Fat Passport

Country

Bob’s Comments

Fantastic

Egypt

The Pyramids are a must-see for a world traveler; temples at Luxor are not far behind; and there’s great diving in the Red Sea. I’ve been twice and would love to go again!

India

Incredible sights, exotic people, great food, fascinating in every way…but must tolerate crowds, pollution, beggars, con-men and other unpleasantries. I’ve been four times…which my wife finds perplexing.

Indonesia

Fascinating cultures, interesting temples, and incredible landscapes (e.g. Mt. Bromo). People are friendly and interesting. Bali is heavily touristed but still good. I’ve been three times.

Italy

Rome, with the Coliseum and The Vatican, is one of the world’s best cities; Florence and Venice are must-sees. Wonderful people who are full of life, and the food is great…though Italy is heavily touristed and relatively expensive. Not an “exotic” destination, but a great place.

Myanmar

Schwedagon Pagoda and the Bagan archeological zone are two of the most amazing sights in Asia. People are both friendly and fascinating. I’ve been five times and will keep going back.

Great

Cambodia

I only went to Siam Reap. Angkor is excellent, though surprisingly heavily touristed.

China

Some great things to see, interesting culture…though people very reserved and pollution getting worse in cities. I lived in Hong Kong a couple years, and to me HK is the world’s greatest city.

Fiji

Beautiful island scenery, great beaches, great diving, and friendly people.

France

Interesting sights and history; people more friendly than they get credit for; and food is great…though heavily touristed and relatively expensive.

Israel

Only went to Jerusalem, which is a fascinating city and an intense experience.

Jordan

Not a whole lot in Jordan, but amazing Petra makes it well worth a trip.

Syria

Amazing ruins at Palmyra, and great markets in Damascus.

Tanzania

The safari experience is a requirement for any serious world traveler. Masai are fascinating people, but neither they or many others will win any hospitality awards.

Turkey

Been a long time and I really only went to Istanbul, which is a fascinating city.

Vietnam

Haven’t been there in a while, but interesting sights, people, and history.

Good

Australia

Ayers Rock is impressive, kangaroos are cool, people are friendly and there are some nice beaches.

Germany

Berlin is an interesting city with a fascinating history, and there’s some pretty countryside in Bavaria…though people won’t win any congeniality awards, and you won’t be going there for the food.

Mexico

I’ve only been to Mexico City and a few of the beach resorts…and more as a tourist than a traveler.

Nepal

Great if you’re a hiker or into mountain scenery.

New Zealand

Beautiful natural scenery and friendly people.

Portugal

Next-door to Spain, but friendlier people, better food and some interesting places to see.

Switzerland

Been a very long time, but the beautiful mountains probably haven’t changed!

Tahiti

I’ve only been to the island of Moorea. Beautiful natural scenery…but expensive, and at least back then the locals generally didn’t seem too thrilled to see you.

Thailand

Fascinating things to see and some great beaches…though heavily touristed, and Bangkok is an overcrowded mess.

UK

I’ve really only been in and around London, which is one of the world’s great cities with an incredible history.

Can’t Judge

Argentina

I passed through Buenos Aires for a couple days, but that certainly isn’t enough for me to pass judgment on the country.

Chile

I was in Santiago for a weekend, which hardly qualifies me to judge the whole country!

Dubai

I had a one-day layover here and got a chance to look around just a little. My quick impression was that it certainly didn’t seem as interesting as other spots I’d been in the Middle East, but a day probably wasn’t enough to draw any real conclusions.

Kenya

I went through Nairobi on my way to and from Tanzania. Nairobi was a scary, uninteresting place, but of course the real attractions are elsewhere.

Don’t Bother

Cook Islands

Pleasant enough if you want to sit at a pool for a week, but not much there to see or do.

Japan

I’ve only been to Tokyo and Kobe. Interesting, but very expensive.

Malaysia

Penang is ok, but Kuala Lampur is a big crowded city without much to attract. Some nice beaches, though locals may overly gawk at women in swimsuits.

Philippines

I’ve only been to Manila and Cebu. It’s one of the few countries I’ve been where I didn’t feel safe. However, more than a few others have been befuddled that I didn’t like it, so maybe I missed something.

Singapore

Super-modern, very safe, antiseptically clean…but expensive and not very interesting. Best fits as a short “sanity break” on longer trips through Southeast Asia.

South Korea

I’ve only been to Seoul, an enormous city without much personality. Hard to recommend.

Spain

A major disappointment for me. Toledo and Seville were interesting, but hordes of tourists, surly locals….and there’s a reason the US isn’t full of Spanish restaurants.

Taiwan

The National Museum in Taipei is impressive, but otherwise there’s not much there.