'Worst night ever' versus the perfect slice of paradise: The 10 highest and lowest rated Travel Guides trips ever
Across eight glorious seasons, The Travel Guides have taken us on a rollercoaster of global adventures – a whopping 75 destinations to be exact!
Each trip is given a score out of five stars. But what happens when a holiday doesn't hit the mark?
Below are the worst and best destinations of all time, rated by the Guides, our very own expert travellers!
But take the list with a grain of salt, one person's worst nightmare is another's dream holiday...
Worst rated trips of all time
Thrilled. Nine
1. Western Australia (season 2)
Score: 15 stars / 25 stars
Rated as the Guides' worst-ever trip, was their last trip of 2018.
But it wasn't the beautiful coastal scenery of south-west WA to blame. The guides based their score on their apparently dreadful camping holiday!
Kevin and Janetta would rather be anywhere else. Nine
The Guides spent a wild night camping on a remote beach overshadowed by "howling winds and thunderous surf".
Stream every episode of Travel Guides for free on 9Now.
"I've had a gutful of this," Kevin reacted at the time. "It was the worst night on holidays we've ever had."
Sure looks windy! Nine
'Travel snobs' Kevin and Janetta enjoy the finer things in life and have made it well-known they hate camping on a good day. They gave this trip a 1 star out of 5.
Likewise, the Fren Family "really struggled" with the camping, rating the trip 3 stars.
The boys preferred something a little more exciting. Nine
Kev, Dorian and Teng gave it a measly 2.5 stars while country gals Stack and Mel, who love camping, scored it a perfect 5!
2. Morocco (Season 6)
Score: 17 stars / 25 stars
Funnily enough, when the Guides headed to Morocco, Stack and brother Josh had the opposite experience rating the trip just 1 star.
Stack and Josh struggled with the city. Nine
"We didn't like Marrakech at all," the siblings complained. "It was just too full on, too many people, it's just not our vibe."
Fellow guides Matt and Brett, the Frens, Kevin and Janetta and the boys however totally disagreed, leaving high scores for the local food, hospitality and "breathtaking" sights.
3. Wanaka, New Zealand (Season 2)
Score: 17.5 stars / 25 stars
During Season 2 we quickly learned a quiet ski holiday was not on the Guides' cards.
"I think a snow holiday is more trouble than it's worth," concluded Kevin and Janetta who scored the trip 3 stars.
"We're warm weather people, we need nightlife, we need a lot of hustle and bustle around town," said Kev, Dorian and Teng who scored the trip a 2.5 stars.
4. Taiwan, South Australian Foodie Tour, Vietnam / Cambodia
Equally tied for the Guides' third 'worst' reviews were their holidays to Taiwan, South Australia, and Vietnam / Cambodia. But a score of 17.5 stars is not bad!
Why did these places score so low?
No surprise here, Stack and Mel did not enjoy staying in the "concrete" city of Taiwan, leaving a 2-star review.
Janetta and Kevin would rather be in a 5 star resort. Nine
Season 3's South Australian Foodie Tour left a bland taste in Kev, Dorian and Teng's mouth (it was not their thing).
While Kevin and Janetta thought their Season 4 trip to Cambodia "for people our age, was just hard work".
Best rated trips of all time
Perfect scores all round! Nine
So the Guides didn't exactly agree on the lowest scoring holidays. But there were some unanimous votes for the perfect destinations!
1. Cook Islands (Season 7)
Score: 25 stars / 25 stars
When 'travel snobs' Kevin and Janetta joined Season 1 of Travel Guides in 2016 they declared: "There's no such thing as five out of five stars".
But that all changed during their breathtaking trip to the Cook Islands! During Season 7, TV history was made with the series' first ever perfect location.
We'd be happy too if we were at the Cook Islands. Nine
"It's not something we'd seek out," Kevin admitted – before he was blown away.
See why here:
2. Japan (Season 8)
Score: 24 stars / 25 stars
Coming in second is Japan!
The Guides were captivated by the country's mouth-watering food, incredible history, ancient sights and spectacular cities.
The Fren family get a taste of Japan! Instagram / @jonofren21
"The thing that surprised me is just how affordable Japan is," said Kevin who gave five stars. "We've loved every minute of this experience."
3. The Kimberly (Season 4)
Score: 24 stars / 25 stars
America has the Grand Canyon and Brazil has the Amazon Rainforest, but let's not forget the natural wonders in our own backyard!
Breathtaking. Nine
Third on the list but equally placed second is the Travel Guides' trip to The Kimberley, one of the oldest and largest wilderness landscapes in the world sparsely settled in north WA.
"We've seen places we didn't know existed, we could sell up and move here," raved the Fren Family.
4. Finland (Season 6)
Score: 24 stars / 25 stars
In Season 6 the Guides experienced the winter wonderland of Finland – and loved every minute of it!
From snowscapes to steamy saunas. Nine
But the real highlight was dog sledding across the Arctic Circle.
"You pinch yourself when you're on that big open frozen lake and you're like, 'I am riding sled dog huskies across the Arctic – this is insanity'," Dorian said at the time.
See for yourself here:
The holiday was "perfection" and to this day stands as Kevin and Janetta's highest rating trip with a five plus out of five!
5. Whitsundays (Season 4)
Score: 23.5 stars / 25 stars
The famous Whitsunday Islands. Getty
"You don't need to take a 12 hour flight to get a five star experience," said Kev, Dorian and Teng off the back of their stunning Whitsunday Islands holiday!
READ MORE: From $3 million penthouses to country Victoria: Inside the homes of the Travel Guides stars
The Guides experienced "several magical moments" on this water wonderland vacation including sleeping in an underwater hotel!
6. Florida: Miami and The Bahamas (Season 7)
Score: 23.5 stars / 25 stars
In 2024, our Guides touched down in America's sunshine state! They started in Miami, known for its banging beaches and year-round blue skies.
From there, they sailed to the Bahamas on the world's sixth largest cruise ship.
The highlight? Stopping by Sandy Toes, a stunning private island where a dozen protected pigs call home.
Swim little piggy! Nine
7. Peru (Season 7) 23.5/25
Score: 23.5 stars / 25 stars
What the Guides discovered in Peru truly took their breath away.
"This is a once in a lifetime experience," marvelled Janetta about her room for the night, a glass capsule suspended 3.3km in the sky.
"The most spectacular view I've ever had in any hotel in the world."
While in South America, the Guides came face-to-face with Machu Picchu, a 600-year-old ancient city in the clouds, the reaction was pure chills:
8. Tahiti (Season 8)
Score: 23.5 stars / 25 stars
The third topical destination to score 23.5 stars, Tahiti is perhaps the South Pacific's best kept secret as only 8,000 Aussies holidayed there last year.
Teng, Dorian and Kev make a new friend. Nine
The Guides checked into their overwater bungalows before they explored the stunning barrier reef that wraps around the island.
They swam with sharks and stingrays and dived for Tahitian pearls, leaving Matt and Brett to dub this trip "one of the best weeks of our lives, we're never going home".
9. European Cruise (Season 3)
Score: 23.5 stars / 25 stars
Magical. Nine
In Season 3 the Guides embarked on a luxury, week-long European river cruise!
The Frens rated the trip "a once in a lifetime experience" that was "definitely worthy saving for".
READ MORE: 20 fun Kris Kringle gift ideas under $20
Even Kevin and Janetta, who've racked up an impressive 22 ocean voyages at the time, were left floored by the holiday.
10. Switzerland, Flinders Ranges, Vanuatu, New Zealand and South Africa
Score: 23 stars / 25 stars
Equally placing in the top 10 are their awe-inspiring trips to Switzerland, South Australia's own Flinders Ranges, a thrill-seeking trip to Vanuatu, New Zealand's less-explored North Island and a wild life adventure in South Africa.
Stream every episode of Travel Guides for free on 9Now.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest news from your favourite shows via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.