Tuesday, February 10, 2026

77-year-old becomes the first Filipino to travel to all countries in the world

Odette Ricasa became the first Filipino to travel to all the countries in the world as she arrived in Kurdistan, Iraq on 25th August 2022. 

At 77 years old, she has fulfilled a lifetime dream of visiting the 193 countries recognised by the United Nations. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Odette was five countries short of finishing all the countries. She resumed her world travels this year to complete the remaining ones in this order: Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Libya, and Iraq. She also finished visiting all seven continents back in 2015.

Odette checks into Erbil View Hotel, Iraq

Based in Los Angeles, Odette is an active member of the Philippine Global Explorers travel community, where she heads the U.S West Coast chapter. She is a modern-day renaissance woman, an author of six travel books, a successful artist with over one hundred paintings, a motivational speaker, and a prolific piano player. Her mini biography and travel stories are featured in the book Galà: Adventures of the Most Well-Traveled Filipinos”.

READ MORE: Fil-Aussie globetrotter releases debut travel anthology

Hot this week

Pilot Connectivity Project Opens the Door to Telehealth for Remote Communities in Australia

Maslow Telecom and the Concordia Initiative have completed two...

Different Stages of Love

One of my favourite quotes from my latest book,...

New digital birth certificate trial launches in key growth areas with large Filipino communities

Parents in several fast-growing Victorian communities, including areas with...

Revolution in our minds (and on social media)

Every February, Filipinos become nostalgic about revolution. Curiously, we...

How to Identify and Fix Leaks in Gold Coast Properties Efficiently

Leaks may seem like a minor household inconvenience, but...

Topics

Different Stages of Love

One of my favourite quotes from my latest book,...

New digital birth certificate trial launches in key growth areas with large Filipino communities

Parents in several fast-growing Victorian communities, including areas with...

Revolution in our minds (and on social media)

Every February, Filipinos become nostalgic about revolution. Curiously, we...

How to Identify and Fix Leaks in Gold Coast Properties Efficiently

Leaks may seem like a minor household inconvenience, but...

From Leyte to Perth: Fr Nelson Po Appointed Auxiliary Bishop

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Perth priest Fr Nelson...

Philippine Australian Tennis Fans Have Plenty to Celebrate

Following the 2026 Australian Open, scenes across Melbourne Park...

The Future of Philippine BPOs in the Age of AI

For more than two decades, the Philippines has been...

Related Articles

Popular Categories