Where to Travel?

When people discuss traveling, they swap stories about places they have been. You get inspired by your friend who got lost in the Louvre, who danced till dawn in the Madrid, who drank margaritas in Cancun. I believe that the the top US destinations for the independent travelers are typically South East Asia, Europe and Latin America. Relatively few make the trek out here to Australia because of the distance and the similarity to the US.

So who are the travelers here? According to a recent study, 21% of Australian backpackers are from the UK and 9% from Germany. Through conversations, I learned that the British all come here for the sun and ease of traveling. The wide open spaces (hahah, Dixie Chicks) are a huge draw to them. With Germany, I figure there are similar weather reasons, as well as the chance to learn English. Many people come here for a gap year to perfect their English, what better way to travel and study at the same time?

Where shall my next trip be? There are fewer and fewer untrodden places in the world. Africa and Antarctica are no longer off limits,. It seems that other than the moon, rural Latvia, is probably one of the most exotic places that I can think of.