We are a travel-loving couple from the West Midlands who've visited 95 countries over 57 years - but one place stood out above the rest

Britain’s most well-travelled couple Ann and Alan Cooper from the West Midlands have vowed to carry on backpacking despite their ageing years - after spending nearly six decades visiting 95 different countries across the world.

The jet-setting pensioners first caught the travel bug back in 1970, shortly after getting married, when they drove across Europe and India before catching a boat to live in Australia for two years. 

Ann, 78, and Alan, 85, have since spent the next 57 years dedicated to seeing different areas of the world - often by "winging it" on a budget, staying in cheap hostels and using public transport. 

The young-at-heart couple still average around two trips abroad - often for several weeks or months at a time - and have vowed to keep on travelling until they are no longer able to.

Ann, a former marriage counsellor, and Alan, a retired factory worker, say they have managed to afford and maintain their lifestyle by cutting back on life's luxuries and keeping all their savings for travel. 

And while many pensioners might prefer a cruise or a sunshine break, the couple prefer visiting the likes of Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Rwanda - where they have just returned from.  

Ann, of Rugby, Warwickshire, said a plan to emigrate to Australia back in 1969 was the start of their globe-trotting lifelong adventure which has nearly spanned 60 years.

She said: "We married in 1967 and decided we wanted to go travelling in 1969, then the plan was to emigrate to Australia or Canada at first.

"I saved up by working as a window dresser for a department store and then as parking warden for a few months while Alan worked in a factory.

“We bought a van and set off across Europe and into Asia - travelling through Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and spent six months in India. However the Arab/Israeli war stopped the flow of boats across to Australia for some time, so we didn't get there until 1971. We spent two and a half years in Oz before returning to the UK when we had the eldest of our two sons and wondered if we making the right decision." 

Travelling took a back seat for a while as their two boys grew up - but the couple would still find time to go away for a month at a time on camping and biking trips by saving up the holiday time from their jobs. 

But on their 25th wedding anniversary, they rekindled their passion for travelling - and have been jetting off for six week long adventures twice a year since the 1990s.

Ann said: "I worked as a marriage guidance counsellor and later an educational social worker. My husband worked in a factory and then joined the prison service and everything we have ever earned has gone into travelling really. 

"We are very frugal and everything is done on a budget - we don't live the high life at home, I don't drink, or smoke, I don't have jewellery, we cut each other's hair, we don't go out for dinners or have takeaways.

"It was our 25th wedding anniversary in around 1992 where we went off again for prolonged periods of time - spending six months in Asia and the likes of Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh, Indonesia.

"We went across Africa essentially on the back of a truck - seeing South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mali. That took five months and we were with 26 other people sleeping in a tent, which was essentially a pop up umbrella.

"But I still managed to make a sponge jam pudding in a Dutch oven - I think I must be the only person to try that in the middle of Africa."

The couple continued to travel as much as they could and when Alan retired at 60 - the pair then went about ticking off even more countries.

Ann said: "We did another six month trip and this time ticked off New Zealand, South America and doing Hawaii and Tonga.

"It was the early days of ATMs then and we didn't really trust them so we were walking around like the Michelin Man with our cash and traveller's cheques all strapped all around us.

"We've caught buses and trains all across Canada and into the USA and gone camping across Europe on around eight different occasions. We only spend a day or two at one camp site and then just rock up at another. 

"We set off in our car with a two man tent and our bikes for a few weeks at a time. Even while working we would just use up all our holiday on going on extended trips. 

"They are never your traditional five star hotels by the beach - we like to call them adventures or expeditions. Many of the countries we visited were not very well trodden or touristy at the time and we've seen some truly beautiful places but also many impoverished places too.

"But everywhere the people have been amazing and we've bumped into some characters. One time we were camping in Croatia and met these Americans - one of them had flown on the Apollo missions and another time we met the deputy attorney general of Bangladesh. All we wanted to talk about was Shakespeare and we had dinner in his home. 

"Alan and I are sort of best mates and enjoy each other's company - you have to be really to do what we do. All our spare time and money is spent on travelling and we'll keep going for as long as we can. 

"Our most recent trip to Rwanda which we returned from three weeks ago, I booked one night in a hotel and then it was a case of just bowling up to guest houses saying we're budget travellers and do you offer discounts. We just wing it as we go and it makes that adventure a little more unpredictable and exciting.  As long as it has clean sheets, a toilet and a shower - we're usually pretty happy. 

"My husband is interested in history and politics so we've been to a lot of previously war-torn countries and how they have rebuilt themselves."

The couple, who have two sons and have been married 58 years, say it's difficult to pick a favourite destination but they were both huge fans of Turkey and New Zealand.

Ann said: "It is hard to pick a favourite but New Zealand was beautiful but everywhere you go there are images carved into your mind forever.

"I remember the sun breaking through the clouds as we visited Machu Picchu and that was very magical as was visiting the Christ the Redeemer of the Andes and Iguazu Falls in Argentina.

"We've always caught local buses and trains, backpacking our way through hostels, sometimes we've hired cars and driven but we've always made it affordable. It's sometimes not been very luxurious but it's always an adventure."

List of countries visited

1. Afghanistan

2. Albania

3. Andorra

4. Antigua and Barbuda

5. Argentina

6. Armenia

7. Australia

8. Austria

9. Bangladesh

10. Barbados

11.Bavaria

12. Belgium

13. Belize

14. Benin 

15. Bolivia

16.Bosnia and Herzegovina

17. Botswana

18. Brazil

19. Burkina Faso 

20. Burma

21. Burundi

22. Cambodia

23. Cameroon

24. Canada

25. Chad

26. Colombia

27. Croatia

28. Cuba

29. Czechoslovakia*

30. East Germany 

31. Ecuador

32. Egypt

33. Ethiopia

34. France

35. Georgia

36. Germany

37. Ghana

38. Greece

39. Hawaii

40. Hungary

41. India

42. Indonesia

43. Iran

44. Iraq

45. Ireland

46. Italy

47. Kenya

48. Kingdom of Serbia/Yugoslavia*

49. Liechtenstein

50. Luxembourg

51. Malaysia

52. Mali

53. Malta

54. Mauritania

55. Mexico

56. Montenegro

57. Morocco

58. Mozambique

59. Namibia

60. Nepal

61. Netherlands, The

62. New Zealand

63. Nigeria

64. North Macedonia

65. Orange Free State - South America

66. Pakistan

67. Paraguay

68. Peru

69. Philippines

70. Poland

71. Portugal

72. Qatar

73. Romania

74. Rwanda

75. Saint Lucia

76. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

77. San Marino

78. Serbia

79. Singapore

80. Slovakia

81. Slovenia

82. South Africa

83. Spain

84. Sri Lanka

85. Sudan

86. Switzerland

87. Tanzania 

88. Thailand

89. Togo

90. Tonga

91. Tunisia

92. Turkey

93. Uganda

94. Vietnam

95. Zimbabwe