Top 3 Favourite Countries: Mona and Paul Frey of Mona Frey Art

October 8, 2021 | Tagged: Top 3 Favourite Countries

Introducing Mona and Paul Frey of Mona Frey Art, husband and wife from India for the 11th in my Top 3 Favourite Countries series, featuring fellow travellers. Mona and Paul work in IT and are currently based in Amsterdam. Mona now paints professionally. ​

Mona's art has been featured in more than 10 exhibitions around the world and has received numerous awards which you can read about on her blog.

​In November 2013, we quit our jobs to follow our dream of exploring the world. It was a bold step but turned out to be the best decision we ever made. Since then, we have explored 37 countries and lived and worked in 4 (India, UK, USA, The Netherlands). 

Choosing our top three countries, therefore, is quite a task, however, to do so, we have based our selections on the below:
- How comfortable and at home, you feel in the country.
- Activities, cuisines and fun things to do.
- Cost of holiday.
- Infrastructure, safety and getting around.
- How happy and content the people of the country are (happiness is contagious).

1. Thailand

Thailand is our favourite country. We’ve been to Thailand over 20 times, and love this Southeast Asian Kingdom so much that we even created a blog about travel in Thailand called www.toasttothailand.com  

Our love for Thailand has grown over the years. The first scent of Thailand when we exit the aircraft brings back a flood of beautiful memories. The friendly people, sun-soaked beaches, picturesque islands, colourful nightlife and amazing Thai food always makes us feel welcome. Returning to Thailand feels like returning home. In fact, if we stay away for long, we get homesick.
 
We have had a fabulous time when backpacking in Thailand as well as when we had more money to spend. This tropical getaway has something for everyone. If you are planning a trip to Thailand, here’s an article we wrote that might be of help https://toasttothailand.com/planning-your-trip/

2. The Netherlands

We recently relocated to Amsterdam from the US and are loving our time here. There is so much to do in Amsterdam, and the fact that everything is within ‘cycling distance’ makes life happening and exciting here.

Amsterdam has quite a reputation for being a ‘party destination’, however, there is so much more to do in the stunning Dutch capital than comes to mind of someone who hasn’t visited. Besides everything, Amsterdam is also a great destination for art lovers. (Motivated by the scope of art in Amsterdam, Mona, a watercolour artist, created her art website: www.monafreyart.com). 

While The Netherlands isn’t the least expensive country in Europe, it’s certainly a lot cheaper than some other European countries and an excellent destination for backpackers.

3. Bhutan

This remote mountainous country (average elevation 10,760 feet above sea level) is a must-visit for nature lovers. Much of Bhutan is untouched by modern technology, which makes a visit to this Buddhist kingdom feel quite surreal – it’s like stepping into a fairy tale.

Another unique quality that sets Bhutan apart from other countries is that the government of Bhutan bases political decisions on a Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, and not economic growth as other countries do. It's the only country in the world to make this switch and the first country to become carbon negative.

Please note – Even though the cost of living in Bhutan is relatively low, most foreigners must pay a fee of USD 250 per person, per day, which makes this beautiful country an expensive option for backpackers. 

Also, if the budget wasn’t a factor, Iceland would definitely make it to our list too.
Follow Mona Frey Art on social media:

Twitter: @monafreyart

Facebook: monafreyart

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