I fell far short of the goal in 2023 and again in 2024, but I’m setting what I hope will be an achievable goal in 2025: visit 10 countries I have not previously visited…
10 New Countries For 2025
As I focus on the more important matters of my family, cultivating my career beyond this blog, and working to live rather than living to work, I still hope to whittle away a bit at my country count each year. But long gone are the years when I could visit dozens of new countries.
Last year I visited two new countries on my Explora Caribbean cruise including Barbados and Saint Lucia. There was also Guadeloupe and French Polynesia if you count them as independent of France (I do not). I always set out to do more, but the realities of my primary duty as a husband and father do limit my ability to travel…a tradeoff I welcome. I stretch out trip reports to make it seem like I am always away, but for 4/5 of the year I am home and as my children quickly grow and I tackle other professional obligations, my trips will continue to be limited in duration.
Nevertheless, by the end of the year, I hope to visit these 10 new countries:
Venezuela
Stay tuned for this one: I’m working hard to make it happen but securing a visa is not easy for US citizens…it has been extreme drama.
Mongolia
I hope to fly both MIAAT and United’s new service to Ulaanbaatar this year.
Timor-Leste
This is the last country in SE Asia I have not visited. Timor-Leste is a country I must visit if I am going to visit every country and I will be in Indonesia later this year, so I am going to try to spend a day or two in the capital city of Dili.
Angola
I’m so intrigued by Luanda, the oil-rich capital of Angola, as well as the country’s Cold War history. I plan to review TAAG this year… which should be interesting…and if I do, will spend the night in Luanda.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the only country in Central America I have not visited. I’m intrigued by President Daniel Ortega and happy that United Airlines flies to Augusto Cesar Sandino International Airport (MGA) in Managua, the capital city.
Uganda
I have friends from Uganda in Los Angeles who have contacts on the ground and would like to review the Airbus A330-800neo on Uganda Airlines.
Senegal
I’ve been meaning to review Air Senegal for a couple years now and if I do, I will certainly spend a day or two in Dakar. Now that United will fly to Dakar, it will be easier than ever to reach.
Somalia
Ok, hear me out on this one. I know Somalia is not safe. But I want to see it…and support the brave entrepreneurs who have opened a hip coffee shop in Mogadishu.
Eritrea
I hope to visit the colorful capital of Eritrea, Asmara, but this is a very strange nation and has become more difficult to reach after Ehtiopian Airlines was banned.
Belize
I tried to fit in a Belize trip in 2024 and could not make it work (United flies nonstop once per week from Los Angeles), but hope to do so this year.
CONCLUSION
These are my goals, and perhaps they are a bit ambitious. But I do hope to whittle down this list in 2025 and would welcome any tips you can provide on any of the destinations above.
I am in a holding pattern for countries visited. Literally get around to just countries that I’ve already been, so I am not likely anytime soon to crack 100 although it’s just a matter of priorities.
Amusingly, there are some countries which my grandparents visited on diplomatic passports to which I have myself not yet been.
You identify Nicaragua as the last remaining Central American country for you to visit but then you also itemize Beliza…curious about your definition of Central America? (This is not a gotcha, I’m genuinely curious because I know it’s not “Latin” America.)
It’s fair. I guess I consider Belize more Caribbean even though it is indeed in Central America.
You really should not be going to Venezuela right now. It’s extremely dangerous. Maybe going on a charter to Isla Margarita from Germany would be okay (and yes, they’re still running), but stay away from Mainland/ Caracas.
Any Venezuelan that can is finding a way to leave the country and Matthew wants to go there. To each their own.
I completed Caribbean bingo this year primarily on 8K AA award tickets. Great way to knock out St. Vincent, St Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, and Dominica if you haven’t. You can always find availability
E Timor is fun, but not really like anything else in Southeast Asia. Not even Indonesia, really. I organized the US embassy Super Bowl watch party in Dili in 2026
2016, that is. I would assume no concrete plans have been made for next year
Several countries on one 8K award or one country at a time?
Great question. One at a time. It’s really easy to find 8K fares from most US cities to any of AA’s destinations in the Caribbean. It’s one of my favorite uses of them. So you won’t be able to island hop on AA miles alone, but you can get basically anywhere for cheap.
BA has some interesting 5th freedom routes in the Caribbean: ANU-SKB (shortest 777 route), UVF-GND, UVF-TAB, UVF-GEO. All bookable with minimal Avios. So, fly out on AA, hop with BA, fly back on AA. Or there are a few Caribbean airliners that fly various routes.
Huh, for some reason I thought you had already been to Mongolia and given us trip reports about it.
I agree with being cautious about Venezuela.
It’s not as bad as it used to be a few years ago, and I am convinced that CCS is less dangerous than the likes of JNB, but, particularly since you don’t have an EU passport, I would wait maybe until Q3 to ensure that their relationship with the USA doesn’t get even more complicated. You don’t want to have to be evacuated as a result of a diplomatic crisis.
Angola is firmly on my destination list for this year, but I need the million SAS points to finally hit my account so that I can get there on AF- wouldn’t mind flying TAP, but it’s too far for Y, and I have been burning *A miles fairly aggressively over the past 1,5 year or so. I will leave TAAG to the hardcore enthusiasts.
Once I hit 30 countries, I decided to slow down on the country check box count, but revisit the ones I really liked (most of them). Zero desire to visit shitholes. Something like Cambodia is just about the lower limit of crappiness for me.
There are amazing places to visit in countries like Senegal and even Venezuela. From the places I have been to, India is the only country where I am very reluctant to go back for a second visit.
I’ve slowed down on the country check list too although I routed from Sydney to Europe in June so that I could visit India and Sri Lanka briefly. Enjoyed both countries a lot.
Now I have kids I’d rather take them to places that I liked when younger.
Ironically we’re in Cambodia right now and loving it. 20 years since my last visit.
Mathew, you are correct about the degree of difficulty in obtaining a visa for here (Venezuela). I’ve been here now for 17 plus years. one cannot simply visit an embassy or consulate in the States (there isn’t either one) nor use a 3rd party service to secure one for you (prohibited) ……… it ain’t easy.
message me if you’re successful in finally being “approved” to visit, I’d love a chance to break bread with you!
Looking forward to your new reviews. Maybe find a place that offers haircuts? 🙂
I wouldn’t rule out Somalia as a destination. A trip would need to focus on the safer areas and would have to be structured, but it would feasible to see Mogadishu, as well as travel to Somaliland, both of which are safer than other parts (Mogadishu violence levels have decreased in the last couple of years).
For Mogadishu you would be wise to hire a local security company that also offers accommodation as they can facilitate arrival formalities, transport, accommodation and access. There is also the limitation of not much to see as a legacy of the civil war, but it is feasible.
Eritrea was easier because I lived in the DC area and could visit the embassy in person. It took three in person visits to get the visa.
Kind of unrelated, but has anyone here mentioned the possible picture of Matt being featured in spammy ads selling business class seats?
It’s your life so you are free to set whatever goals you like. And what appeals to me may not appeal to others.
That said I personally would not prioritize most of these countries. I have personally been to Venezuela and Angola. VZ is extraordinarily dangerous for everyone – I could share stories of people who were murdered by criminals (including between terminals at CCS) but I’m sure you know that. As for Angola there is nothing to see there and the airport is a hot mess of malarial mosquitos and bribe-seeking workers. But you already knew that too.
Just because you haven’t visited a place does not mean you are missing anything. I have no desire to visit war zone hell of Yemen or Syria, or North Korea which basically murdered Otto.
For Venezuela you need to go to the consulate in Mexico City. Go to the islands in the north. Nice beaches. Locals are saying crime is way down in Venezuela because a lot of criminals migrated to America.
I’ve been to the embassy in Mexico City…four times.
If you’re visiting Bali when you go to Indonesia, let me know as I have a driver/guide who is superb. Trust me on this. Should you want the contact info, please let me know.
Why did you picture some poor deer like animal about to be consumed for Uganda?
Hope to see you in BZE.
CAye CAulker is where I go to get outside the beltway and otherwise unwind with a couple of dives.
My husband and I just did a quick two night trip to Belize from Guatemala. We went for the Maya ruins, and they didn’t disappoint. However the currency is pegged to the US dollar, so it’s quite expensive.
No Palestine? Do not want to see how zionist evils run the worlds biggest concentration camp?
No North Korea? Do not want to see what is the real communism?
No Afganishtan? Do not want to see how effeciently Taleban uses US military aid worth billions?
No Iraq no Libya? Do not want to see how the countries are developed after USA brought them democracy?
Boring.