Coolest Country... (1 Viewer)

[DeathStar1]

I thought this might be a fun thread. What do you think is the coolest country in the world? Either one with a history and heritage that you like, or a culture, or just plain climate?

With Amazing Race going on, there's so many cool new places that I'd like to visit now, rather than my regular few. If anything, to keep the show going, they should do tourist sponsors with these countries for production money

My top on the list,

Japan(For Martial Arts Disipline and cool Technology capital of the world)

Australia(Miles of open countryside. You could blast your stereo loud and you'd have no neighbors to complain if your in the right area )

England: Everything just seems more educated with an English accent, plus it's the home of Mr.Bean, with some cool scenery. I don't think I'd live there though, if the ocnstant rain reports are true...

Italy: If noly to visit the Star Wars scenes, and have what claims to be the best pizza and ziti in the world . I need to find another good Marinara sauce...

Scottland: Ancestral home of my Great(?) Grandfather. Definetly a must, plus it looks like a neat place to visit.

Irleand: Also another Ancestral home. Definetly some sites to see here...

This is all I can think of at the moment ..

 

[Richard Travale]

Everything just seems more educated with an English accent, plus it's the home of Mr.Bean

Wow, if that isn't a contradictory statement, I don't know what is
Personally I would really like to see Italy. With all of the culture and history ,added to the fact that my family is Italian, it just seems the place to go.
Other seemingly cool places are Australia, Asia (Japan, Thailand and Vietnam in particular), Great Britain, Central Europe and above the Arctic circle.

 

[BrianB]

Scottland

Scotland, you mean...

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Austria is hard to beat.

Mountains, lakes, and other country pleasures, and also the fabulous metropolis of Vienna - my favouite city in Europe.

 

[Philip_G]

Italy, I mean come on ferrari, aprilia, and ducati. No one can touch that

 

[Holadem]

Togo, in the west of Africa.

Why? One of our tourism posters feature a bra-less young woman drinking from a coconut.

Beat that.

--
Holadem

 

[Aurel Savin]

Austria is hard to beat.

Been to Austria as well and while it is a beautiful country, I found it a little too "sterile" ... too perfect almost. And no offense to anyone here, but the average age is around 50. Other friends who have been there as well, noticed the same thing.

Netherlands on the other hand is something else. I have never experienced freedom quite like there. America is like Cold War Russia compared to it

 

[Philip_G]

Why? One of our tourism posters feature a bra-less young woman drinking from a coconut.

Beat that.

not as sexy as an aprilia mille R :frowning:

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

And no offense to anyone here, but the average age is around 50.

Hey, I'm 50. [rant]You talking to me?[/rant]:p)

 

[MickeS]

I've never been to the Netherlands but that seems like a great place. Real freedoms and lots of vacation time.

 

[Brad Porter]

Oh c'mon, this thread was just begging for a Monty Python song and you know it.

Brad

 

[Nathan_R]

Altogether Finland-philes!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Finland, the country where Porsches are made.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Finland, the country where Porsches are made.

Eh? Really? I thought the main export was Nokias
(Don't Porsches come from Stuttgart?)

But yes, I've been to Helsinki, lovely place. Bit cold though.

And since all but 2 previous posts are by Americans/US residents (who are probably being modest), allow this "foreigner" to say: "USA"

 

[Tim Hoover]

Actually, most Nokias are made in good ol' Texas...

I'd like to visit Egypt. Any place that has unexplainable megalithic structures is sure to impress.

 

[Devin U]

I have to agree with you on England. I lived their for a while and it is just amazing. Im from AZ born and raised, where anything older that 40 years is "historic". It was amazing to see the evolution of modern man in England. I saw everything from Anglo-Saxon and Roman forts and villages, walked part of the pilgrams path to Canterbury (I think the most amazing and beautiful city I have ever seen), walked though palaces, and I could go on and on. Although I dont agree on the accent thing, though (remember, every time there are poor, deseletute people, they allways have english accents, like in Les Mis. I love how the scum of that play have English accents in France). Well, I digress, but, If you ever make it over, you have to stay at least a month just to scratch the surface. If you want a amazing read, check out Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Japan no doubt. Where else can you get hot coffee in a can from a vending machine?

 

[Dave Morton]

French Polynesia is my pick! Give me an island paradise any day of the week.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Nice idea

Cool for different reasons:

Food, Wine and Culture: France very easily

Safety combined with multi-culturalism: Singapore and no real close second. A 15-year old female can walk down Orchard Road at 3 a.m. and not be concerned. You can’t look out of place here, no matter your ethnic background or dress.

Buzz: Hong Kong where you can feel the energy. This might not count since it is now part of China. As an alternative, I’d choose South Korea, although I’m really only familiar with Seoul, so that viewpoint might well be skewed.

Tradition and Technology: Japan—where else can you contemplate life, beauty and peace in the midst of cutting edge technology?

Instant Friends, Fun Lifestyle and Beautiful Women: Venezuela where it would take me half a day just to kiss everyone hello, were I to return. And that’s just the office.

Tradition and a feel for the past: Great Britain, where it seems that nothing ever gets discarded. A fine change indeed to those who live in a place where anything older than 40 years needs to be rebuilt.

Varied Scenery and laid-back lifestyle (grand scale): Australia with its beaches, deserts, tropics, and on and on. The wine & food are first rate too.

Varied Scenery and even more of a laid-back lifestyle (small scale): New Zealand from the Southern Alps and fiords of the South Island to the palm tress in the north. I once drove all around the South Island for a week and never saw a traffic light.

Cultural and Scenic Diversity: Indonesia with hundreds of languages, varying religions, volcanoes everywhere and on and on.

Religion as a Part of Life: Thailand where many young men still spend a year as a monk. The monks in their robes in addition to one temple after another is really impressive.

Food, beer, chocolate and art: Belgium with no runner-up.

Tolerance and Art: The Netherlands.

Late Evenings and Scenic Diversity: Argentina where you could eat at 8:00 but you would be the only person in the restaurant. I’ve gone dancing at midnight and we went too early—and that was on a week night.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Porsche Boxsters are made by Valmet in Finland, as are the convertable versions of most European cars. As the Boxters outsell by a wide margin all other Porsches, it is correct to say that Porsches are made in Finland.....