The one that got away [Country I Want to Visit but Can't]

[Disco]

Fortunately went to Russia while it was ok. Still have a hankering for the Stans and Iran and hoping that will be achievable in the future. Probably won't make South America and the hiking - too far and too energetic now, no longer have the fitness required.

 

[flyingfan]

Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Burma, North Korea.

 

[burneracc]

St Petersburg, Russia for me

FWIW I've been considering winging it and heading over because Moscow especially looks really pretty and current GF wants to visit. I have wanted to visit for years ever since watching bald and bankrupt go all over and make "soviet" vlogs there. I have also seen a decent amount of content on YouTube of people visiting via Turkish airlines flying Belgrade -> Moscow so it does seem like they are open for business still.

GF is Bosnian/Serbian so she can get in visa free, so it would just be a matter of me getting visa approval (although this is rather shaky to do as a brit apparently). All in all though the recent Azerbaijan airlines "crash" has deterred me somewhat so I'll probably leave this for a few years.

 

[Pushka]

South Africa for me but only because I don't think I'm up to it anymore. I thought I'd never get to Egypt and Israel. We'd put Egypt off so many times because of conflict but both were visited in 2019. Visited St Petersburg in around 2016. Stunning and completely over the top. Loved Oman and would like to return and Jordan was fascinating.

I can't think of any other countries I want to go to but can't because of civil and political strife. It's more my motivation that's the issue.

Post automatically merged: Jan 4, 2025

You cannot visit! When I have decided I no longer want to visit the US (can't get ESTA after going to Iran), I will go to Iran. Does crossing over the DMZ line onto the North Korean side count as having been to NK?!

MrP did this during the Korean Olympic Games. He says Yes

I know that the Middle East is on many people's wish list but I honestly have no desire to visit there at all, even if I could. I had a brief 3 days in Dubai a few years ago and that was plenty.
No wish to go back to Paris though other France is OK - been there many times.

Well you did have to put up with a sick me those days so this is understandable.

 

[Archipelago]

Australian Expat living in Myanmar, here.
Have seen a few mentions of Myanmar/Burma.

- Is Myanmar a country currently experiencing armed conflict every day? Yes.
- Is Myanmar a country you can actually visit as a tourist even now? Yes.
- If you visit as a foreign national tourist, will you be able to visit all areas in the country? No.
- Should you still visit anyway? Do your own research - but you can and still can experience certain areas of the country.

 

[Forg]

South Africa for me but only because I don't think I'm up to it anymore.

My work has a couple of customers there … it seems to be very much a case of simply not going to the wrong places, in terms of personal safety. All the stuff you might want to see is certainly available such that it’s not a huge amount of effort. I don’t think a safari in Kruger (Krueger?) National Park is my thing, but my best mate at work wasn’t sure it was his thing either - but went ‘cos hey he was already there anyway - and he really enjoyed it.

Admittedly it’s one of those places you might not go if you don’t like seeing the result of the first world stomping all over & effectively enslaving the rest of the world. But apparently the food & drink is amazingly good value, really top notch & dirt cheap.

 

[Pushka]

My work has a couple of customers there … it seems to be very much a case of simply not going to the wrong places, in terms of personal safety. All the stuff you might want to see is certainly available such that it’s not a huge amount of effort. I don’t think a safari in Kruger (Krueger?) National Park is my thing, but my best mate at work wasn’t sure it was his thing either - but went ‘cos hey he was already there anyway - and he really enjoyed it.

Admittedly it’s one of those places you might not go if you don’t like seeing the result of the first world stomping all over & effectively enslaving the rest of the world. But apparently the food & drink is amazingly good value, really top notch & dirt cheap.

Yes agree with that. My DIL and her mother were born there and only left 20 years ago so have strong family ties there. The last trip perhaps 5 years ago they found even safe places had become somewhat threatening and there were things you needed to do or not do that are counter to how we would do things in a normal community.

As you say it’s a sad sight also to see largely white domination over locals and I’d find that distressing and likely get myself into a situation. I actually did get into a really heated situation at sons wedding in uk with a person who lives in SAfrica who came to the wedding.

 

[OATEK]

Managed to visit St Petersburg twice, once by rail from Finland and once on a Baltic cruise (both were wonderful), so can live without another visit to Russia.

Our one that got away was a combined Israel and Egypt tour, that has been cancelled twice, the first by Covid and the second one by the current conflict. Not sure another opportunity will open up for us in the foreseeable as age and infirmities meet other risks.

 

[kpc]

I always wanted to go to the ME, and we fortunately were able to go to Egypt, Jordan, Israel and West Bank in Easter 2023. Crossing overland from Jordan to Israel at the Allenby Bridge was an interesting and anxious experience.

Obviously, going to Israel and West Bank is a big "no no" currently, not that I would go back. Having said that, Jerusalem is one of the most interesting places I have been to, home to so many important religious sites of different faiths.

 

[Pushka]

Managed to visit St Petersburg twice, once by rail from Finland and once on a Baltic cruise (both were wonderful), so can live without another visit to Russia.

Our one that got away was a combined Israel and Egypt tour, that has been cancelled twice, the first by Covid and the second one by the current conflict. Not sure another opportunity will open up for us in the foreseeable as age and infirmities meet other risks.

I think we grabbed the only window between the pandemic and now Conflict when we saw Israel in 2023. But other than Haifa which we found to be beautiful, especially the BaHai faith temple, Israel was our least enjoyable place we saw, possibly have ever seen. We traced the Way of Sorrows (Via Dolorosa) led by a Jewish guide from Israel and I found the religious fervour in Bethlehem in particular to be really disturbing to me and not a tourist spot because of the fervour of worshippers and their actions and that includes both Christian and the Jewish worshippers in Jerusalem. In Bethlehem we had to have a Palestinian guide. I felt like an intruder watching people under such immense religious fervour. So much so that we didn't go on the second excursion to the Sea of Gallilee and other icon areas.

 

[Lynda2475]

Have seen a few mentions of Myanmar/Burma.

Once DFAT put a country on the "Do not Travel" list you will find it impossible to get any sort of Travel insrance unless going on official government or military business.

Some TI policies even exclude countries with the "Reconsider Your Need to Travel" warning.