I won the race around the world and visited 77 countries – my favorite is a ‘cheap paradise’, while this fan -favourite hotspot is the most overrated
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After winning Race all over the world Last year Alfie Watts with his best friend Owen Wood made it his mission to visit every country.
Now, with the new series of the BBC Travel competition in full swing, the 22-year-old from St. Albans gives his opinion on the show, as well as the 77 of the 195 countries around the world he visited.
When it comes to his favorite countries, Alfie has two – Jordan and Malaysia.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the maker of the travel content says: ‘I took my Nan to Petra because she wanted to see her whole life, so that was really fun, and the whole feeling about the journey was just very positive.
‘The people in Jordan are also so friendly.
‘And Malaysia is also a favorite, because it is just a cheap paradise.
‘But my only favorite place in the world must be Angel Falls in Venezuela.
“They are the highest waterfall in the world, but they are completely from the grid and a nightmare to reach.”
Former race around the world winner Alfie Watts, 22, MailOnline tells about his favorite and most overrated countries
One of Alfie’s favorite countries is Jordan. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the maker of the travel content says: ‘I brought my Nan to Petra [pictured] Because she wanted to see it all her life, so that was really fun, and the whole feeling about the journey was just very positive ‘
Alfie says that his favorite place in the world is Angel Falls, Venezuela. He says: “They are the highest waterfall in the world, but they are completely rid of the schedule and a nightmare to reach ‘
When it comes to his least favorite country, Alfie thinks it is difficult to give one out, but he admits that Cambodia was the country that he ‘liked most’ after he had stopped there during the race around the world.
“I just can’t handle it,” he says. ‘I found the people quite unfriendly and Cambodia is in Southeast -Asia, which clearly means that it is surrounded by Thailand and Malaysia, which are so great that I just don’t think it comes close.
“But many people do not agree with that and love Cambodia, so I think I am objectively wrong with this opinion!”
Another place that many people love, but Alfie found that he is overestimated is Sydney.
He says: ‘Yes, it looks good, but it is very expensive and I just didn’t catch the hype.
“I was really looking forward to it and it was just a bit average.
‘Everywhere it felt like it was trying too hard, and the whole hipster -thing just came across a little too much.
“However, I have to go back more and explore more from Australia, because Sydney is the only place I have been.”
Another striking country for Alfie is Malaysia, because it is a ‘cheap paradise’. He is depicted here in Kuala Lumpar
A place that many people love, but Alfie found to be overestimated is Sydney. He says: ‘Yes, it looks good, but it is very expensive, and I just didn’t catch the hype’
The most surprising place for Alfie was Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. “It’s like you’re in London,” he says. “It’s not at all how you think of Africa. You think of Africa and it’s chaos; There are no bus times, and all that, but in Kigali it is completely different
The most surprising place for Alfie was Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
“It’s like you’re in London,” he says. “It’s not at all how you think of Africa. You think of Africa and it’s chaos; There are no bus times, and all, but in Kigali it is completely different.
‘There are organized buses, high -rise buildings. They have more developed shopping centers than we do! Kigali was crazy. ‘
Alfie’s most underrated destination, which he thinks everyone should experience, is the top of Norway.
He explains: ‘It really slept and people postpone it, probably because it gets 20 hours of daylight in the summer and 20 hours of night in the winter.
“But there it’s just a different world. It’s just breathtaking. ‘
Alfie and Owen applied for race all over the world when they were on a roof in Brazil.
‘The application form came on an Instagram advertisement while I was sitting on the toilet. True story, “he laughs.
Alfie (left) and Owen Wood (right) received only £ 1,100 each and challenged to make their way from the northernmost Japan to the idyllic Indonesian island of Lombok
After racing nearly 14,000 kilometers for seven weeks and seven countries, Alfie and Owen crossed the finish line in Lombok (photo)
Last year, viewers fell in love with the couple because they – together with five other couples – spent 50 days over land and sea from Japan to Indonesia and eventually came to the top of the top to win the £ 20,000 prize.
And it has been emotional for watching the current series that takes place in China, Nepal and India.
He says: ‘Looking back, it reminds you of the whole process, which was just great. The fact that I had to do it with my best partner, and the fact that it was all filmed and then documented in a way that would never do it before.
‘I think only the unique of it, only the way you couldn’t replicate it, no matter how hard you tried. We have done something that you really can’t replicate. ‘
But he admits that he is happy that he had to do the show last year instead of this current series.
‘I am much more relieved that we had our route because it would have been a lot harder this year, especially if they come to Nepal and India, only because of the chaos of those places. I think it will be really stressful because they are so overwhelming. Even on vacation to India there is such a sensory overload. Being in that situation will be difficult for them. ‘
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