Man who has visited every country in the world shares 'paradise' island that is severely underrated

Last time I checked there were 195 different countries in the world but one travel-obsessed lad has managed to check out every single one of them.

Michael Zervos, a 36-year-old film director, sold his home in the US, and set out on his epic journey around the globe on 18th January, 2024, even managing to hit spots most of us wouldn't dream of travelling to, such as Russia and North Korea.

While plenty of Brits fancy packing up their things and heading to Australia at the moment, most of us think of islands like the Isle of Man, or Barry Island if you're a particularly big fan of Gavin and Stacey, when it comes to finding one for a holiday.

But Mr Zervos has revealed that one of the islands he visited was truly idyllic, despite it not being at the top of most people's lists.

'Paradise on Earth'

While there are some spots that the UK government warns Brits not to fly to, that certainly didn't put off Mr Zervos, as he was determined to make memories in all of the places he stayed at.

Samoa certainly doesn't look half bad (MANAUI FAULALO/AFP via Getty Images)

He said to the Daily Mail: "I stayed the night in every country, sometimes multiple nights – apart from the Vatican as that has no hotels. That was kind of the rule of mine, because I wasn’t just going to break the record. I wanted to tell stories and meet people along the way."

And he certainly enjoyed his time in Oceania, which is about as far as you can get from the UK, but he certainly recommends stopping by Samoa.

He said: "The word 'paradise' gets thrown around a lot when describing the Pacific, but Samoa truly matches my idea of paradise on Earth.

"The To Sua Ocean Trench is jaw-dropping. This natural sinkhole is filled with crystal-clear water and one of the most unique swimming spots I’ve ever encountered.

"And many travellers simply don't realise how accessible and budget-friendly Samoa actually is."

Why he thinks some aren't as good

Bhutan and Lesotho were also two of his favourites, but there were some places he didn't quite enjoy as much.

While the people rarely let him down, there can be some issues with the overall running of the country which might put him off returning, and despite having a good time in North Korea, he suggested that he cannot defend the politics of Kim Jong-Un's country.

The politics in North Korea meant his time there wasn't as good ( KIM WON JIN/AFP via Getty Images)

He said: "I mean, look, I’m not going to tell you that it's paradise on earth, and there is not much that I could defend in terms of the top-down governance of that country.

"But often it's that the problem is with governments, and it's not with the people, and the people will treat you incredibly."

Are there any places he wouldn't return to?

In short, no. Michael certainly doesn't have many bad memories, and says there isn't a single one that he wouldn't ever go back to.

He said: "I had fantastic times in a lot of countries, I had great times in most countries, and there were only a couple here and there where the experience was not great.

"However, I chalk that up to the fact that I was only in each country for a short amount of time, and I might not have had a good first impression or might not have met the right people."