Countries Visited
(as of 2024-June)
It is difficult to pin down how many countries there are in the world. For our purposes, we'll go with the number of 194 countries and 58 dependencies as detailed on this website. As a simple summary: a country is a sovereign state (for example France or the United Kingdom) while the island of Réunion is a dependency of France and the peninsula of Gibraltar one of the UK.
We have so far visited 58 countries of 194, and four dependencies of 58. Still a way to go! But we are not choosing our destinations with the aim of completing the list and we often keep returning to the same old countries, just because we love them and feel happy when we're there.
- Asia: our preferred travel continent, 20 countries of 54
- Europe: our home turf, 31 countries of 47
- Africa: six countries of 54
- Americas: one country of 55
- Oceania: an unexplored part of the planet so far, zero countries of 14
- Dependencies: four of 58
You can view an overall map of our travels and individual maps of most our long distance trips in detail on the Travellers Point Website.
Asia: 20 countries
| Nepal | We fell in love with Nepal during our first visit in 1994 when we were hiking the Everest trek. We liked it so much that we came back in 1995, and again in 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2016. All in all, we have spent 573 days, a bit more than one and a half year of our life in Nepal. |
| China | We spent one week in Tibet in 2001 as an organised trip driving from Kathmandu to Lhasa and flying back to Nepal. |
| India | Our first visit to India was 2004. We were not sure whether we liked this country or not when we returned. But as time passed we started missing some Indian moments, we simply had to come back, which we did in 2009. That's when we got hooked: we returned in 2013, 2015, 2018, Spring 2023 and Winter 2023-2024 . All in all, we have spent 426 days, more than one year of our life in fascinating India. |
| Sri Lanka | Three weeks as part of our Hanuman journey in 2018. |
| Turkey | We have spent a lot of time in Turkey (129 days, nearly 19 weeks). We spent 31 days at the end of our Cairo to Istanbul journey in 2005, returned for 50 days during our TISL journey in 2006, spent ten days in Istanbul in 2014 and spent 38 days in 2015 touring Cappadocia, crossing the Anatolian plateau to the Armenian border and returning to Istanbul by following the shores of the Black Sea. |
| Syria | One of our favourite countries. Our first visit was a four-week holiday in 2002. We returned for three and half weeks as part of our Cairo to Istanbul journey in 2005 and again for two and a half weeks as part of our TISL journey in 2006. |
| Jordan | Four weeks as part of our Cairo to Istanbul journey in 2005. |
| Lebanon | A short visit (3 days) to Baalbek in 2002 and nine days as part of our TISL journey in 2006. |
| Iran | 33 days as part of our TISL journey in 2006. |
| Thailand | Our hub in Southeast Asia. We have toured the country extensively in 2006 and 2007 and used it also as a stepping stone to neighbouring destinations in 2011 and 2014. All in all, 104 days, nearly 15 weeks. |
| Cambodia | Cambodia has the impressive ruins of Angkor and we can never resist a visit when we are in the area. We've been four times in this country, in 2006 and 2007, 2011 and 2014, amounting to 11 weeks in total. |
| Laos | We've been twice in Laos, the first time as part of our Tindo Trip in 2007 and then during our Calamyti trip in 2011, eight weeks in total. |
| Malaysia | 30 days as part of our Calamyti trip in 2011. |
| Myanmar | 25 days as part of our SEA 2014 trip in 2014. |
| Vietnam | 30 days as part of our Tindo Trip in 2007. |
| Singapore | Four days as part of our Calamyti trip in 2011. |
| Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Uzbekistan | Four countries visited as part of a guided tour in the USSR in 1989. |
Europe: 31 countries
| France, Germany and the United Kingdom | Our countries of residence including so many holidays in France that we have stopped counting. |
| Belgium | We lived there for one and a half year while Vero worked on a Belgian project in 1996/1997 and toured the major cities of Flanders for 11 days in 2023. |
| Romania | Four weeks touring the country during our Robust 2019 journey. |
| Cyprus | Four weeks wild camping in North and South Cyprus in 2005. |
| Spain | A four-week road trip in 1989 followed by several short visits over the following years, some trips in the Spanish Pyrenees and a four-week trek across the island of Tenerife in 1991. |
| Sweden and Norway | Three weeks spent hiking the Kungsleden in northern Sweden (with a short visit to Norwegian Narvik) and staying in Uppsala and Stockholm on the way back. |
| Bulgaria | Ten days at the end of our Robust 2019 journey with four days in Sofia. |
| Italy and Vatican City | Vero's treat for her 50th birthday in 2013, one week in Rome. |
| Republic of Ireland | One week touring the country in 2000. |
| Hungary | Four days in Budapest at the start of our Robust 2019 journey. |
| Portugal | A long week-end to attend the wedding of Vero's cousin in 1994. |
| Czech Republic | One week in 2004 to visit friends. |
| Luxembourg, Netherlands | Neighbouring countries of France and/or Germany which we used to visit on short trips when we lived in Germany. |
| Austria, Switzerland | Favourite skiing and hiking destinations when we were living in Germany. We also have family in Switzerland. |
| Liechtenstein | Short visits on the way between Switzerland and Austria. |
| Andorra, Monaco | Short visits while holidaying in France or Spain. |
| Denmark | A few days in Copenhagen in 2001. |
| Finland | Vero went there for work in 1998 and just managed to tour Helsinki by night. |
| Greece | Our first big trip with friends when we were students in 1983. |
| Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia | We visited those five countries on our way to Greece in 1983. |
Africa: six countries
| Tunisia and Algeria | Five weeks on a road trip with our good old sturdy Lada Niva in 1991. |
| Morocco | Six weeks exploring the country in 2017. |
| Egypt | Two trips. The first time in 1988 with a tour group down the Nile and in the Sinai, the second time as individual travellers as part of our Cairo to Istanbul journey in 2005. |
| Kenya and Tanzania | Climbing Kilimanjaro, hiking in the Mount Kenya massif and the obligatory safari in the Ngorongoro national park in 1996. |
Americas: one country
| United States of America | Thomas went to California in 1984 and we spent one week in Florida on our way back from the Virgin Islands in 1995. |
Oceania: none
A completely empty part of our travel map. We are not really water people, so all islands of the Pacific are not very appealing to us and we like to think that we will be able to explore Australia and New Zealand when we are older, renting a camper car and indulging in more comfort.
Dependencies: four of 58
| US Virgin Islands | Four days as a treat from Vero's employer for a job well done in 1995. |
| Jersey | Another treat from Vero's employer, four days in 1998. |
| Gibraltar | Two days in 2017 as a stepping stone to Morocco. |
| Réunion | One month in 1993 mostly spent hiking through the island. |
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