New Zealand Best Place to Travel on Your Own

New Zealand is the world’s safest, friendliest, and best place to travel on your own, according to Travel + Leisure magazine.

The publication “crunched the numbers from the Global Peace Index, which ranks 162 nations for their peacefulness, and the Happy Planet Index, which looks at environmental impact and human well-being in 151 countries to measure where people live long and happy lives.”

“In New Zealand,” the magazine says, “the lush setting of the Lord of the Rings films, travellers can look forward to adventures on glaciers, in rainforests, and on the peaks of the Southern Alps, not to mention bungee jumping, jet boating, and hiking on the legendary Milford Track. All while meeting some of the friendliest and most open-minded people in the world – a major plus for those going solo.”

“The … 20 best destinations for solo travellers present an amazing mash-up of geography along with radically different cultures, languages, and customs.”

Norway places second, with Switzerland and Costa Rica coming in at third and forth respectively.

Original article by Everett Potter, Travel + Leisure, September 2014.