You see a list on the front page of a travel website, “the most visited countries in the world,” but have you ever wondered what “the least visited countries in the world” are? I went ahead and did the research for you and looked at some of the least visited countries. These are usually due to many factors including, war, poverty, or just merely not significant advancement towards tourism.

I’m going to create a top 10 list starting with the 10th least visited country in the world. This is using the most available data.

Mauritania comes in at number 10 on the list of the least visited countries in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Mauritania is dangerous due to ongoing terrorist attacks, violent crimes, muggings, armed robbery, rape, and assault. Homosexuality is also forbidden, and if you check on my ‘The Ultimate Country Ranking for Gay Travelers,’ my ranking would concur with that.

Mauritania is in western Africa below Western Sahara and Algeria, west and north of Mali and north of Senegal.

It is possible to travel to Mauritania, but it’s not advised. The best way to get in is through Nouakchott International Airport from major cities like Paris, Dakar, and Casablanca. You could travel by car or bus but also not advised! Be careful around the borders of Algeria, Mali, and Morocco.

Why come to Mauritania? If it’s worth it to you, then the deserts in the north of Mauritania are stunning, especially near the Adrar Massif. The city of Ouadane and surrounding towns are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In the southeast, the oasis city of Oualata was the southern end of most trans-Sahara trading routes. The town boasts colorful buildings, many of which feature intricate geometric designs, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

If you want to talk about a remote country in the world, then look no further than the country of Micronesia. I would dare say that Micronesia would be a beautiful country to visit, but the fact it’s so remote and can’t handle mass tourism makes it one of the least visited countries in the world.

It is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and spread out over thousands of islands. It is north of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Marshall Islands. Distances are far, and you would need to fly to travel to other islands.

The best part of Micronesia is the remoteness of the country. United Airlines actually does offer flights to Palikir, the capital of Micronesia. You would be hard press to find other places in the world where beaches and islands would be left all to yourself. There is definitely a ton of snorkeling, hiking, and island hopping if that is your scene.

I feel like every time I hear the country of São Tomé and Príncipe, I always ask, is that even a country? Well jokingly as a geography major, but in all honesty, I’m really not too familiar with anything of São Tomé and Príncipe. It shouldn’t shock you that it’s also one of the least visited countries in the world.

São Tomé and Príncipe is south of Nigeria and west of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a tiny country and was colonized by Portugal, given the Portuguese name.

The great thing about São Tomé and Príncipe is that the rainforest covering the islands are mostly intact. There is a national park to discover called Obo National Park in the interior of São Tomé. Beaches on both islands are gorgeous and should be visited. Because São Tomé and Príncipe are islands, they have beautiful coral reefs in the area.

Are you seeing a theme here? Comoros is another African island nation and one of the least visited countries in the world. Comoros have some sort of a rough history since independence from France with 20 coup attempts. Today it has kind of come through from a really rough start but still remains one of the poorest countries in the world.

Comoros is off the coast of East Africa, in the Indian Ocean between northern Mozambique and northern Madagascar.

The islands also are some of the poorest in the world and lack real great travel resources for incoming tourists. However, there is no denying that if you can make it to Comoros, it is a relatively safe country with beautiful views. It is a Muslim country, but a very liberal Muslim country and alcohol is available. There is air service from several Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.

This time we travel to the South Pacific to the Solomon Islands. These islands have been inhabited for a long time and are actually strategic for cargo routes. However, the Solomon Islands really haven’t embraced tourism leaving this country unspoiled. However, cities can still be dangerous but not as bad as Papua New Guinea.

The Solomon Islands are in the South Pacific east of Papua New Guinea. There are several flights from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji.

Getting into the Solomon Islands is not a problem, and most likely, you’ll land in the capital of Honiara. Getting around is also possible by air, but the national airline, Solomon Airlines, does not have extensive service. A lot of locals prefer to travel by boat, and there are certainly more options. The Solomon Islands has beautiful beaches and unspoiled coral, and scuba diving is the most popular activity on the islands.

Another island nation and this time it’s American Samoa. They are small islands that are somehow apart of the United States but are not full citizens. Americans can enter at any time and stay as long as they want; however, they still do need a passport.

American Samoa is in the Pacific Ocean halfway from Hawaii and New Zealand east of Fiji.

Although one of the least visited countries in the world, American Samoa does have many flights from the United States, Tonga, and the other Samoa. From the capital Pago Pago, you can take a flight or a boat to other islands. The islands are more impoverished compared to mainland United States, but they’re still tons of beaches and rainforest to explore.

Finally, not an island nation, although Turkmenistan happens to be rather remote anyways. Located in central Asia deep in the Karakum desert, Turkmenistan is kind of a forgotten country even within the other ‘Stan’ countries. Also given the fact that you need an invitation even to visit, and the lack of great tourism resources, this is one of the least visited countries in the world.

Deep in the Karakum Deserts, Turkmenistan is surrounded by Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the north, and Iran, and Afghanistan to the south.

Turkmenistan actively makes it hard to visit, and although a safe country, it’s still an authoritarian country. The former president for life held a cult-like personality over the country and even had a 15-meter statue erected in the city of Turkmenbashi, a city he named for himself. Today it’s less like this, but the country is still heavily controlled, and you’re going to need a visa to get in. There are many types of tours offered, including city tours and visiting the Karakum Desert.

Back to remote islands, the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean are the 3rd least visited countries in the world. There are over 1,150 islands in the Marshall Islands, and you can imagine that many of these are inhabited and somewhat remote.

The Marshall Islands is about halfway from Hawaii and Australia. The country has a ton of spread out islands.

This could potentially be a touristic place like many of these other tropical islands, but for some reason, the Marshall Islands are just not visited. And worse is that the main island of Majuro has become polluted, making tourism not really an option. On vacation here, one has to travel to the other many beautiful islands, and that takes time and money. The Marshall Islands has a ton of atolls if that is something you’d like to see.

Just southeast of the Marshall Islands is the very remote and mysterious Kiribati. This is actually the country that extends into the International Dateline and is something like 14 hours ahead of nearby American Samoa. Like all these Pacific Island countries on this list, Kiribati is hard to get to and lacks travel resources.

Kiribati is south of Hawaii and north of Samoa and American Samoa.

Kiribati is undeniably gorgeous but has some of the poorest and primitive islands in the world. If you’re traveling to Kiribati, you’ll have to prepare to rough it, although some islands are better than others. There are no luxury resources here, but some people will want to visit some remote, pristine islands. Kiribati also is the first nation in the world to see the New Year.

Tuvalu has everything going for it to be the least visited country in the world. First of all, it’s small, one of the smallest countries in the world. There is literally nothing to do in Tuvalu. Although the people are friendly, there is not even a hill to explore. Also, there is no city or culture center, although people still live traditional lives.

Tuvalu is south of the Marshall Islands and north of Fiji. It’s small and remote without any natural resources.

As I said, this country suffers from natural resources and doesn’t even a city. There is nothing to do here, but some people like to travel just to say they have been. There are chances for scuba and snorkeling on some parts of the islands. Tuvalu is a fascinating country and currently takes the lead in the list of the least visited countries in the world.