These are the World’s least visited countries. Far from renowned tourism powerhouses like France, Spain, and the USA, there are countries that only receive a handful of visitors every year. From remote islands to war-zones or visa nightmare destinations. Reasons vary, but tourists are still wary.
10. MARSHALL Islands: 6000 visitors.
This atoll group in the Pacific region of Micronesia is so remote that the US military used it for nuclear bomb testing. Nowadays, getting there is still a huge hurdle since there are only a bunch of flights every week and the prices of tickets and accommodation are highly inflated.
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Buying shit in Amazon and entering your shipping address like: “The House. 1 Beach Avenue, ZIP code 00001, Island, Pacific”. And hoping the postman makes it.
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9. KIRIBATI: 3600 visitors.
Be honest. Had you ever heard about this country? For those of you that responded “Yes”, did you know it’s pronounced “Kiribas”? These Pacific atolls are so far-flung, no wonder they get so few visitors!
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ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH TO SAVE OUR PLANET? ____________________________________ Visiting the Pacific nations has been very eye-opening for me in terms of ecological awareness. Countries like Kiribati (first picture) or Tuvalu (second) are made up of tiny atolls. Here, despite how idyllic their beaches might seem, you’ll find tons of plastic waste all over. If you swipe right, you’ll see the dumpsite north of Funafuti, where rubbish is just piled up and covered with sand. This however, is not the single biggest problem these countries face: climate change and the rise of oceans. At only 2 meters above sea level and with recessing reefs, the risk of being swallowed up by the ocean is bigger than ever. So much, that despite foreign aid’s efforts to build up walls, a plan B to reallocate these communities in bigger islands like Fiji or NZ is already in place.
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8. EQUATORIAL GUINEA: 2400 visitors.
This small Central African country was a Spanish colony until the 60s and still has Spanish as their official language. Since independence, the country has had a series of authoritarian governments, and applying and getting a visa was a titanic feat. Thus, it’s one of the five hardest visas in the World, except if you are an American passport holder, in which case you can visit visa-free!
Bioko island is incredibly lush.
7. SOUTH SUDAN: 2200 visitors.
South Sudan is the newest country in the World. Hence, they obtained independence from their northern neighbor in 2011, amidst a turmoil of ethnic conflicts. Today, it suffers one of the worst humanitarian crises in the World and the instability of a fragile government that led them to a constant state of paranoia that even banned photographs in Juba. Beware, a mere selfie can be very costly!
The South Sudanese are the tallest people on Earth!
6. ERITREA: 2000 visitors.
Eritrea has one of the longest-standing dictators, and its restriction of freedom and human rights, especially freedom of the press, is only second to North Korea. Therefore, the shutout these last few decades isn’t casual, and has led to a very complicated visa process should you want to visit as a tourist. I got lucky and received mine relatively fast, and was able to visit this hidden gem nation where everything seems to be frozen in time.
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IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME, WHICH AGE WOULD YOU PICK? ____________________________________ Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea definitely has that feel of being transported not just to a different place, but to a different moment in time altogether. ____________________________________ Old Italian bars with their espresso machines from the 60s still up and running, auto repair shops to fix those old vehicles that drive up and down the city streets, and my favorite: bike shops that can mend any two wheeler in a jiffy! ____________________________________ I loved my time in this city, as a tourist, it doesnt get better than these unique places.
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5. Central African Republic: 1000 visitors.
The years-long civil war in the Central African Republic has made of its capital, Bangui, the second home of the UN. The presence of UN troops and workers is so important that you can see headquarters and fortifications all over the city. Rebel groups and armed militias still control vast areas of the country. Hence, this all contributes to a scarcity of visitors. Despite these facts, I only encountered heartwarming smiles and welcoming people.
Bangui had some of the friendliest locals I have met!
4. TUVALU: 800 visitors.
This tiny archipelago of Pacific atolls is, simply put, the most remote and inaccessible country on the planet. It can only be reached with a small propeller plane that covers the route from Suva (Fiji) to Funafuti (Tuvalu) twice a week, and a similar craft that flies from Tarawa (Kiribati) one a week depending on the season. Cargo ships also connect the atolls with the outside world, but it’s only on a monthly basis, and they are clearly unsuited for tourists.
Funafuti, the main island in Tuvalu only has one tiny road.
3. LIBYA: 200 visitors.
Wartorn by a decade long civil war, that climaxed with a recent siege on Tripoli, it’s no surprise that visitors all fled Libya and made it the third least visited country in the World. In addition, visas are extremely difficult to obtain and tourist visas are on hold. Thus, to enter, a local liaison needs to extend an invitation and you need to sneak in on business. Not your usual holiday, huh?
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RATE MY SHEESHA SKILLS FROM 1-10: ____________________________________ 🇬🇧 Sitting down in an Italian colonial courtyard in Tripoli felt amazingly normal: people watching and seeing daily life unravel whilst sipping our tea and smoking our hookah. Libyans are tired of this ridiculous War. So tired, they’ve decided to get on with their lives. And that takes some goddamn balls if you ask me. 🤘💪 ____________________________________ 🇪🇸 Lo que más me impresionó de mi visita a Tripoli fue cómo los locales seguían con sus vidas normalmente, a pesar de los ataques constantes a tan sólo 20km al sur de la ciudad. Y es que, los Libios están tan hartos de esta guerra, que ya “pasan” de ella. Y eso, en mi opinión, implica estar hecho de otra pasta! 🤘💪
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2. NAURU: 130 visitors.
Nauru is a tiny and remote island in the Pacific. On a scooter, you can cover its 21km2 in thirty minutes, on foot, in a few hours. There is little to do or see here, so enjoying the stunning beaches and mindblowing sunsets is definitely a highlight. Asides from that, few things justify the high costs of flights and the dreadful visa process.
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WHY DO I VISIT EVERY COUNTRY? ____________________________________ I get asked this question all the time. The simple answer is that no two countries are the same, and every single one is unique in its own way and has something interesting to offer. ____________________________________ Take Nauru, arguably one of the least visited countries in the World, an 21km2 island, with a small population of 10.000. My weekend visit to this charming country was full of some of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen and the getting to know incredibly friendly people in the toughest situation I’ve ever witnessed. ____________________________________ Australia has a refugee camp in the island for all immigrants that try to reach their coasts by boat. You heard that right: boat! Escaping from tough conditions in their nations of origin, many times seeking asylum, they endure months long oceanic journeys to reach a safe haven in Australia. However, they are never allowed to set foot Down Under and are taken to Nauru, where most have been held for 5 years waiting for their applications to be processed. ____________________________________ The problem is very complex to just cover it in a brief caption. However, these heroes (allow me that liberty) I met in Nauru, were one of the friendliest human beings I have seen on the road. Foad from Baghdad, Akorn from Suleymaniye and MD from Isfahan, I wish you a quick resolution to your situation, and that you may finally have your freedom back! Being so positive and driven as you are, you will thrive, Im sure of it. ____________________________________ To many people, visiting certain countries with no apparent touristic appeal does not much sense. While I respect that, for me, those are the countries I enjoy the most!
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1. YEMEN: 60 visitantes al año.
The proxy war between Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the North and the unity government backed by Saudi and UAE in the South has escalated into the most dramatic humanitarian crisis in the World, with a huge shortage of water, food, and medicines. There is only a weekly flight from Cairo to Seiyun and a couple of open border points with Oman. To top it off, Al Qaeda still holds a firm grip on many areas in the country and there is a high risk of getting kidnapped. For all these reasons, Yemen is the least visited country in the World. However, if you do visit, you’ll be mindblown with a unique culture and wonders like no other.
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WHY DO YOU TRAVEL? ____________________________________ 🇬🇧 I probably started because I loved History. Thats why Egypt, Rome and Greece where some of my first trips. With time, I fell in love with People. Meeting people from every country and having that little moment of truth with them has driven me to visiting almost Every Country in the World. Thats why this is probably my favorite picture from Yemen, a celebratory selfie after scoring a goal in these kid’s football game with the beautiful Shibam in the background. ____________________________________ 🇪🇸 ¿Y tú, por qué viajas? Yo empecé por mi gran interés en la Historia de civilizaciones antiguas como Roma, Grecia o Egipto. Después, me enamoré de mi gran pasión viajera: las personas. Y conocer gente de todo tipo me ha llevado a casi todos los países del Mundo. Por eso esta foto es mi favorita de Yemen, combina el momento en que celebramos un gol en el partidillo de estos chicos, con la histórica Shibam de fondo.
Maybe you know about them, maybe you don’t. I for one hadn’t heard of these countries before starting my quest to visit every country in the World. Let alone place them on a map! These are the seven spectacular countries you didn’t know about:
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