Phil Keoghan is back at the helm of The Amazing Race for its upcoming seventh season.

The underrated host recently spoke with USA Today about past and future adventures. Here are excerpts:

Q: You're returning for the seventh time to India, which makes it the show's most-visited destination after the USA. What's the appeal?
A: It's my favorite (place for the show). I don't know a more diverse, colorful, dynamic country in the world. There's a sameness and comfort level you get living in a country like America. For people like Nancy and Emily (a first-season mother and daughter team who had a tough time negotiating crowds in New Delhi and Agra), it was like being on another planet.

Q: You're also going back to your birthplace, New Zealand, the adventure capital of the world, for the third time. What new thrills can we expect to see?
A: New Zealanders are very proud of their indigenous Maori culture, and we were looking to get something of that in the show. We ended up having the teams search for Maori warriors on an extinct volcano (near Auckland), and it was the most magical morning when they arrived: As the sun was rising, there were these warriors doing the haka (a traditional war dance) with a magnificent rainbow over the top of the hill.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.