Part 2: Lonely Planet’s World’s Friendliest Countries

We start back up comparing Lonely Planet’s list of the World’s Friendliest Countries with number six on the list (though I am not sure if they were placed in a particular order for a reason):

Samoa. At GoNOMAD, Lucy Eglington wrote a mini guide about the country, saying about it’s people “Samoans are gentle people, proud of their land and their culture, and they’re not interested in the fast buck approach to tourism that has destroyed so many other destinations.” When it comes to friendliness measures, it looks like GoNOMAD and Lonely Planet would agree.

Next is Vietnam. The title for this GoNOMAD feature speaks for itself: Volunteer in Vietnam Finds Frankness,

Spontaneity and Generosity. The article written by Megan Tady, profiles Catherine Loy and her experience volunteering in Vietnam. Tady quotes Loy, “I think my fondest memory will be how much people have opened up and invited me to be a part of their life.”

Following the Asia trend, next is Indonesia. In Indonesia’s Raja Ampat Islands: The Best Snorkeling in the World, Larry Taylor mostly focuses on all the beautiful places to explore aquatic wildlife, but while on land  says “The people were very friendly, especially the children. Some in our group joined in a pickup soccer game on the field in the middle of the village.”

Going back to Europe, next on Lonely Planet’s list is Scotland. Summer Solstice on the Orkney Islands: Pondering Ancient Feats of Architectural Genius by Steven Bochenek tells the tale of going to learn about the history, while mixing his interactions with the locals in as well. His thoughts on the locals: “the locals here aren’t resentful of travelers” continuing on to say “They were as curious about us as we them.”

Finally, the last on the list is Turkey. There are a few articles that discuss attractions and places to stay in Turkey, but the article that comes closest to discussing the people is Erin Phelan who writes about the foods she comes across in her travels in Eating My Way Through Turkey. Her Turkish tour guide is a large role in the piece, who jokes with her and feeds her lots of delicious food. Sounds friendly in my book!