https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandalwood
Maybe it helps that I am based in the Middle East, just an Arabian Sea away from the place where this stuff grows.
But my sandalwood fondness may have more to do with the fact that in my younger years I was given a sandalwood shower gel after a critical exam by a young lady that I was quite keen on.
The lady moved on, my attraction to sandalwood stayed.
Probably it wouldn’t have if the sandalwood fragrance was extracted from used sandals
Regarding the smells in far away countries, the typical musty smell of the hot humid air in the tropics when we opened the airplane doors after landing is deeply burned into my memory. All a function of local flora, heat and humidity, I guess.
You don’t get it as much anymore since air-conditioned jetways are connected to the aircraft after arrival.
In that case you have to wait until you exit the terminal.
There may be other elements in the smell as well that I rather not discuss.
B.