The world’s top five: From Best Food to Best Beaches, these countries made my list

Here’s a fun parlor game I like to play when I’m with other travelers and the booze is starting to set in: What country has the best … (fill in the blank). It’s rapid fire questions: The best food, the best nature, the best beer. On a cold night in a bar in Oslo or on a beach in Indonesia, it’s a fun way to pass the time and get in friendly arguments.

More of these lists are cropping up on the Internet. I see the lists and either cringe or nod my head in agreement, thinking back to blissful experiences these lists inspire.

I’ve been to 117 countries. I’d like to think I have a broad range of insight into what pushes travelers back on the road. As summer travel season heads into its second half, here’s my list of the best the world has to offer in 10 categories. 

Yes, there’s some Italian bias. But living here 12 years, I’ve earned my opinion. 

Please leave a comment, in agreement or disagreement, or print this out, perforate it and put it on a roll:

Best beauty

1. Switzerland. Gingerbread houses next to mountains and lakes.
2. French Polynesia. Torch-lit beaches and sea the color of the perfect turquoise sky.
3. Italy. Find an ugly city here. I dare you.
4. Norway. Fjords and the midnight sun when sunsets last forever.
5. Trinidad and Tobago. Forty different beaches on a 72-mile coastline on Tobago alone..

Best architecture

1. United States. I’m a sucker for skylines.
2. Italy. You must admire beautiful monuments that last for 2,000 years.
3. United Arab Emirates. Garish and showy, I know, but Dubai and Abu Dhabi absolutely sparkle.
4. Azerbaijan. Baku’s Flaming Towers are a nightly must.
5. Uzbekistan. The mosques of Samarkand and the medieval city of Khiva are like stepping onto the old Silk Road.

Best nature

1. Nepal. One word: Himalayas. Enough said.
2. Ecuador. You can hike in the Andes one day, canoe down the Amazon the next and snorkel in the Galapagos Islands the next. 
3. United States. It has 63 national parks for a reason.
4. Tanzania. The Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti are heaven for wildlife and mankind alike.
5. Iceland. It has 130 volcanoes ringed by the sea.

Best beaches

1. Seychelles Islands. And I never went to the outer islands which locals told me are even better.
2. Bahamas. Sugar-white sand you could almost put on cereal.
3. Trinidad and Tobago. See above.
4. Indonesia. So many islands. So many memories.
5. Greece. Get past the rocks and the water is like in French Polynesia.

Best food

1. Italy. Hey, in 12 years here I’ve had maybe four bad meals.
2. France. Better variety than Italy but it doesn’t have the consistency.
3. Vietnam. If Mom made vegetables like the Vietnamese, I would’ve eaten them more.
4. Hungary. Most underrated cuisine in Europe. It’s big flavor, feel-good food.
5. India. From street stalls to Michelin-star restaurants, it’s all better than what I fell in love with in the U.S.

Best beer

1. Belgium. Nearly all 1,600 beers have their own custom glass.
2. United States. Seemingly every bar has its own beer and they got rid of the lousy ones.
3. Germany. Oktoberfest is a once-in-a-lifetime must. Quality and quantity.
4. Denmark. Carlsberg’s Elephant beer was my favorite beer for decades. Then I visited Belgium.
5. Ireland. Once here, you can never drink a Guinness anywhere else.

Best wine

1. Italy. Need you ask?
2. France. I left my heart in Bourgogne country.
3. Georgia. Khvanchkara semi-sweet red wine. Joseph Stalin did something right.
4. Slovenia. Some of the best white blends in the world.
5. Lebanon. The Israelis are smart enough not to bomb the Bekaa Valley.

Best nightlife

1. United States. Whatever you want, you can find it here. Some places at any hour.
2. England. No easier place to get closer to local culture than the English pub.
3. Mexico. How can you not have a good time with tequila?
4. Greece. As the sun falls on the Aegean, so do inhibitions.
5. Jamaica. Reggae allows you to dance and drink in the sand at the same time.

Friendliest people

1. Italy. Twelve years here and except for an evil landlady, I have yet to meet a rude person. Honest.
2. Sweden. Modesty is in their DNA.
3. Saudi Arabia. The people aren’t the government, folks.
4. Finland. They take their title as the World’s Happiest Country seriously.
5. Malaysia. My favorite place to hitchhike.

Most beautiful women

1. Russia. Unfortunately, most of them know it.
2. Sweden. Fortunately, most of them don’t know it.
3. Italy. My Marina moved this up the chart.
4. Brazil. Mixed races form tantalizing combinations.
5. Singapore. Asian beauties who dress to the nines.