79-Year-Old Luisa Yu Achieves The Extraordinary Feat Of Visiting Every Country In The World

February 15, 2024

In a remarkable testament to the power of perseverance and wanderlust, 79-year-old Luisa Yu has officially accomplished what many only dream of – she has visited every country in the world.

For Yu, this journey began as a 23-year-old exchange student from the Philippines, and 56 years later, she fulfilled her lifelong goal.

Luisa Yu's unique odyssey started when she came to the United States as an exchange student. Unable to leave the country, she embarked on a Greyhound bus tour, exploring the diverse landscapes and cultures that make up the United States. After a career in the medical technology field, Yu decided to pivot and become a travel agent, a profession that offered her the flexibility to indulge her passion for exploration.

Over the past five decades, Yu has traversed the globe, immersing herself in the rich tapestry of history, culture, and landscapes that each country has to offer. Her relentless pursuit of this ambitious goal took her to places that some might consider dangerous, but Yu embraced the challenge, driven by a deep curiosity to witness firsthand the stories and traditions that unfolded in those regions.

"Even though [some places were considered] dangerous, I said, 'I think I can do this. I want to see these places [with] my own eyes because there's a lot of history and culture that happened there,'" Yu shared with GMA.

The crowning achievement came on November 9, 2023, when Luisa Yu set foot in her final country, Serbia, marking the completion of her extraordinary quest to visit every country on Earth.