Luca Pferdmenges has visited 190 of the world’s 195 possible countries, which means he knows a thing or two about the good, the bad and the ugly of travel destinations.
And he hasn’t kept his thoughts to himself. The 22-year-old German, a professional juggler and world traveller since he was 15, revealed to MailOnline which are his favourite countries, which are underrated and overrated, the nations with the best and worst food and which are the cheapest and most expensive.
Having visited every country in Europe (Finland completed its conquest of the continent two years ago), he also shared which European countries he considers most dangerous and his least favorite.
And the country that receives this latest undesirable honor?
Belgium.
Luca Pferdmenges has visited 190 of the world’s 195 possible countries and has revealed to MailOnline his favourites, the best (and worst) places to eat, the most dangerous and his least favourite European country. The latter turned out to be Belgium. Pictured above he is at the Atomium in Brussels.
LEFT: Luca in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he says he has some of the best food in the world thanks to his “Middle Eastern vegan cuisine.” RIGHT: The traveler in traditional Bhutanese clothing in Paro, Bhutan, one of his favorite countries
The traveler in Somaliland, which he says is one of the most dangerous countries he has visited
Luca says: “I find that at night it feels very unsafe, and I’m talking about Brussels. Also, many Belgian cities are quite ugly, grey and depressing, especially in winter.”
As for the most dangerous places in Europe, he says: “Avoid Brussels North at night. But Paris, London or Frankfurt are not much better at night either.”
Your best advice for tourists visiting the region?
Luca says: “Don’t just visit France, Italy, Greece and Spain. There are 40 other countries worth exploring.”
The adventurer says he was surprised by how forgotten some of these countries are.
The jet-setter comments: “It’s surprising how little recognition places like Montenegro or Slovenia get. They are some of the most beautiful countries in the world – and cheap – but nobody visits them.”
What do you think about the countries of the world? Which nations, according to the artist-turned-content creator, are overrated?
Luca says: ‘Egypt, France, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, most of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean. They tend to be very touristy and don’t usually have much more than nice beaches.
“Egypt is the most annoying country for tourists in my opinion. The Caribbean is overrated, at least the Lesser Antilles.”
And the most underrated?
‘Uzbekistan and some other Central Asian countries, the Baltic countries, Myanmar, North Macedonia, Bhutan, Montenegro and most Latin American countries,’ the nomad says.
Luca is seen here at the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan.
The jet-setter is seen here (left) in Ma’aloula, Syria, with friends Philipp Buehl and Sophia Seidl and in Mexico City (right) – he says Mexico has the best food overall.
The Maldives are “overrated,” says Luca, pictured here on Thoddoo, noting that certain countries “tend to be very touristy and don’t often have much more than nice beaches.”
‘People often forget that they exist, but they are often much more interesting and affordable than the ‘classic tourist destinations’. Especially hidden gems like Bhutan and Myanmar. They are very unknown countries, but some of the most beautiful in the world.’
So what is your favorite country in the world?
She finds it difficult to choose and says: ‘My favourite places overall, in no particular order: Mexico, Brazil, Israel, Spain, Bhutan, UK, UAE, Portugal, Austria.’
In terms of food, Mexico ranks first among several honorable mentions.
Luca explains: ‘The best in terms of food, in my opinion, are Israel, for its Middle Eastern vegan cuisine; Lebanon, also for its Middle Eastern cuisine; Ethiopia, for its Injera (a type of bread); Germany and the UK, for the supermarkets; Mexico – in general – and all Mediterranean cuisine.’
And which would be the worst nations for food?
He says: “Poor countries with no options. Places like Haiti or Chad. As a vegan, the Balkan countries are also rubbish when it comes to food.”
Luca with children from Bangui, Central African Republic. He says that “many African countries” are dangerous, “especially for women”
LEFT: Luca stands outside the Poikalyan Madrasa in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, which he says is “underrated.” RIGHT: Walking around Kiribati, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He says: “All the small island nations in the Pacific have the worst and most unhealthy food.”
‘In general, all the small Pacific island countries have the worst and most unhealthy food, as everything has to be imported and nothing grows on the islands.’
And what about the cost of living? Which were the cheapest and most expensive countries to visit?
Luca points out: ‘The cheapest countries: Afghanistan (but I visited before the Taliban took over; a plate of street food was 11 cents (9p/12 US cents)), Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
‘The most expensive countries: Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, Israel, New Zealand. But there is so much data on this that my answers are inevitably biased.’
Luca warns that some countries and cities seem safer than others, but which ones are the most dangerous?
Luca in Petare, Venezuela, which he says is ‘the most dangerous ghetto in Latin America’
Luca at the gates of hell, a burning natural gas field, in Turkmenistan, one of the 190 countries he has visited since he was 15 years old
The traveler ventured to Petare, Venezuela, which he says is “the most dangerous ghetto in Latin America,” adding that other risky places include Haiti, Yemen, Somalia, Papua New Guinea and “many African countries, especially for women.”
Talking about his mega-adventure, Luca notes: “Travelling to every country in the world is extremely challenging, time-consuming and expensive. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not.
‘The first 100 or 130 countries are usually a lot of fun – you get to choose the places you really want to travel to. Towards the end, you’re left with some of the more difficult places to visit. Some are dangerous, some are expensive – most are a mix of both.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my life as a content creator, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it. I love it. The freedom it gives me is incredible and I’m so grateful to be able to travel for a living.
‘But let’s be honest: has it always been my dream to visit Chad? What about Afghanistan, Djibouti or Guinea-Bissau? Some countries I visit just for the pleasure of visiting literally every country, not because it has always been my dream to go there.
“But that’s what I love about it. I’m always exposed to new environments and cultures.”
And some, the traveler discovered, have practices that some might find slightly alarming.
Luca sits down with a local in South Sudan, where he says the Mundari tribe “live alongside their cattle.” Here, the intrepid traveler experienced a cow urine shower
LEFT: Luca has spent a lot of time in the UK and says it is one of his favourite countries. RIGHT: The traveller in Haiti, one of the countries he considers most dangerous
He reveals: ‘Just a week ago, I was visiting the Mundari tribe in South Sudan. They live alongside their cattle, it is the biggest resource they have. I became the first tourist to follow their morning routine of showering with cow dung.
‘As water is scarce, the Mundari tribe washes themselves with cow urine. You simply see a cow urinating, sit under it and enjoy a warm morning bath.
“Experiences like this are what make this mission so much fun for me. Whether it’s riding the famous iron ore freight train through the Sahara Desert in Mauritania, staying with the indigenous Kalinago people in the rainforest of Dominica, partying all night in Mexico City, or attending a funeral in the world’s least visited country, Tuvalu, the world has so many different things to offer.”
The last five countries the young explorer has not yet visited are Libya, Mali, Sudan, North Korea and Palau.