Many people dream of seeing the world.
But very few have seen quite as much as Luca Pferdmenges, a 23-year-old juggler and influencer, who has now officially visited every single country on the planet.
The intrepid German traveller completed his impressive goal in Palau, an island nation in the Western Pacific Ocean, on April 24.
MailOnline Travel caught up with Luca to find out which of the globe’s 195 countries has the best food, which country he liked the least and where you should add to your bucket list.
The juggler, who shot to fame after reaching the finals of a German talent show in 2016, explains that there are a few countries he’ll definitely be returning to.
Luca says: ‘I keep going back to Latin America – I love Mexico and Colombia especially – they just have so much to offer, great people and amazing food. Tel Aviv in Israel is also one of my favourite places.’
But there’s are a few destinations he’s far less likely to return to.
‘My least favourite country would probably be Nauru [northeast of Australia],’ reveals Luca. ‘It’s just a tiny island. You can drive around it in like half an hour and then you’ve seen it all. It’s not got much to offer.
Luca Pferdmenges, a 23-year-old juggler and influencer, who has now officially visited every single country on the planet. He’s pictured in Palau, his last country
MailOnline Travel caught up with Luca to find out which of the globe’s 195 countries has the best food, which country he liked the least and where you should add to your bucket list
‘There are no great beaches and there’s just a phosphate mine in the centre. The people were very friendly, but it’s not a place that excites me.’
Egypt also failed to impress Luca, who says: ‘I didn’t really enjoy [it] too much. It has a lot of history which is fascinating for sure but there were places that were just too touristy for my liking.
‘You go to Cairo and everyone is trying to sell you stuff and just use you as a money bag. You get similar experiences in a lot of those holiday destinations that are very touristy, such as Zanzibar in Tanzania.’
He also ‘lacks the drive’ to return to the Maldives, explaining: ‘They have some of the prettiest beaches in the world but at some point it’s like “what else does it have?” And the answers are very slim.’
Luca reveals that the other countries he’s unlikely to return to are those that are ‘very dangerous’, such as Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Somalia and Sudan.
He explains: ‘I had a great time in Sudan with my guide. But they are tough places. They’re the ones, where if I’m being honest, I’d say “Nah, I wouldn’t want to go back”.’
And while Luca says that he ‘never had a gun pointed at him’ on his travels, his adventures haven’t been without their hair-raising moments.
The traveller was very close to a shooting in Afghanistan, witnessed a car jacking in Papua New Guinea and had a chain ripped from his neck in Argentina.
Luca will keep travelling now he’s reached goal. LEFT: He’s pictured in Bhutan. RIGHT: Luca in Chad
More recently, the social media influencer reveals that he was even arrested in Mali. Luca tells MailOnline: ‘I was accused of taking a photo of a roundabout, which I didn’t even do.
‘I was on a motorbike taxi and I had some dust in my eye. I took out my phone to look at my eye and the guy came up to me, grabbed me tightly and took me and locked me in a room.
‘And he wanted $150/£112 to let me go which is a ridiculous amount for Mali. I decided to wait there until he let me go. Eventually I paid $20/£15 and left. I don’t like putting money into bribery but sometimes it’s very hard to avoid.’
While he’s picked up more than three million followers on TikTok, Luca explains that he’s also received a lot of negative social media comments for visiting some of the more controversial destinations on his list, such as Syria when it was under the Assad regime and North Korea.
However, he claims that it’s unfair to judge a country based on stereotypes, explaining: ”I never judge a country by its politics. There are millions of people living in a place and countries are not defined by their politics.’
He reveals that he has met friendly people all over the world but says that Pakistan and Iran’s residents stand out.
‘Pakistan is really hospitable,’ says Luca. ‘Same with Iran. It’s hard if you travel to those places to pay for a meal because everyone wants to invite you to their house.’
‘I spent three weeks in Pakistan and I was invited for free meals in almost every restaurant.’
LEFT: Luca didn’t really enjoy Egypt, where he’s pictured above. RIGHT: In Kiribati
Luca visited North Korea (above) when it reopened its borders after Covid
But the world’s best food?
That accolade goes to Ethiopia, says Luca, who is a vegan. He explains: ‘It’s just my absolute favourite. Injera is this amazing fluffy bread that’s served with lots of different sauces. And the cuisine is very often vegan by default.’
Mexico and the Middle East also receive top culinary marks from Luca. The adventurer says: ‘Israel and Lebanon have amazing food. It’s one of the reasons I love Tel Aviv so much.’
As for the world’s most underrated destinations, Luca recommends Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Myanmar which he describes as places that ‘people normally don’t think about visiting but have so much to offer’.
Luca adds: ‘I’ve been to Uzbekistan three times and I could go back and see so many things. If you go to the south of Kazakhstan, you’ll find mountains just like the ones in Switzerland but it costs a tenth of the price. In Myanmar, the people are so amazing and so happy that you’ve come to their country.’
El Salvador is also one of his top choices. Luca reveals: ‘It’s such a great place with friendly people and great food. They have pupasas, flatbreads filled with cheese, which are amazing and very tasty.’
So what’s next for the man who’s seen everything?
‘I will keep travelling,’ says Luca. ‘But it’s a huge mission to try to tick off every country in the world. You really have to travel in a very structured way if you want to achieve that goal.
‘I’m looking forward to just being able to choose the destinations where I want to go and travel to the places that actually excite me.’
Want to see more of Luca’s adventures? Follow him on Instagram (@thegermantravelguy) or TikTok (@thegermantravelguy).
