Travelling the world is undoubtedly fun. However, it takes a lot of internet research to figure out an itinerary.
But not if you heed the advice of Americans Hudson and Emily. They’ve visited 167 countries and come up with a top 20 list of must-see destinations – thereby saving you weeks of Googling.
The couple, who aim to visit every country in the world by 2025, shared the unmissable destinations in videos posted to their @hudsonandemily Instagram account and explained what they loved about each country to Travel.
There’s an African country with cities so ‘picturesque’ they ‘rival Santorini’, a South Asian country that boasts some of the world’s most ‘beautiful mountains’ and a South American spot that’s home to ‘the most beautiful waterfall in the world’.
Scroll down and get ready to reorganise your bucket list.
Argentina
Hudson and Emily have visited 167 countries and came up with a list of their top 20 must-see destinations. They explained to Travel what they loved about each country. The pair are pictured above in Thailand
The couple have been married for 11 years and began travelling full time seven years ago when Hudson’s dad ‘suddenly passed away from a heart attack’. They said: ‘It was a reminder that we aren’t guaranteed another day and to start living intentionally now’. The pair are pictured above looking out at the Fitz Roy peak in Patagonia
Above is Iguazu Falls on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana. The couple say it’s ‘the most beautiful waterfall in the world’
The couple said Patagonia, a region governed by both Argentina and Chile, ‘is unlike any other place’ and Iguazu Falls, on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Parana, is ‘the most beautiful waterfall in the world’.
They added that Buenos Aires is ‘an incredible city’.
Switzerland
According to the couple, Switzerland is ‘one of the most consistently beautiful countries in the world, where every hike and train ride is breathtaking’.
Indonesia
The couple said Indonesia is unmissable due to its ‘beautiful islands like Bali and Raja Ampat paired with volcanoes like Mount Bromo’.
Iceland
The pair noted Iceland as ‘one of the easiest countries to road trip to see volcanoes, waterfalls, lagoons, black sand beaches, and more’.
USA
America is home to ‘some of the world’s most diverse beauty’, according to the couple, who mentioned Mount Denali, the Grand Canyon, Hawaii’s Nā Pali Coast, and the national parks of Yosemite and Yellowstone as the highlights.
Maldives
Hudson and Emily said the Maldives (above) boasts ‘some of the world’s most beautiful beaches’
The pair are pictured here at Skogafoss Falls in Iceland. They labelled the country as ‘one of the easiest to road trip to see volcanoes, waterfalls, lagoons, black sand beaches, and more’
The couple are pictured on the left on Diamond Beach in Bali and on the right on a beach in Fiji
INSIDE THE WORLD’S LEAST-VISITED COUNTRY
Hudson and Emily ventured to Tuvalu, ‘the least visited country in the world’.
They said: ‘The entire country is less than 26 square kilometers (10 square miles).
‘At night, most of the young people come out to the airport runway to play sports.
‘It was so interesting to watch them and talk with people about what it’s like living in such a small country.’
Asia’s smallest country boasts some of ‘the world’s most beautiful beaches’. While visiting, Hudson and Emily said: ‘You can choose to stay in the highest luxury resorts or budget-friendly local islands.’ On their travels, the pair usually stay in budget accommodations to ‘stretch’ their money ‘as far as possible’.
New Zealand
The couple said this country has ‘beautiful mountains and scenic views like Milford Sound/Piopiotahi’, a fjord in the southwest of New Zealand’s South Island.
Oman
In this ‘safe and easy country to road trip’, Hudson and Emily said you can ‘camp in a desert, swim in a wadi [river valley], hike in the mountains and meet some of the kindest people’. The couple added: ‘In the countries we’ve visited, we’ve had many more positive interactions with people than negative.’
Pakistan
The north of Pakistan, the couple said, has ‘possibly the most beautiful mountains in the world, paired with some of the friendliest people’.
Seychelles
The Seychelles is home to ‘some of the world’s most beautiful beaches’. While visiting, the couple said that you can see ‘iconic granite boulders right on the beach’.
Kenya
The couple said Kenya boasts some of the ‘best safaris in Africa’, ‘great beaches’ and ‘the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro’.
Italy
What’s not to like? The couple said: ‘[There’s] Roman history everywhere, incredible food and the natural beauty of Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast and the Dolomites.’
The couple said: ‘When we started travelling we were getting to see new and beautiful places. But through the years, our favourite part of travel has shifted from places to the people.’ They’re pictured above in Kenya
![They added: 'Some of our favourites that we've done return trips to are Mexico, Thailand [above], and South Africa'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/07/22/16/87623303-13659495-They_added_Some_of_our_favourites_that_we_ve_done_return_trips_t-a-53_1721661822268.jpg)
The pair said: ‘There are so many countries that we’d love to visit time and time again. Some of our favourites that we’ve done return trips to are Mexico, Thailand, and South Africa.’ The pair are pictured above in Seoul (left) and Thailand (right)
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Canada
‘Friendly people’, and ‘pretty mountains and lakes’ make Canada unmissable, according to Hudson and Emily.
French Polynesia
‘French Polynesia, the semi-autonomous region of France is one of the most beautiful places in the world,’ the pair said. ‘You can swim with humpbacks and manta rays, moped around entire islands, and stay in a picturesque over-water bungalow.’
There’s lots to do down under, the couple said, from scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef and road-tripping around the Gold Coast to meeting kangaroos.
Tunisia
The couple recommended Tunisia due to its ‘ancient ruins, beautiful beaches and picturesque cities that rival Santorini in Greece’.
Japan
Hudson and Emily are pictured in Namibia walking across the Namib Desert, which the pair describe as ‘one of the oldest, most beautiful deserts’ in the world. What’s more, the indigenous people there are ‘incredibly friendly’
The couple said: ‘There are some countries that are more difficult to travel to, but it has often been those countries where we have met the kindest people.’ They’re pictured above volcano camping in Guatemala
The couple said: ‘We’ve experienced some of the greatest kindness in places we’ve least expected it. Even though we can’t always speak the same language, it is incredible how kind people have been around the world.’ The pair are pictured above in Afghanistan
Tunisia (above), say the couple, has spots that rival Santorini in Greece
Japan makes the list due to its ‘incredible culture, food and natural beauty’. The couple added: ‘Tokyo might be the world’s coolest big city.’
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has ‘some of the most beautiful mountains in the world where you can sleep in a yurt and meet some of the last golden eagle hunters’. The couple added: ‘There are so many beautiful mountains around Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.’
Namibia
This country in Southern Africa is home to ‘one of the oldest, most beautiful deserts’ [Namib Desert] alongside ‘incredibly friendly indigenous people’.
Fiji
On this ‘beautiful tropical island’ in the South Pacific, the couple said: ‘You can go scuba diving with a huge variety of animals, like bull sharks.’