Post: #26

(05-21-2014 05:34 PM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  You have a blog? If not, why not? I'd lo e to read your stories!

(05-18-2014 06:40 PM)nomadicdude Wrote:  A few days ago I hit my 88th country. I am traveling rest of year and should hit 100 by July if all goes according to plan. After that I am going to stop caring about my digits.

I was literally about to ask the same question when I opened this thread before seeing VP's comment.

Same question to Chaos and other guys who have been to many countries.

Post: #27

Somewhere around 80. Did stop counting a while ago.
It is really not about to how many countries you have been, but more about the time spend in different cultures and how deeply you did connect with the locals.

Post: #28

54 and counting.

Tunis
Egypt
Marrocco
Ethiopia
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates
Israel
Jordan
Turkey
Palestine Terretorries
Cyprus
Albania
Kosovo
Serbia
Croatia
Montenegro
Bosnia
Spain
Germany
Usa
Mexico
Belize
Cuba
Venezuela
Puerto Rico
Australia
Chile
Uruguay
Argentina
Peru
Brazil
Curacao
Dominican Rep.
France
Sweden
Italy
Greece
Bulgaria
Poland
Malta
England
Denmark
Norway
Czech Rep.
Indonesia
Burma
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand
Cambodia
South Korea
Japan
Vietnam
Hong Kong

So much beauty and ugliness out there to see.
Places I would really love to experience now is; Iran, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Cape Verde and Sri Lanka.

Post: #29

46% of voters have travelled to more than 20 countries. We're certainly a cultured group here at RVF

Post: #30

A little more than 50.

Post: #31

(05-23-2014 03:27 AM)rdp Wrote:  54 and counting.

Tunis
Egypt
Marrocco
Ethiopia
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates
Israel
Jordan
Turkey
Palestine Terretorries
Cyprus
Albania
Kosovo
Serbia
Croatia
Montenegro
Bosnia
Spain
Germany
Usa
Mexico
Belize
Cuba
Venezuela
Puerto Rico
Australia
Chile
Uruguay
Argentina
Peru
Brazil
Curacao
Dominican Rep.
France
Sweden
Italy
Greece
Bulgaria
Poland
Malta
England
Denmark
Norway
Czech Rep.
Indonesia
Burma
Singapore
Malaysia
Thailand
Cambodia
South Korea
Japan
Vietnam
Hong Kong

So much beauty and ugliness out there to see.
Places I would really love to experience now is; Iran, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Cape Verde and Sri Lanka.

Iran is great for tourism. I was scared to go, but got there in 2002 and loved it. The people are very hospitable, and the architecture is amazing. I did Nicaragua in 2012, taking in Managua and Leon; the capital is not too inspiring, but Leon is very pleasant, very relaxing. I've only seen Tbilisi in Georgia, and it's a good city, but you can see it in two days. I had to spend five days there waiting for my visa for Azerbaijan.

Post: #32

It's somewhere between 60 and 70. I've stopped counting.

Post: #33

Wow, impressive. I've only visited 15 countries.

Post: #34

Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City State

''Only'' 48. Almost everywhere in Latin America and I am far from wanting to move from here, the list shouldn't go much more up although a travel to Oceania/Asia is something i'd like to do in the next years.

Post: #35

61 Countries, including all 13 of South America
All 50 States
12/13 Canadian Provinces and Territories

Post: #36

Since then I had the pleasure of visiting three new countries;

Portugal# Lisbon is stunning beautiful with its art nouveau architecture, it's great value compared to the rest of western europe. One of my favourite cities in europe. This is coffee culture at its best.

Sri Lanka# raw natural beauty and wildlife. food is excellent. dirt cheap. safe. and all with out the hassle that you'll find in India.

Georgia# Spent most my time in tbilisi, a city where you truly still can see the legacy and influence from the arabs, russians, the mongols, iranians...'
Rich history, raw beauty. Real friendliness, great wine, food, nature churches, pleasant. Cheap.

For girls none of these would be a good pick. But would go back anytime.

Recovering Beta:how did you go about the Iran Visa issue? VOA? I want to go there for september.
How did you experience the safety issue in Nicaragua? Did you go overland or by flight? I can never seem to find bargain flights to leon.

Next week I'm off to athens.

Post: #37

I have only traveled to Mexico, but for business reasons. D.F. is a nice city with a very interesting architecture and many nice places like Polanco District. I haven't run game on chilangas because my job and lack of time are major cockblockers for me.

The only problem I had with D.F. has been the air quality, because is polluted.

Post: #38

(05-12-2016 12:14 PM)rdp Wrote:  Since then I had the pleasure of visiting three new countries;

Portugal# Lisbon is stunning beautiful with its art nouveau architecture, it's great value compared to the rest of western europe. One of my favourite cities in europe. This is coffee culture at its best.

Sri Lanka# raw natural beauty and wildlife. food is excellent. dirt cheap. safe. and all with out the hassle that you'll find in India.

Georgia# Spent most my time in tbilisi, a city where you truly still can see the legacy and influence from the arabs, russians, the mongols, iranians...'
Rich history, raw beauty. Real friendliness, great wine, food, nature churches, pleasant. Cheap.

For girls none of these would be a good pick. But would go back anytime.

Recovering Beta:how did you go about the Iran Visa issue? VOA? I want to go there for september.
How did you experience the safety issue in Nicaragua? Did you go overland or by flight? I can never seem to find bargain flights to leon.

Next week I'm off to athens.

Hi, RDP!
I am happy to help. I visited Iran in 2002 and got my visa through a travel agency in the UK. I have a passport from a neutral EU country thanks to parentage, so it was fairly easy to get the visa. I contacted the agency, they sent a telex with my info to the embassy in another European capital, and then I went and picked up the visa after dropping off my passport. It was very easy.

Nicaragua presented me with no safety issues. It is far safer than Honduras, for example. I traveled overland from Honduras. Leon is pretty safe. Managua is not awful, but it could be better. I had no problems in that country. The people are friendly and Toña beer is not bad. I hear good things about Grenada, too, although I did not visit.

So, both countries are definitely worth visiting, particularly Iran. I loved Isfahan. I didn't see a lot of Tehran, but I would go back to see the contemporary art museum; Shiraz is great as you can easily access Persepolis from there; in addition, don't miss Yazd, with its Zoroastrian temples and the shaking minaret. It's a country with great people and great architecture. You will enjoy it.

Post: #39

>30, but now I'm more into "Slow Travel". Trying to hit a certain number is just like notches - it's all ego, which prevents you from fully understanding a culture.

Post: #40

(05-12-2016 02:57 PM)Valentine Wrote:  >30, but now I'm more into "Slow Travel". Trying to hit a certain number is just like notches - it's all ego, which prevents you from fully understanding a culture.

No way. If you have a free weekend and can spend three days somewhere it is far better than having never been.

Like a hot 7.5 making it easy for you to hit and quit. Better to have that notch than not.

Post: #41

Afghanistan
Australia
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
Cambodia
Croatia
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Hungary
Indonesia
Ireland {Republic}
Italy
Korea South
Kyrgyzstan
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Portugal
Qatar
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Thailand
United Kingdom
United States
Vatican City
Vietnam

Been to 30, lived in 5 all at the age of 22. I still have a lot more to see

Post: #42

(05-12-2016 04:53 PM)Off The Reservation Wrote:  

(05-12-2016 02:57 PM)Valentine Wrote:  >30, but now I'm more into "Slow Travel". Trying to hit a certain number is just like notches - it's all ego, which prevents you from fully understanding a culture.

No way. If you have a free weekend and can spend three days somewhere it is far better than having never been.

Like a hot 7.5 making it easy for you to hit and quit. Better to have that notch than not.

Both of you make fine points. In my younger years I wanted to visit every sovereign nation on earth, but it's expensive, tiring, and it's not really that meaningful if you're traveling solely to get passport stamps and bragging rights; however, even if you did visit every nation on earth, surely, several of those trips would be meaningful. I mean, not every visit would consist of just 24 hours in a city just to say you've been there. Some places can really be experienced in 48 hours, particularly the Balkan capitals. You can see most of what Sofia, Skopje, Tirana, and Pristina have to offer in that time period. Istanbul should take 4 days, and Paris is inexhaustible.

Still, it's better to do short trips than no trips at all.

Post: #43

(05-12-2016 04:53 PM)Off The Reservation Wrote:  

(05-12-2016 02:57 PM)Valentine Wrote:  >30, but now I'm more into "Slow Travel". Trying to hit a certain number is just like notches - it's all ego, which prevents you from fully understanding a culture.

No way. If you have a free weekend and can spend three days somewhere it is far better than having never been.

Like a hot 7.5 making it easy for you to hit and quit. Better to have that notch than not.

I didn't say I never do that nor enjoy it. Merely that I found slow travel more fulfilling comparatively and having goals related to number of countries traveled is counter productive.

Chris Guillebeau made me realise this - he seems like a guy who's got his head screwed on when it comes to business, but fell into the same trap and ended up binge travelling every country in the world just so he could say that he did.

Post: #44

(05-18-2014 10:01 AM)big poppa Wrote:  Did a quick search and hadn't seen this question asked yet. Just a thread for some bragging rights

How many countries have you traveled to? Rule is you must have left the airport and spent at least 24 hours.

I'm on a meager 5, including my home country, but I have big plans. 22 years old

Australia
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
Malaysia

Two years later you can add just Japan to the list, but I'm currently living in Vietnam. I'll get there.

Post: #45

Recovering Beta: thanks. did you go on your own, or as a part of a group in Iran?
I was thinking I might just opt for the visa on arrival, from what I understand this should be no problem nowadays - chance of being denied entry is minimal.
I love to go for the people and history. I am not worried about the safety issues, as I heard really good things about the people.
Only thing is I will probably have to get a new passport after, to avoid the whole U.S entry issue later.

As for Nicaruaga I want to see the colonial cities, nature and beaches.
But can never find reasonable flights from europe!

I can agree on what you are saying about the balkan capitals and time frame!
But places like Istanbul, rome , jerusalem, paris, lisbon, firenze, athens, you can spend days and days, only to come back and discover something new.
I have i.e. been to Istanbul twice, spending quite some time there, but still feel I have only scratch the surface.
But thats my opinion, and that coming from a history buff.

Post: #46

(05-14-2016 08:15 AM)rdp Wrote:  Recovering Beta: thanks. did you go on your own, or as a part of a group in Iran?
I was thinking I might just opt for the visa on arrival, from what I understand this should be no problem nowadays - chance of being denied entry is minimal.
I love to go for the people and history. I am not worried about the safety issues, as I heard really good things about the people.
Only thing is I will probably have to get a new passport after, to avoid the whole U.S entry issue later.

As for Nicaruaga I want to see the colonial cities, nature and beaches.
But can never find reasonable flights from europe!

I can agree on what you are saying about the balkan capitals and time frame!
But places like Istanbul, rome , jerusalem, paris, lisbon, firenze, athens, you can spend days and days, only to come back and discover something new.
I have i.e. been to Istanbul twice, spending quite some time there, but still feel I have only scratch the surface.
But thats my opinion, and that coming from a history buff.

RDP,
I went to Iran alone because, as I mentioned, although I am American, I have a passport from a neutral EU nation thanks to parentage. You'll have no problems traveling alone. The people are absolutely delightful, some of the warmest I have ever met.

When I went to Iran, they did not have visa upon arrival, but that has changed now, although I don't know how selective they are.

I would love to go back to Nicaragua to explore the other colonial cities.

Regarding Lisbon and Athens, I spent only 3 days in Lisbon and a total of 5 days in Athens, but I thought 5 days was a bit much; although it is of great historical interest, the modern city, while far from grotesque, is largely uninspired. For my next visit to Greece, I want to see the islands and Thessaloniki. I have not been to Florence or Jerusalem, but I hope to change that status soon.

I am planning on doing Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand-Laos-Burma-Malaysia-Brunei-Singapore-Indonesia (maybe East Timor)-Australia this year.

Post: #47

About 7.

Europe: Ukraine (more than 15 visits - lost count since 2007), Germany, Austria, Slovakia
Southeast Asia: Thailand
North America: Canada (Montreal, Toronto), USA (20 states)

My upcoming trips this year will be Ukraine, Russia and either Philippines or Thailand.

Countries that are on my radar for 2017: Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Brazil, Colombia and Dominican Republic.

My passport is expected to expire next year. Time for a renewal soon.

Post: #48

You guys rock. I only visited 2 different countries: Argentina and USA. I will finally get my hands on my European Passport till the end of this year and start travelling around Europe and more.

Post: #49

32 including all continents

Post: #50

I'm the type to keep going back to the same countries I know and enjoy, rather than constantly leaping into the unknown so I doubt I'll ever reach some of the numbers on here. In saying that, some of the numbers here are pretty impressive assuming you haven't hopped from country to country every 2-3 days Euro-trip style. I doubt most of you saying 50+ or even anything over 20 have spent enough time in each country to really understand the culture or give any solid advice on the place.

I'll give a list of countries I've been or am interested in visiting at some stage over the next 10 years instead:

Thailand
Indonesia
Philippines
South Korea
Japan

England
Spain
France
Germany
Iceland
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Czech Republic
Serbia
Bosnia
Ukraine
Russia
Turkey
Israel

United States (New York City, Las Vegas, Miami, California, New Orleans, Chicago, Austin, couple of small college towns)

Brazil
Argentina
Columbia

That just about covers it, so there are only 20-25 countries I even have an interest in visiting, but I want to do them in depth. Most of these are for party/women reasons, with several for culture/curiosity reasons as well.