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Chriss Kavanagh is a Hello World travel broker, who has visited more than 100 countries. She lives in Warkworth when she isn’t on a plane to somewhere and recently bought a house in Spain. Mahurangi Matters asked Chriss to list the top 10 countries that would be on her ultimate trip.
Argentina
South America is my favourite continent because it has everything. It’s safe as long as you use common sense, though I would recommend being part of a travel group or learning some basic Spanish if you’re going to visit. In Argentina, I like the contrast between the vast deserts in the north and the ski fields in the south. Like New Zealand, the scenery is always changing, but on a bigger scale.
Cuba
It isn’t a destination on many people’s itinerary because of a lack of easy access, but the jazz theme in Cuba is fantastic. It’s not uncommon to walk up the street and see people playing a double bass or trombone on the side of the road. It also has a fantastic social history.
Chriss recommends visiting Machu Picchu as a ‘must do’ for any traveller.
Peru
If there is one place you should put on your bucket list, it’s Machu Picchu. It’s an amazing experience. You have the option of completing a three-day Inca trail on foot or catching a train, so it’s accessible to everyone.
Vietnam
Vietnam is all about the food. Everything is fresh and Vietnamese cooking involves the use of a really great mix of herbs as well. For Kiwis who like their coffee, they produce the best in the world in my opinion.
Spain
I finally brought a house in Spain because it is one of my favourite destinations. The two drawcards for me are the language and the climate, which is hot and dry.
Bolivia
It’s one of the less touristy places in South America and has quite a low socioeconomic status. Travelling there is all about the people, though, who despite their poor circumstances are unbelievably nice and helpful. The salt lakes are also amazing to visit.
Croatia provides a rich history from its civil war.
Croatia
Croatia is becoming increasingly popular with tourists because it provides something quite different to a lot of other popular European destinations. The highlight there is the history, especially around the Croatian War of Independence.
Guatemala
If you’re an adventurous type of traveller then Guatemala is a great destination. There are a lot of cycle trips and some fantastic lakes to do activities on.
Italy
Much like Vietnam, cuisine is a real highlight in Italy with the likes of fantastic cheeses and pizzas on offer. It’s also home to a lot of stunning scenery.
New Zealand
As cliché as it will always sound, once you’ve travelled to half the places on the globe, you realise how great things are where we live. I visited England before I had even gone to the South Island, but it’s worth making sure you check out our backyard as well as trying all the other overseas options.
