It’s no secret that the goal of visiting all 195 countries is already a massive mission. My passion for travel has led me to find destinations that either sit outside of what is defined as a country, or are so unique they deserve to be visited separate from their countries’ mainland. This leaves me with an ever expanding list of places I want to visit as part of my travels and adventures. In total, there are 54 countries or territories that are not members of the UN. Below are my top 5 that I can’t wait to visit:
Svalbard
Starting off with one I have already had the pleasure of visiting, Svalbard. Sitting to the North of Norway, the island archipelago of Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway. But this doesn’t stop Svalbard having its own unique environments and cultures, making it vastly different from Mainland Norway. Despite using Norwegian currency and language, its visa free policy means the population is represented by over 50 different ethnic groups, coming from all corners of the globe. The largest settlement, Longyearbyen, is the world’s most northern town, and boasts a permanent population of just over 1,700 people, but always fluctuating with tourists flocking to explore this unreal island. Click here to read about what I did during my visit!
Greenland
Yet another Arctic destination, Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. This large land mass sits to the north east of the North American continent, and its history dates back to the 10th century, with Viking colonisation. The land is predominantly inhabitable due to being covered in glaciers, but a handful of sparsely populated towns sit along the south west coastline. Its capital, Nuuk, has a population approaching 19,000, and is the only city in the world to boast an arctic golf course. I’m looking forward to my visit to Greenland.
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands sit north of Scotland, between Iceland and Norway and is also a part of the Kingdom of Denmark (shoutout to the Vikings). These islands contain some of the most beautiful scenery, breathtaking waterfalls and jaw dropping coastal cliffs in the world. Most easily accessible by plane from various European airports, you can also arrive in the Faroes via cruise from either Denmark or Iceland, or stop over as a part of the cruise between the 2 countries! Hiking throughout the Faroes has always been high up on my bucket list and I can’t wait to tick it off some day.
Western Sahara
Moving to the extreme opposite climate, the Sahara Desert. More specifically, Western Sahara. This Non Self Governed Territory sits south of Morocco, on the West Coast of Africa. Currently, Western Sahara has no internal government and is under the care of the Moroccan government. Despite being from a desert country myself, I am yet to visit a desert. I find the (short) visits to extreme climates exhilarating and intriguing. This is why Western Sahara is high on my list of non UN countries and territories I’d like to visit!
Antarctica
Yep, straight back to the opposing climate again, Antarctica! This huge continental landmass on the underside of the world has always intrigued me. How do people live? How extreme is the environment? What is it like to stand directly on the South Pole? These are all questions I’ve wanted to find the answers to myself since my school history classes on Ernest Shackleton and his Antarctic exploration. While still a distant goal, Antarctica is definitely a place I plan on visiting one day!
Maybe sometime in the future, after visiting every official country the next step will be to explore the remaining non member states I didn’t manage along the way.
One Response
FIRST! 🥳👏