Is Traveling to Every Country in the World Worth It? Less Crowded Destinations to Visit and the Joys of Unorthodox Road Trips with Ric Gazarian

Why have more people been to outer space than to every country in the world? Ric Gazarian grew up in Boston and spent years in financial services before a 2008 layoff sent him on a year-long trip and into a remote real estate business that has funded his travels ever since. He has now visited around 190 countries on his quest to reach all 193 UN member states. Ric hosts the Counting Countries podcast, organizes the Extraordinary Travel Festival, and has turned his tuk-tuk and rickshaw road trips through Cambodia and India into films. In this conversation, Ric and I talk about what traveling to every country in the world really involves, less crowded destinations worth visiting, unorthodox road trips by tuk-tuk and rickshaw, and how to get comfortable traveling to less visited places. Only around 500 people have ever been to every country on Earth, and Ric spends a lot of his time with them. That gives him a rare view of where the world's most traveled people actually go, and which places deserve far more visitors than they get. It's also a reminder that the best travel stories rarely come from the smoothest trips. If you've been craving something a little less mainstream for your next adventure, Ric makes a strong case for stepping a bit further outside your comfort zone. If you built a road trip around something you've never tried before, what would it be? I'd love to hear your ideas, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn What keeps Ric going on his quest to visit all 193 UN countries, and why some people give up along the way How the most traveled people in the world debate what actually counts as a visit How one book about a priest in the slums of Bangkok changed the course of Ric's life What Thailand's visa crackdown means for digital nomads and long-term visitors Where to find a Thai island with no 7-Eleven and barely a working ATM Why Ric calls Uzbekistan his favorite country in Central Asia, and the Tajikistan road trip he ranks as the best of his life How a $1,000 tuk-tuk that keeps breaking down can beat a luxury road trip Advice for getting comfortable with less visited countries, plus the safety systems Ric relies on Advice for leaving a career behind to take a year-long trip Which country surprised Ric most after he expected the worst Resources Sign up for our FREE newsletter GlobalGaz Counting Countries Podcast Extraordinary Travel Festival (code ZERO for $100 off!) Instagram Hit the Road Films Mercy Centre Mumbai Xpress Rickshaw Rally Every Passport Stamp Facebook Group Want More Visiting Every Country in the World…TWICE! With Gunnar Garfors Finding a Quest That Can Change Your Life: An Interview With Chris Guillebeau Independent Travel Gold With Graham Hughes Thanks To Our Sponsors Explore 100% human-made itineraries at exploreworldwide.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices