As I’ve written before, I’m a sucker for a great thread title, and this one by Carroll on the Rick Steves’ Europe forums tickled my fancy:

Why isn’t everyone raving about Wales?

And after reading Carroll’s report, you do kind of have to wonder why Wales doesn’t get more attention as a tourist destination. Despite the trip report containing no photos (I don’t believe Rick Steves’ allows photos to be posted on the forums), Carroll describes the small towns and countryside in such a way as to make you want to add another line to your bucket list.

A few excerpts from the report:

Crickhowell in Brecon Beacons area. We spent three nights here in a very nice B&B (Glan-y-Dwr). The area is beautiful – green rolling mountains (actually big hills) dotted with small towns. Our first full day we never got in the car, which my husband loved. We took a hike to the top of Table Mountain, which was awesome. There were occasional rain showers, and we could watch them move across the valley and over the hills. Sometimes they missed us, but even when they didn’t they were just light sprinkles. Then the sun would come out. The skies were gorgeous and dramatic, and the 360 degree views were stunning. After a rest in our room, we took another easier hike along the canal, then had a very good dinner in the Bridge End pub. This was our favorite way to end every day.

Criccieth and the Llyn Peninsula. … we drove out the Llyn peninsula to Tre’r Ceiri, a hill fort on top of a mountain/hill. This is not a big tourist site, I guess because it’s out of the way, but it’s really spectacular. There are dozens of Iron Age stone huts and beautiful peaks all around. It was partially cloudy, and the skies were fantastic. From there we drove to Caernarfon and toured the castle

Pembrokeshire National Park is a fantastic place for hiking/walking. … The scenery is spectacular – you are mostly walking on cliffs with the waves crashing on big rocks below. It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the water was a brilliant turquoise – really beautiful. We came upon sheep (of course) and horses, which was a nice surprise.

Read the thread in its entirety: Why isn’t everyone raving about Wales?