Sometimes the most interesting discussions are launched with the most unassuming questions.

Take for example this post by AdamEfimoff:

What countries have the most diverse sights ? diverse food and diverse people?

The post appears relatively tame. It isn’t a bad subject for a travel discussion, but at first glance one wouldn’t expect it to generate a tremendously lively discussion.

One – namely me – would be wrong.

AdamEfimoff posted this question yesterday, and already several Milepoint members have replied in near dissertation-like fashion. Some selected quotes from the voluminous (though not yet numerous) replies:

I would nominate Indonesia. … You can do all kinds of beach/coastal activities – from snorkeling/diving (world-class, from Bali to Bunaken), surfing (world-class off Banyuwangi in east Java, or Nias island off the Sumatran coast), and even live aboard (world-class, at Raja Ampat), to trekking in the rainforest, to club-hopping in the city (Jakarta, metropolis of more than 8M people) … The food is also very diverse. Aceh people who are devout Moslems cook their curries with marijuana as one of the spice. Minang people from Western Sumatra is famous for their spicy dishes and when you visit a Minang restaurant, they usually put a spread of about 20 different dishes in front of you, ranging from vegetable dish, to fried fish, to calf brain curries. ~r0m8470

China- It has it all, including hundreds of ethnic groups with linguistic, cultural, religious and culinary traditions unique to each. Despite long-time repression of such diversity it stubbornly persists. No place can match the subtropical cantonese-dominant areas adjacent to Vietnam, the wonders of Tibet and Mongolia, the incredible melting pot of Shanghai and the empire infrastructure of Beijing. ~jbcarioca

South Africa – multiple languages and cultures, tropical beaches and forests, skiing in the Drakensberg mountains, deserts and prairies, wonderful cities, wild beaches backed up by wildflower-covered mountains and meadows, obviously astounding wildlife and birds – terrestrial, marine. Marvelous architecture, some of the world’s best produce, wine, cooking – French, Malay, traditional – and a real sense of history ~Gardyloo

Thank you AdamEfimoff for asking the question. You certainly know how to get people to talk.

If you haven’t already, you might want to consider a career in law enforcement.

Read the thread in its entirety: Diverse Countries