Wrothgar. I like how the areas feel more natural. There's a progression that seems obvious, but I think it's done more subtly than in other zones. The frigid parts feel frigid and there's still variety within the smaller areas. For instance, the cold coastal areas feel very different from the frozen rolling hills and streams or near the mountains. There's also a boss in one of the quests that my wife found really tough. I liked it, he's one of the few quest-bound enemies that separated himself mechanically (sorry, I don't remember the quest name). The only negatives I have are I hate Ice Wraiths. They're difficult to see, annoying to fight, and are just underwhelming in their design. And, while I like the look and atmosphere of Orsinium, the layout never clicked for me. It's possible it's just the changes of elevation. It's more realistic, but it makes it a little easier for me to get lost, and I end up only using the area for quests. I don't hang around for writs/leisure.

I hated Stros M'Kai when I first started playing. Teleporting to Auridon actually helped me get more invested early on. The first housing I really liked was Skywatch. There's less players, so there's never loud mics or music. But, there's a ton of NPCs and it feels a little more vibrant, to me, than Vulkhel Guard even with less real players filling it. And if you like a foil to the harsher areas, the green, trees and coasts of Skywatch (and most of Auridon) are great. Other zones have a similar feeling now, but it sticks out as my first living, fun zone.