions for you.
If you are planning to visit a country but not sure where to go, these are the best 10 countries to visit this year!
10. Belize
I bet most of you guys have not heard of this country. It is a beautiful country located in Central America, close to Guatemala and Honduras.
There are some cool hot spots for tourists to visit. They have beautiful beaches, great historical sites and multiple cultures all in 1 country. They have many destinations for you to explore:
Ambergris Caye
The largest island in Belize. Plenty of diving hot spots for tourists to enjoy seeing awesome sea creatures and Great Barrier Reefs around the area.
Tourists are welcomed to dive in the ocean to explore the sea creatures in that area.
Caracol
If you are more into the mysterious culture of the Mayans, Caracol is the best place for you to start your journey. It is located at the Central West side of Belize, close to Guatemala.
It was discovered in 1937 by a native logger. The site is approximately 200 square kilometers large, that is about 28 soccer field combined! The site is full of Mayan ruins as it was an ancient Mayan city.
Placencia
If your country is extremely cold and you want to heat up your body (I mean, warm up your body!) with sun bathing, Placencia is the right place for you!
It is located at the Southern part of the country, and has plenty of beaches for you to relax. Other than that, people can go fishing and scuba diving in the area as there are a lot of sea marine creatures in the beautiful blue ocean.
TAKE NOTE:
Do be aware that the Belize government will collect 9% of tax for each guest who stays in their hotels and tourist accommodations for the use to improve their tourism sector.
For more information, you can visit the Belize Tourism Board at http://www.belizetourismboard.org/
9. São Tomé & Príncipe
This country is located in Central Africa, which is on an island itself.
Why is it called Sao Tome and Principe? Because this country consists of 2 islands, which are Sao Tome (Southern Island) and Principe (Northern Island).
Do not belittle this small country as it is full of surprises for foreigners around the world!
Obo National Park
The park itself covers 35% of Sao Tome island. The highest mountain in the country, Pico de Sao Tome (2,024 m), is also in the park. If you are into hiking, this national park is one of the greatest in the world. It has dense rain forests and sloping waterfalls.
The have the most iconic needle-shaped peak, Pico Cao Grande, is about 370m higher than the other surrounding terrains.
Praia das Banana
Or in English 'Banana Beach'. This is one of the attractions why people visit Sao Tome & Principe.
Blue and crystal clear ocean, white sandy beaches surrounding the area. Swimming and scuba diving is a hot spot here as the environment is relaxing and there are tons of fishes and other sea organisms living inside this area.
TAKE NOTE:
Yellow Fever, Malaria, Cholera and other diseases are quite popular in Africa countries. Hence, getting vaccinated is a must before going to this country for your trip.
For more info, kindly visit https://turismo.gov.st/en/welcome/
8. Belarus
This country is in the Eastern Europe, close to Russia, Poland and Ukraine. Unlike the previous countries that we have mentioned, Belarus is a landlocked country, so they do not have beautiful beaches or islands.
However, that is not an issue for them as they have a very rich and unique culture compare to other countries. The buildings and sites there often times have mixed cultures of the Eastern and Western Europe.
Mir Castle Complex
The castle is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, and has a mixture of Baroque, Renaissance, and Gothic architecture style. It is considered as one of the greatest castles in Europe that stands out to be unique.
It was built by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century, and it still stands firmly after numerous occasions of destruction during the war times in the past.
Minsk
The capital of Belarus.
In Minsk, one of the most iconic buildings in Belarus is the National Library of Belarus. It was built on 1922, and contains nearly 10 million items which includes books, online information, publications, documents and other materials. It is the best place to start to know more about this awesome country!
Not just that, at night, the diamond-shaped building emits colorful lights and changes its display depending on the situation.
7. Indonesia
Indonesia is considered as one of the countries that has the most islands in the world. The locals there called the area of islands to the North of Jakarta's coast Kepulauan Seribu, which in English means 'The Thousand Islands'.
It consists of 5 main islands, which are Java island, Kalimantan island, Sulawesi island, Sumatra island, and Papua island.
Tropical islands and rainforest are the popular tourist attractions for people around the world to travel there and explore.
Bali
No doubt that the most heard island from the Indonesia is Bali. Bali is full of beautiful scenery, beaches, islands, hotels and coral reefs.
Bali Island has a different atmosphere and culture compare to Indonesia's local culture. Indonesia is a country with major influence from the Islamic culture, however, this Island inclines more towards the Hindu culture that was brought from India in the past.
Uluwatu Temple is located at the south part of Bali. It is situated on the top of a cliff, roughly about 70 meters above sea level. The temple has a beautiful view of the sea and during in the evening sunset.
The most famous beach in Bali, Kuta beach, has the most activities for travellers to join. It is the top 1 spot for surfing, sun bathing, swimming, and even socializing with locals and travelers around the world because it has plenty of restaurants, bars, and sea activities there.
Borobudur Temple
Other than the influence of Hinduism, Buddhism has also passed to Indonesia. One of the World's Heritage Site which is awarded by UNESCO, the Borobudur temple, located at the Central Java island, is one of the largest Buddhism site in the world.
The temple itself has a mixture of local Java and Buddhism culture, which makes it distinct from other temples in the world. It has beautiful and unique sculptures and statues of Buddha, and the area is surrounded by green scenery, an awesome location for tourists to take photos.
6. Jordan
Jordan is a country in the middle east. Previously it has several conflicts with their neighboring country, Israel, but now it is quite a safe and peaceful place to visit.
Petra
In Jordan, there are lots of historical sites, ancient cities and monuments, as well as natural reserves for visitors to set foot on.
One of the oldest and well-known ones is Petra, a city located at the southwestern part of the country. This ancient city dates back to about 300 B.C. where the Nabatean Kingdom was first established in the area.
Several iconic places in Petra such as Al-Khazneh & the Royal Tombs give a glimpse of how great the ancient people are capable in building and carving buildings into the rocks, cliffs, and mountains.
Dead Sea
In Jordan, there is also a very strange lake at Jordan, which is the Dead Sea. Yes, it is not a sea, but a huge lake with high density of salt, so that is why it was named the Dead Sea.
You will be floating all the way in the sea instead of swimming as it is very hard to swim there. No plants or animals can be seen nearby the shore of the lake as salt density is too high for any living organisms to grow.
... to be continued
Sources from Lonely Planet https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/countries
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