The world's best tourist destinations need not necessarily be the most popular ones. We present some well-known and some surprisingly offbeat destinations for the fun-loving tourist. Also listed are some popular tourist cities across the world.
CROATIA: The beautiful coastline along the Adriatic sea. Other attractions: cathedrals, churches and museums, the medieval architecture of Dubrovnik and the ancient Roman ruins at Split.
CHINA: The Great Wall of China. Other attractions: the Forbidden city in Beijing, Shanghai and Hongkong, the Gobi Desert, the Terracotta Warriors of Xian, See Giant Pandas in the forest, shop for traditional Chinese silks, follow historic roads and travel to Tibet, the rooftop of the world.
ARGENTINA: Attractions of Argentina include the cobbled streets, restaurants and café's of Buenos Aires, the colonial architecture of Cordoba, the beaches at Mar del Plata, the expansive pampas grasslands and the stunning Iguazu Waterfall surrounded by tropical rainforest
ITALY: This Roman country has wonderful places like the Vatican City, the Forum, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, churches, museums, cafes and restaurants in Rome; the canals and Piazza San Marco in Venice; the Renaissance art and architecture of Florence and Naples; the historic cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum; the fashion capital of Milan, and the scenic Amalfi coastline.
COSTA RICA: the Monteverde cloud forest reserve, the volcanic sights at Volcan Arenal National Park, the beaches on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, the beautiful sights of the capital city of San Jose.
KENYA: famous for its spectacular wildlife sanctuaries, ancient Swahili culture, beaches and coral reefs. Amboseli, Masai Mara, Tsavo and Mt Kenya National Parks are worth seeing on your trip to Kenya.
THAILAND: Famous for its tropical beaches, pleasant climate, Buddhist pagodas, Thai Cuisine and friendly people. Bangkok, the beaches at Phuket, Pattaya and Ko Samui and the temples at Ayuthaya and Chiang Mai, are popular tourist destinations in Thailand.
AUSTRALIA: Great Barrier Reef, vast outback countryside, adventure sports and unique wildlife. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide and Perth are Australia's largest cities. Also meet the Kangaroos and the Aborigines face to face.
NEW ZEALAND: The stunning landscape of the country includes lovely beaches, thick forest, rolling hills, steep fiords, bubbling geysers and volcanic mountain peaks. Tourists can visit the landscape shown in the movie trilogy on a Lord of the Rings Tour of New Zealand.