COUNTRIES

MIDDLE EAST

AFRICA

SOUTH ASIA

Yemen

RWANDA

PAKISTAN

MOLDOVA

PALAU

A veritable underwater Serengeti where are life leads to the pristine surrounding waters and countless rock islands. The diving was as good as it gets anywhere in the world.

EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   EXCERPT/BLURB HERE   

DRC

NIGERIA

SRI LANKA

AFGHANISTAN

TUVALU

KIRIBATI

I’m quite taken with this country. The people give off quite a sense of hope for their country’s future. It is remarkable given that in one generation Rwanda went from one of the most barbaric periods of human slaughter to a model of stability in Africa.

From a Belgium King taking one of the largest territories in Africa as his own personal possession, to the CIA orchestrating the death of a former President, to blood diamonds, pygmies, rebels, and volcano eruptions destroying villages, the history DRC (Congo) reads like a novel.

Nigeria is one of Africa’s most compelling countries featuring the good, the bad and the ugly sometimes edging close to failed-state status and Lagos is a sea of humanity and a burst of energy unlike any other city I’ve seen.

Pakistan is a country stuck between two extremes. Democracy vs Military rule. Secular Society vs Islamic Republic. Alliance with the U.S. vs support for the Taliban but the engaging Pakistanis, the incomparable mountain scenery in the north and a ride along the Karakoram highway make this country a top destination. 

No joke, nineteen varieties of bananas and twelve of mango. But there is more, ancient sites, beautiful coastline, verdant highlands, abundant spirituality, warm people and good tourist infrastructure make this country a must visit.

It is obviously impossible to justify the Taliban’s zealous pursuit of Islamic law and particularly the impact on women's rights. However, Afghanistan it is a compelling country, whether it’s history ancient or current, it’s beautiful and vast landscapes, or it’s rich ethnic cultures. Everyone looks to be a National Geographic photo feature.

It’s all about wineries and monasteries and in the case of the former a Guinness Book of Records wine cellar. Adding the next- door breakaway republic Transnistria makes an interesting place to visit. 

A long narrow sliver of coral atoll, with clear blue water on either side. One of the world’s least-populated and least-visited countries. There is so little land the airport runway, which services only three flights per week, is essentially, the town square, central park, main street with people having picnics, walking dogs, playing sports. 

Rising seas a true existential risk with the high elevation point of the capital, Tarawa, only nine feet. To find a truly authentic coral island experience with the locals get away to one of the islands like Abaiang. 

CENTRAL AFRICA

MADAGASCAR

UGANDA

Being one of the most diverse places on earth, Madagascar is a biologist and anthropologists dream and sometimes called the 8th continent. The landscapes are as jaw-dropping as the people are friendly and of course there are the lemurs, all kinds and lots of them.

If I had to pick one country in Africa that has it all, it would have to be Uganda. Class 5 rapids on the world’s longest river, Gorillas, Chimps, the Big 5, mountains with snow and some of the friendliest people on the continent. That is why it is called the Pearl of Africa.

EAST AFRICA

SUDAN

LIBYA

Sadly, despite the devastation of civil war, much of the world has forgotten about this amazing country, multi-ethnic, steeped in culture, antiquities and incredibly hospital people, among the most in Africa. In Port Sudan area, the de-facto SAF I enjoyed the local style of coffee with ginger added, chatting up the locals to learn of the horrors of the previous year.

The dysfunction of Libya was evident well before I arrived and came close, three times, to not getting in. Nonetheless, The sites in Libya, starting with Leptis Magna, are among the best in the Mediterranean and perhaps the most impressive of what the Romas left us.

NORTH AFRICA

ALGERIA

MAURITANIA

Algeria is like its own continent and an example of unity in diversity with stunning and varied landscapes (desert and coastal), significant ancient Roman cities, a mixture of cultures and even languages. Despite its Oil & Gas wealth, much of the country is full of pristine, virgin nature and beauty.

The place furthest west that Arab civilization was able to conquer being one of the 22-Arabic speaking countries. There are some cool desert towns like Chinguetti, similar to Timbuktu, and incredible desert landscapes with sand swallowing the highways and camels all over the place.

LESOTHO

ANGOLA

The country with the highest low-elevation point in the world, more than 4,500 ft. and beautiful mountain scenery. Still I did not expect to get snowed in the capital and flight cancelled for my departure, and in Africa. 

An underrated country with the spectacular Namid desert conversing with miles of pristine coastline, fascinating ethnic groups and beautiful rock formations plus a vibrant culture.

SOUTHERN AFRICA

SAO TOME & PRINCIPE

CAMEROON

The Portuguese colonized this island country in West Africa and went from being uninhabited to the one of the world’s largest cacao producers in the 1800s. Today it is a spectacularly beautiful mountainous country with miles of beaches and rarely visited.

Cameroon also carries the nickname of “mini-Africa” because of its significant diversity of landscapes, climate zones and animal life. It is one of the most bio-diverse countries on planet earth and also one of the wettest. It has some of the world’s most impressive waterfalls.

WEST AFRICA

ASIA

IRAn

LEBANON

Lebanon is a country with perhaps the most unparalleled mosaic of people, cultures, and religions both in the past and now. A true crossroads of human civilization but challenged by religious and political division. The ancient Roman and Phoenician ruins are breathtaking.

SAUDI

MALTA

One of the worlds most interesting languages, sounds like Arabic, written in Latin and my vote for Europe’s most beautiful capital. Eye-appealing architecture and clear blue water. 

EUROPE

OCEANIA

SYRIA

There is surely no country whose image in the West, mostly due to it’s hard-line leadership, is more radically different than the experience on the ground for a tourist as Iran. The country’s incredibly rich history, culture, cuisine, sights and people make for a top intrepid travel destination. 

The landscapes and architecture are as good as I have seen in my travels and the people (men) are incredibly engaging and hospitable. The culture as rich as any. It was a very genuine and authentically amazing experience.

Hands down, my best travel experience, highlighted by a surprise 64th birthday party. The food is insane, the people as kind and engaging as you will find, and the sites are ancient and varied. 

This country, a contrast between the place where the religion of close to 2 billion followers and also the world’s biggest exporter is changing fast. So many layers to understand, so wealthy but still so traditional. A truly fascinating place.

Papua New Guinea

One of the world’s most bio-diverse countries with 14% of the world’s languages where tribes display their cultural heritage with their traditional dress, dances and songs at the amazing annual Mt. Hagen festival.

MONGOLIA

BHUTAN

Mongolia is a compelling country: its vastness, Buddhism, rugged beauty, fascinating cultures and history of the Mongols. I will not soon forget the scale of expansiveness I felt driving through Western Mongolia, leaving impressions of awe and stunning beauty.

This Himalayan Kingdom steeped in Buddhist culture that you feel everywhere you go in the people, the architecture, the dress….you can’t help but be calmed by it.

EAST ASIA

NIGER

The pastoral scenery is as good as it gets in Africa, the ubiquitous mudbrick mosques, roaming camels, women in colorful abayas balancing loads on their head walking to market.

IRAQ

The place of one of the world’s firsts civilizations and the shrines of Mohammed’s son-in law and grandson, yet still tainted in the perception of many. A place of mind-blowing contrasts.

CHAD

The Gerewol Festival is unlike anything I’ve seen and as authentic a cultural experience as one could hope for with men from the Woodaabe clan beautifying themselves to earn the right to be chosen by a woman.

DOMINICA

Sure, it has the best hiking trails, up rugged jungle peaks, in the Caribbean, waterfalls, rivers and hot-springs flowing everywhere, the nesting place of the Sperm Whales, but is the people who made Dominica Conde Naste’s friendliest country in 2023, that make this place special.

NORTH AMERICA

BOTSWANA

Botswana has unimaginable wildlife with the world’s largest concentration of elephants and the unique eco-system of the Okavango Delta. The vast Kalahari desert offers not just wildlife but the ancient Khoi-san whose “click language” is possibly the first language spoken by humans.