# The 25 least visited countries in the world. Been to any? Want to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 27, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680 "2015-11-27T03:43:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/41 "2015-11-28T08:52:41Z")
I don’t know if stopping off at Tonga on the way to Fiji counts as “visiting”. We were only there for an hour or so as the plane refueled. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/42 "2015-11-28T10:41:06Z")
Been in Liechtenstein. Pretty place. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/43 "2015-11-28T11:22:37Z")
I’ve been to 3, none of them recently. Lichtenstein, The Marshall Islands (Majuro) and Federated States of Micronesia (Palau). ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/44 "2015-11-28T12:39:24Z")
Spent quite a bit of time in Dominica and the Grenadines while living on a sailboat. [Bequia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bequia)in The Grenadines in particular and a favoured anchorage for the sailing crowd. Not all of the islands of the Caribbean have the infrastructure needed for even a small cruise ship to visit. Those islands without such infrastructure are like a whole different world. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/45 "2015-11-28T15:34:32Z")
With some of these tiny ones it’s sort of like asking why some pop. 300 village in upstate NY does not get many visitors. > [@Girl\_From\_Mars](#): > > I’ve been to 3, none of them recently. Lichtenstein, The Marshall Islands (Majuro) and Federated States of Micronesia (Palau). Note: Palau is itself a separate republic not in the FSM. If when you went there they were still under the same administration then that was well back, when the Trust Territory was still in effect. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/46 "2015-11-28T17:19:15Z")
Been to Djibouti, like the webpage says, its hot, very hot, hot enough that the tar on the roads tries to slow your progress. Its so hot that a drink would be nice, if you can find anything open - during the hottest part of the day it wont be open. The locals seem to have nothing, just rooms with emptiness and lots of it. The French Foreign legion lads are ok for drinking company on an evening, they don’t have much money either, buts its more than the locals. Did I say it was hot? Oh yes its very hot. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/47 "2015-11-28T17:42:57Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > Spent quite a bit of time in Dominica and the Grenadines while living on a sailboat. [Bequia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bequia)in The Grenadines in particular and a favoured anchorage for the sailing crowd. > > Not all of the islands of the Caribbean have the infrastructure needed for even a small cruise ship to visit. Those islands without such infrastructure are like a whole different world. I’m not well-informed about the cruise business: had realised that very tiny islands with minimal facilities would be a problem, but otherwise was unaware of the potential infrastructure issue. All this is interesting – I’ll definitely ask the family member concerned, when I next see him. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/48 "2015-11-28T18:25:51Z")
I know all the capitals of those countries from when I was studying for Jeopardy!, does that count? I’d love to go to the ones that are just seldom-frequented. Not so much the war-torn ones, although I’d love to see them when they’re not. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/49 "2015-11-28T19:17:56Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > I’m not well-informed about the cruise business: had realised that very tiny islands with minimal facilities would be a problem, but otherwise was unaware of the potential infrastructure issue. All this is interesting – I’ll definitely ask the family member concerned, when I next see him. If an island doesn’t have a suitable harbor, cruise ships can’t dock there anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/50 "2015-11-28T21:11:35Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > With some of these tiny ones it’s sort of like asking why some pop. 300 village in upstate NY does not get many visitors. > > Note: Palau is itself a separate republic not in the FSM. If when you went there they were still under the same administration then that was well back, when the Trust Territory was still in effect. Ah then, perhaps not with Palau - I visited Palau around 1980 (as a 5 year old, I lost a tooth there!) but Wiki suggests they voted not to be part of FSM in 1979 which means I might just have missed out. But I still get to count it, as I also visited Truk at the same time which is part of the FSM. ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/51 "2015-11-28T22:29:21Z")
Not been to any - although have been to Angola and Brunei which can’t be that far outside the list. Would like to go to Libya as soon as safer - for the Roman ruins not least Leptis Magna ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/52 "2015-11-28T22:32:18Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I had never heard of this place. Guess I don’t know as much about the breakup of the Soviet Union as I should. It is not a recognized independent country by any UN member country. Russia has a habit of encouraging such enclaves within it’s previous united Soviet republics for obvious reasons. There are several others. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2015, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/53 "2015-11-28T22:44:36Z")
I can’t say that I have been to any of them but I am a little surprised that Dominica is on the list because I know several people that have visited there and I have flown over it at fairly low altitude. I always thought those tiny Caribbean countries are fascinating. They aren’t that far from the U.S. and there a lot of them mostly laid out in a neat little row. Whenever, I fly around the US Virgin Islands, I always stare out of the airplane window to see how many significant islands I can spot. There are literally many thousands of them in total. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/54 "2015-11-29T05:48:24Z")
I’ve been to six of them: Libya. Comoros, Liberia, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Liechtenstein. A few I’ve been to might make the list, but they are not universally recognized, like Transdniestria and Turkish Northern Cyprus. And some non-sovereign territories, like St. Pierre et Miquelon. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/55 "2015-11-29T06:01:36Z")
Oh, and I’ve also been to Sahrawi, which was called Spanish Sahara when I was there. I don’t think it is fully recognized internationallly yet, but it would probably make the list. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/56 "2015-11-29T15:44:11Z")
I’ve chanced upon a rather interesting 2008 thread on a very similar theme – though broader in scope – to this one. A tiny bit of overlap of countries, between the two threads. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479647&highlight=Albania](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479647&highlight=Albania) ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/57 "2015-11-29T18:13:05Z")
I’ve been to Afghanistan, though not as a tourist. Some of the physical landscapes are unbelievably beautiful, and I’d be curious to take a look at some of the cities. If the situation there improves enough within my lifetime I’d love to grab a “Lonely Planet Afghanistan” book and go as a tourist. As for wanting to go to the others, the only ones that spark my interest are the various island states. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/58 "2015-11-30T09:18:35Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Here’s a list of the 25 least visited countries in the world, not a slideshow. > > [http://www.garfors.com/2015/07/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-whole.html](http://www.garfors.com/2015/07/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-whole.html) > > Have you been to any of these countries? Would you want to? > > I’m not surprised to see some of the tiny Pacific Island nations on there. That’s a very remote part of the world and those islands are just too small to support a tourist infrastructure. > > Some of the African countries also make sense, not only are some of them fairly remote and involved in civil wars, but some have insanely difficult visa requirements to meet. > > I was surprised to see Liechtenstein on the list. I figured by virtue of location it would end up with a decent number of tourists, none of the other European microstates are on the list. It doesn’t totally add up. He suggests that he’s counting tourist, not business numbers, But PNG (“if you go back for a second visit, it’s because you’re crazy”), which is mentioned in passing, only gets around 30.000 tourists a year, which should put it in the middle of the list. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/59 "2015-11-30T12:22:25Z")
St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I’m surprised it’s on the list – it’s a sailor’s paradise, and the delightful island of Bequia (among others) gets plenty of visitors. I guess you need a big airport and a major cruise-ship port to attract real tourist numbers – the whole yachting community is pretty small. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2015, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680/60 "2015-11-30T12:26:18Z")
…as Iggy said, earlier in the thread. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-25-least-visited-countries-in-the-world-been-to-any-want-to/738680.md?page=4)