A woman who has travelled to over 100 countries revealed that there is one destination above all others that stands out. Marta Luisa García, 52, has spent a lot of her life traversing the globe visiting everywhere from Namibia to the great cities of Europe and beyond.
Part of her fascination with the world began when her older brother was given an Atlas for his First Communion that left her amazed by the countries inside it. This extended to her love of travel shows on television as she became hooked by the stories. However, among all of the magnificent wonders she’s seen, Marta, from A Coruña, Spain, has admitted that she does have a favourite.
Marta’s favourite country
Speaking to La Voz De Galicia, Marta admitted she had a passion for paradise beaches including the Maldives and Bora Bora in French Polynesia. On the latter, she said: “For me, French Polynesia is a dream trip.” French Polynesia is an overseas collectivity of France. It is made up of the likes of Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Mo’orea.
A typical flight package to the island paradise of Bora Bora – some 9,500 miles away in the South Pacific – can start at £2,200 per person. But those who’ve been lucky to visit says it’s worth every penny, with clear turquoise lagoons to explore, beautiful landscapes and Maldives-like overwater bungalows.
Most visited spots
Marta admitted that it wasn’t just French Polynesia she enjoyed. Marta said that France and Italy were at the top of the list in terms of countries she’s visited more times than any other. That’s because “they are close and cheap”, with the traveller adding: “I’ve been to France for £10 return.”
While Marta has been to hundreds of places, there are still some left on her list for her to see. She said: “Today, of the seven wonders of the world, only Machu Picchu remains for me to see. I haven’t been to Peru, but I’m terrified of altitude sickness.”
Other favourites of world travellers
Marta isn’t the only world traveller to have mentioned which country in the world is their favourite. Earlier this year Cameron Mofid, who has visited every UN-recognised country and territory on the planet, listed his favourite places too.
Completing his feat in April when he managed to make it to North Korea, he has since spoken about his top countries and territories with two standing out, both of which are subject to travel warnings from the UK’s FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office).
Speaking to CNN, he said Algeria and Yemen were the two countries that stood out. Of Algeria he said: “It’s one of my favourite countries in the whole world. The countries that receive the least amount of tourism are often the ones where you have the best experience, because you feel totally immersed in their culture.”
Meanwhile, Yemen attracted his attention because of the sensation he felt of stepping back in time. He said: “To see people dress the same way that they were hundreds if not thousands of years ago. To see people living in mud houses, to see people still using flip phones.”