Croatia
Poised between the Balkans and central Europe, Croatia is a land of jewel-like waters, limestone caves, undulating
fields, and white pebble beaches. The country's most famous waters are found inland at the Plitvice Lakes National
Park, a system of waterfalls, caves, and 16 terraced lakes that cover the entire blue-green color spectrum. The Adriatic
Sea coast is truly unrivaled, speckled with more than 1,000 islands surrounded by impossibly clear water. The Dinaric
Alps provide even more sublime views and help contribute to Croatia's overall landscape—the craggy peaks and caverns
near the coast, moving to rolling farmland in the northeast Hrvatsko Zagorje region.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
20 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
New Zealand
New Zealand is no stranger to breathtaking landscapes, with towering mountains, turquoise lakes, and more than 9,000
miles of windswept shores. Just look towards the resplendent fields of pink and purple lupins at Lake Tekapo; or
Milford Sound, a mountainous fjord where you can live out all of your Lord of the Rings fantasies. The splendor also
extends below the surface to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves (leave it to New Zealand to make even worms look
beautiful).
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
21 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Colombia
Colombia's diverse and breathtaking landscape deserves to be recognized, and not just because it contains parts of the
Amazon rainforest and Andes mountain range. Tayrona National Park is one of the most picturesque places in South
America, with beaches dotted with coconut palms and rainforests sitting nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. The ochre
desert meets the aquamarine sea at Cabo de la Vela, a unique cape surrounded by rocky cliffs—it's hard to get to, sure,
but absolutely worth it.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
22 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
South Africa
South Africa is one of the best safari destinations in Africa, offering easy access to the "Big Five" (lion, elephant, buffalo,
leopard, and rhinoceros) at places like Kruger National Park. Looking for penguins? Boulder's Beach is just an hour's
drive south from Cape Town. If you can believe it, the landscapes here are even more diverse than the wildlife, from
wildflower-filled Namaqualand to the soaring Drakensberg Mountains to the Blyde River Canyon. Even in urban Cape
Town, you need only look up to see iconic Table Mountain and Lion's Head.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
23 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
India
Home to Himalayan peaks and Indian Ocean beaches, India's terrain can only be described as breathtaking. Kerala is
easily one of the most country's most beautiful states, with elephants and tigers, backwaters, and tea plantations. There
are incredible stretches of sand even outside of Kerala, like Marina Beach in unsung Tamil Nadu, or Chandipur Beach in
Orissa, where tides recede nearly three miles out to sea. The Valley of Flowers National Park is spectacular, as hundred
of species of alpine flowers carpet the western Himalayas in chromatic glory.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
24 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Argentina
Los Glaciares National Park in the Argentine part of Patagonia is truly exceptional, with towering mountains, lakes, and
glaciers covering about half its area. Iguazú Falls in the subtropical north consists of 200 falls reaching heights of 200
feet, making it one of the most stunning sites in the world, both visually and acoustically (those waters are loud). Less
well-known—but just as amazing—are the salt flats of Salinas Grandes: the cracked white desert stretching into the
bright blue sky, punctuated by rectangular pools cut out by miners.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
25 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Japan
Japan is at once serene and exhilarating, ancient and unexpected. The subtropical Ogasawara Islands offer pristine
beaches, exceptional snorkeling and whale watching, and forests packed with 195 endangered bird species. Solitary
Mount Fuji is the country's most iconic landmark, rising above villages and reflecting on lakes' surfaces. Even the cities
here are bursting with natural beauty: see Kyoto's scattering of cherry blossoms and Arashiyama bamboo forest, or the
calm, grassy parks of Tokyo.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
26 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Nepal
In Nepal, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and breathtaking landscapes go hand in hand. Home to eight of the world's ten
tallest mountains (including Mount Everest, the highest point on earth), the country is famous among hikers and
adventure seekers. The Gokyo Lakes comprise the world’s highest freshwater lake system, where the vibrant, glacier-fed
waters are surrounded by snowy peaks. Chitwan National Park is home to rare populations of rhinoceros and Bengal
tigers, while Sagarmatha National Park is the place to see snow leopards and red pandas.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
27 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Malaysia
Cut in half by the South China Sea, Malaysia is like two countries in one (Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo).
On Borneo, Kinabalu Park has high mountains, tropical lowlands, and more than 5,000 plant species. The Cameron
Highlands in Pahang host the largest tea plantations in Malaysia, where fuzzy green hills roll into the distance and
breezes smell like eucalyptus and strawberries. Langkawi is the island jewel of Southeast Asia, an archipelago of clear
waters and pristine beaches, untouched forests and limestone caves, macaque monkeys, and swooping eagles.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
28 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM
Austria
Austria is the stuff fairy tales are made of—think meadows erupting with wildflowers, the entire lakeside village of
Hallstatt. The country's slice of the Alps beckons travelers from all over the world, whether its to the ski slopes of Tyrol,
the hiking trails of Innsbruck, or the ice caves of Eisriesenwelt Werfen. If you're hoping to belt out some Sound of Music
tunes, head directly to Hohe Tauern National Park. It's close to Salzburg, and features that perfect combination of
snow-capped mountains and rolling green hills.
The 40 Most Beautiful Countries in the World
https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/most-beautiful-countries-in-the-world?mbid=nl_050619_da...
29 of 40 5/6/2019, 8:32 PM