Head’s up: The Amazing Race is probably the best reality show on television. Sure, you might enjoy angry witch women being dramatic, or you might like a bunch of narcissists hanging out on an island, but for going on thirty seasons, The Amazing Race provides genuine thrills that comes from the world we all live in, not some half-scripted fantasy world. Normal people get the opportunity to trek through their big, beautiful world using their sleuthing skills and embarking on a fast and frantic journey to unknown destinations. And while the adventure itself is the real draw, here, there’s a rare kind of contentment for those racers smart enough, strong enough, and fast enough to cross the finish line. Here, for your consideration, are some of the Amazing Race’s best destinations.
1. Scotland
Hey, there are plenty of times when The Amazing Race sends its contestants to the edge of their limits, but not every excursion needs to be life and death, right? That’s why the show’s season three dip into Aberdeen, Scotland was such a delight. The teams competed in several traditional Highland Games before retiring to a comped stay at Dunottar Castle.
2. Peru
The season seven contestants on The Amazing Race got a small taste of Peruvian life when they visited historic Cuzco. While there, participants were pitted against one another with a series of challenges including llama herding, basket carrying, zip-lining through the mountains, and a foot race through the city’s streets.
3. Namibia
Few destinations have presented quite the unique challenge as season two’s Namibia. The contestants were forced to find their way across the sprawling expanse of the country’s famed deserts before climbing to the top of a foreboding sand dune nicknamed the Matterhorn. From there it was an intense, head-first sandboard ride down the sheer face of said dune.
4. Tanzania
When contestants ended up in Africa’s Tanzania, it was impossible not to admire the splendor of the continent’s beauty. Even though there was a race on, the show took the time to highlight some of the natural wonders on display, including the Ngorongoro Crater, which is 12 miles wide, descending 2,000 feet down from the edge of the crater.
5. New Orleans
This episode of The Amazing Race was extremely poignant. The episode itself was shot a few short weeks before disastrous Hurricane Katrina blew through New Orleans, killing several people and destroying large parts of the city. As a result, this episode of The Amazing Race gave viewers a glimpse of the city in its once vibrant form.
6. China
Season six brought the show’s contestants to Xian, one of the oldest cities in China. The tests were somewhat perplexing — at one point, contestants were given a key and challenged to find its partner lock amid a pile of 3,000 options — but the visit to China was one of the more popular destinations as it featured an onscreen proposal between two candidates.
7. Sicily
One of the most difficult challenges in the show’s history — at least for one contestant — came when the racers were sent to the Italian island of Sicily. Things started great, as the contestants were treated to the island’s beautiful scenery and historic locations, but things got hairy when one contestant simply broke down after being asked to haul a 32-pound swordfish.
8. Alaska
In season one, The Amazing Race took its candidates to Alaska at one point. The show was sure to make use of the state’s signature sport, dog sledding, in order to pitt the remaining groups against one another in a break neck race to get to the show’s finish line in New York.
9. Seychelles
A remote hideaway in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles was once a hideaway for pirates during the golden age of the act. Remoteness played into the Seychelles challenges, as well; though you could argue that the whole time spent here was more just a post card for visiting the lush, tropical region.
10. India
One of season one’s more memorable destinations was Jaipur, India. The country’s aesthetic is both exotic and inviting, which makes the country of India a repeat destination on The Amazing Race’s itinerary. In general, India’s wildly varying terrain and its reputation for incredible natural beauty has made it one of the more sought after tourist spots in the world.
11. Amsterdam
You may not immediately think of Amsterdam as a challenging Race destination (unless the challenge is avoiding drugs, sex, and great art), but the show gets a lot of credit for putting a normal tour through the beautiful city into a labyrinthine trek through the city’s canals by boat. What do a bunch of tourists know about navigating foreign canals by boat? Very little, as it turned out.
12. Ethiopia
The contestants found themselves racing through Ethiopia at one point. Rather than being faced with the bleak environs most people think of, the racers encountered verdant mountain regions that presented unexpected challenges all the way. Host Phil Keoghan said Lalibela looked like a set from Indiana Jones.
13. New Zealand
In season 5, The Amazing Race took it’s players to New Zealand for a series of excruciating physical challenges. For example, if normal whitewater rafting seems ridiculously extreme for you, imagine doing the same thing, only this time you’re only on a narrow board. The groups were also challenged to roll down a hill inside a giant hamster ball, a pastime that seems like the perfect recipe for vomit. Lots and lots of vomit.
