One traveller said New Zealand's Milford Sound was the most beautiful place they'd ever been. Photo / Getty Images
One traveller said New Zealand's Milford Sound was the most beautiful place they'd ever been. Photo / Getty Images
There's certainly no shortage of beautiful spots in the world but often the big ticket destinations can leave travellers short-changed or underwhelmed.
So which destinations really do live up to the hype? Travellers recently listed the places that are worth the time and expense of visiting, on an internet forum,MailOnline reports.
Norway sits at the top with users singing the praises of its fjords, the number of rocks there are to "jump on" – and its beautiful people.
Norway's fjords are top of the travelling bucket list. Photo / Getty Images
User Klogavis wrote on Reddit: "Endless nature, giant pretty mountains, drinkable see-through water, so many rocks to jump on, very few people in sight, 9/10. I would go in the summer though."
Eclaireur agreed and wrote: "I've been lucky to travel around a fair bit and the fjords of Norway are the most incredible thing I've ever seen full stop. Not to mention the fact that the people are absolutely gorgeous. You will consistently see drop dead beautiful women (and men honestly) everywhere."
London and New York are nowhere to be seen in this best-of list.
However, New Zealand was praised by several travellers, who raved about the "scenic and tranquil" landscapes of the South Island.
"I traveled from Christchurch to Queenstown, making stops in Wanaka and a town close to Pukaki Lake (forgot the town's name), but my god was it stunning. Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park was absolutely one of the best places I've been to - I've never seen mountains so powerful," wrote user ThatJazzyPenguin.
"I grew up near the Grand Canyon and Sedona, AZ (both of which were probably mentioned in this thread), and have been all kinds of places all over the world, and New Zealand's Milford Sound remains my #1 most beautiful place I've ever been," added RedBarchetta1. "Like the Grand Canyon, pictures don't really do it justice."
West coast Canada stuns travellers who want to hike, camp or kayak in the Rockies. Photo / Getty Images
Banff and Canmore in Canada also strike gold among the online users, who praised the forests and lakes of the west coast and the hiking and adventure opportunities.
Shewolfnym said: "I went this summer and it was beyond amazing. Canada's so pretty it looks Photoshopped. I still can't get over the pics I took."
Plenty of people agreed. Another user wrote: "I never saw the Rockies before going there and I was amazed at just how beautiful everything was. There were so many gorgeous lakes and incredible mountains. We were lucky enough to see all types of wildlife too like bears, elk, deer, and bighorn sheep! I will definitely be going back at some point since I would love to explore the area more."
Table Mountain in Cape Town flies the flag for South Africa's top tourist spot and it's one that lives up to its reputation.
Pogothecat was entranced by the view: "It was like a vision of eternity. No photograph could possibly show how how beautiful that view is."
Table Mountain wins over travellers for its beautiful views over Cape Town. Photo / Getty Images
But it's not just the obvious attractions that draw the most praise. A huge number of Reddit users were impressed by Austria. The country's friendly people, clean cities and gorgeous landscapes have also been a big hit with users appreciating both the rich culture and the cheap prices.
PlaidAvenger wrote: "I felt like no matter which direction I looked it was like a picture from a postcard. I expected the people to be somewhat cold but they were very friendly and welcoming. I'd love to go back."
Another person added: "The city is unbelievably clean, the public transport is great, and I could eat schnitzel every day. I went in March when there were barely any tourists which also helped (also the pound was 1.40 to the euro which I will probably never see again). It got to the stage where I'd round the corner and go 'oh another beautiful 18th century sculpture. Meh'."
A huge number of Reddit users were impressed by Austria. Photo / Getty Images
One user said: "The people were great. The scenery is spectacular. There's so much history there that I could spend a week visiting historic sites alone. The Burren, in my opinion, is a very underrated attraction. It has a beauty to it that I really enjoyed. I would definitely want to re-visit the Ring of Kerry, though, and spend a few days hiking and camping there."
Lifeisbeautiful88 added: "People were beyond friendly and it was like a jolly pub celebration complete with trad every night. The bar atmosphere is so different - less sleazy dudes trying to get it and people being friendly to actually be friendly. It was wonderful."
Prague's nightlife, Poland's cheap beer, Yellowstone National Park, the Oregon coastline and Wadi Rum in Jordan are all also rated highly while Edinburgh and Athens provoked lively debates on the discussion board as both are iconic but have their problems.
