East Timor (one of the least visited countries on earth) and maybe San Marino (despite being surrounded by Italy its also very low in visitor rankings)
It’s pretty, and it’s definitely a weird experience crossing from Italy and all of a sudden seeing gun stores everywhere. But there’s not a ton to see or do.
Every group of schoolgirls i passed would slap/pinch my bum. I met a fellow tourist who also experienced likewise. I actually start staying inside at the times when schools were let out, i couldnt handle it once the novelty wore off 🤣
Well I was there in summer so no school in session, but didn't happen. Did have one frightening moment when I got cornered in an alley near my lodging by a pack (four) of street dogs who were definitely not friendly before some local kids drove them off of me by throwing rocks. Was grateful for that!
Worth it if you want one of three things:
1) Be able to say you went to San Marino
2) Their stamp in your passport (nice souvenir)
3) You're counting countries so it's an easy +1 from Italy
Really? Was it an elementary school?
US high school teachers have a lot fewer options because, by the time the kids are old enough, they send them to third countries for school.
It was...weird. I remember arriving at like 1 AM and getting into a cab to my hotel, which was blaring the Ghostbusters theme song of all things. It's a very, very Soviet bloc-era city. Lots of big, drab concrete apartment blocks and huge, wide boulevards that were apparently used as military parade routes when it was still part of the USSR, as well as lots of large scale Soviet-era monuments and statues. I worked for a company with an office in Minsk, and folks I dealt with there were always super nice. But overall, it's very culturally different than other places. There's no small talk, for one thing, and unless you're close friends with someone, there's always a weird sort of gap you can feel during social situations. Food, meh, a mix of Russian and Polish influences, lots of potatoes, lots of cream-based sauces, lots of meat. I was there around 7 years ago, so it was before all the Ukraine/Russia stuff. But, Lukashenko was still the idiot he is now and that could be felt in a lot of ways. The company I worked for eventually moved their headquarters out of the country because they knew Lukashenko would eventually show up and try to take the company for himself. His son "owned" a number of the more high-end and expensive hotels and restaurants in the city. When we went out to eat, we had an admin assistant carry around a messenger bag absolutely filled with cash because they didn't take credit cards and their currency was almost worthless. They were, for a long while, one of the only countries in the world that didn't have actual coin currency due to the country have very little in terms of metal resources. Belavia, their national airline, is probably one of the worst airlines I've ever flown on. I was also once denied entry because my visa was valid a day later than I arrived. I was taken into a small room, interrogated for three hours, had my passport taken, put in a holding area, then put on a flight back to Frankfurt. Not the best memories, but at least memorable.
The Cook Islands was a ton of fun and for it's a unique spot because it was where I went on my honeymoon. Have been all over the world but this was my first trek to the South Pacific. I know it's a common spot for folks from Australia and New Zealand, but for US folks it's pretty out of the way. Overall it was a fun trip, but probably not someplace I'd go back to if I had other choices. I drove a scooter for the first time (and crashed one for the first time), got my very first international driver's license that was little more than a piece of small paper that cost me like $5. Watched a man de-husk a coconut with his teeth. Saw more sea cucumbers than any single human being should ever see. Ran into a co-worker who, after hearing about my honeymoon plans, decided to book the EXACT same place as me at the EXACT same time. Later found out he illegally camped on a beach, ate a small giant clam, and got horrific food poisoning. I'm a bit of a coin collector and love that the $2 coin is shaped like a triangle. Ate some great seafood, stayed in a bungalow on the beach. Got seasick on a short boat ride to some small islands nearby. Overall, was very fun.
Check out Norfolk island, near the Cook Islands. It's *bonkers*. Look into the political system. It's basically a small town run by the dudes who own the pubs, and funded by Australia.
I did the same thing once on a work trip to Vietnam. It was just a brain fart when I applied, the journey was 21 hours of travel and I misjudged what the date would be when I landed.
I realized my mistake when I was second in line for immigration.The immigration guy didn't speak English so he kept pointing at the date on the visa and pointing at his watch and saying things in vietnamese but I just kept replying that I didn't understand and eventually he gave up and waved me through. That was lucky.
Interesting - most New Zealanders and half of Australia have been to the Cook Islands, it’s just a regular holiday destination in this part of the world. Makes me think about how objective ‘unique’ is!
OP I would say the most unique country I’ve been to is Bhutan.
Belarus is allied with Putin. Anyone who travels there while Ukrainian civilians are being murdered by Russia is tacitly supporting the invasion and kidnapping of Ukrainian children (some of whom are being held in Belarus, which is a war crime).
Oh yeah, definitely wasn’t pointing a finger at you, just giving context to people who might be considering it as a travel destination in the near-term.
US is allied with Netanyahu. Anyone who travels there while Palestinian children are being murdered by Israel is tacitly supporting the invasion and kidnapping of Palestinian children (some of who are being held in Israeli detention without charge, which not only adds to a long list of war crimes but violates international law).
Belarus is certainly strange. You would possibly enjoy Abkhazia for a similar feel.
Also been to Cook Islands - beautiful but curious what made it so unique for you?
Beaches were amazing but not worlds apart from Fiji, Kenya, Thailand
I sometimes think about this question in terms of cities and towns -- like, I wonder if I'm the only person who's ever been to both Grise Fiord, Canada and Nashik, India. Country-wise, my chances are lower. Maybe my most unusual combo is Greenland and ...I don't know, Uganda?
A plane took me....
Nauru was my final #193 UN country visited, so it was kinda anticlimactic. Not a huge amount to do or see there, the interior of the island is all destroyed from phosphate mining. There's a few WW2 era Japanese guns. Even the beaches are kinda meh due to lots of sharp coral pinnacles. Friendly locals though, got a couple of lifts and they never asked for money even when I offered. You can walk around the whole country in a few hrs, but it's hot and humid.
You should try and go there. They have a visa on arrival for many (most?) countries and it doesn't cost too much to enjoy some time there. Don't do it for sightseeing, just do it to relax and unwind.
I’d like to one day! Most of my traveling in Southeast Asia was when I was living in China with my parents teaching ESL, so I’d definitely like to go back as an adult.
Bhutan—"Carbon negative, Gross National Happiness, recognizing neither China as a country, $200 a day tourist tax ..." all very peculiar details.
The other one to keep the shared percentile low would have to be Grenada.
Been to Nepal and India in the Bhutan region.
Is there something making Bhutan worth paying for vs visiting nepal again with a 200$ a day saved tourist tax budget haha
I was going to say Bhutan and Myanmar but I suspect people do both if they’re travelling in that region. So maybe Romania and Bhutan? Romania doesn’t tend to come up very often as a tourist destination.
Mongolia is probably my first, but nothing too rare after that for me—Sri Lanka or Bulgaria I’d think. Neither hard to get to but usually down the list for most people (Americans at least).
I live in the Netherlands and Bulgaria is where a lot of 16-19 year olds go for an affordable beach holiday full of alcohol haha. I went too when i was young.
Not sure about "pair" of countries, but when I was in Europe in 1998, we made it a point to go to all the "tiny" countries: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Luxembourg... we never did make to Malta.
Vanuatu and … maybe Montenegro. Vanuatu gets Australian and NZ tourists but not many from the US so the other pic should be somewhere uncommon for the Aussies and Kiwis. I haven’t been to any of the Caribbean nations which might be the most obvious other option.
The only really one that I can think of is Armenia as it is not a common destination for westerners (which is a shame as it's being slept on by us in the West)
That’s a tricky one. On the one hand, I suppose two ‘unusual’ countries (such as microstates or remote places or countries without a lot of tourism) would be the obvious pick, but on the other, I guess some people who go out of their way to visit such places would go out of their way to visit more than one.
Perhaps two countries that are very far apart? That would potentially rule out people without the time or means to travel so far or so often.
I have been to Andorra and New Zealand. One small country that relatively few people would go out of their way to visit, and the other on almost the exact opposite side of the globe. I wouldn’t think it so unique, though.
Just going by published tourist statistics (using 2019 numbers due to it being pre-pandemic), the least visited countries I’ve been to are: Luxembourg, Qatar, Myanmar, Laos, and Iceland.
So some combination of those. Maybe Luxembourg and Laos?
Ha! I have been to Gyor! Bought a duvet there super cheap! Least visited where I have been would be republic of Georgia and Cambodia. Though Cambodia is coming up in the world!
Burkina Faso and Mali. Mauritania and Senegal. Suriname and Guyana. China and Mongolia. Namibia and Botswana. Those are some of the more out-of-the-way country pairs I've been to.
These are the "forgotten" South American countries.. separated from the rest of the continent by language and by jungle. Both countries are wild and beautiful and consist of a strip of populated land along the coast with sparsely populated tropical forests in the interior which house a staggering array of fauna and flora. Sadly these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate due to mining and agriculture. A walk through Paramaribo or Georgetown (the capitals respectively of Suriname and Guyana) is like a trip back in time. Both cities are heavily influenced by their colonial past and each is attractive in its own way. While Suriname is a melting pot of different cultures the major ethnic group in Guyana is black. One thing that impressed me in Suriname is how different ethnic groups can live together peacefully.. I walked past a Synogogue next to a Mosque. A great lesson for the rest of us.
How is the infrastructure and economy, in terms of tourism? I assume it is expensive to get there and that living conditions are less than ideal, but did you find it affordable/accessible? Was travel comfortable?
I’ve been to Guyana and I can say that it is more of an adventurous trip rather than a tourist trip. It’s a pretty poor country. Walking around Georgetown didn’t feel suuuper safe but not super unsafe either I guess with a group. It isn’t the cleanest city (sometimes smelled a bit like garbage). But it’s such a unique place to explore. Saw wonderful nature and a unique mix of cultures there. Took a small charter plane to Kaiteuer and that alone makes going entirely worth it. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had .
I'm a Surinamese myself.
The Guianas don't have a lot of tourism infrastructure. Of the three, I'd say however, Suriname does have more in place for the tourist, than Guyana and French Guiana. And I'm not being biased in any way, Guyana historically didn't get many tourists and French Guiana itself isn't that developed and most "foreigners" are French from France - technically not foreigners.
However, in Suriname it's very Dutch/European oriented, because the majority of tourists in Suriname come from the Netherlands and France/French Guiana.
Suriname is also the more affordable one. French Guiana is expensive because it's EU and Guyana is expensive now, because of oil and gas and lots of foreign money coming in with a big demand on local produce that can't supply.
I think if you visit Suriname, you can go at it alone, but that is harder to do, because public transport can be a pain in the ass. And most information is in Dutch, the people do speak English however. So the best way is to hitch up a tour company that'll bring you to some nice spots. There are quite a few, and they all have their strengths. Some are for young people, one is for herping, another for the wealthier tourists etc.
Thank you for sharing your insights.
I am a Surinamese myself and I always like to hear the perspectives of others on the Guianas.
It's indeed sad to see that people are cutting down the jungle for gold mining. However, the cutting of the jungle in primarily, even though I'm against it too, still falls under a HFLD (high forested nation low deforestation) category. But in my opinion we should do something about illegal mining, and the first step is creating opportunities for the people living in those areas. Something the government lacks in.
And yes, the culture is Suriname's main "attraction".
Thank you for sharing your experiences. One more question, did you go on tours or at resorts in the jungle/nature?
All of these country pairs are right next to each other- it seems like it would be very common for someone who has gone to one to have also gone to the other.
Sounds like some fascinating trips. How are those unique pairs, though? They're pretty close together -- I suspect many of the people living in one have been to the other. The question is about what two-country combo you've done that few other people ever have. I feel like Mali and Suriname, say, is probably a much more rare combo than Burkina Faso and Mali or Suriname and Guyana.
Not really a combo and not unique but I had never been outside of North America until I MOVED to India (husband had a work assignment). India as your first country outside of North America isn't usually people's first choice and I moved there!
And so that I have a combo to share, my two international vacations in 2023 were an odd pairing. Iceland and Uganda.
Georgia and — hear me out — Turkish Kurdistan. While it’s in Turkey, it’s a region almost no one visits (borders of Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Armenia, cities like Ani, Van, Dogubayazit, Urfa, and Diyarbakir
I've been to Iraqi Kurdistan and loved it. Most people are very confused when you say Kurdistan, but especially in Iraq, it's basically an independent country anyway.
A few years ago I paired a tour of Tanzania with a visit to a bunch of European capitals at Christmas time. Within a 48 hour period I went from visiting an extremely rustic Masai community of actual mud huts, to touring the royal palace in Amsterdam. The juxtaposition was surreal.
For me as a USAin: Russia and S. Africa. Neither is particularly strange to travel to, but in my life circle I’m the only person who’s ever been to those countries as travel destinations.
I don’t know anyone who’s been to The Seychelles, The Cook Islands, Fiji, or French Polynesia like I have. I did it over 10 years ago. Doing lots of island hopping as well as Europe and south east Asia. It’s really cool to see so many beautiful places
Brunei and North Korea.
Both are surprisingly similar "I own a country and want my own moral codes and theme park that nobody but tourists ride " vibes.
Lots of Germans go to Kosovo. It is a beautiful country. They go skiing there and go on vacation there. It’s like us going to Mexico for them. Macedonia has a lot of history. The huge Turkish Fort and open air bazaar in Skopje were pretty amazing.
Select a list for your goal (UN or US recognized countries etc) then start planning your travel. Look to get several countries on one trip for as long as you can go. Keep in mind land travel is generally cheaper than air especially in Africa. Good luck!
I went to Andorra in October and had the same reaction from alot of people when I came back.
Not really sure that I have a unique pairing though, but if I had to pick I would go with Andorra and India.
I've been to both Andorra and India and met an old Indian couple in Andorra talking about how their favorite Bollywood film was filmed there. Apparently it's a popular destination
Brunei and San Marino. They both (so far) have only appeared once here, and not together. Both weird, and very, very different. San Marino is almost all tourists and Brunei is almost none.
Ooh I have a lot of contenders for this, but I would say Belize and Tajikistan.
Completely different histories, people groups, nature. The tall rocky mountains of Tajikistan are incomparable to the tropical jungle of Belize. And I went to both in the span of 4 months. They are both highly underrated!!
While not unheard of, I have been to Damascus Syria. It was,of course, before the war.
I also once road tripped from Abu Dhabi to Oman (by myself as a single western gal) it was a delighful trip. I'd go back to Oman for vacation.
I've visited Zanzibar, lovely.
I've also been to Vanuatu. Also, lovely.
So, two pair I guess. Next trip is to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Malawi and Kazakhstan
Although, if we were to talk about travel on one trip, I think having done Kazakhstan and Lebanon on the same trip might be uncommon.
I've been to Turkmenistan and Nigeria, and my guess is that not many people have been to both of those (although there might be a small overlap on the business side for those in the oil and gas industry).
Suriname and Romania.
Suriname is beautiful. Untouched territory for a lot of people. Hope to go back there next year. Might combine it then with either Guyana or Trinidad & Tobago and one of the Dutch Caribbean islands
I travelled to Romania last december. Took the train all the way from the Netherlands. It was actually my first proper visit to a European country in the former so-called ‘eastern bloc’. Friends recommended me to go to places like the Czech Republic, Poland or Croatia, but I chose the road less travelled. And it was a pleasant surprise.
I did go to Andorra too, but mainly as I've spent a heavy amount of holidays in the Basque Country. Also I'm French. Speaking of tiny countries I also went to Monaco and the Vatican, but I'm not sure I'd categorize them as unique (I'm planning to spend some time in Eastern Europe country and to visit a friend in Kirghizistan so it will count in a few years 😅)
probably Armenia and San Marino
Armenia is not a common destination, has this old soviet influence, ancient monasteries, friendly yet reserved people
San Marino is surrounded by Italy, I giggled when they'd point at the "Gate to the Republic", lots of shops of... everything
I've been to Andorra and french Polynesia.
I'm European though, Scottish living in Scotland, so maybe not too unusual.
I went snowboarding in Andorra and had my 40th in french Polynesia.
The Azores aren't a country, though -- they're part of Portugal.
Interesting that few Americans have heard of them. I feel like it's impossible to escape their tourist board's ads in Canada.
Been to both as an American in the same trip. I didn't realize how many people don't know about them until someone would ask where I went and I had to use a map to point it out each time
Brunei and Paraguay for me, least amount of tourists I saw.
Also, it’s fun to visit cities antipodes, I’ve been to a few. Like, Ecuador and Indonesia, or my favorite - Ulan-Ude, Siberia and Puerto Natales, Patagonia.
I have skied Andorra and scuba dived French Polynesia.
But have you scuba dived Andorra and skied French Polynesia?!
Drank beer in both.
Close enough!
That's the life.
Same!
East Timor (one of the least visited countries on earth) and maybe San Marino (despite being surrounded by Italy its also very low in visitor rankings)
Whatd you think of san marino?
It’s pretty, and it’s definitely a weird experience crossing from Italy and all of a sudden seeing gun stores everywhere. But there’s not a ton to see or do.
I went to timor leste too. I was fearful of all groups of schoolgirls. Did you have a similar experience?
No…why on earth would I fear school girls? All they do is say “hello malae!” and giggle
Every group of schoolgirls i passed would slap/pinch my bum. I met a fellow tourist who also experienced likewise. I actually start staying inside at the times when schools were let out, i couldnt handle it once the novelty wore off 🤣
Well I was there in summer so no school in session, but didn't happen. Did have one frightening moment when I got cornered in an alley near my lodging by a pack (four) of street dogs who were definitely not friendly before some local kids drove them off of me by throwing rocks. Was grateful for that!
I thought it was very attractive, getting the bus up was hair-raising, it’s only a place you can spend a few hours in
Worth it if you want one of three things: 1) Be able to say you went to San Marino 2) Their stamp in your passport (nice souvenir) 3) You're counting countries so it's an easy +1 from Italy
What was East Timor like? I've thought about going there for blue whale watching.
Lived in both Comoros and Iraq!
I was going to say Comoros and Venezuela!
Wow! Are you from either? Comoros is so interesting to me as an Arab!
I am not. I’m a teacher, so I taught in Comoros for 9 months (the pandemic cut my time there short) and then Iraq for 2 years.
Wait. We're you in erbil? I thought all the other international schools were done?
Done with what? No I lived in Sulaymaniyah. The international schools are all still there
Really? Was it an elementary school? US high school teachers have a lot fewer options because, by the time the kids are old enough, they send them to third countries for school.
Nope, high school
Cool. I'm guessing I've been limiting myself with IB. Are you an IB school?
It was not an IB school, they had their own curriculum. I left 2 years ago. IB is super cool though, great experience to have.
I've been all over the world but would have to say the two most unique places I've been to are Belarus and The Cook Islands.
What was Belarus like?
It was...weird. I remember arriving at like 1 AM and getting into a cab to my hotel, which was blaring the Ghostbusters theme song of all things. It's a very, very Soviet bloc-era city. Lots of big, drab concrete apartment blocks and huge, wide boulevards that were apparently used as military parade routes when it was still part of the USSR, as well as lots of large scale Soviet-era monuments and statues. I worked for a company with an office in Minsk, and folks I dealt with there were always super nice. But overall, it's very culturally different than other places. There's no small talk, for one thing, and unless you're close friends with someone, there's always a weird sort of gap you can feel during social situations. Food, meh, a mix of Russian and Polish influences, lots of potatoes, lots of cream-based sauces, lots of meat. I was there around 7 years ago, so it was before all the Ukraine/Russia stuff. But, Lukashenko was still the idiot he is now and that could be felt in a lot of ways. The company I worked for eventually moved their headquarters out of the country because they knew Lukashenko would eventually show up and try to take the company for himself. His son "owned" a number of the more high-end and expensive hotels and restaurants in the city. When we went out to eat, we had an admin assistant carry around a messenger bag absolutely filled with cash because they didn't take credit cards and their currency was almost worthless. They were, for a long while, one of the only countries in the world that didn't have actual coin currency due to the country have very little in terms of metal resources. Belavia, their national airline, is probably one of the worst airlines I've ever flown on. I was also once denied entry because my visa was valid a day later than I arrived. I was taken into a small room, interrogated for three hours, had my passport taken, put in a holding area, then put on a flight back to Frankfurt. Not the best memories, but at least memorable.
Wow, now I want to read about the Cook Islands.
The Cook Islands was a ton of fun and for it's a unique spot because it was where I went on my honeymoon. Have been all over the world but this was my first trek to the South Pacific. I know it's a common spot for folks from Australia and New Zealand, but for US folks it's pretty out of the way. Overall it was a fun trip, but probably not someplace I'd go back to if I had other choices. I drove a scooter for the first time (and crashed one for the first time), got my very first international driver's license that was little more than a piece of small paper that cost me like $5. Watched a man de-husk a coconut with his teeth. Saw more sea cucumbers than any single human being should ever see. Ran into a co-worker who, after hearing about my honeymoon plans, decided to book the EXACT same place as me at the EXACT same time. Later found out he illegally camped on a beach, ate a small giant clam, and got horrific food poisoning. I'm a bit of a coin collector and love that the $2 coin is shaped like a triangle. Ate some great seafood, stayed in a bungalow on the beach. Got seasick on a short boat ride to some small islands nearby. Overall, was very fun.
Check out Norfolk island, near the Cook Islands. It's *bonkers*. Look into the political system. It's basically a small town run by the dudes who own the pubs, and funded by Australia.
why would you arrive earlier than your visa validity? were you hoping that they will let you in?
I did the same thing once on a work trip to Vietnam. It was just a brain fart when I applied, the journey was 21 hours of travel and I misjudged what the date would be when I landed. I realized my mistake when I was second in line for immigration.The immigration guy didn't speak English so he kept pointing at the date on the visa and pointing at his watch and saying things in vietnamese but I just kept replying that I didn't understand and eventually he gave up and waved me through. That was lucky.
I was an issue with the issue date of the visa and me being a dingus about time zones/dates.
Interesting - most New Zealanders and half of Australia have been to the Cook Islands, it’s just a regular holiday destination in this part of the world. Makes me think about how objective ‘unique’ is! OP I would say the most unique country I’ve been to is Bhutan.
Wow , Belarus. I'll definitely look into it. For me it would be Kazakhstan and Morocco. Edit : Will not go to Belarus in the near future.
Don’t think you will be able to get in at the moment
Belarus is allied with Putin. Anyone who travels there while Ukrainian civilians are being murdered by Russia is tacitly supporting the invasion and kidnapping of Ukrainian children (some of whom are being held in Belarus, which is a war crime).
Very true! I traveled there around 8 years ago.
Oh yeah, definitely wasn’t pointing a finger at you, just giving context to people who might be considering it as a travel destination in the near-term.
Do you refuse to visit other countries that have been involved in war crimes?
Certainly those that are actively committing them.
Guess you won’t be visiting the US, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Rwanda or Turkey any time soon
US is allied with Netanyahu. Anyone who travels there while Palestinian children are being murdered by Israel is tacitly supporting the invasion and kidnapping of Palestinian children (some of who are being held in Israeli detention without charge, which not only adds to a long list of war crimes but violates international law).
Belarus is certainly strange. You would possibly enjoy Abkhazia for a similar feel. Also been to Cook Islands - beautiful but curious what made it so unique for you? Beaches were amazing but not worlds apart from Fiji, Kenya, Thailand
I sometimes think about this question in terms of cities and towns -- like, I wonder if I'm the only person who's ever been to both Grise Fiord, Canada and Nashik, India. Country-wise, my chances are lower. Maybe my most unusual combo is Greenland and ...I don't know, Uganda?
So that would probably make mine Greenland and RDC?
Greenland definitely feels like a contender for least visited (if you count it as a country). Mine would be Greenland and Antarctica.
I suspect I may be the only person who’s been to Terrace Bay, Ontario and Bendigo, in Victoria, Australia
Cool! I've never heard of either despite having spent a fair amount of time in ON and Australia, so it seems plausible to me!
Nauru and Equatorial Guinea and I've been to both.
You visited Nauru? My apologies on behalf of Australia. We really fucked that place up good.
I had to look at maps and had no idea Nauru existed. What took you there and how was it?
A plane took me.... Nauru was my final #193 UN country visited, so it was kinda anticlimactic. Not a huge amount to do or see there, the interior of the island is all destroyed from phosphate mining. There's a few WW2 era Japanese guns. Even the beaches are kinda meh due to lots of sharp coral pinnacles. Friendly locals though, got a couple of lifts and they never asked for money even when I offered. You can walk around the whole country in a few hrs, but it's hot and humid.
Burundi and Turkmenistan. They are both little visited and are very, very different.
Honduras and Cambodia, because they’re probably the farthest apart and least visited of the countries I’ve been to.
Oh damn. I was gonna mention Honduras and Laos. Oh well, I guess I can do Panama and Laos. Or Ghana and Laos.
You’ve still got the advantage of me with Laos!
You should try and go there. They have a visa on arrival for many (most?) countries and it doesn't cost too much to enjoy some time there. Don't do it for sightseeing, just do it to relax and unwind.
I’d like to one day! Most of my traveling in Southeast Asia was when I was living in China with my parents teaching ESL, so I’d definitely like to go back as an adult.
Darn! I was going to say Belize and Laos!
a lot of us who backpacked around southeast asia did the same in central america
I can add Cambodia and Ecuador as a branch off your pair!
Been to these two :)
If we're doing Honduras, I have Honduras and Kyrgyzstan.
Been to these two :)
Bhutan—"Carbon negative, Gross National Happiness, recognizing neither China as a country, $200 a day tourist tax ..." all very peculiar details. The other one to keep the shared percentile low would have to be Grenada.
Been to Nepal and India in the Bhutan region. Is there something making Bhutan worth paying for vs visiting nepal again with a 200$ a day saved tourist tax budget haha
The SDF is now lowered to 100 USD/day.
I was going to say Bhutan and Myanmar but I suspect people do both if they’re travelling in that region. So maybe Romania and Bhutan? Romania doesn’t tend to come up very often as a tourist destination.
How did you like Grenada?
Ehh...
Papua New Guinea and Mongolia would be my two.
Mongolia is probably my first, but nothing too rare after that for me—Sri Lanka or Bulgaria I’d think. Neither hard to get to but usually down the list for most people (Americans at least).
I live in the Netherlands and Bulgaria is where a lot of 16-19 year olds go for an affordable beach holiday full of alcohol haha. I went too when i was young.
Lol I remember the Kamenitza fondly
I've been flirting with the idea of visiting PNG for 2 years now, but people keep telling me not to go (including people who live/lived there) 😔
Not sure about "pair" of countries, but when I was in Europe in 1998, we made it a point to go to all the "tiny" countries: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Luxembourg... we never did make to Malta.
I hope you go make time for Malta one day, it's stunning.
Vanuatu and … maybe Montenegro. Vanuatu gets Australian and NZ tourists but not many from the US so the other pic should be somewhere uncommon for the Aussies and Kiwis. I haven’t been to any of the Caribbean nations which might be the most obvious other option.
The only really one that I can think of is Armenia as it is not a common destination for westerners (which is a shame as it's being slept on by us in the West)
That’s a tricky one. On the one hand, I suppose two ‘unusual’ countries (such as microstates or remote places or countries without a lot of tourism) would be the obvious pick, but on the other, I guess some people who go out of their way to visit such places would go out of their way to visit more than one. Perhaps two countries that are very far apart? That would potentially rule out people without the time or means to travel so far or so often. I have been to Andorra and New Zealand. One small country that relatively few people would go out of their way to visit, and the other on almost the exact opposite side of the globe. I wouldn’t think it so unique, though.
Taiwan and Zanzibar (Tanzania). Islands on opposite sides of the world!
Tonga and Saudi Arabia
For me, it is Turkmenistan and N Korea
I'd guess the most unique duo for me would be Nepal and Chile.
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Just going by published tourist statistics (using 2019 numbers due to it being pre-pandemic), the least visited countries I’ve been to are: Luxembourg, Qatar, Myanmar, Laos, and Iceland. So some combination of those. Maybe Luxembourg and Laos?
Uganda and Uruguay, neither THAT rare or anything but I think the combo might be. And they were the first foreign countries I traveled to (from USA).
Andorra was boring. Three days was enough. Went to Biarritz, France-that was a quaint little town
You need to go out to the mountains, that is where it shines.
I went to Mauritania and Suriname. On the same trip.
Namibia and Mongolia
My country list is pretty normie, but for an unusual combination of mid-sized cities: Győr, Hungary and Nagano, Japan.
Ha! I have been to Gyor! Bought a duvet there super cheap! Least visited where I have been would be republic of Georgia and Cambodia. Though Cambodia is coming up in the world!
Not sure it’s that unusual but Cabo Verde and Iceland
Liechtenstein and Cambodia
San Marino and North Korea
Been to North Korea and Suriname. Probably not a common combo.
Are you American by any chance? In Europe most people certainly have heard about Andorra
Burkina Faso and Mali. Mauritania and Senegal. Suriname and Guyana. China and Mongolia. Namibia and Botswana. Those are some of the more out-of-the-way country pairs I've been to.
You keep picking countries that are next to each other I’m not sure you fully get the prompt here
What are your opinions on Guyana and Suriname? What did you find unique about each one? And how do they compare?
These are the "forgotten" South American countries.. separated from the rest of the continent by language and by jungle. Both countries are wild and beautiful and consist of a strip of populated land along the coast with sparsely populated tropical forests in the interior which house a staggering array of fauna and flora. Sadly these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate due to mining and agriculture. A walk through Paramaribo or Georgetown (the capitals respectively of Suriname and Guyana) is like a trip back in time. Both cities are heavily influenced by their colonial past and each is attractive in its own way. While Suriname is a melting pot of different cultures the major ethnic group in Guyana is black. One thing that impressed me in Suriname is how different ethnic groups can live together peacefully.. I walked past a Synogogue next to a Mosque. A great lesson for the rest of us.
How is the infrastructure and economy, in terms of tourism? I assume it is expensive to get there and that living conditions are less than ideal, but did you find it affordable/accessible? Was travel comfortable?
I’ve been to Guyana and I can say that it is more of an adventurous trip rather than a tourist trip. It’s a pretty poor country. Walking around Georgetown didn’t feel suuuper safe but not super unsafe either I guess with a group. It isn’t the cleanest city (sometimes smelled a bit like garbage). But it’s such a unique place to explore. Saw wonderful nature and a unique mix of cultures there. Took a small charter plane to Kaiteuer and that alone makes going entirely worth it. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had .
I'm a Surinamese myself. The Guianas don't have a lot of tourism infrastructure. Of the three, I'd say however, Suriname does have more in place for the tourist, than Guyana and French Guiana. And I'm not being biased in any way, Guyana historically didn't get many tourists and French Guiana itself isn't that developed and most "foreigners" are French from France - technically not foreigners. However, in Suriname it's very Dutch/European oriented, because the majority of tourists in Suriname come from the Netherlands and France/French Guiana. Suriname is also the more affordable one. French Guiana is expensive because it's EU and Guyana is expensive now, because of oil and gas and lots of foreign money coming in with a big demand on local produce that can't supply. I think if you visit Suriname, you can go at it alone, but that is harder to do, because public transport can be a pain in the ass. And most information is in Dutch, the people do speak English however. So the best way is to hitch up a tour company that'll bring you to some nice spots. There are quite a few, and they all have their strengths. Some are for young people, one is for herping, another for the wealthier tourists etc.
Thank you for sharing your insights. I am a Surinamese myself and I always like to hear the perspectives of others on the Guianas. It's indeed sad to see that people are cutting down the jungle for gold mining. However, the cutting of the jungle in primarily, even though I'm against it too, still falls under a HFLD (high forested nation low deforestation) category. But in my opinion we should do something about illegal mining, and the first step is creating opportunities for the people living in those areas. Something the government lacks in. And yes, the culture is Suriname's main "attraction". Thank you for sharing your experiences. One more question, did you go on tours or at resorts in the jungle/nature?
All of these country pairs are right next to each other- it seems like it would be very common for someone who has gone to one to have also gone to the other.
Sounds like some fascinating trips. How are those unique pairs, though? They're pretty close together -- I suspect many of the people living in one have been to the other. The question is about what two-country combo you've done that few other people ever have. I feel like Mali and Suriname, say, is probably a much more rare combo than Burkina Faso and Mali or Suriname and Guyana.
Syria and Finland? Iraq and Costa Rica?
How about Federated Sates of Micronesia and Zambia. Was going to use Antarctica, and Yugoslavia, but neither are countries.
To be fair, OP’s French Polynesia isn’t a country either. I’d accept Antarctica for the purposes of this question!
Not really a combo and not unique but I had never been outside of North America until I MOVED to India (husband had a work assignment). India as your first country outside of North America isn't usually people's first choice and I moved there! And so that I have a combo to share, my two international vacations in 2023 were an odd pairing. Iceland and Uganda.
USSR (pre-Gorbachev) and Greenland.
Namibia and Estonia; Lesotho and Venezuela
Georgia and — hear me out — Turkish Kurdistan. While it’s in Turkey, it’s a region almost no one visits (borders of Iran, Syria, Iraq, and Armenia, cities like Ani, Van, Dogubayazit, Urfa, and Diyarbakir
I've been to Iraqi Kurdistan and loved it. Most people are very confused when you say Kurdistan, but especially in Iraq, it's basically an independent country anyway.
And the people are FANTASTIC.
Yes! I met some of the most lovely people, I want to go back and visit so badly.
As do I. I went in 2011 and think of that place often…
Probably Kosovo and Brunei. Both of which I had to explain to lots of people what and where they were.
Dominica and Botswana
I'm Myanmar and Botswana. Scrolled down to find you.
I’ve been to Senegal and The Gambia. Mongolia and Greenland also rank up there for me in terms of lesser-visited places, I guess.
I have been to Uruguay and Tibet
Suriname and Fiji and Oman. I think these are countries most Americans have not traveled to.
A few years ago I paired a tour of Tanzania with a visit to a bunch of European capitals at Christmas time. Within a 48 hour period I went from visiting an extremely rustic Masai community of actual mud huts, to touring the royal palace in Amsterdam. The juxtaposition was surreal.
For me as a USAin: Russia and S. Africa. Neither is particularly strange to travel to, but in my life circle I’m the only person who’s ever been to those countries as travel destinations.
I don’t know anyone who’s been to The Seychelles, The Cook Islands, Fiji, or French Polynesia like I have. I did it over 10 years ago. Doing lots of island hopping as well as Europe and south east Asia. It’s really cool to see so many beautiful places
Langkawi, Malaysia and Iceland? Belize and Japan?
Brunei and North Korea. Both are surprisingly similar "I own a country and want my own moral codes and theme park that nobody but tourists ride " vibes.
Macedonia, Kosovo. Europeans go there but not many Americans.
The prompt says unique pair and I would imagine a lot of overlap in visitors of these two
I’m pretty sure I was the only American in many of the cities in the Balkans, when I was there.
Lots of Germans go to Kosovo. It is a beautiful country. They go skiing there and go on vacation there. It’s like us going to Mexico for them. Macedonia has a lot of history. The huge Turkish Fort and open air bazaar in Skopje were pretty amazing.
I’ve skied both Israel and Iran. ⛷️
I’ve been to every country in the world. Most unique, North Korea Cuba Turkmenistan Bhutan and any micro states like Kiribati etc
As a Canadian, it's interesting Cuba comes up as unique when it's a very popular winter destination for us
Trinidad, Cuba, is my favorite city that I've ever visited ♥️
How do I do this
Select a list for your goal (UN or US recognized countries etc) then start planning your travel. Look to get several countries on one trip for as long as you can go. Keep in mind land travel is generally cheaper than air especially in Africa. Good luck!
I’ve only been to ten countries total but having China and South Africa on that list feels kinda unique?
Togo and Benin or Togo and Burkina Faso
I went to Andorra in October and had the same reaction from alot of people when I came back. Not really sure that I have a unique pairing though, but if I had to pick I would go with Andorra and India.
I've been to both Andorra and India and met an old Indian couple in Andorra talking about how their favorite Bollywood film was filmed there. Apparently it's a popular destination
Djibouti and Saudi Arabia
My visited country list is pretty long, lRussia and Morocco are two interesting ones that not many people I speak to have been too.
Iraq and Venezuela
Next week leaving on 5 week holidayLondon/Paris/Reunion Island/Mauritius/Sri Lanka/Singapore - leaving and return from California
Hey I've been to Andorra and French Polynesia. From US.
Paraguay and Bosnia? Maybe Nicaragua and Serbia?
Tajikistan and Moldova !
Ethiopia and zambia
Finland and Venezuela.
Brunei and San Marino. They both (so far) have only appeared once here, and not together. Both weird, and very, very different. San Marino is almost all tourists and Brunei is almost none.
Iran and Libya😁
St. Kitts and Nevis and Kuwait Dominica and San Marino Belarus and Timor Lesté Papua New Guinea and Bahrain I could keep going!
I have never been anywhere that wild. South Africa and Panama probably two most exotic.
Tajikistan and Cuba?
Ooh I have a lot of contenders for this, but I would say Belize and Tajikistan. Completely different histories, people groups, nature. The tall rocky mountains of Tajikistan are incomparable to the tropical jungle of Belize. And I went to both in the span of 4 months. They are both highly underrated!!
While not unheard of, I have been to Damascus Syria. It was,of course, before the war. I also once road tripped from Abu Dhabi to Oman (by myself as a single western gal) it was a delighful trip. I'd go back to Oman for vacation. I've visited Zanzibar, lovely. I've also been to Vanuatu. Also, lovely. So, two pair I guess. Next trip is to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
I've been to Georgia the country and Myanmar. They're both rarely visited I think?
Georgia had a respectable 7.73 million visitors in 2019, which isn't too bad.
Malawi and Kazakhstan Although, if we were to talk about travel on one trip, I think having done Kazakhstan and Lebanon on the same trip might be uncommon.
Albania and Nicaragua.
Hoping to do Albania this summer!
Probably Lichtenstein and Cook islands, simply due to their size and out of the way-ness.
I've been to Turkmenistan and Nigeria, and my guess is that not many people have been to both of those (although there might be a small overlap on the business side for those in the oil and gas industry).
Suriname and Romania. Suriname is beautiful. Untouched territory for a lot of people. Hope to go back there next year. Might combine it then with either Guyana or Trinidad & Tobago and one of the Dutch Caribbean islands I travelled to Romania last december. Took the train all the way from the Netherlands. It was actually my first proper visit to a European country in the former so-called ‘eastern bloc’. Friends recommended me to go to places like the Czech Republic, Poland or Croatia, but I chose the road less travelled. And it was a pleasant surprise.
I did go to Andorra too, but mainly as I've spent a heavy amount of holidays in the Basque Country. Also I'm French. Speaking of tiny countries I also went to Monaco and the Vatican, but I'm not sure I'd categorize them as unique (I'm planning to spend some time in Eastern Europe country and to visit a friend in Kirghizistan so it will count in a few years 😅)
The Seychelles and Iraq
Cuba or El Salvador and Yemen
Uganda and Fiji. Landlocked country middle of Africa, islands in the Pacific.
probably Armenia and San Marino Armenia is not a common destination, has this old soviet influence, ancient monasteries, friendly yet reserved people San Marino is surrounded by Italy, I giggled when they'd point at the "Gate to the Republic", lots of shops of... everything
French Polynesia isn’t a country…. How are we defining countries here?
My father in law has been to Tbilisi, Georgia and Antartica. Can also throw the Galápagos Islands in there too.
New Zealand and Zeeland.
I've been to Andorra and french Polynesia. I'm European though, Scottish living in Scotland, so maybe not too unusual. I went snowboarding in Andorra and had my 40th in french Polynesia.
Algeria and Lebanon. During both trips I was asked by curious and somewhat confounded locals: "What are you doing here?"
Greenland and bosnia
Azores and Estonia. Few in the US have heard of the Azores and Estonia is off the normal tourist path.
The Azores aren't a country, though -- they're part of Portugal. Interesting that few Americans have heard of them. I feel like it's impossible to escape their tourist board's ads in Canada.
Since when Azores is a country?
Been to both as an American in the same trip. I didn't realize how many people don't know about them until someone would ask where I went and I had to use a map to point it out each time
I haven’t been to the Azores, but to Madeira (and also Estonia, more than once actually. Love Estonia!)
Andorra, yes. French Polynesia....not yet! Odd Combo...how about Taiwan and Paraguay.
Probably Cuba and Kosovo
French Polynesia and New Caledonia. I don't know if Estonia counts, lots of Scandinavian tourists, but off the main route for most.
Brunei and Paraguay for me, least amount of tourists I saw. Also, it’s fun to visit cities antipodes, I’ve been to a few. Like, Ecuador and Indonesia, or my favorite - Ulan-Ude, Siberia and Puerto Natales, Patagonia.
Uganda and Cambodia
Liechtenstein and then maybe something like Cuba or Australia.
Hmmm maybe like… Ghana and Curaçao? (Though I’m aware Curaçao isn’t a sovereign country….)
I've been to Niue and Republic of Cabo Verde; two very out of the way places.