My country of birth. Most people go for the cities and the pop culture. The real attraction, in my opinion, is the vast swathe of stunning scenery. National & state parks reign supreme.

The beer alone is justification for a visit, but the sheer number of major historic sites and attractive, interesting cities is overwhelming (especially in light of how much was destroyed in WWII).

I spent three months living outside Daegu a couple years back. Seoul's a fine, bustling, Asian metropolis. Welcoming people, spicy food, scenic national parks. Shame about the ugly cities though.

I spent a semester in Budapest - an enchanting and engaging place to live. The rest of the country is often overlooked. This is a shame, because there's much more beyond the capital. A unique culture.

Prague's really hyped up. But, it is probably the most beautiful city in Central Europe. Amazing place, despite the English stag parties. Bratislava's a bit dull by comparison, but Slovakia is pretty.

I spent a month hopping around Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Bukhara is among the most incredible places I've visited. Amazingly welcoming people - a truly authentic and untouched culture.

Turkey's marvelous. Great food, gorgeous sights, bucketloads of history, and wonderfully hospitable people. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface of the place, even though I spent a month there.

I've only visited Krakow and Oswiecim, but I very much cherished my time there. Krakow is gorgeous. Oswiecim (Auschwitz) is unsettling and sobering.

Athens is sprawling, polluted and drowning in concrete, but Plaka is charming as ever. And, how about those islands? Santorini is unparalleled. It's sad to hear that prices have risen so much.

My experience with Slovenia was only a visit to the quaint, Austro-Hungarian style capital of Ljubljana. I spent a bit of time in Split and Zagreb in Croatia, as well as a jaunt into Bosnia (Medjugorje). I should hopefully be doing a more extended tour around the region in 2007.

Scandinavian countries tend to deter me with their sky-high prices. Still, I did make time for Copenhagen, which is a cool, hip place. Might well go back some day when I have money to blow.

My most recent travel destination. Land of the vast, blue sky - not another place quite like it. Ger life is an experience all travelers should try. You'd just, uh, better get used to mutton.

One of my closest neighbors in terms of my home country, but I've only seen Montreal and Toronto. Toronto's another North American metropolis as far as I'm concerned, but Montreal's fab.

Another paltry visit! Only a whirlwind tour of Edinburgh and Stirling, without even a brief view of the highlands to tide me over. A return is in store sometime.