Countries visited:

149 out of 197 (as of August 2024)

“There are 195 countries in the world today. This total comprises 193 countries that are member states of the United Nations and 2 countries that are non-member observer states: the Holy See (Vatican City) and the State of Palestine.”

I also include Kosovo and Taiwan – making the total 197.

Continents visited:

all except Antarctica

Countries lived in:

Malaysia, UK, Switzerland

List of Countries:

Africa: 

• Algeria
• Benin
• Botswana
• Cape Verde
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Egypt
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Kenya
• Liberia
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Morocco
• Nigeria
• Sao Tome 
• Senegal
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Tunisia
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Asia: 

• Azerbaijan
• Armenia
• Bhutan
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• China
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Syria
• Tajikistan
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan
• Vietnam

Australia and Oceania:

• Australia
• Fiji
• Samoa
• New Zealand
• Palau
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

Europe:

• Albania
• Armenia
• Austria
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Bulgaria 
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Kosovo
• Kazakhstan
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Macedonia
• Malta
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• San Marino
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Kingdom
• Vatican City

Middle East:

• Bahrain
• Israel
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Palestine
• Oman
• Qatar
• Syria
• United Arab Emirates

North America:

• United States
• Mexico
• Canada

Central America:

• Belize
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Panama

South America:

• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Chile
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay
• Colombia

Caribbean:

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Dominican Republic
• Grenada
• Jamaica
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Lucia
• St Vincent and the Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago

Other places I have been to that do not constitute a country:

• Cayman Island
• St Maarten
• Montserrat
• Greenland

Any interesting travel stories to share?

Let’s start with my unforgettable trip to Greenland.

Which countries are your favourite?

The answer to that kept changing over the years. Now I would say:

Japan, Switzerland, Peru, Bolivia, Palau, Uzbekistan,

Iraq, Algeria. 

Previously: Bosnia, Greece, Croatia.

Favourite places from your travels?

Kotor (Montenegro), Plitvice Lakes (Croatia), Hallstatt (Austria), Petra (Jordan), Tokyo (Japan), Caye Caulker (Belize), Khiva (Uzbekistan), Ittoqqotoormiit (Greenland), Palau, Iguassu Falls (Argentina/Brazil), Seoul (South Korea), Queenstown (New Zealand), Chefchaouen (Morocco), San Sebastian (Spain), La Paz (Bolivia), Puerto Varas (Chile), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Moyenne Island (Seychelles), Mostar (Bosnia), Salar de Uyuni (Bolivia), Oxford (UK), Black Sand Beach (Iceland), Wisana Redang (Malaysia), Sicily (Italy), Djanet (Algeria), Lake Atitlan (Guatemala).

Spot our 4 year old son (the little black dot) swimming in the South China Sea during our trip to Redang Island in Malaysia in June 2019.

Which was the most challenging?

An overland trip in July 2022 beginning in Dakar, Senegal to Monrovia, Liberia passing through Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone, ending with a flight to Abdijan, Côte d’Ivoire was undoubtedly the most challenging.

There was also the trip we did to the Caucasus and Central Asia. It involved an insane amount of research, planning, persuading (my ex-husband), convincing (his mother ensuring that I wasn’t trying to get her son killed) and praying (for passports to get back in time before it needed to go out to the next embassy/consulate).

How do you travel with 3 kids?

I am very proud to say that we completed a trip to Canada, Mexico, Colombia and Panama when Kion, our third son was just 2.5 months old.

The Boys at the Panama Canal

Visiting the Niagara Falls in Canada

We also visited India with the three kids just before the coronavirus lockdown where we visited seven cities, had six internal flights, ten different accommodations with just two hand luggage in two weeks.

For more on traveling with kids, read here!

So you’ve visited 100 countries before 30…

Yes, and the new goal is to visit every country in the world and dive much more at some point as soon as the kids are older and to do as many hikes as possible in the Swiss Alps.

What are your dream destinations?

Churchill in Canada (polar bears and beluga whales), Ilulissat and Disko Bay in Greenland (midnight kayaking and picnic on an iceberg), West Africa (completed in 2023!) and the Pacific Islands.