EXCLUSIVE I've visited EVERY country in the world… here are the ones I would NEVER go back to

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

A man who has visited every country in the world has shared the ones he'd never go back to... and the hidden gems that he believes are overlooked.
Luca Pferdmenges, 23, who is originally from Germany, started traveling when he was just 14 years old.
An avid juggler, he would jet off to various cities in Europe to perform at juggling conventions, and along the way, he developed a fierce passion for exploring the globe.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and his juggling career came to a halt, he decided that once the world opened back up, he was going to start traveling full-time.
He then made it his goal to visit every country on the planet, and just five years later, he's now spent time in all 195 of them.
Now, he has broken down which countries are 'overrated' and which are hidden gems exclusively with the Daily Mail.
He admitted that he wouldn't recommend 'small island destinations' that don't offer much except nice beaches and resorts because they are 'boring' to him.
He also said he was not a fan of Egypt because he felt like he was 'constantly getting hassled' when he was there.
'Often, I find small island destinations quite overrated, places that have nothing besides pretty beaches,' he explained.
'I would argue that the lesser Antilles islands in the Caribbean are probably the most overrated places in the world.
'They do have good parties and nice beaches, but not much more than that.
'I would make an exception for [the Caribbean island] Dominica, which is one of the most fascinating countries for me.
'Other overrated places would be the Maldives (again not much besides beaches), or Egypt (because as a visitor one constantly gets hassled).'
As for places he loved that aren't that well known, he said he was impressed with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
'They are very affordable, super hospitable, and have amazing nature,' he gushed.
'In Europe, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Estonia are underrated destinations,' added the travel pro.
'Most people don't know anything about those countries, yet they are some of the most beautiful places I have been to.'
Over the course of his travels, Luca admitted that he was put into some very dangerous and even life-threatening situations.
He recalled a time that he was teaching in Afghanistan in 2020 when a 'shooting' occurred on the street he was staying on.
'Luckily I was inside and nothing happened,' he added. 'Another morning, we wanted to visit a park [but] I was told that the park had been subject to a bomb attack by the Taliban.'
Another 'scary' incident occurred in Papua New Guinea.
'I was walking through the streets of Port Moresby when a police jeep stopped me. He said, "Don't walk past here,"' Luca shared.
'I decided to trust him and enter his police jeep. Two minutes later, we witnessed a car robbery right where I was about to walk through.
'Being a police officer, he opened his door, took his shotgun and fired warning shots. I was very afraid in that situation.
The avid traveler, who says he lives off his social media income, estimated that he's spent around $116,000 on travel expenses over the last five years
'What if the attackers opened fire at us? What if there were other people in the bush behind us?
'I was in the back of the police jeep - an obvious target - but luckily nothing happened.'
In the end, he admitted that he wouldn't recommend living full-time on the road like him to others. He said, 'You're almost never home, don't see friends and family a lot and it's also a very expensive endeavor'
Luca said despite the terrifying incidents he has tried to give every country a chance throughout his quest to visit all of them.
'I could not say, "I don't like the country," "I don't like the politics," or, "I'm too afraid to go,"' he explained.
'I had had to visit every single country in the world, and that's what made the mission so special.'
Luca has documented his journey on Instagram and TikTok, where he's racked up more than 256,000 and 3.1 million followers respectfully.
The avid traveler, who says he lives off his social media income, estimated that he's spent around $116,000 on travel expenses over the last five years.
In the end, he admitted that he wouldn't recommend living full-time on the road like him to others.
'I wouldn't recommend it because one does give up a lot for [this lifestyle],' Luca said.
'You're almost never home, don't see friends and family a lot and it's also a very expensive endeavor.
'That said, I'm very grateful that I could afford the travels with social media and it does give me an insane amount of freedom.'