Countries to Visit Before You Die

Plenty of people return to the same place on vacation, year after boring year. Really, there's an entire world out there. To be exact, there are 196 countries, and pretty much every one is more exciting than going to Disney World for the 10th time. But where on Earth should you go? And to help with that, Insidermonkey compiled a list of the top countries to visit before you die.

We embrace novelty in the world of travel. The slightest excuse will have us swooning over a fresh itinerary, or cooing over a whizzy travel app. We rush to experience novel air routes, fall over ourselves to visit on-trend boutique hotels and are the first in the queue when a new heated gondola begins to climb the Alps. These destinations are interesting to be sure, but if one wants to travel the road less taken, it usually means turning to countries with less than stellar reputations. Oftentimes War-torn countries or nations with a history of political problems feature just as many of the attractions as the tourism superstars, but with sparser crowds and more of an edge. And, yes, often it’s only a matter of time before these insider destinations join ranks with the package-tour itinerary stops. So ignore the disaster journalism that characterizes countries as places to avoid. Sensational reporting by its nature never makes mention of the generous people living regular lives at the edges of the big story. Amazing and unique sights and experiences that are conspicuously absent from the timetable tours of more tourist-friendly countries await the intrepid traveler. Besides, no one knows what destination will be tourism’s Next Big Thing, but chances are it will be one of the places on this list.

However, if you have already seen this and were left wanting for more, you can always read our other lists on the top 10 places to visit before you die or the top 15 places to visit before you die.