'I've visited all 195 countries on Earth and these two stand out from the rest'
An intrepid explorer who's visited every country on Earth by the age of 25 has named two surprising countries among his favourites. Cameron Mofid, who hails from San Diego, California, set out on a mission to visit every UN-recognised country and territory in the world (a total of 195) while he was battling obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) during the pandemic.
In April, the plucky traveller ticked off his final nation when he and his friends visited the hermit kingdom of North Korea. With nearly 200 countries under his belt, picking a favourite may seem like an impossible task.
However, two nations stood out in particular for Cameron, both of which carry some strong warnings from the Foreign Office (FCDO). The first nation that he highlighted was Algeria, a destination he described as "unbelievable".
He told CNN: "It's one of my favourite countries in the whole world. The countries that receive the least amount of tourism are often the ones where you have the best experience, because you feel totally immersed in their culture."
Cameron also expressed his appreciation for the Middle Eastern nation of Yemen, having visited the country in February 2023. He noted that walking through the streets was like "going back in time."
He added: "To see people dress the same way that they were hundreds if not thousands of years ago. To see people living in mud houses, to see people still using flip phones."
Algeria is in the north of Africa and is largely encompassed by the Sahara Desert, with the exception of the north, which is situated along the coast and is home to most of the population.
Its rich history includes a number of Arab and Berber dynasties that ruled between the 8th and 15th centuries, prior to its links to the Ottoman Empire and later annexation by France in 1848.
In terms of travel to Algeria, the FCDO has highlighted much of the country in green on its website. It means "see our travel advice before travelling", but the border areas carry orange and red advisories.
It advises against all travel to within 30km of the country's borders with Libya, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and certain provinces of Tunisia. In addition, the FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 30km of the rest of the Tunisian border.
A comparatively new state, Yemen is located in Western Asia on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering both the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, south of Saudi Arabia.
It has experienced a political crisis since 2011. It continues to be in the throes of a brutal civil war that has reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 150,000 people and led to a humanitarian crisis that has seen 23 million people requiring aid.
The Foreign Office's travel advice for Yemen is resolute. It advises against all travel to Yemen and urges anyone in the country to leave "immediately", citing "unpredictable security conditions".
It said terrorist attacks are very likely in Yemen, as well as a "very high and constant threat" of kidnapping, noting that propaganda produced by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has urged the kidnapping of westerners.
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