77-year-old Becomes the First Filipino to Visit All Countries in the World

Odette Aquitania Ricasa has become the first Filipino to visit all the countries in the world, touching down in Kurdistan, Iraq — the last country on her list — on Aug. 25.

Ricasa’s plans were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but right after the world’s borders reopened, she was able to visit Sudan, Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Iraq this year.

“I love that challenge; the unknown of what might happen, or who I might meet, the possibilities are endless. I relied on people’s kindness,” she was quoted as saying.

In her website, she mentioned that geography was her favorite subject in school. She was bitten by the travel bug at age 12 after her teacher described the mountain chains of the Andes in South America, the Pyrenees of France and Spain, and the Altai in Kazakhstan.

By 2015, she has accomplished major feats such as visiting every continent in the world, according to Philippine Global Explorers. Her travels also include remote islands, such as Robinson Crusoe Islands, Lakshadweep islands, and Andaman Nicobar Islands.

Apart from traveling, Ricasa is an author, artist, motivational speaker, and pianist. She has learned from different artists during her travels and now has over 120 paintings displayed at Ricasa Art Gallery in San Clemente, Southern California, and other parts of the world.