Visiting Every Country in the World
Whenever I meet new people and they find out I’ve been to every country, there are five questions that seem to come up most frequently. Over the last almost 10 years since I finished all 196 countries I’ve also randomly met some of the approximately other 400 people who’ve completed this feat, and it’s always entertaining how most of us humbly dance around putting it out there with phrases like “yeah, I’ve been to quite a few countries” or “I like to see as many places as possible.” But when it does come up, especially with less-frequent (definitely relative) travelers, these five questions come up often:
1) You've been to every country? Even North Korea? (close second: Even Greenland?)
I’m always amused how people seem to think “every country” means something other than “all of them.” Yes, I went to North Korea for the first time in 2005 as part of only the second or third group since the Korean War. The New York Times wrote an article about the trip, which I literally booked four days before.
I'd seen an article on CNN talking about it and having recently decided that I wanted to go to every country this was one I would knew would be hard. Thinking this might be my only chance, I dropped by far the most money I've ever spent on one country to do what ended up being a fascinating trip.
...and Greenland? No, it's not a country. It's an autonomous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark…but I finally made it there last summer!
2) What was your favorite country?
It’s hard for me to choose one favorite country, but the more I reflect on it the more I realize there are a handful of countries (often ones I’ve done multiple return visits to) that are some of my favorites. So, what makes the shortlist?
Canada. From the forests of British Columbia to the Okanagan Valley. From vibrant cities like Toronto and Montreal to smaller ones like Charlottetown and St John. I think what I connect with the most about Canada is its diversity - both in its people and its nature. It's a country I could spend years exploring and still have hundreds of totally different and unique experiences.
Argentina. It feels terrible to say this as I've never really gotten out of Buenos Aires, but something about the city is electric. The wines, the food, the tango, the mix of Latin, Italian, and other immigrant cultures that creates an amazing tapestry. Next step is really to dig more in depth more...but I don't know where to start! Please share your favorite experiences!
Senegal. I've spent months there in a couple of dozen trips now, and from Rosso in the north to Dakar, St. Louis, and Zinguinchor, it's an absolutely amazing place with amazing people. A little bit French, a lot of bit Africa…the place just has an energy and warmth that keeps drawing me back.
Russia. The Soviet Union was the third country I ever visited (after Canada and the UK) on a student exchange back in high school, and it keeps drawing me back. I've been lucky enough to work in Russia and again it's the diversity of the country that gets me. I hear from so many people how they didn't like Russia (or the Russians) but once you get to know them, they're some of the most fascinating, interesting, and generous people you'll meet anywhere. The one experience I’m still longing for is the Trans-Siberian railroad, but that will sadly have to wait until the current situation changes.
South Africa. Another place I've gone to dozens of times now, and it keeps drawing me back. I'm going to sound like a bit like a broken record here, but writing this article has made me realize something: it's countries with a huge diversity of people, nature, and experiences that keep drawing me back. South Africa has an amazingly complex history and a lot of challenges in front of it, but from these challenges the South African people are strong and resilient, and amazingly welcoming. When I tell people this their first reaction is often “what about the crime?” There’s no doubt South Africa (and especially Johannesburg) has challenges when it comes to crime, but with street smarts from living in Washington, DC for so long…I’ve never found it to be an issue.
Afghanistan. Sure, they’ve had a rough go of things for years/decades/etc., however, once again it’s the people and the nature that really shine. The stunning mountains of the Panjshir Valley, the dramatic natural setting of Kabul, the thousands of years of rich history…Afghanistan has it all. It also has some of the most kind and generous people in the world. Despite only visiting for five days, I was approached by dozens of people who wanted to sit down, have tea, and just chat. People who were genuinely interested in not only hearing my story and what brought me there, but who were happy to generously share their stories.
Germany and Switzerland. I'm going to group them together, because I spent several years working on a project that spanned the two countries, and I was fortunate to travel dozens of times all over both countries. Especially post-Covid, both keep drawing me back, and I’ve spent several months total there over the past couple of years. I’m fortunate to have visited every German state now, and soon every Canton in Switzerland, and I love how much diversity is packed into such relatively small countries. Both have amazing nature (especially Switzerland with its postcard-perfect views around every corner) and are also wonderful places for hiking.
Ukraine. My first visit to Ukraine was in 1989 when it was still the Ukrainian SSR. I went back in 2018 to re-visit Kyiv and Chernobyl. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I’ve now travelled back four more times and been able to explore both Kyiv and Lviv quite in depth, along with additional trips to Kharkiv and Odessa. It’s a country that despite massive challenges continues to amaze me with the resilience of its people and the strength and depth of its fascinating culture. Perhaps one of the greatest things to come from the recent challenges is the amazing renaissance of the Ukrainian culture and identity, and the pride its people have found in it.
3) What was your LEAST favorite country?
I think I might actually get this question more than which is my favorite, and it’s just as difficult to answer. There really wasn't any country that I hated. It sounds cliché, but I really do believe most places have some redeeming feature that makes them worth visiting. Now, that doesn't mean that I want to go back to every country, far from it. Some of the ones I found more challenging:
Bangladesh. I loved the country, but when I went in 2006 it was a tough place to do as a solo tourist. Lots of people desperate to make money, and lots of hassles asking for handouts. Grinding, in your face poverty that wore away at the spirit, and an urban chaos in Dhaka that made it very difficult to navigate when you were only there for three days. That said, I really want to go back now, but with someone who either lives there or knows the place well. I know there's a million things to explore, and the warmth and kindness I was shown by several people on my first trip make me want to go back.
Niger. I loved my four days there, but you know, it was just enough. As far as tourist sites go, I feel like I pretty much saw them all, and any extra time invested would be diminishing returns. I don't do patience well sometimes (though I’m working on it!), so going to a place and chilling for a couple weeks while hoping to have fascinating experiences is hard for me. I also found it difficult to meet and connect with local people.
Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu. Again, island time, and there's just not enough to "do" for my tastes. Yeah, I could spend days or weeks trying to get a boat to the outer islands, but hey...more islands. I think I crave more culture, activities, and interactions with local people, and these are places that move at their own pace. Some of the most beautiful nature (and OH the sunsets!) I've seen, but I like a little more in the way of urbanism.
4) Have you ever been robbed / arrested / afraid for your life?
Knock on wood, I've been to every country on the planet without ever being robbed. Closest I came was a taxi driver in Prague back in 2002 slipping me some old worthless Bulgarian currency as change. I lost like $3. As far as being robbed goes, I'll take it over stories I’ve heard from other travelers.
Arrested? Not formally, although I've been detained several times by police and immigration officers and ironically the longest detention was in my hometown of Washington, D.C. when US CBP decided they didn't like my “shady” trip to Egypt thanks to a bargain airfare.
Afraid for my life? Not really. No real civil unrest, active war zones (Ukraine, Afghanistan, CAR all had active conflicts when I was there, but I never experienced them directly) or the like, but three incidents stand out:
Terrorists blowing up a police car about 1 km in front of us on a road out of Karachi, Pakistan. When we tried to turn around and hightail it back to Karachi? Smoke ahead on that highway too. Thanks to a great driver he knew some side roads through a village and things were just fine. I also had a flight with Uzbekistan Airlines where the pilot landed in Amritsar, India in the middle of a monsoon. I've never felt such horrible turbulence. Final story? An overpacked ferry on rough seas in Sierra Leone with no way to the exit and multiple people vomiting everywhere. I was convinced my life was over.
5) What was the hardest visa to get?
This is very time dependent, as things can change rapidly. For me, far and away, it was Angola. I made over two dozen visits to the embassy before I got it. This has majorly changed in the years since, and I’ve heard it’s quite easy now for most nationalities. Honorable mentions go to:
Yemen. I had the visa and canceled my trip two days before due to rebels overrunning Sana'a. I visited later, without a formal visa, but my understanding is this can still be a very difficult visa to get, especially without joining a tour.
Saudi Arabia. When I went it was relatively easy to get a business visa if you had a good reason, but as a tourist? You could shell out several thousand dollars to one of the very few companies permitted to run limited tours, or you were out of options. I had a very short/questionable visit for my first time and then went back in 2019 when they offered tourist visas for the first time as part of the Formula E race. Now? Quite easy and quick online! Things really change, and this is also very passport dependent.
With all that said, what questions do YOU get asked a lot about your travels? Also, feel free to try and stump me with some other questions!