I have reached the hundred country/territory milestone!
I will start off by again acknowledging that I know this can be a controversial subject. And I understand why. I am in violent agreement with this great post from Against the Compass, Why you shouldn’t visit all the countries in the world – Against the Compass. Travel is not a checklist, a competition or a race. And while I think it would be great to visit every country, I am in no rush. There are many many places that I return to again and again. There are also many places that I want to go back to visit again. But travel is my greatest passion. And the same way a runner runs for the joy of it, they still know their personal record. And reading is not a competition but most can tell you how many books they’ve read that week/month/year and their favorites.
But regardless of your perspective on the topic – this is a fantastic milestone that helps commemorate the number of diverse locations I have been blessed to experience.
Germany was my first country when we went to live there as a young child. Of course, much of Western Europe followed. In total, while growing up, before the age of 18, I was able to visit 24 countries. For those worried that countries seen when you are that young don’t count, I lived in Germany again later, England as an adult and continue to travel back to Western Europe time and time again. Those early trips were just the first…not the last. And of those early 24 countries, I have since returned to 16 of them at least once (I haven’t been back to most of Scandinavia or Russia).
As I reflect, it is interesting to note, that in my 20s and early 30s, I didn’t travel much. I returned to some of the earlier countries during these years, but only added 9 new countries during those two decades. For almost a decade I lived in Alaska and had a pretty busy job. It is hard to get anywhere from Alaska and frankly there is so much to explore there that I didn’t leave the state very much.
It is since 2010 that my travels really picked up. Since then, I’ve lived overseas several times, had more money, I have more paid leave, and I’ve connected to a tribe that loves to travel as much as I do. But, I also “found myself” and decided to make it a priority in my life.
My 100th destination was Colombia. This was also special because I got to experience the country with my husband and some of my favorite traveling friends.
Before I get into a list of my favorites. I should tell you what I count and don’t count. This is not as straight forward as one might think. And while there are many “official” and “unofficial” rules of thumb to help decide, ultimately it is up to each individual.
Controversial Territories and Countries: Based on my understanding of the history and distinct cultures, I count some locations that could be considered controversial depending on who you ask. This is a personal choice. For me they include: Northern Ireland, North Cyprus, Palestine, Hong Kong (although I’ve been when it was under the British and since), Macau, Tibet, Taiwan, Wales, Okinawa, Sicily, Grand Cayman, and Guam. All of these are recognized by the Traveler’s Century Club (see below) and all but four are recognized on the Been app (North Cyprus, Tibet, Sicily, and Okinawa).
Quick Stops: I include Mexico, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan and North Korea which for varying reasons were all very quick and limited trips. I hope to return to all of them except for North Korea.
Layovers: However, I don’t count Peru where I never left the airport. I also don’t count Kenya. While we left the airport, it was just to transition from the small regional airport to the larger international airport. So, while I saw some of Nairobi from the van, I didn’t experience any of the culture. I also don’t count East Germany. While it no longer exists, I did travel through it several times in the 80s from West Germany to West Berlin. But since I never left the train, I don’t count it.
Traveler’s Century Club: The Traveler’s Century Club maintains a list of 330 territories. This is obviously much more extensive and nuanced than the UN’s “official” 193 countries. While as noted above, I count many of them based on my own understanding of the culture and history today. But there are many more that I don’t count. These include Alaska, Hawaii, differentiating between European and Asia Turkey, separately counting each of the Greek and Indonesian islands, and Iwo Jima. But even those I don’t think are a hard and fast rule. As an example, my father lived in Hawaii as a child. This was before statehood, before regular flights, before much of the land was bought up by corporations, before the overwhelming influence of mainland USA … the Hawaii he experienced was very different than today. If I were him, I might count it. But I don’t count it for myself.
While on the topic of the UN, this is many people’s yardstick for “counting.” And if you have to pick a universal standard, this makes sense and few would dispute any that are members of the UN. Those countries have international recognition and the full range of state responsibilities that comes with membership. However, it is important to note, that the UN is a political organization. Since its inception countries have been added and some even removed based on current events and world opinion. As just one example, Switzerland did not become a member until 2002 but I everyone would have considered Switzerland a “country” before that time. And on the other end of the spectrum, the UN maintains a list of 17 “non-self-governing territories” but at the same time doesn’t acknowledge their rights or regularly vote on their membership. Several of these 17 are on the list of those I count.
When established in 1946, the UN had 55 members. By the time I was born it had over 140 and when I graduated from college it had 185. It’s not a perfect system. I’m also not sure I agree with 330 either… So, if we are going to be precise –
I have been to 119 out of 330 territories as defined by the Century Travelers
I have been to 84 out of 193 UN members
And at this time, I choose to celebrate – 100 unique destinations.
I say all of this for a few reasons. 1) If you decide to “count” for yourself, realize it is not cut and dry — and that is ok. 2) I want to give transparency to any reader that really cares. If you think I should count some that I don’t – then I might be over 100. If you think I count a few that I shouldn’t – then maybe I am a little short. Regardless, know that there has been some rigor in my thought process.
All that said – here are some of my favorites —
Favorite Cities: London remains my favorite city. I also love DC. I have lived in / near both cities and never get tired of them. Shanghai is a recent addition to my list. And while I didn’t spend much time there, I instantly fell in love. Paris and New York City would round out my top 5. Berlin, Rome, Singapore, Cape Town and Budapest would definitely be in the top 10. All of these cities have amazing energy. There is always something new to see and do. I love that the city changes based on my age and who I am with.
Other Cities: I feel like I need more time in Buenos Aires and Ho Chi Min City. Even though I spent several days in both, I didn’t get a good feel for either of them. But I want to love them both.
Small Cities / Towns: For smaller towns, my favorites are Anchorage Alaska; Luang Prabang Laos; Savannah Georgia; Kyoto Japan; Granada Nicaragua; Colonial Uruguay; Antigua Guatemala, and Ohrid Macedonia. Other than Kyoto, there isn’t a lot to see or do in any of these places, but they all have an amazing vibe and feel like a great place to just hang for a few weeks.
Most Beautiful City: The skyline of Prague takes my breath away every time I see it in person, in a movie, in a photograph. The castle, the clock tower and most especially Saint Charles bridge… Budapest and Istanbul also both have beautiful skylines.
Most Beautiful Spot: I don’t have a good answer. There are so many beautiful locations in the world and they are all different. But based on my experiences, if you were to ask me, the ones that immediately come to mind are Austria, Alaska, Nepal, Thailand, Chile, and Guam.
Countries and Regions: Outside work and places I’ve lived, I have returned to Spain more than any other location. In fact, last year I returned for the 7th time and spent three weeks in Northern Spain. I also love the Balkans and have been several times with plans to return. Something funny about both these locations is, they aren’t my “favorite” anything… but they rank very high on everything. So, I guess the law of averages wins out. I also loved Nepal and would like to return to explore some more!
UNESCO Sights: My top two favorite UNESCO sights were Petra and Angkor Wat. Both were true to my imagination and dreams. Both exude old-world mystery and wonder. Both took my breath away. Easter Island was also amazing!
Museums: I love museums and visit as many as I can. The best cities for museums would have to be Berlin and DC. For individual museums my favorites would include the Islamic Arts Museum in Kula Lumpur and the Imperial War Museum in Tokyo. I also enjoyed the uniqueness of museums in Hong Kong and Singapore. When planning my most recent trip to London I had a list of eight museums, seven of which I had never been to despite spending weeks in the city.
Favorite Places to Eat: The Balkans and Italy are my two favorite places to eat. I don’t know that it is possible to have a bad meal and I am gaining weight just thinking about it. I love eating in DC and always have a new list of places to try. I also have great memories from the variety and quality of food in Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai. Of course, food is literally a matter of taste. On the other end of the spectrum, I will unfortunately offer that I’ve only had one good meal in Indonesia and it was a Malaysian restaurant. It is at the very bottom for me.
Nature: I love to be outside. I love to walk and hike. I love the green jungle, rolling country side, pristine lakes, isolated waterfalls, and turquoise oceans. It is impossible to pinpoint just a few places. But here are some of my favorites:
Hiking in Guam and Nepal.
Camping and exploring Alaska.
Iguazu falls in Argentina
Patagonia Chile and Argentina
Animals: I have taken a lot of trips just to see the amazing and diverse wildlife our planet has to offer. I learn more every year, and while every encounter has some effect on the natural habitat, I have tried very hard to be responsible. I can’t possibly determine a true #1, #2, #3… but these are my favorites and most memorable.
Brown bears in Katmai Alaska.
Polar bears in Churchill Canada.
Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda.
Orangutans in Borneo.
Seals and Penguins in Patagonia Argentina.
Whale watching out of Seward Alaska.
Safaris in Tanzania and South Africa
Lowland Gorillas in Gabon
Cool Experiences: In addition to the lists above, I have also had the opportunity to do some really amazing experiences. Some of my favorites:
Seeing the Blue Hole in Belize from the air.
Sleeping on a houseboat in Borneo
Driving from Anchorage Alaska to Prudhoe Bay (multiple times)
Walking 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago
“But Did You Die?” I have been very lucky and never seriously injured or had a major problem while traveling. But I do have some good stories. This include being chased by a bear in Alaska, a horrible jellyfish sting in Vietnam, being attacked by a couple of different monkeys in Tanzania and Malaysia, getting in the car of a stranger in Kosovo, leeches in Nepal, getting a hickey from a stingray in the Grand Cayman, and having to call 911 to rescue me from the jungle in Guam.
Most Off the Grid: It should be noted, that most lists, and this one in particular, have a bias… As I started to type Guam I thought – this is a very common location for the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos and US military… And so, I narrowed my list down to those that are truly difficult to reach or unusual as “travel” destinations.
Iwo Two – also known by Americans as Iwo Jima, is a small island off of Japan. It has no commercial flights and to visit you must either have an invitation or be part of a military trip.
Sumatra – I’ve never met anyone that has been there. And my guess is, unless you live in nearby Singapore or Malaysia or have a lot of time on the road, most people don’t make it to this beautiful but still developing island.
Gabon – I’ve never met anyone who has been there, but I think similar to Rwanda twenty years ago, its popularity will explode in the next decade.
Cameroon – I know three people from there and two people who have traveled there for work. It is definitely not on the typical tourist track…visas were a pain to get, there are definitely parts of the country to avoid and a long list of vaccinations are recommended.
Tinian and Saipan – Two islands in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas islands. You can only reach them from Guam. And you can only reach Guam from Manila, Seoul, Tokyo or Hawaii. So, it is 2-3 flights at a minimum to get there.
Northern Cyprus – Since it is not recognized by the UN and can only be reached via air through Turkey or on land across the border with UN peacekeeping troops….I think this counts.
Moldova – While right on the European land mass, this is definitely not a tourist destination. I also went in 2006, so it was even less of a tourist destination then.
Because of a crazy notion or random comment: There are several places I have traveled based on hearing a random comment, reading something in a book or other random occurrences that have planted a seed in my head that I just can’t let go of.
Tangier, Morocco and Sumatra, Indonesia are both mentioned in the 1980s Clue VCR game. Ms Scarlet went to both and they sounded soooo exotic. This is truly the reason I went to both locations. At one point Col Mustard comments on the “winds of Sumatra” and I decided then and there that I had to experience the winds of Sumatra. And more than 30 years later – I did!!!
Borobudur, Indonesia – a work acquaintance mentioned it in passing and I suddenly had to add it on to an upcoming trip to Borneo. I revised my trip that same day.
Tito’s grave – I was buying a painting in Belgrade and the woman selling it to me mentioned it. It was raining. It was our last day. It was closing soon. And it was not close. We jumped on a bus and made it there. So glad we did!
Field of Blackbirds – Site of 1389 epic battle between the Serbs and the Turks. I read about it and wanted to see it. There is nothing there and it is hard to reach. Still glad I went.
Hardest arrangements to make: Even for an experienced traveler, there are some destinations or activities that just prove difficult and frustrating. Here are some of mine:
Crossing the Nicaragua border to Costa Rica. I ended up booking two private drivers, one from our hotel in Granada to the border and one from the border inland. Part of the trick was not just to find the drivers but to sync the times so when we walked across the border the second driver was there at the same time.
Argentine ferry from Buenos Aires to Uruguay. I found the website confusing and difficult to navigate.
Arranging train tickets from Taipei to Taroko Gorge. Not only was it only in Chinese but tickets only open up a few weeks prior and fill up fast. To boot, you still don’t have your tickets and have to print them at a convenience store once in Taipei. Even then we got on at the wrong station and had a hard time finding the track.
Getting tickets to Easter Island was frustrating. LATAM’s website is not user friendly. Easter Island has several unique requirements that are not well advertised.
Finally, figuring out the ticket system and lines for the Santiago Cathedral tours. Frankly after walking 400 miles, when learned we had done it wrong, I just gave up!
Most Foreign (to me): I was most outside my comfort zone in Cameroon. My trip there was completely off the beaten path and my French is non-existent. I am so happy I got to explore it with a good friend!
Most Welcoming: I found the Balkans, specifically Albania and Macedonia to be the most friendly and welcoming destinations that I’ve been to.
My Favorite Cultural Traditions (that I wish I could do in the US): I loved both my local Hammam in Turkey and my local Onsen in Japan. And there is nothing better than a pot of tea in the UK. I know I can easily get tea in the US (or almost anywhere in the world) but it is not the same as getting an entire pot (properly prepared) at a local pub for less than 3 pounds and just enjoying the moment.
Best surprise destinations: I didn’t expect to love Borneo or Nepal as much as I did. And Nepal is definitely a place I want to return.
Biggest disappointment: I loved walking my pilgrimage from St Jean Pier de Pont to Santiago de Compostela on the Camino de Santiago. However, I was extremely disappointed by the infamous last 100km. It was busy, it was loud, it lost the sense of community …
Favorite Book Stores: Daunt in London which is 2 ½ stories of travel books – arranged by country! Powell’s in Oregon and Book and Bottle in Tampa are a close second. Of note, El Ateneo Grand Splendid in Buenos Aries is spectacular and definitely the most beautiful.
Best Outdoor Markets: London and Paris have my favorite every day markets filled with food and flowers. But of course, Germany for Christmas markets.
Best Hike: I loved everything about my Poon Hill hike in Nepal. Nothing else comes close for a multi-day hike! I also loved getting out into the juggle and exploring Guam! I miss it every day. And my recent hike on the W in Patagonia Chile is a new favorite!
Best Sunrises and Sunsets: I thought about places like Guam, Brazil and Finisterre … but really, I think it is any from a plane – just beyond the horizon. They are always a pleasant surprise and mean I am headed somewhere new or headed home!
I think it is important to note that you can often see a beautiful sunrise and sunset anywhere in the world. You just have to stop to look. I am often astounded at the colors of the sky in DC – I just can’t always get a great photo because of the buildings in the way.
Favorite Memories: Some of my absolute favorite memories are the small unplanned things. Some were literally only seconds and others may have lasted a few hours. They were all unplanned. Here are a few examples but certainly not all inclusive.
Immediately after high school graduation, two friends and I went to Paris for the week. We were laughing and walking up the hill to the Sacré Coeur and a young man (boy?) walked down the opposite direction, smiled and grabbed one of my French fries. So simple – and decades later it is a precious memory of friendship, freedom, and laughter…
When hiking Poon Hill in Nepal, I had a free afternoon. I ended up in a local shop where I bought a book and a bottle of Nepalese rum. I returned to my tea house where I sat by the fire stove with a blanket and shared my rum with the porters and guides. They just talked around me and they left when the rum was gone, but it is a treasured memory!
Spending a day with a local in Kosovo.
At one point while driving around in central Turkey a girlfriend and I got lost. We walked into what we thought was a restaurant and found a room full of old men playing chess. The entire room went silent as they glared at the interruption. Then suddenly, the owner’s wife comes bustling out of the back room. She shoed away a group from a “safe” table in the back where we could have our backs to the wall and see the door … she brought us tea and the room went back to normal and we got to watch the interactions of these men go about their daily routines.
I am usually on the go and think idle time is wasted. But lying in a hammock in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica was about as close to heaven as you can get this side of death.
Roughest Flight: From Katmandu to Lhasa … I was on my way from the bathroom and the flight attendant had me sit in the jump seat and another flight attendant sat in my seat. It was that fast and that bad!!
Worst Airport: Definitely Kabul but I am sure that is not a surprise…. Katmandu is definitely a close second!
Favorite Airports: Some of my favorite airports include Santiago Chile; Dubai; Haneda Japan, Singapore; and Portland Oregon.
Most Forgotten Items to Pack: Even the most experienced traveler always has that one item they always forget to pack. For me it is a comb and chap stick.
Best Meals: I’ve had some amazing meals. How do I choose? I went back to look at my “meals I still dream about” posts and decided I need to list by category:
Brussel Sprouts: Circa in Washington DC
Italian (outside of Italy): Albania but I’ve also had some really good Italian all over the globe.
Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at Le Merdian in Jakarta or the Sloan Hotel in Ljubljana
Bread: Dveri in Sarajevo
Turkish (outside of Turkey): Garlic in Shanghai or Estanbul Cape Town
Lamb Chops: Duongs in DaNang Vietnam or Martin’s Tavern in DC
Dessert: Cheesecake at the Blue Boarin Norwich England or Grasmere Gingerbread in the Lake District of England. But in general, I think it is hands down Paris – I love fruit tarts and croissants. I also love picking up fruit at the markets that are everywhere around the city.
High Tea: Connaught Hotel in London
Burgers: Stax in Guam followed by Old Ebbitt in DC.
Ramen: Hiir in Nagasaki Japan
Pizza: Pizzeria Guerin in Argentina or Moose’s Tooth Alaska
Best Hot Chocolate: Café San Juan Laguna in Guatemala is number 1!
Best Avocados: Dominican Republic and Colombia
Best Pineapple: Cameroon
French Fries: I eat them everywhere and love them all – Upstairs at the Marrow in DC has some really great ones.
Favorite Restaurant: (Drum roll please)… If told I could have a free plane ticket in order to eat anywhere in the world – it would be Ninnikuya in Tokyo Japan. Everything on their menu is amazing. I love garlic. I love their spinach and eggplant. I love the atmosphere.
Bucket List of a Century Traveler: There is still a huge beautiful world out there and I can’t wait to see more of it. I really want to go everywhere but if I had to narrow it down:
South America: Peru tops the list and I figure I need at least two weeks to see a little of Lima, hike to Machu Pichu, see rainbow mountain, and visit Lake Titicaca. Ecuador would be a close second.
Central America: I’d like to go to Honduras to see Copan ruins and diving in Roatan.
Africa: Botswana and Namibia have been on my list for over 15 years. I want to float down the Okavango Delta and experience the vastness of the Namibian desert. I also still really need to get to Egypt to see the pyramids and the Nile river.
Asia: Bhutan tops my list and I am excited to see the Tiger’s monastery and what this secluded part of the world has to offer. Sri Lanka is also quickly rising on my list of places to see.
Oceania: Pre-COVID, I had a 10-day Tasmanian road trip planned – I’d like to take it one day. I also look forward to diving in Palau.
Caribbean: I’ve heard wonderful things about diving in Bonaire.
Europe: I have never been to the Baltics would like to finally experience these unique capital cities. Also on the list is a return to the Balkans as well as Belgium, and to check out Crete and Malta.
Middle East: I have a new friend from Qatar and would love to visit him and see the country with a local.
Hiking: I’d love to hike the World War I “Walk of Peace” and explore the new trail around the circumference of Prince Edward Island.
Experiences: I’d really like to do a live a-bord sailing trip. I haven’t picked a destination yet.
Life Kinetic Travel Research 