Five Countries You Really Must Visit If You Travel

As an avid traveller, there are five countries that stand out in my experience as places you really ought to make an effort to visit if at all possible. Here they are, together with my reasons.

1. Egypt: The Pyramids, of course, King Tutenkhamens Tomb, The Valley of The Kings. Wonderful places in their own right, but it's not all about artefacts and spectacular buldings etc. The Egyptian people are generous, kind, and welcoming. Happy to share anything, even if they have very little themselves.

Try a trip on the Nile in a felucca (traditional wooden sailing boat). Late afternoon is best, when you can experience the setting sun.

2. China: Not somewhere that immediately springs to mind when planning a travelling trip, but you really should, and it is becoming more popular as a destination, particularly since the Beijing olympics. Plan for a minimum of 7 days, a fortnight would be better. Take in Beijing, Xian, Shanghai (great for shopping), and a Yangtze river cruise is a must.

For the more adventurous, and a great experience go to Guilin. The landscape is awe-inspiring. Not really mountainous as such, but the peaks seem to rise almost vertically into the sky. Take a ski lift to the top of one of the peaks and get a toboggan down the 3000 feet.

3. Jordan: You could take in Jordan by combining it with a trip to Egypt. Cairo is only just over 300 miles from Amman, the capital, a wonderful place full of history, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Do also go to Petra. This archaeological site is renowned for it's rock-cut architecture, and is one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Of course no visit to Jordan would be complete without a visit to the Dead Sea, this has so much concentration of salt and minerals in it that you can actually sit in the sea and read a book without getting it wet. Again, don't plan on a flying visit, to do Jordan justice you should be thinking of ten days.

4. Hong Kong: An amazing, frenetic, bustling place that fortunately has been pretty much left as it was by the Chinese since the end of the British lease in 1997.

As everyone knows, Hong Kong is the place to shop. Wander along Nathan Road and visit Temple Street Market for some teriffic bargains. Don't forget that the asking price is a starting price, and haggling is the name of the game. You'll probably get to enjoy it, as the chinese do.

As well as being a hustling metropolis, there is a wealth of tradition in Hong Kong too. A trip to Victoria Peak is a must do, although the weather does not always let you take advantage of the spectacular views. But ever enterprising, you will find locals at the top who will take your picture and digitally impose a clear background of the view at its best.

You can also take boat trips out to some of the surrounding Islands. Agreat way to chill out after some hard shopping!

5. Thailand: Yes, I know, Thailand does have a somewhat seedy reputation, especially in areas such as Bankok and Phuket. But away from those well known areas there is a remarkable country of culture and the most warm, friendly people.

There is one place you can go called the Thai Tiger Temple at Kanchanaburi where you can stroke live tigers, somewhat domesticated by the monks. Whatever you may feel about that, it is certainly an interesting experience.

Well, there you have it. Five countries you really should make an effort to visit. I hope that I have given you food for thought so that you may raise the bar a little when you next plan a trip.