What's the Most Unusual Country You Have Visited?

HellFireClub

Cairo, Egypt... Maddest place on earth, unimaginable poverty standing right beside unbelievable wealth.

gigino

keano_afc wrote: »

UAE, or Abu Dhabi to be precise. Very odd place, like a giant dust bowl. Seeing how women are treated as 3rd class citizens is bizarre. They really cant do anything on their own.

You could say the same about most middle eastern countries except israel, they treat women equal to men.

nowyouresix

Algeria. Stayed six weeks. Never have I seen such controls in an airport in my life. Our bags were checked so many times, and then before you got on the airplane, they put the baggage on the runway and you had to confirm it was yours again before they put it on the plane. Frisked 3 times before getting on the plane. Police everywhere, checkpoints regularly on the roads.
Brilliant country though.Place of outstanding natural beauty. Roman ruins everywhere. Beautiful, unspoiled beaches. No tourists. People very warm, if a little confused as to why we were there! Fantastic food. Crazy drivers. It's an absolutely wonderful place. Wouldn't live there though.

Ghandee

Ghandee wrote: »

Cuba.

Was great place don't get me wrong, especially Havana, but there was something about watching folk on the high ways (which were empty for the most parts) packed into the back of tipper Lorries (in the way Irish people use a bus) seemed strange, they all seemed to be military folk if that makes any difference?

Was also the first country I'd been in where beggars jostled to get you leaving your hotel, hoping for a few peso from you, with security actually beating then back sometimes!

But with Havana having roughly one police man/woman on the street for every for citizens (roughly a million cops) thanks to communism and employment!
Never felt scared though, Havana definitely one of the most interesting places i've ever visited in my life though!

I speak the truth!

(these seem to be civilians, but you get the idea)

Benny_Cake

Ads by Google wrote: »

Cambodia... The fact that every disgusting thing you could ever want is so readily for sale is a bit unusual.

I'm not the only person who felt that way there, when the bus pulled into Saigon I felt like I was on a different planet from Cambodia!

p

Kiev, Ukraine - Strangely wealthy city, with lots of high fashion brands, but we couldn't find anywhere that normal people would eat/drink. Also, the stereotype of it being known as a destination for sex tourism is definitely true. It also has no street crossings, you have to walk under the road to get across the street, and they have large underground malls that stretch for blocks. I guess that's useful in winter time.

Iceland - Not culturally, but never seen so many different landscapes over such a short distance. Really loved the place.

goose2005

Slovenia - it was odd to find an actual country there, you think of it as more of a name they put in so there won't be a blank bit on the map. Like Tolkien writing "Khand" on his map of middle-earth even though he probably never bothered to give it any history.

later10 wrote: »

What's also so remarkable about it, is that when you're in the wealthy suburbs of Tel Aviv, you feel like you're in Los Angeles or Miami, not the theatre of war and human cruelty that that country is. I found the whole thing a bit mentally distressing in fact.

That description would also apply to a lot of LA and Miami...

Rhys Essien wrote: »

With all due respect,Its the people of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank that are living in hell on a day to day basis,not those living in Israel.

Hell is something of an exaggeration; living standards are better than in some Arab countries, worse than in others.

jpm4

goose2005 wrote: »

Slovenia - it was odd to find an actual country there, you think of it as more of a name they put in so there won't be a blank bit on the map. Like Tolkien writing "Khand" on his map of middle-earth even though he probably never bothered to give it any history.
.

What on earth is unusual about Slovenia? Beautiful country and Ljubljana is one of the most pleasant and friendly cities I have ever visited in Europe.

later12

goose2005 wrote: »

Hell is something of an exaggeration; living standards are better than in some Arab countries, worse than in others.

Almost 4 out of every 5 people in Palestine live on less than $2 per day.

I don't know how this compares to elsewhere in the middle east, quite frankly, but it wouldn't be much consolation to a Palestinian if he heard that elsewhere the statistic was worse. It's not even all about standards of living, it's about things like the freedom of movement which we all enjoy here and which is not measured in terms of public facilities. I think the question of general welfare is far more important than merely standards of living.

Randy Anders

Deleted User wrote: »

Cambodia... The fact that every disgusting thing you could ever want is so readily for sale is a bit unusual.

What do you mean by that?

Kotek Besar

Randy Anders wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

Cambodia... The fact that every disgusting thing you could ever want is so readily for sale is a bit unusual.

What do you mean by that?

I've been to Cambodia. I saw children manning a street stall selling roasted cockroaches.

gigino

Kotek Besar wrote: »

I've been to Cambodia. I saw children manning a street stall selling roasted cockroaches.

they are nice and crunchy. Great protein too.

chimpo85

Im just back from living in Madagascar. What a place, I love it there. Incredibly warm and friendly people and a hell of place to go if wildlife is an interest.

I was living on a remote beach by a tiny village in the south west, so laid back and completely unhitched from the rest of the world. My heaven!

IzzyWizzy

ifellover wrote: »

luxembourg, nothing really there

It's just a very small European city (although more beautiful than most), what's unusual about that?

I don't think I've been anywhere unusual really. Korea was strange at first because everyone kept staring at me because I'm a Westerner, but that wore off after a day or two.

gaf1983

Collem, India.
Claresholm, Alberta, Canada.
Oman.
Tromso, Norway.
Gray, France. (Lived up to its name).

CrazyRabbit

Tamriel - Got to go on many an adventure there, but then I got an knee injury and don't travel so much.

Lustrum

Lesotho - like a little part of Ireland in the middle of Africa, absolutely beautiful but definitely in the wrong continent.

Zimbabwe - inflation at 5 billion percent or something, no food anywhere with everyone having to cross into Zambia or Botswana to try get bread.

Easter Island (although not a country) is definitely worth a trip, an amazing place

ballsymchugh

The_Kew_Tour wrote: »

North Korea.

same. 4 day trip including this celebration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID2yqumCB1w

UglyBolloxFace

goose2005 wrote: »

Slovenia - it was odd to find an actual country there, you think of it as more of a name they put in so there won't be a blank bit on the map.

Whatever you do, don't let a Slovene hear you say that.

Faith+1

later10 wrote: »

What's also so remarkable about it, is that when you're in the wealthy suburbs of Tel Aviv, you feel like you're in Los Angeles or Miami, not the theatre of war and human cruelty that that country is. I found the whole thing a bit mentally distressing in fact.

Completely Agree. Was there in '07 with a mate and thought I was in America. Dizengoff street reminded me of New York with the yellow traffic lights and similar road markings/layout.

Yet when going into the shopping centre there was metal detectors outside with armed guards who would ask to look into your backpack. Also there was loads of off duty soldiers carrying machine guns just walking around with not a care in the world.
You always had a feeling that anything could kick off in a split second. Very unsettling.

Xavi6

Vanuatu and it was sensational.

They were the shittest team in FIFA 98 and I always used to play them when I wanted to feel good about myself. Decided two years ago that I might as well see what the craic is with the place and went for a week. Loved it.

ProudDUB

Ethiopia, 2005.

We spent a lot of time driving thru Mexico Sq in Addis Ababa. It's not a square at all, just one heart attack of a roundabout that most of the cities main roads branch off from, and most of the cities major government buildings are clustered around. There was one big office building that always had a huge line of people queuing up to get into it. There was a sign on the roof saying what the building was. As I don't read Amharic, I couldn't make out what it said.

On our last day there, I asked our driver what the building was. He said it was the Ethiopian Immigration Bureau. The queues of people were people wanting to immigrate officially to Ethiopia. Now, anyone that remembers the days of Live Aid would associate Ethiopia as being a hell hole of poverty that no one in their right mind would want to emigrate to. Nothing I saw when I was there made me change my mind.

I think my shock must have shown on my face. But when our driver pointed out that Ethiopia is relatively famine free, and is quite peaceful these days, compared to neighbouring war torn Chad, Sudan and Rwanda, it all began to makes sense. That is where most of the immigration applicants were from. Then he went off on a rant about "foreigners coming here and taking our jobs." It was an all too familiar eye opening experience for this rather ignorant Westerner.

Randy Anders

Randy Anders wrote: »

What do you mean by that?

Cambodia is the child prostitution capital of the East.. My first night there, I had a 12/13 year old girl sitting next to me at the bar with her 70yr old white boyfriend. I mean she was tiny. I couldn't do anything about it so I just had to leave. :mad: It's not even hidden. One normal guy I met went out to a sort of "sex village" in the countryside for normal prostitutes and didn't expect to see children there doing the same.. That sort of "unusual".

dunnaman93

Cavan

GodlessInfidel

Spent a week in Somaliland last May as a tourist. The locals kept asking me if i was a journalsit

I have visited Ethiopia a few times (which is my favourite destination and i have done a fair bit of travelling) and decided to check out it's little known neighbour.

GodlessInfidel

gigino wrote: »

You could say the same about most middle eastern countries except israel, they treat women equal to men.

orthodox jewish women in israel are not treated as equals by their menfolk and the orthodox religion accounts for twenty five per cent of the population

Napper Hawkins

This reminds me of the time I was in Budapest with Binky!

neris

Gibraltar. Weird place that's neither British or spanish

thebostoncrab

It's a toss between Japan and Iceland (Incidently the two best countries I have visited), both for different reasons.

Japan is just another world completely. From all the vending machines, to hearing the new years song when shops are closing, shops staying open until 26 o clock, all you can drink bars and monkeys. There was just so much there that was unique from any other nation I've visited.

Iceland is amazing to see how well it runs the country from its own resources, and the amazingly dark humor of the locals and there "**** it" attitude to life, it's very refreshing!

maninasia

later10 wrote: »

I guess I'd have to say Israel.

The vast influence that Jerusalem has had on mankind, and the ludicrous state of affairs that remain there today, with what is effectively an 'outdoor prison' definitely makes the country the freak of the nations in my opinion.

What's also so remarkable about it, is that when you're in the wealthy suburbs of Tel Aviv, you feel like you're in Los Angeles or Miami, not the theatre of war and human cruelty that that country is. I found the whole thing a bit mentally distressing in fact.

Imagine the UK had a policy to 'wipe Ireland off the map'. That's what Israel has to live with. Doesn't mean they don't have messed up policies but it's a lot more complicated than a quick comment.