My Top 5 Countries After 731 Days on Round The World Trip

This trip started what seems like ages ago, on May 10, 2014. It’s been almost three years since then. But without counting a 2-month break I took in Los Angeles back in 2015 and the ongoing 1-year stay in Sydney Australia, I have traveled a total of 731 days. This trip is not over yet, but since I’m currently on an extended break, it is a good time to list my top 5 countries so far.

By The Numbers

• 731 days
• $44,011 (USD) spent
• 28 countries
• 213 beds slept in
• 54 flights
• 82 long distance buses
• 52 long distance trains
• 44 boats rides
• 4 hitchhikes
• 3 souvenirs bought (2 coin pouches, 1 shoulder bag)
• 0 times robbed

Check my last post for a detailed summary of my expenses.

Countries Visited

(Click on a country below for a summary of each of them)

Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, Iran.

Top 5 Favorite Countries

#5 Brazil

My favorite country in South America. Lots of diversity in people and geography. It has beautiful beaches, sand dunes, mountains, and jungles. There’s a unique energy in its people, places, and music that I haven’t found anywhere else.

#4 New Zealand

Incredible natural beauty in a compact and easy to travel country. It’s a hikers’ paradise with its thousands of mountain huts spread around the country, so you can do multi-day hikes without carrying a tent. There were so many times when I stood at a place in disbelief at how much beauty there was in front of me.

#3 Myanmar

Exotic, beautiful, easy to travel, and cheap, with friendly people and good food. Not yet overrun by tourists, and not yet influenced by western culture. Bagan, with its 2000 temples, might be the most interesting place I have visited in my life.

#2 Iran

An exotic country with history everywhere, and some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. I woke up everyday knowing that I’d see something amazing. While I was a bit nervous and scared before going, I found it surprisingly safe and easy to travel in.

#1 Japan

Myanmar, and Iran could have easily been #1 on this list, but I decided to pick Japan because it is the country I want to go back to the most. Having visited it twice already during this trip, I loved its unique and fascinating culture. Simply wondering around random streets brought me lots of happiness. It has a great mix of tradition and modern technology. If you have never been there, and can only visit one country for the rest of your life, go to Japan.