One Hit Wonders: The First 7 Countries I Went To ONCE And Never Returned To

“An extraordinary guy can never have an ordinary day” – Noel Gallagher.

During Christmas 2024 I finally hit the 230 mark of recognised countries I have backpacked through, the latest piece of that wacaday jigsaw fell on unassuming Central African Republic. Of those 230, some of those countries I have only been to once. But what are the oldest or first seven countries that I was officially in once and have yet to return to? Here are the magic seven that oddly I visited only once and haven’t even transited through them since…

One Hit Wonders: The First 7 Countries I Went To ONCE And Never Returned To

1.Liechtenstein (March 2007)

“Everybody Liechtenstein, what’s that you say?” – Frankenstein Song.

Liechtenstein is the first country I was in that have I never went back to since, I arrived by bus from Zurich in Cheatzerland in March 2007. What that means is that every country I was in between 1980 and March 2007, I have since returned to at least once!! This includes Northern Ireland, Germany, Poland, Canada, Greece and Spain. Also, in Liechtenstein I was only in Vaduz, which is the capital city but it is not even the biggest city in the country, Schann is!

My view from Liechtenstein watching Northern Ireland play them away in Vaduz

I have only been to Liechtenstein once and it was only for one day, to watch Northern Ireland play Liechtenstein away in a European Championship qualifier!

Drinkpacking in Vaduz, Liechtenstein in March 2007

Later in life, January 2011 I met a girl called Marion from Liechtenstein when backpacking in South Africa. She was staying in the Happy Hippo Hostel in Durban with me. It is always unusual to meet someone from such a small country when you travel. To this day, Marion is the only person I have ever met from Liechtenstein outside the country itself. Maybe I’ll be back one day, but it the first country I haven’t been back to.

The wild road to Liechtenstein, 2007

GAWA on the road to Liechtenstein, 2007

2.Luxembourg (August 2007)

Keeping up with European small “L” starting countries, Luxembourg I have also only been to once. It was part of my 2007 inter-railing adventure, ironically just a few months after Liechtenstein and even though Northern Ireland have played them thrice since, I still haven’t been back!

Lovely Luxembourg 2007

One Hit Wonders: Countries I Went To ONCE And Never Returned

I don’t remember too much about Luxembourg on that trip, except for the fact it was European Capital of Culture, they randomly had an Irish-Scottish festival and that I had a Bofferding local beer in Cafe Le Perigord in the downtown. Plus there was Jill. Jill Kugener, the Luxembourg Girl. I did find a photo of my train ticket and some others…

Backpacking in Luxembourg, 2007

3.San Marino

The third on this list is San Marino. I backpacked it overland in February 2009 at a time where I was either planning to marry Noemi or go backpacking the world, if she wouldn’t do it. On that trip, I realised I was in love with her. Yet I was there with my Northern Ireland mates. We backpacked Pisa, Florence, Rimini, Faenza and stayed in a cool hostel in San Marino City! We were there in the snow so it was magical.

Passport stamp from San Marino

Off Licence in San Marino

Backpacking in San Marino in 2009

We got stranded by bus and stuck in the snow coming up the hill and as we were here for the football match San Marino v Northern Ireland, we thought the match would be postponed or cancelled. I got my passport stamped in the local post office and we had a night on the rip after winning the match 3-0 in the snow.

Backpacking in San Marino

Backpacking in San Marino: My Stay at the Affitta Camere Franciosi Hostel, San Marino City

4.Slovenia (October 2008)

3 of the first 4 of my non-returning countries were for GaWa, Green and White Army, Northern Ireland away matches and so the next one fell on Slovenia. I just realised I’ve done this out of sequence as I got the home match and away match mixed up. We did Slovenia away in 2008. On that trip, we were filmed by the BBC doing rafting and singing in the George Best Bar.

Backpacking in Slovenia – George Best Bar in Bled

Green and white water rafting in Slovenia in 2008

Staying at the George Best Bar in Bled, Slovenia

After touring Bled and Lake Bled, and the rafting, we spent a night in a prison dorm hostel at Hostel Celica in Ljubljana, another great city from the former Yugoslavia. After that we went to Maribor for the football match before overlanding by bus back into Trieste in Italy.

On the way to Slovenia 2008

Backpacking Ljubljana, Slovenia 2008

In the match in Maribor, we lost 2-0 to two late goals unfortunately and in that crazy group with 5 strong similar teams, we managed to finish above Poland and Czechs but behind Slovenia and Slovakia.

Lake Bled party, Slovenia 2008

Maribor with GAWA away 2008

5.Herm (September 2009)

Herm is one of the Channel Islands and on my travels, I have never met another tourist outside the Channel Islands who has been there. It is the smallest of the public Channel Islands. That’s how awesome and unique Herm is. I loved it. I got the ferry from Saint Peter Port in Guernsey over to calm Herm…

Backpacking in Herm, the smallest of the public Channel Islands – walking round to Belvoir Bay.

Arrival on Herm at the harbour “village”

On arrival at Herm, a tractor can take your bags to the “capital” or the hotel.

Waiting for the 8.30 am ferry on the Travel Trident from Guernsey to Herm Island

Although I have since backpacked Sark, Alderney, Jersey and Guernsey, this was my one and only visit to Herm, for this lifetime…

Loving it – world borders crossing on the Travel Trident Ferry from Guernsey to Herm Island

6.Sark (September 2009)

Sark was on the same trip and it was easy for me at the time as I worked on the Cross Channel Ferries for Condor Ferries so I had discounted and free travel and hotels etc. including a luxury night at the Saint Pierre Park Hotel in Guernsey. I day tripped Sark, where the only motorised vehicles allowed are a tractor and a helicopter for emergency hospital cases.

Backpacking in Sark: World’s smallest prison

Backpacking in Sark: Guinness Pint and Postcard

Sark has the world’s worst international football team, the world’s smallest prison, was the world’s first dark sky community and Europe’s last feudal state. I simply loved it, and I backpacked both Sark and Little Sark. I also bikepacked it! I toured the sights of Sark and scored a goal at the national football stadium.

Backpacking in Sark

Arrival in Sark and on the back of the trailer, towed up the hill by a tractor.

Cycling in Sark

Main shop in Sark

Backpacking in Sark

Flying my Northern Ireland flag at the National football stadium in Sark

7.Taiwan

The seventh one might come as a surprise as it is Taiwan to break the Working on Ferries, Europe and GaWa mould. Back in 2009, I backpacked Taiwan and I still rave lyrical about it. What a trip, a life changer and a game changer and the one that made me a backpacker way more than all that went before. Taiwan away was nuts! If you followed this blog in the glory days, 2009 to 2015, my Taiwan blogs were the ones that got me followers, that caught the eye. I had 3 fast mental weeks there and yet – that was it!

Drinkingpacking in Taiwan with Natalja

Xinying, Taiwan, 2009

Backpacking in Taiwan: Kenn Ding/Kenting

Eluanbi – South Tip of Taiwan, the Beacon of South East Asia

Backpacking in Taiwan: Touring Changhua City and Baguashan

Unbelievably I have not yet returned to Taiwan, hell bent on whackpacking the world jigsaw before it’s too late…