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This is why we all travel, right? For happiness. For joy. For the thrill of discovery, for the experience of the new and the novel and the different. We travel to feel good. And there are some countries, some destinations and even some experiences where happiness is a given. It’s not something you need to seek – it’s there right in front of you. There’s happiness in the people around you, happiness in the everyday rituals being practiced, happiness even in the location itself. In this era of global tension, there’s surely nothing more important to all of us than sharing joy and happiness.
The following is a list of countries, cities, towns, experiences, rituals, landscapes and more that are happy, they’re inherently joyful. They range from the happiness of a well-run society that features an obsession with saunas, to the joy of an overnight train click-clacking through the countryside; from an aimless stroll through a new destination, to an impromptu concert in a cosy pub. The thread here is the intense joy not just of the locals but of the people who get to visit, the feeling of happiness that rubs off on those lucky enough to be passing through. If you’re looking to be one of those sharing in the love, these are the places to go, and the things to do when you’re there.
HAPPIEST COUNTRIES
Finland
How do you, as a traveller, rate the happiness of a destination? Is it the way a place makes you feel, the joy it imbues in you personally? Or would you prefer to trust science? If you’re in the latter camp then you will agree with the selection here of Finland, which has been crowned the happiest country on the planet for nine years in a row by the World Happiness Report, which considers the likes of “life evaluation”, social support and life expectancy. Impressive stuff.
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New Zealand
Australia, we should mention, is a very happy country. It comes in at number 15 on the most recent World Happiness Report. Several places ahead at number 11, meanwhile, you will find our Kiwi neighbours, and there’s no denying this is a joyful place to visit. New Zealanders tend to be welcoming and friendly – as long as they’re not playing rugby – with a smile never too far away.
Thailand
Speaking of smiles, here’s the Land of Smiles, a nation that goes through more than its share of political unrest and mass protest, and yet still seems to retain a deeply ingrained sense of joy. Thailand is always fun to visit (as long as you behave appropriately), the sort of place where you can’t help but meet locals and make friends.
Bhutan
Here is a country that doesn’t do quite so well on the World Happiness Report – it tends to fall somewhere in the middle – and yet it appears to care deeply about the wellbeing of its citizens, given its now-famous Gross National Happiness report. And Bhutan is, for the most part, a place where the comfort of its citizens is obvious. However, it’s not rosy for everyone: citizens of Nepalese origin have long been discriminated against, according to Human Rights Watch.
Costa Rica
This one might be a little surprising: Costa Rica is by far the highest placed Latin American country on the World Happiness Report, and at No.4 it’s the only one to make the top 10. That’s down to the nation’s stable government, good healthcare and employment, and no doubt the satisfaction that comes with living in such a beautiful place of rainforests and tropical shores.
HAPPIEST CITIES
Copenhagen, Denmark
There’s a happiness list for cities as well as countries, and it’s unsurprising to find the Happy City Index topped by Copenhagen. Why wouldn’t you be happy living in the gorgeous Danish capital, where bikes rule over cars, where the food is some of the best in the world, where people are healthy and wealthy and well looked after by their government? Even paying a visit is a joy.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo ranks No.5 on the Happy City Index, and you will soon figure out why. Citizens of the Japanese capital are notoriously hard workers, though they also live in a huge city that’s incredibly clean, with world-leading public transport, and a strong sense of community. Oh, and more than 10,000 ramen restaurants. If that doesn’t make you happy, I don’t know what will.
Malmo, Sweden
Cross the bridge from Copenhagen into Sweden and you immediately hit Malmo, ranked No.8 on the Happy City Index and a place that’s largely underappreciated by the tourist masses. This city boasts all the societal benefits enjoyed by Scandinavian nations, with the added benefit of an easily navigable layout and a relaxed, friendly citizenry.
Mexico City, Mexico
This is a little out of left field, because Mexico City doesn’t rank well on traditional evaluations of happiness. This is a relatively poor city with its share of societal unrest. However, anyone who has visited Mexico City will also tell you of its residents’ deep and genuine lust for life, for good food and music and the joy of spending time with people you love. You can’t help but be swept up in it.
Taipei, Taiwan
Yes, there’s the looming threat of Chinese “involvement” in the lives of Taipei’s residents that dampens the enthusiasm a little. Still, visit this city – and more specifically, go out to eat in this city – and you will see joy. Taipei’s citizens find happiness in culture, in a high standard of living, in modern facilities; but above all, they find happiness in good food. And there’s no shortage.
HAPPIEST TOWNS/VILLAGES
Itacare, Brazil
It feels like there’s not a care in the world in Itacare, a small town on Brazil’s north-eastern coast, and maybe there isn’t. Because what’s to worry about when the weather is always good, the palms sway, the caipirinhas are strong, the capoeira circles are thriving and the residents just want to get out and enjoy themselves?
Doolin, Ireland
Call into any pub in Doolin and there’s likely to be a “session” on, where local musicians gather and play traditional songs while everyone else sits around nursing pints of black beer and eating comforting food. They love a chat in Doolin, they love to sing, they don’t mind a drink, and there’s plenty of happiness to be taken from that.
Getaria, Spain
They have it good in Getaria, and they know it. One of the world’s top restaurants (Elkano) has its home in this small Basque fishing village. The tourists arrive here, but they don’t disrupt the peace. Local fishermen still enjoy a good catch, there’s always space on the beach to relax and the local wine is cheap and tasty. Happiness abounds.
Tamera, Portugal
Tamera isn’t happy by accident, but by deeply considered design. This is an experimental eco-village in southern Portugal where the focus is on community building, ecology, and “radical trust”. The idea is to show the rest of the world how all societies could work – and maybe they’re onto something.
Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Perhaps there are people living on Aitutaki who would prefer to be somewhere else. Though it’s hard to understand why. This coral atoll, about a 50-minute flight from Rarotonga, is one of the most idyllic places on Earth, with white sand and incredibly clear water and surely not a care in the world.
HAPPIEST LANDSCAPES
Mountains
There’s something so inspiring, so awesome about mountains. We’re talking big, sky-scraping mountains, with jaggy snowy peaks and green meadows, with cliffs and waterfalls and birds of prey soaring high above. Mountains bring true happiness to some people, a thrill or a feeling of deep calm that is always worth embracing.
Beaches
Want to see how Australians feel about beaches? Check out our population distribution, or the relative price of houses inland compared with the coast. We love a beach, and why not? Whether you like to swim or walk, surf or build sandcastles, there’s so much happiness to be had.
Big skies
Look up. Maybe you’re in Montana, or maybe Namibia. Perhaps it’s the Atacama Desert, or the Outback. The idea of a “big sky” might be an ephemeral one, hard to pin down, but when you see it, you know it. A big, blue expanse that just goes on and on, filled with a million stars at night, a canvas that inspires dreams and provokes a sense of wonder.
Cityscapes
Inspiring, joyful landscapes don’t have to be natural. They can be man-made. You know this if you’ve ever seen famous skylines like New York City or Paris, or you’ve wandered iconic streets in Buenos Aires or Beijing. Cityscapes are filled with history and culture, with stories and characters, and there’s plenty of happiness to be taken from that.
Rainforests
There’s a reason day spa staff often play the sounds of the rainforest while they’re giving treatments. These noises – birds singing, water droplets falling from leaves, creeks bubbling – are deeply soothing, even more so when appreciated in real life. So many travellers find happiness deep in the rainforest.
HAPPIEST RITUALS
Passeggiata, Italy
Italians aren’t the only ones to go for a walk in the evening, but they are the nation that has so deeply ingrained this ritual into daily life as to give it a name. “Passeggiata” is the act of walking off a massive plate of pasta and maybe some antipasti or possibly secondi. It’s a stroll that’s as much about socialising as it is exercising. It’s also one of life’s great pleasures.
Tapas crawl, Spain
The possibilities! How could you not be happy while wandering down a bar-filled street in almost any city in Spain, deciding where you’ll call in to, deciding what you’ll have to eat? A tapas crawl is a thing of great joy, a moveable feast that involves cheap drinks and delicious snacks, and a whole city full of happy people to share the experience with.
Tea ceremony, Japan
It’s not overt, the happiness of a tea ceremony. You won’t find people laughing or crying out. There is, however, a deep sense of satisfaction that comes with this observation of history and culture – precise movements are performed and matcha tea is served, before guests reverently sip their beverages. To experience this is to understand its importance and its joy.
Asado, Argentina
The world stops on a Sunday afternoon in Argentina. The weekend’s last football games have been played. Church has been attended. Work doesn’t happen. Sunday afternoon is all about the asado, an hours-long extravaganza of barbecued meat and vegetables and the act of standing around the parrilla or gathering in a garden and chatting to friends and family. What a joy.
Coffee ceremony, Ethiopia
As with the tea ceremony of Japan, an Ethiopian coffee ceremony is all about respect for history and the practice of culture. There are quicker, easier ways to make coffee than roasting beans over a fire, grinding them by hand and then creating three brews over those open flames. But who needs a Nespresso machine when you have thousands of years of tradition to respect?
HAPPIEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Booking a trip
For those of us who love to travel, there is surely no experience that brings the bright joy of anticipation, that familiar tingle of excitement, like booking your next trip. Click “purchase” on those flights and you’re away, somewhere new, somewhere amazing, somewhere exciting. Nothing beats it.
An overnight train
Perhaps this isn’t shared by everyone, but to so many travellers there’s genuine happiness in what is surely the world’s most pleasurable form of long-haul transport: the train. Finding your cabin, folding down your bed, reading a book while the rails click-clack underneath you and the countryside slips by… how could you fail to be happy?
A meal with company
It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, or what style of holiday you are taking, you will have to eat, and hopefully it will be something good, shared with people you love (or even your own happy company). These small moments tend to be the source of the greatest joy, the simple pleasure of sharing a meal, a time to reflect on your good fortune and plan future adventures.
Walking
What a pleasure it is to just wander aimlessly, to have the time to stroll around looking for something – anything – that catches your eye. You can never do that in a bus or a taxi, not even on a motorbike or a pushie. Walking a new destination lets you see it, smell it, feel it for what it really is. And that is happiness.
Living a dream
Perhaps you always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, or maybe you dreamed of standing on the equator. Whatever your goals or your travel fantasies, the experience of living those out will always be special, will always spark a rush of joy.
