My Favorite Countries In the World

Introduction: Welcome to Badass Digital Nomads, where we're pushing the boundaries of remote work and travel, all while staying grounded with a little bit of old school philosophy, self-development, and business advice from our guests.  

Kristin Wilson, Host: Hello, good morning, afternoon, or evening to you today, wherever you are in the world. Kristin, from Traveling with Kristin here, and welcome to episode 134 of Badass Digital Nomads. I'm gonna cut right to the chase today. This podcast is about my favorite places in the world, but something that no one really talks about is how many of the world's most beautiful places have been ruined by pollution and trash? Did you know that 10 of the dirtiest beaches in the world are in digital nomad and tourist hotspots like Cambodia, Brazil, Bali, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand? One of them includes Maya Bay, where they filmed that movie The Beach, and Maya Bay was recently closed indefinitely due to overt tourism.  

Kristin:    00:01:16    So what can we do about it? Well, an easy way to make a change today is to join forces with YouTube's Mr. Beast and contribute to his new Team Seas initiative. His goal is to clean up 30 million pounds of trash out of the oceans by January 1st, 2022. As I record this intro, I'm looking into how to create a Traveling with Kristin team for Team Seas donations. So if it's ready by the time this podcast airs, you can join my team and contribute through traveling with Kristin using the link in the show notes. Otherwise, you can just go to TeamSeas.org to donate, and for every $1 you donate, one pound of trash will be removed from the water by humans or machines. If every one of us listening to this episode right now donates $1 to Team Seas, we will collectively clean 15 to 20,000 pounds of trash out of the ocean in one month if you need more motivation.  

Kristin:    00:02:26    Last week's episode was all about eco-friendly and sustainable travel, so make sure you don't miss that one. But that episode was actually recorded before Mr. Beast launched this Team Seas's initiative, or I would've talked about it in that interview. It was just a coincidence that this topic came up at the same time and also around the same time as the G20 summit, which I'm sure you have seen buzz about in the news. But you know what? You and I know that political game. It's the same old talking points that you've probably been hearing since you were in elementary school like me, reduce, reuse, recycle, blah, blah, blah. Lots of talk and no action from our esteemed leaders. In my experience, private citizens and charitable organizations are usually the ones that end up stepping up to create actual change in the world, and it's no different when it comes to trash and pollution. 

Kristin:    00:03:26    I've personally been inspired to step up my game in the new year when it comes to philanthropy because I feel like I could do more, and I definitely feel a responsibility to help offset some of the damage that is done within the travel industry. But anyway, more about that later. Let's focus on what we can do today to make the biggest impact in the world. And right now that is taking one minute to donate, $1 to help Mr. Beast and Mark Rober clean 30 million pounds of trash out of the water today. Again, you can donate using the link in the show notes or by going to TeamSeas.org and they also accept Bitcoin. Now, before I tell you what my favorite places in the world are, you may be thinking about getting yourself a new carry-on or travel backpack for the holidays. So if you want to treat yourself, I have a 10% off discount for you on the norde website by going to travelingwithKristin.com/nordace, N O R D A C E.  

Kristin:    00:04:36    And there you can get 10% off travel bags, gifts and accessories. I got their Nordace Sienna bag right before the pandemic started and I wasn't really sure about it at first, but it's since become my go-to bag biking around town here in Miami. And you can check out that bag and many more at travelingwithKristin.com/nordace after you donate $1 to Team Seas. Of course, we got this guys next week is also Thanksgiving, so I would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving early. I'm so grateful that you are listening to the podcast today, and I'm grateful that you're a part of the traveling with Kristin and Badass Digital Nomads community. It wouldn't be what it is without you. We have a really fascinating conversation for you next week with Greg Gordon, the founder of crsurf.com, who's been living and working remotely from Costa Rica since the 1990s.  

Kristin:    00:05:38    You do not wanna miss this one as he and I are riffing on everything we've learned learned in decades of living in Costa Rica. You're gonna get lots of tips on how to stay safe, how to avoid theft and scams, how to keep your cost of living low in a country that keeps getting more expensive, and also some of his favorite off the beaten path destinations. But without further ado, enjoy today's overachieving list of my favorite countries in the world in 15 categories. I have been to a lot of countries and it's possible that at one time or another you asked me, Hey Kristin, what's your favorite country? And I said, I don't know. 'cause how can you pick just one? So in this video, I'm going to share with you my favorite countries for all of the things for adventure travel, for romance, for meeting people and finding  community for food, for nature or history.  

Kristin:    00:06:38    I'll also share with you my favorite country for finding the nicest locals for solo traveling. And my number one pick for that blue ass water. The first place on my list is my favorite country for cost of living. And it's not technically a country, but an island in Indonesia and that is Bali. Uh, to this day, there have been very few places that I've been in the world that are more affordable than Bali and none of them are more beautiful or pleasant to be in. In Bali, you can get a meal for just a couple dollars, but you can also be surrounded by beauty, beaches, nice hotels, nice people, and it's such a magical island. So I would say for low cost of living, my favorite place out of the 60 countries I've been to in the world remains Bali with a runner up as Buenos Aires.  

Kristin:    00:07:34    My favorite country for quality of life is gonna be a tie. The first one is Vancouver in British Columbia. It's not the most affordable place in the world, but it's such a nice and clean and organized city with everything you could ever need in a one block radius. Kind of like New York City, but a lot smaller and then surrounded by beautiful water, nature, mountains. And it's just for me, there's no better place in the world to be able to have that balance between the city and nature. I just love Vancouver so much. But then my favorite low budget place for high quality of life is actually Mexico. I find that Mexico is such a diverse country and one of my favorite places to live is Playa Del Carmen where it's on the beach, but it has a really low cost of living. Everything is kind of open 24 7 or you can get anything delivered to you and it just has a really good quality of life where everything's within walking distance.  

Kristin:    00:08:40    You don't need a car, the beach is right there. You're 30 minutes from Cancun International Airport and you can fly from there anywhere in Mexico or around the world. I know a lot of people would choose Southeast Asia for quality of life, and that is gonna be on my list later. But for me, my top two favorite destinations are Vancouver and Mexico. Third is my favorite place in the world for adventure, the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. This is the southwest most peninsula and it really feels like you are at the end of the world. The Osa Peninsula is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It is basically a jungle rainforest and there's no road to get there that I know of. When I went, we had to fly in and then take a boat to get to the hotel that we were staying at.  

Kristin:    00:09:35    And it just really makes you feel like you're in Swiss family Robinson or in some kind of jungle adventure movie. I definitely felt like an explorer while I was there. I saw lots of animals, lots of birds, dolphins everywhere, and I highly recommend it. My runner up for adventure would have to be Peru. This is an underrated country that it's so diverse. So whether you're looking for mountains, rainforest, beaches for surfing, hiking, Machu Picchu, Peru has everything and it is such a big country. So it is an adventure to get around, whether you're flying or taking a train or taking a bus, you can cover a lot of ground, but it is a pretty wild place, wide open spaces and enough adventure to last a lifetime. Fourth on my list is romance, and the first place that comes to mind is very cliche, but it's very true and it is around the Amalfi coast region of Italy.  

Kristin:    00:10:37    This place is so beautiful, so picturesque that when I went there, my friend and I decided that one of us had to get married there at some point. And if neither of us ever got married, then we would just go and throw a party there anyway, like a wedding reception because it's that nice. And even though we were there on a girl's trip, I always felt like the Amalfi Coast or that entire region of Italy would be such a great place for a honeymoon or I don't know, just it's just very romantic and beautiful. Another one of my favorite places for romance would have to be Budapest Hungary. There's something about the chain bridge and the views of the Danube River and that entire area between um, both sides of the city. That is just ingrained in my memory for life, though that would probably be my favorite destination for love.  

Kristin:    00:11:35    Fifth is community. Now I had a really weird situation where I was an expat for over 10 years before I became a digital nomad. So my community was all mostly in Costa Rica where I was living. But since I became nomadic, the best places that I have found community have definitely been hands down Bansko, Bulgaria. Bansko is a small town that was kind of put on the nomad map by other nomads. And because it's so small, you're bound to run into people that you know everywhere throughout the day. So whether you're just going out for a coffee or going to the coworking space or going for a hike up the mountain or going skiing in the winter, there is always a big group of international people that will join you. And so if you are a solo traveler but you wanna go somewhere to meet other people or even if you're traveling with a couple family friends, um, Bansko is just a really great place.  

Kristin:    00:12:34    It's kind of like a digital nomad capital of the world these days. And because it's so small, you basically have locals and then expats and digital nomads. So it just makes it really easy to meet people. My runner up for community would probably be Portugal because there are so many popular places for the international community in Portugal. So whether you're in Lisbon or the Madeira Islands or the Algarve or Porto or anywhere in between, I have a video on the best places to live in Portugal, but you're never gonna be far from an event or a way to make friends. Sixth, we have my favorite destinations for food. My favorite place for food would have to be Italy. Italy was the first country I traveled to in Europe when I was only 17, and I think it changed my palate and my life forever. There's something about the food in Italy that it just tastes so good and it's very, very memorable, even if it's very simple food.  

Kristin:    00:13:38    After that, it would have to be a tie between Spain and Greece for all you foodies out there, I love Mediterranean food and the food in Spain, I mean these are countries that are known for their food, but there's something about the freshness and the quality, especially if you like small plates or tapas like Spain really can't be beat. I could go on an eating tour of Spain for the rest of my life and then Greece really surprised me. In Greece I had like just the most amazing salads and everything was just bursting with flavor and it just felt like I was eating the food out of the Mediterranean Diet book. Like everything is so fresh, the fish, the vegetables, the fruits, the cheeses. And even next door over in Cyprus, I once ate a pomegranate that changed my life. So there's a lot of good food around the world, but I would have to say that the trifecta of Italy, Spain, and Greece are my favorite places to go and eat.  

Kristin:    00:14:42    I do like food a lot, so I'll throw in a couple more. I also really like the food in France and also in Japan. And I also have a video about living in Japan where you can learn all about the food you can eat there. For number seven, we have my favorite destinations for nature, hands down. My favorite place in the world is Lofoten, Norway. So this is the northern most part of Norway where you're actually in the Arctic Circle. And this place is just mindbogglingly beautiful. We're talking beaches, mountains, islands, fjords, and it's very sparsely populated. So you can just go on these road trips through the archipelago of islands and you know, stay there for as long as possible 'cause you're gonna be pulling over a lot to take photos, <laugh>. So if you wanna go hiking, if you wanna be surrounded by nature, then uh, Norway in general is great.  

Kristin:    00:15:41    Like really anywhere in Norway is probably my favorite, but also the northern part is just absolutely stunning. One of the most beautiful places I've seen. And there's no natural predators. So compared to places like Canada, uh, you don't need to be afraid of bears or wolves or I don't know, mountain lions. It, it's very safe. What about luxury? My favorite cities in the world for luxury are Tokyo, Paris, and a ski resort called Cheval in the French Alps. So Tokyo has some of the best customer service and most luxurious hotels in the world. It is definitely a place that you can spend a lot of money on nice hotels, nice food, and first class, everything. Paris. Also, you can have a luxurious experience in Paris without spending a lot of money and just the surroundings and architecture, the buildings, the art, the food, everything looks so beautiful.  

Kristin:    00:16:48    It feels so luxurious that um, even if you're not staying at the Ritz-Carlton or something, you could still feel like you are having a luxury experience. And then Cheval and the French Alps, this is a place that I had never heard of until I was invited there to a bachelorette party. And it is one of the most expensive places I've ever been to. And it, it's pretty bougie. I mean, it's a kind of a classist mountain where you have levels. Um, so the higher you go up the mountain, the more expensive it gets. So you have budget travelers staying on the lower part of the mountain. And when you get to the peak, that is where the most expensive properties and villas and hotels are located. And the food, I think I spent a hundred dollars on a hamburger there. You really can't go out to eat for less than a hundred euro.  

Kristin:    00:17:41    Um, yeah, it, when I think of luxury, I mean they have a helicopter pad in an airport on the mountain for people to just come in from, I don't know, Russia or wherever it is, it's pricey. The ninth category is my favorite country for learning about history and I'm very much interested in World War I and World War II. So if you're a World War II history buff, then you have to go to Germany, Berlin, especially Munich. There's something about being able to go to the museums and the memorials there. Having the opportunity to go to a concentration camp, it just makes what happened. So real, I have to say, it's, it's quite surreal, like it's a little bit somber to be biking towards this place. And it's also so beautiful here. It's just very strange that it's in the middle of this town. I don't know, it's very unnatural.  

Kristin:    00:18:41    I actually cried walking through a lot of the museums and memorials and I have gone to those types of museums in Washington, DC and other places. But um, I definitely feel like you're closer to the history. When, um, actually visiting Germany, I actually rode my bike from Munich to the concentration camp in Dachau and that was an experience all in itself. So even though there are amazing historical sites around the world, that is the destination that really stands out to me. The 10th category is my favorite place to go surfing. So you may or may not know that I was a former competitive surfer. I was East Coast and national champion back in the day in the US and I also studied abroad in Australia to train for surfing. So I have surfed all around the world, but I have to say that my favorite place to go surfing remains to be Australia, especially the Gold Coast.  

Kristin:    00:19:46    So the Gold Coast is known for having amazing waves, long point breaks, but one of my favorite things to do is to take a road trip from the Gold Coast, either north or south and just surf my way along the coast. So if you are a surfer, you have to visit Australia someday. 11th is my favorite destination for relaxation. And here we are heading over to the tropics, to the bay island of Roatán in Honduras. I've been to a lot of islands, but Roatán is so beautiful. You feel like you are in a postcard. It really looks a lot like Hawaii. But I would say that Roatan would be my favorite place to just go and post up on the beach, have a nice drink, do nothing. And then my second runner up would probably be pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean. I mean, I haven't been to all of the islands, 

Kristin:    00:20:43   but St. Lucia is one of the nicer ones for just rest, relaxation sunsets. So if that's what you're looking for, head over to the Caribbean. The 12th category is my favorite place for the nicest locals. This was a tough one because there are really nice people in every country in the world. But I have three that stand out above the rest. I would say Japan, Cuba, and Nicaragua. And um, honestly, I've been blown away by the niceness of the people in Japan. I talked about it in my living in Japan video, how people would really like bend over backwards and do anything to help you. And just genuine friendliness. Uh, there are some pros and cons to living in Japan, but I tell the story of how one time the guard on the metro went looking for my lost umbrella that I left on the subway and then he called my cell phone and told me that he couldn't find it.  

Kristin:    00:21:41    I mean, I don't know if that would happen anywhere else in the world. And yeah, the people are just so friendly there. Also, um, in Nicaragua it's um, one of the poorer countries in Latin America, but it definitely has like some of the nicest people I've ever met in the world. Same goes for Cuba, and I also have to include the Philippines. I have never met an unfriendly person in the Philippines and a lot of my travel blogger friends feel the same way. So I guess that's four countries for my favorite destinations. For the nicest locals, 13 is my favorite destination for solo travel. And here I'm gonna say Thailand, but I'm also gonna give you a region of Southeast Asia. I think if you were to pick any country in Southeast Asia and then use that as a base to solo travel from, you're gonna have a blast.  

Kristin:    00:22:35    You're gonna save money 'cause it is a really low cost of living there. But there are just so many places to go and see in such a concentrated area. You can take flights, you can take a motorcycle or moped around, and it's just such a fun place to go around and explore. You're bound to have adventures, you're bound to meet awesome people and have a lot of fun. My 14th category is the best place for parties. The first place that comes to mind here has to be Brazil. Now I've never been to Carnival, but just in general when I'm in Brazil, I just feel like it's one of those places with live music everywhere you can kind of like dance through the streets and people are just always in a party vibe. Another place I like for parties that is completely contrasting from Brazil is actually the Netherlands and Belgium.  

Kristin:    00:23:29    So these are places that have amazing music festivals, some of the biggest music festivals in the world. And even though the local population likes to work hard, they also like to play hard. So I have been really surprised and impressed by the different types of parties and nightlife going on over there. And my last category is where to find That Instagramable Water. And my favorite destination for this is Croatia. Croatia also looks like a postcard. It's so beautiful. And the Adriatic is actually calmer water than the Mediterranean, so it's perfect for sailing, it's perfect for relaxation, also good for parties, and it has so much sunshine there that it seems like it's always a blue sky and a sunny day. So if you wanna get that contrast of the rocks and the mountains or the medieval cities with the clear blue water that it seems like it goes on forever, then Croatia, like I've never seen water that blue in my life. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. Here's to wishing you a very happy, healthy, and safe Thanksgiving holiday wherever you are in the world. Remember to go to TeamSeas.org to help clean 30 million pounds of trash out of the ocean today and go to travelingwithkristin.com/nordace to treat yourself to 10% off a new backpack, laptop bag, or travel accessories. See you again next week for an Epic interview with Greg Gordon, founder of crsurf.com. Costa Rica's first online surf report.