Top-10-destinations lists — recommended vs. favorites
The following is from Randy Keck, who writes the “Far Horizons” column. — Editor
My article “Building Your Travel Bucket List” (Jan. ’17, pg. 56) generated interest plus a little confusion.
What I presented in that article was my list of the Top 13 destinations that I would recommend to newer, fledgling international travelers, excluding places in Europe (due to its higher level of familiarity with Americans and the relatively compact nature of the region) and the US (which ITN does not cover).
When longtime ITN reader Fred DeVinney followed up by sending me a list of his Top 10 favorite destinations, it generated a discussion between ITN’s Editor and me and spawned an idea, that of asking our readers to each submit not one but two Top 10 travel lists.
1. The first list will be the more challenging to compile. As I did in my column (and excluding Europe, for now, and the US), name the Top 10 destinations that you visited and would recommend for newer/beginning international travelers, and include a brief explanation or comment with each choice.
2. In the second list (again, excluding Europe and the US), name your own Top 10 personal favorite international travel destinations, based on your actual experiences, and briefly tell why you included each.
While, for most participants, there likely will be some overlap — a few of the same countries on both lists — there also should be clear differences between the two submissions.
One personal example — Papua New Guinea makes it onto my Top 10 personal favorites list, but I would not put it on my Top 10 list of international destinations that I would recommend to newer travelers.
ITN subscribers are formally invited to participate in this exercise, one that should prove thought-provoking. The only rule is two separate lists must be submitted. Have fun! — Randy Keck
Email editor@intltravelnews.com or write to Top 10 Lists — Recommended vs. Favorites, c/o ITN, 2116 28th St., Sacramento, CA 95818. (Include the address at which you receive ITN.) Photos of destinations are welcome; include captions. Responses will be printed in the magazine.