Happy Trails, Pardners

A huge congratulations to the Jordanian city of As-Salt, which has just been announced as a UNESCO World Heritage site - not just because of its history and beauty, but because the locals are so darn welcoming.

Yes, UNESCO praises As-Salt specifically for its traditions of “tolerance, hospitality, and social welfare”, with neighbours of different faiths and nationalities coming together in communal spaces to share food, prayers, and good conversation.

With that in mind, we got to brainstorming - where are the friendliest places in the world? Where can you visit that will be guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face?

Here are our first two picks - but we want to hear yours as well!

#1: Jordan

As-Salt

Let’s begin with a deep-dive (just a little Red Sea joke for you there, please stop throwing rotten vegetables at us) into UNESCO’s choice.

Jordan doesn’t often appear on ‘world’s friendliest country’ lists, strangely enough - possibly that’s because these lists are generally tailored to wealthy expats rather than to travellers.

However, we do see a ton of constant praise from our members for the desert nation’s welcoming locals and its longstanding Bedouin spirit of generous hospitality, so it’s no surprise at all to see As-Salt being recognised on the world stage like this.

Our top welcoming hot-spots:

As-Salt itself is only 35km from the capital of Amman, which makes it delightfully easy to get to by bus or shared taxi. As travellers have noted, the picturesque Ottoman city remains largely undiscovered by tourists, so get your visit in while it remains unspoilt.

While you’re there, you can actually embark on a Harmony Trail walk through the old streets, taking in the various sights and historical locations that speak to As-Salt’s traditions of tolerance and community - from churches to mosques.

You already know all about the ruins of Petra, so next let’s pick somewhere a bit different that still shows off those glorious golden sands; we'd head for the 720km Wadi Rum nature reserve, or the 'Valley of the Moon', which is dotted with luxurious Bedouin-style camping sites.

Wadi Rum

We’ve seen a lot of praise in particular for the eco-friendliness of the Rum Stars Camp, which uses solar power to fuel its generators, but to be honest it’s hard to find a campsite that doesn’t have visitors raving about the friendliness and kindness of their local guides.

The beautiful village of Iraq Al-Amir (or ‘Caves of the Prince’) would be our last stop; it's home to ancient castle ruins with intricate lion carvings, a cave network dating back to the 2nd century BC…and cooler yet, it’s been the home of the Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Collective for over two decades.

In Jordanian rural areas, unemployment and poverty amongst women remains high, so this awesome social enterprise was founded with the aim of providing jobs and mutual support across the village.

Visitors are very welcome to join the Collective to see their traditional handicraft and to eat a home-cooked meal - but you will need to book well in advance.

Local etiquette:

As Rough Guides points out in their excellent advice around local customs, Jordanians are polite enough not to point it out if you’re failing to keep up with the local etiquette, but all the more reason for you to do your bit and put the effort in.

✅ Do: Pay attention to local dress codes and make sure you’re attired respectfully. Family Travel has some helpful tips about what to pack.

❌ Don’t: Point directly at others, eat with your left hand, or pick your teeth in public.

What’s the COVID situation?

Quarantine isn’t necessary to enter Jordan right now, but the entry requirements are a little weighty.

You’ll need to take a PCR test 72 hours or less before you travel, and you’ll need to take another one upon arrival into the country. (You’ll also be expected to show evidence that you’re insured against COVID.)

#2: Cambodia

Cambodia is a constant top-performer in ‘friendly countries around the world’ lists - it made Rough Guides’ number one spot in 2021, most recently.

A lot of that may come down to the importance of the smile in Cambodian culture - greeting strangers or thanking old friends with a warm grin is considered a vital part of local etiquette.

(A smile may also be used to smooth over an embarrassing situation or to show politeness even in times of stress…so just bear in mind that it doesn’t necessarily mean someone is pleased to see you.)

Cambodia has a good rep for its family-friendly vibes, too - there’s a great variety of children’s activities, and Khmer kids are often excited to make new friends from places far afield.

And while discrimination is sadly still very much a reality for locals, Cambodia is particularly noted for being friendly and welcoming to LGBTQ+ travellers.

Our top welcoming hot-spots:

Located along the Mekong river, the colourful city of Kratie remains relatively under-visited, despite boasting a blissfully chilled-out reputation (we’ve seen it called ‘the most mellow town’ in Cambodia.)

Once you’ve finished soaking in the vibes in town, you’ll want to meet some other friendly locals. The Irrawaddy river dolphins that hang out in the waters 15km out from the city are famously shy due to decades of hunting practices - but if you’re patient and quiet, they’re a sight not to be missed. (You can check them out via motorboat, but the locally-run kayak expeditions might be a gentler, more dolphin-friendly option.)

Head north along the river from Kratie, and you’ll be taking part in the 180km Mekong Discovery Trail, which has been focused on community and eco-tourism for years, with support from the Cambodian government - sadly, its funding dried up around 2012, but travellers continue to follow the famous route.

Stop off at a couple of traditional homestays, explore the flooded forests, and learn more about the local farming practices from local community members.

Local etiquette

✅ Do: Learn the sampeah. This Cambodian gesture is used as a common greeting, but also as a way of showing respect, gratitude, or even apologising. (It’s also considered rude not to return the gesture once it’s been made to you.)

❌ Don’t: Stare - and don't be offended if you get a lot of indirect looks. Averting your eyes is considered a sign of respect, especially when speaking to an elder.

✅ Do: Taste anything that you’re offered to eat or drink, but remember that it can be considered rude to finish everything on your plate.

What’s the COVID situation?

Vaccinated travellers to Cambodia will need to take a PCR test ahead of travel, then a lateral flow test once they arrive. Unvaccinated travellers will need to take a PCR test on both sides of their flight, and then head to the hotel for a 14-day quarantine.

Have you visited somewhere that’s particularly friendly? What was the most welcoming experience you ever had while travelling? We want to hear about it! Send us an email at [email protected].

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Our Pick of the Clicks

All the important (or silly, or strange) travel news from across the web this week

• Bad news if you were hoping to visit a small and extremely expensive hill just north of London’s Hyde Park - the much-criticised £6 million Marble Arch Mound is set to close.
• Preet Chandi, from the UK, has just become the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole. Congratulations, Preet!
• Sick of staring bleakly at the departures board for hours on end? The world’s least-delayed airlines have just been announced for 2021.
• Mornings.co.uk has been mapping out the best hotel breakfasts in cities across the world.
• And here’s something to make you pho-get your worries; CNN have rounded up the globe’s 20 greatest soups.

Neat and Nifty New Year's

Hogmanay and NYE may be behind us, but Chinese New Year isn’t until 1st February, and then there’s Korean New Year, Balinese New Year…will we never be rid of 2021?

So just to make absolutely sure that 2022 looks a whole lot happier for all of us, here are a choice few of our favourite NY traditions from around the globe:

Lob the lobbo 🦞

In Austria and parts of Eastern Europe, it’s considered bad luck to eat lobster on NYE. Why, you ask? Because lobsters can walk backwards as well as forwards…so eating it means that your life will go backwards in the year to come. (Eating crab is a mixed bag, we assume.)

A grueling tradition 🥣

In Chinese tradition, you shouldn’t wash your hair or clean your house around New Year, since this will wash away your good luck for the next year. You should also avoid eating porridge if you want good fortune in 2022 (just a fair warning in case you were attending any NY bashes that serve porridge).

Child's Play? 😱

In 19th century Korea, villagers would traditionally make ‘cursed dolls’ containing all of their misfortune from the previous year…then throw them out onto the street to cleanse their house of bad luck.

Why did the tradition die out? Well, it would apparently often backfire, as local kids would end up picking up the dolls off the street and returning cheerily home with them - much to the horror of their parents.

Wheat a good idea 🥦

There’s a similar, and still-existing, tradition in Iran, where Nowruz (or the Persian New Year) doesn’t take place until March. Families will grow wheat sprouts in their homes to symbolise the pain and sorrow of the past year - then toss them away into flowing water to dispose of the bad luck once Nowruz has passed.

Please take note, 19th century Korean villagers.

Wish we'd thought of this in 2020 🤫

In Bali, the entire island will traditionally fall dark and silent on New Year’s Eve, or Nyepi (otherwise known as ‘The Day of Silence’). The idea is that if we fall quiet and hide out of sight, any forces of evil will pass by harmlessly overhead - leaving all of us free to enjoy the new year in health and happiness.

Delightfully, the quiet and still of Nyepi is immediately followed by the raucous New Year's celebrations of Omed-Omedan in the Balinese town of Sesetan, otherwise known as ‘the Kissing Ritual’.

The young single people gather in the centre of the town and find a partner to kiss, hoping to find love in the new year…while, somewhat unfairly, the older townsfolk pour cold water over them.

Check out Turkmenistan’s Gates of Hell while you still can - the terrifying fiery sinkhole is about to be extinguished, after half a century aflame.

Thanks for reading!