Top 3 Countries to Visit in Your Lifetime

The following are the places that everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime (in my humble opinion). These countries are 180 degrees different from the United States and the culture at first is mind-blowingly shocking. Of course there are many other places that are also worth a visit, but these top 3 have special characteristics and qualities that set them apart from every other nation.

At the bottom of my list is none other than the land down under, Australia. The reason why you must visit this continent-nation? I think the flora and fauna speak for themselves. Where else in the world are you going to be able to see Eucalyptus trees in their natural habitat and koalas and kangaroos running amuck? My point. Australia is very similar to the United States in its first-world and industrialized status, along with its primary language being English. The government functions properly and crime is low.

The beaches in Australia are some of the best in the world: its waves attract surfing enthusiasts from all corners of the globe and its Great Barrier Reef lures in scuba divers. Sydney is a reason within itself to visit Australia. Home of the architectural mystique, the Sydney Opera House, this bustling city has a picturesque harbor and world class shopping. From Ayers Rock (Uluru) to Australia's virgin west coast, thousands of kilometers of this island are still undiscovered. At times it can be increasingly comparable to the United States, yet at the same time its small deviations make it a see-it-for-yourself place.

Coming in at number 2 is the heart of Europe, better known as Switzerland. Surely all of Europe is worth visiting, but what sets Switzerland apart is its culture, language, and quality of life. The closest thing to a Utopia, Switzerland has been a neutral nation since it was founded centuries ago. Its three official languages (French, Swiss German, and Italian) make it unique and provide a flavorful impact as one drives from one canton through another. Another reason why you must visit Switzerland before you die? Chocolate and cheese.

The Alps, the architecture, the festivals, the unspoiled countryside, and the fabulous savings banks and their interests. Switzerland is a world within a world, refusing to conform to the standards it is offered, for example, it still retains the Swiss Franc as its currency and has rejected joining the European Union. This nation has acquired a personality. Two of its important cities have the highest quality of life ranking, Geneva and Zurich. Old Europe flavor with new world glam, add Switzerland to your "To Do" list.

Think different. Think completely different. Different language, location, customs, culture, history, everything. And you get Japan, the land of the rising sun. Capsule hotels going for $200 a night, Mt. Fuji in the distance, and tropical beaches in Okinawa to hot springs in the chilly mountains in Hokkaido. Japan is the world's leading technological nation, on the bottom of almost every electronic device you own, it probably says Made in Japan. But the real reason to visit Japan is to see the unimaginable. The language is fast-paced and their Shinto religion is unique to Japan. Shrines and cherry blossoms, Chinese New Year and festivals.

Japan is the top place you should see before you die because of everything that it has to offer that is not offered here in the United States. It is like entering another dimension; they even drive on the left side of the road. All the road signs, stores, everything is in Kanji or Hiragana, something you do not see back home unless you happen to be passing through a Chinatown. All the reasons why you should visit Japan could not possibly be written down on paper. Just go prepared to soak yourself in a life-changing culture.