Whackpacking Geek: The REAL Method of Counting Countries

Visiting Shaqra / Shagra

As backpackers, whackpackers, crackpackers, tourists, travellers, ditch-hikers, hitch-hikers and just travel geeks, many of us love plotting our journeys in strategic ways. This could be counting how many countries you’ve been to, how many capital cities you visited, how many mountains you summited etc. Years ago, I came up with a real system to count countries, to find that Northern Ireland is:

1.The country I have visited most times (97)
2.The country I have spent most time in (23 years+)
3.The country I was born in
4.My favourite country

So, starting from my first visit to Northern Ireland (at birth, in 1980) I have compiled a list of all border crossing/country visits that I have made. The rule is simple:

I am in Northern Ireland, that’s (1). Then I leave Northern Ireland for the Republic of Ireland, that’s (1). But then, when I return to Northern Ireland, that’s (2) as it’s my second visit to Northern Ireland. Get it?

Northern Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland 2
Portugal
Northern Ireland 3
Scotland
England
Scotland 2
Northern Ireland 4
Republic of Ireland 2
Northern Ireland 5
Scotland 3
England 2
Scotland 4
Northern Ireland 6
Republic of Ireland 3
Northern Ireland 7
Scotland 5
England 3
Scotland 6
Northern Ireland 8
Republic of Ireland 4
Wales
England 4
France
England 5
Scotland 7
Northern Ireland 9
Greece
Northern Ireland 10
The Netherlands
Northern Ireland 11
Republic of Ireland 5
Northern Ireland 12
Scotland 8
England 6
France 2
England 7
Scotland 9
Northern Ireland 12
Scotland 10
England 8
France 3
England 9
Scotland 11
Northern Ireland 13
Scotland 12
England 10
Scotland 13
Northern Ireland 14
England 11
Northern Ireland 15
Republic of Ireland 6
Northern Ireland 16
Scotland 14
England 12
Spain
England 13
Scotland 15
Northern Ireland 17
Republic of Ireland 7
Northern Ireland 18
United States of America
Northern Ireland 19
Republic of Ireland 8
Northern Ireland 20
United States of America 2
Northern Ireland 21
Republic of Ireland 9
Northern Ireland 22
Republic of Ireland 10
Northern Ireland 23
Republic of Ireland 11
Northern Ireland 24
Republic of Ireland 12
Northern Ireland 25
Republic of Ireland 13
Northern Ireland 26
England 14
Northern Ireland 27
Republic of Ireland 14
Northern Ireland 28
Canada
England 15
Northern Ireland 29
England 16
Northern Ireland 30
Republic of Ireland 15
Northern Ireland 31
Republic of Ireland 16
Northern Ireland 32
Republic of Ireland 17
Northern Ireland 33
Spain
Northern Ireland 34
Republic of Ireland 18
Wales 2
England 17
Republic of Ireland 19
Northern Ireland 35
Republic of Ireland 20
England 18
Northern Ireland 36
England 19
Northern Ireland 37
England 20
Northern Ireland 38
England 21
Northern Ireland 39
England 22
Northern Ireland 40
England 23
Wales 3
England 24
Northern Ireland 41
England 24
Northern Ireland 42
England 25
Northern Ireland 43
England 26
Northern Ireland 44
England 27
Northern Ireland 45
England 28
Germany
Poland
England 29
Northern Ireland 46 (Germany match)
England 30
Northern Ireland 47 (Granny Mawhinney funeral)
England 31
Northern Ireland 48
England 32
Northern Ireland 49 (England match)
England 33
Northern Ireland 50
England 34
Austria
England 35
Northern Ireland 51
England 36
Northern Ireland 52
England 37
Wales 4
England 38
Northern Ireland 53
England 39
Northern Ireland 54
England 40
Denmark
Germany 2
England 41
Northern Ireland 55
England 42
Northern Ireland 56
England 43
Northern Ireland 57
England 44
Switzerland
Liechtenstein
Switzerland 2
England 45
Northern Ireland 58
England 46
Canada 2
United States of America 3
New Zealand
Malaysia
China
Russia
Belarus
Poland 2
Czechia
Germany 3
Luxembourg
Germany 4
Belgium
France 4
Northern Ireland 59
England 47
Latvia
Germany 5
Iceland
England 48
Republic of Ireland 21
Northern Ireland 60
England 49
Sweden
England 50
Northern Ireland 61
England 51
Northern Ireland 62
England 52
Northern Ireland 63
England 53
Scotland 16
England 54
Slovakia
England 55
Northern Ireland 64
England 56
Northern Ireland 65
Republic of Ireland 22
England 57
Italy
Slovenia
Italy 2
England 58
Republic of Ireland 23
Northern Ireland 66
Republic of Ireland 24
England 59
Northern Ireland 67
England 60
Italy 3
San Marino
Italy 4
England 61
Northern Ireland 68
England 62
Hungary
England 62
Italy 5
England 63
Jersey
Guernsey
Sark
Herm
France 5
England 64
Northern Ireland 69
England 65
Wales4
Thailand
Taiwan
Malaysia 2
Singapore
Malaysia 3
Australia
New Zealand 2
Chile
Argentina
Antarctica
Argentina 2
Uruguay
Argentina 3
Brazil
Argentina 4
Brazil 2
Paraguay
Bolivia
Chile
Bolivia 2
Peru
Ecuador
Panama
Colombia
Venezuela
Trinidad and Tobago
Suriname
Brazil 3
South Africa
Botswana
South Africa 2
Swaziland / Eswatini
South Africa 3
Qatar
Malaysia 4
Australia 2
Singapore 2
Hong Kong
Singapore 3
Australia 3
Malaysia 5
Hong Kong 2
Thailand 2
Hong Kong 3
Malaysia 6
France 6
Northern Ireland 70
England 65
Hong Kong 4
China 2
South Korea
North Korea
South Korea 2
China 3
Hong Kong 5
Philippines
Singapore 4
Indonesia
Singapore 5
China 4
Hong Kong 6
China 5
Hong Kong 7
England 66
Northern Ireland 71
Republic of Ireland 25
Northern Ireland 72
England 67
United Arab Emirates
Hong Kong 8
Macau
Hong Kong 9
Thailand 3
Laos
Cambodia
Thailand 4
Hong Kong 10
Vietnam
Hong Kong 11
China 6 (Kaiping)
Hong Kong 12
China 7
Hong Kong 13
Philippines 2
Hong Kong 14
China 8
Hong Kong 15
Singapore 6
Sri Lanka
Singapore 7
Hong Kong 16
China 8
Hong Kong 17
China 9
Hong Kong 18
Malaysia 7
Brunei Darussalam
Malaysia 8
Hong Kong 19
China 10
Hong Kong 20
China 11
Hong Kong 21
China 12
Hong Kong 22
China 13
Hong Kong 23
China 14
Macau 2
Hong Kong 24
China 15
Hong Kong 25
China 16
Hong Kong 26
Thailand 5
Myanmar
Thailand 6
Hong Kong 27
Ethiopia
Tanzania
Maasai Tribe
Tanzania 2
Ethiopia 2
Hong Kong 28
China 17
North Korea 2
China 18
Hong Kong 29
Jordan
Israel
Druze People
Israel 2
Palestine
Israel 3
Palestine 2
Israel 4
Jordan 2
Israel 5
Turkey
Georgia
Azerbaijan
Georgia 2
Armenia
Nagorno Karabakh
Armenia 2
Georgia 3
Turkey 2
Iran
United Arab Emirates 2
Qatar 2
Iraq 1
The Netherlands 2
Northern Ireland 73
England 68
Hong Kong 30
China 19
Hong Kong 31
Thailand 7
Hong Kong 32
Indonesia 2
East Timor
Indonesia 3
Hong Kong 33
China 20
Hong Kong 34
England 69
Brazil 4
French Guyana
Suriname 2
Guyana
Suriname 3
Brazil 5
Panama 2
Mexico
Guatemala
El Salvador
Guatemala 2
Honduras
Guatemala 3
Belize
Honduras 2
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
United States of America 4
Catalonia
Andorra
Catalonia 2
Republic of Ireland 26
Northern Ireland 74
England 70
Romania
Moldova
Transnistria
Moldova 2
Romania 2
Bulgaria
Northern Macedonia
Kosovo
Montenegro
England 71
Scotland 17 (Edinburgh)
England 72
Republic of Ireland 27
Northern Ireland 75
Republic of Ireland 28
Lithuania
Užupis
Lithuania 2
Latvia 2
Estonia
Sweden 2
Denmark 2
Christiania
Denmark 3
Sweden 3
Denmark 4
Sweden 4
Norway
Northern Ireland 76
Republic of Ireland 29
Northern Ireland 77
England 73
Austenasia
England 74
Frestonia
England 75
Italy 6
Vatican City State
Italy 7
Tunisia
Algeria
Catalonia 2
Spain 3
Basque Country
Spain 4
Gibraltar
Spain 5
England 76
Northern Ireland 78
England 77
Turkey 3
Kuwait
India
Hong Kong 35
Bangladesh
United Arab Emirates 3
Bahrain
Denmark 5
Christiania 2
Denmark 6
Sweden 5
Denmark 7
Faroe Islands
Scotland 18
Northern Ireland 79
Podjistan
Northern Ireland 80
England 78
Lagoan Isles
England 79
Adammia
England 80
Northern Ireland 81
England 81
Poland 3
Ukraine
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Ukraine 2
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Górno Badakhshan
Tajikistan 2
Uzbekistan
Afghanistan
Uzbekistan 2
Kazakhstan 2
Kyrgyzstan 2
India 2
Andaman Islands
India 3
Kyrgyzstan 3
Russia 2
Bavaria
Austria 2
Germany 6
England 82
Lovely
England 83
Turkey 4
Mauritania
Senegal
The Gambia
Senegal
Turkey 5
England 84
Northern Ireland 82
Republic of Ireland 30
Italy 8
France 7
Monaco
France 8
Belgium 2
The Netherlands 3
Poland 4
Kaliningrad
Poland 5
Slovakia 2
Hungary 2
Serbia
Bosnia Herzegovina
Croatia
Bosnia Herzegovina 2
Croatia 2
Bosnia Herzegovina 3
Croatia 3
Bosnia Herzegovina 4
Montenegro 2
Bosnia Herzegovina 5
Croatia 4
Hungary 3
Czechia 2
Poland 6
Republic of Ireland 31
Northern Ireland 83
England 85
Poland 7
Turkey 6
Hong Kong 36
Mongolia
Kyrgyzstan 4
Turkey 7
Poland 8
Królestwo Dreamlandu
Poland 9
Northern Ireland 84
Poland 10
Northern Ireland 85
Hungary 3
Slovakia 3
Poland 11
Slovakia 4
Hungary 4
Malta
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Malta 2
Hungary 5
Slovakia 5
Poland 12
Northern Ireland 86
Republic of Ireland 32
Northern Ireland 87
Republic of Ireland 33
England 86
Poland 13
Germany 7
Romkerhall
Germany 8
Cheatzerland 3
Germany 9
Poland 14
Morocco
Western Sahara
Morocco 2
Portugal 2
Poland 15
Portugal 3
Ivory Coast
Portugal 4
Poland 16
Cyprus
Northern Cyprus
Cyprus 2
Poland 17
Northern Ireland 88
Poland 18
Belarus 2
Poland 19
Northern Ireland 89
Poland 20
Greece 2
Saudi Arabia
Oman
United Arab Emirates 4
Poland 21
Republic of Ireland 34
Northern Ireland 90
Republic of Ireland 35
Germany 10
Azerbaijan 2
Turkmenistan
Belarus 3
Poland 22
Kaliningrad 2
Poland 23
Northern Ireland 91
England 87
Poland 24
Germany 11
France 9
Togo
Benin
Togo 2
France 10
Germany 12
Poland 25
Germany 13
Russia 3
Germany 14
Poland 26
San Escobar
Poland 27
Northern Ireland 92
Republic of Ireland 36
Sweden 6
Russia 4
Turkey 7
Lebanon
Cyprus 3
Poland 28
England 88
Wales 5
England 89
Poland 29
Ukraine 3
Poland 30

Northern Ireland 93
Poland 31
Germany 15
Belgium
Rwanda
Uganda
Rwanda 2
Democratic Republic of Congo
Rwanda 3
Burundi
Rwanda 4
Kenya 2
Uganda 2
Belgium
Germany 16
Poland 32
England 90
Northern Ireland 94
Poland 33
Belarus 4
Poland 34
Germany 17
Poland 35
Bavaria 2
United States of America 5
Germany 18
Republic of Ireland 37
Northern Ireland 95
Republic of Ireland 38
United Arab Emirates 5
Australia 4
Fiji
Nauru
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Kiribati 2
Nauru 2
Kiribati 3
Nauru 3
Solomon Islands
Papua New Guinea
Singapore
Qatar 3
Republic of Ireland 39
Northern Ireland 96
Poland 36
Austria 3
Kugel Mugel
Austria 4
Germany 19
Austria 5
Czechia 3
Kingdom of Wallachia
Czechia 4
Poland 37
Republic of Ireland 40
Northern Ireland 97
Republic of Ireland 41
Poland 38

I am currently in POLAND, my 38th visit to this country. Here are my top 21 countries so far on visits:

1. Northern Ireland – 97
2. England – 90
3. Republic of Ireland – 41
4. Poland – 37
5. Hong Kong – 36
6. China – 20
7. Germany – 19
8. Scotland – 19
9. France – 9
10. Malaysia – 8
11. Thailand – 8
12. Italy – 8
13. Spain – 7
14. Singapore – 7
15. Turkey – 7
16. Sweden – 7

17.Wales – 6
18. Israel – 5
19. Denmark – 5
20. Slovakia – 5
21. Hungary – 5

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