44 WORLD TOP TRAVELLERS
Criteria:
- visited all 193 the independent countries of the UN and 1 000+ NM 1 381 regions
or
- visited all 193 the independent countries of the UN and 1 000+ MTP 1 500 regions
or
- visited all 193 the independent countries of the UN and 1 000+ Travellers' 1333 Club 1333 regions
or
- visited all 193 the independent countries of the UN and over 10 years net on the road
alphabetical order:
Bill Altaffer - United States
Luis Amaral - Portugal
Babis Bizas - Greece
Janie Borisov - Australia
Mike Spencer Bown - Canada
Roman Bruehwiler - Switzerland
André Brugiroux - France
Thomas Buechler - Switzerland
Phillips Connor - Singapore
Jose Antonio Ruiz Diez - Spain
Gunar Garfors - Norway
Luis Filipe Gaspar - Portugal
Sascha Grabow - Germany
Frank Wigand Grosse-Oetringhaus - Germany
Jarl Hardenmark - Sweden
Shine Huang - China
Paweł Krzyk - Poland
Rus Margolin - Belarus
Dominique Laurent - France
Nadezda Lazareva - Russia
Markus Lundgren - Sweden
Mehraj Mahmudov - Azerbaijan
Paulo Mansur Raymundo - Brazil
Kazuto Matsumoto - Japan
Harry Mitsidis - Greece
Slawek Muturi - Warszawa
Steve Newcomer - United States
Don Parrish - United States
Thor Pedersen - Denmark
Joāo Paulo Peixoto - Portugal
Dustin Pfundheller - United States
Frank Rainer - United States
Alvaro Rojas - Spain
Michael Runkel- Germany
Igor Sergeev - Russia
Jeff Shea - United States
Carl-Gustaf Siby - Sweden
Milan Srejber - Czech Republic
Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan - United States
Kari-matti Valtari - Finland
Charles Veley - United States
Axel Wacht - Germany
Hubert Weissinger - Austria
In memoriam:
Gustav Adolf Junge - Germany
Jorge Sanchez - Spain
Heinz Stücke - Germany
Bill Altaffer - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 329/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1254/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 983/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 1042/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 16 years on the road.
Luis Amaral - Portugal
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 293/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1032/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list and 1039/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Babis Bizas - Greece
He visited all the 193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, more than 1300/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and spent 40 years on the road.
Babis Bizas (born Charalampos Bizas; 16 September 1954) is a travel writer, explorer and tour operator, and one of the most travelled persons in the world. He was born in Arta, Epirus, Greece. He participated in an expedition to the North Pole in May 1996. Almost 18 years later, in December 2014, he landed in the South Pole, becoming that way probably the only one Greek to have visited both Poles. By 2004 Bizas had visited all 194 sovereign countries of the world at that time. He is currently a member of the RGO (Russian Geographical Society) Русское географическое общество.
Janie Borisov - Australia
She visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 304/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1204/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 650/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mike Spencer Bown - Canada
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and spent 30 years on the road.
Mike Spencer Bown (born c. 1969) is a Canadian traveler who extensively visited numerous locations backpacking over a span of 23 years, and was said to have been the first tourist to Mogadishu in many years. Mike, who is a resident of Canada, Calgary has travelled for 23 years in over 190 countries. He has been unwilling to put an exact number on the number of countries visited out of a keenness to avoid arguments about whether some of them are independent nations.
Bown has written a book about his travels.
Roman Bruehwiler - Switzerland
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 324/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1360/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list and 1032/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site .
André Brugiroux - France
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 312/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1171/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1069/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and spent 50 years on the road.
André BRUGIROUX belongs to the very closed club of men who dedicated their life to travel. He discovered without exception, all the countries and territories of the world, guided by a pacific philosophy, an incredible curiosity and a keen sense of resourcefulness.
André Brugiroux, né le 11 novembre 1937 à Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, est un globe-trotter et écrivain français qui a visité tous les pays et territoires du monde entre 1955 et 2005, le dernier étant le Mustang. Il a été nommé « plus grand voyageur existant sur Terre » en 2007 dans le Hit Parade des Viajeros notables contemporáneos de Jorge Sánchez. Il a réalisé un film documentaire portant sur ses voyages. Il s'est également donné pour mission de faire connaître la foi bahá'íe à travers la planète.
Né à Villeneuve-Saint-Georges d’un père ouvrier à la SNCF et d’une mère comptable, il a passé son enfance à Brunoy, dans le nord de l’Essonne. Il fit ses études à l'école des Mardelles de Brunoy puis au collège Saint-Augustin de Montgeron. Le manque de travail dans la petite ferme familiale de Langeac (Haute-Loire) avait fait exiler son père en région parisienne.
Ce dernier ne l’a certainement pas incité au voyage. C’est plutôt sa mère, qui avait fait quelques excursions avant son mariage, qui lui a donné involontairement le goût de l’évasion et lui a fourni la clé de son autonomie future en l’inscrivant aux boy-scouts. Le totem que lui donnèrent ceux-ci lui va comme un gant : « fouine babillarde » (fouine : animal rusé - babillard : qui aime parler).
Son enfance a été marquée par la guerre et son tour du monde a eu pour finalité de savoir si la paix sera possible un jour.
La terre n’est qu’un seul pays, titre de son premier livre ainsi que de son film, est la conclusion et l’idée maîtresse de son premier périple qui a duré 18 ans sans rentrer (de 1955 à 1973), et au cours desquels il a parcouru 400 000 km en stop avec un dollar par jour à travers 135 pays sur tous les continents.
Parti en 1955, à l’âge de 17 ans, avec un diplôme de l’École hôtelière de Paris et 10 francs en poche, il a d’abord travaillé 7 ans en Europe pour apprendre des langues tout en faisant des petits boulots. Entre ses séjours en Espagne et en Allemagne fédérale, il a dû effectuer son service militaire au Congo (1958 et 1959).
Ensuite, après avoir économisé 3 ans en travaillant comme traducteur au Canada (de 1965 à 1967), il a pu visiter la planète durant 6 ans sans travailler. Il s’est déplacé uniquement en stop (avion – bateau – voilier), en ne dépensant en moyenne qu’un dollar par jour.
Lors de son périple, il a été incarcéré sept fois, a failli se faire tuer plusieurs fois, a été déporté, volé… Il a vécu chez le docteur Schweitzer à Lambaréné et les hippies de San Francisco, chez les coupeurs de tête à Bornéo, les bonzes à Bangkok, il a pu étudier dans une école de yoga en Inde et travailler dans un kibboutz en Israël, il a aussi connu le trafic de pierres précieuses à Ceylan, les camps de réfugiés au Cambodge, etc.
Au cours de son stop, il a découvert et fait sienne l’idée qu’énonçait au xixe siècle un Persan du nom de Bahá'u'lláh : « La terre n’est qu’un seul pays et tous les hommes en sont les citoyens ». Il rentre avec une vision nouvelle de l’histoire et adhérer à la foi bahá’íe.
Après avoir fait publier son premier ouvrage, monté un film de conférence et recouvré la santé, André Brugiroux a repris la route avec pour objectifs de découvrir les pays qu’il avait ratés la première fois et de continuer à rencontrer leurs peuples, et de vouloir partager le plan administratif mondial du message bahá'í. Il effectua des aller-retours incessants hors de France allant de 6 à 8 mois chaque année pendant 30 ans, mêlant conférences et excursions. Il a également parcouru toutes les régions de France.
Il se maria en 1984 avec Rinia Van Kanten, une sociologue du Suriname rencontrée à Cayenne. Leur fille s'appelle Natascha.
En 2005, en rendant visite aux ours polaires dans la baie de Churchill au Manitoba (Canada), André Brugiroux estima avoir accompli son rêve.
Depuis il n'a pourtant pas cessé de voyager pour compléter ses humanités et partager ses convictions. En 2007, il a fêté ses 70 ans sur l'île de Socotra (Yémen) avec d'authentiques baroudeurs. En 2008, il a vécu un conte des Mille et Une nuits dans le dernier royaume interdit : l'Arabie Saoudite. En 2009, en Sibérie, il a descendu le fleuve Léna et parcouru la route des os de Yakoutz à Magadan avec les plus grands voyageurs de la planète.
En 2011, il est allé visiter le tout dernier-né des pays du monde : le Sud-Soudan.
En 2013, il a atteint Tristan da Cunha, l'île la plus isolée du monde. Depuis, il a également été classé "plus grand voyageur existant sur terre" en 2015 sur la liste de Sasha Grabow en Allemagne et en 2016 sur celle de Harry Mitsidis en Grande-Bretagne.
Thomas Buechler - Switzerland
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 301/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1243/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1220/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 1024/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 24 years on the road.
I have flown with 220 different airlines with a total of more than 3 million kilometers flown. I spent about 6,5 months of my life inside airplanes.
On top of that, I have done some spectacular overland trips:
1) Twice 1980 and 2020 the Transsiberian train, 1980 from Lucerne, Switzerland to Beijing, all the way by train, about 12680 kilometers, 2020 winter time between Kazan and Vladiwostok, this time stopping in each single oblast and republic along the way.
2) 1994 by jeep from Lhasa, Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal, via Shigatse, about 1000 kilometers.
3) 2000 by public bus from Kigali, Rwanda to Dar ES Sallam, Tanzania, about 1500 kilometers.
4) 2003 by shared taxi and buses from Ushuaia, Argentina to Caracas, Venezuela, crossing Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, about 16000 kilometers on public transport.
5) 2004 by public transport from Kabul, Afghanistan to Khiva in Uzbekistan, taking the Hindukush tunnel, Mazar el Sharif, Kunduz, crossing into Tajikistan by boat over the river, then the Silk Road, about 1600 kilometers in total.
6) 2008 by train and bus from Pjönyang, North Korea to Bangkok, Thailand via China, Vietnam, Cambodia, about 4000 kilometers all by public transport.
7) 2010 by motorbike and shared taxi from Harper (arriving from the Ivory Coast over the border river Cavalla) Liberia to the capital Monrovia via Fishtown, at the time when Harper was cut off from the outside world, about 630 kilometers on terrible roads.
8) 2010 by train, ferry, bus from Cairo, Egypt to Khartum, Sudan, about 2250 kilometers.
9) 2015 by train and bus from Beijing, China to Bishkek, Kyrgistan via Lanzhou, Urumqui, Kashgar and the Torrugart pass, about 6000 kilometers.
My last country was Namibia, 28. September 2016.
Phillips Connor - Singapore
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 301/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1153/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list and 622/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jose Antonio Ruiz Diez - Spain
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 288/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 891/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 404/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 30 years on the road.
The only Spaniard who has been to all the 193 UN countries and to both Northern and Southern Geographical Poles.
He has lived in 12 countries, has spent 30 years net on the road, and enjoys from extreme adventures to peaceful cruises as long as he discovers new cultures and new places - or those that made an impact in his soul.
José Antonio Ruiz Díez nació en las Las Palmas, Islas Canarias, en el año 1974, aunque está domiciliado en Madrid. Su madre era azafata de vuelo y el azar quiso que diera a luz durante su trabajo en las islas afortunadas. A veces llevaba a su hijo en el avión, en cabina, siendo un bebé de pecho, o en las rodillas de algún pasajero, mientras ella trabajaba. Tanto se sacrificó por su hijo que pidió un préstamo para pagarle una parte de sus estudios en el extranjero (la otra parte se la pagó él trabajando) llegando José Antonio a estudiar, trabajar y vivir durante 23 años en 12 diferentes países de los cinco continentes: Estados Unidos de América, Países Bajos, Malasia, Colombia, México, República Democrática del Congo, etc.
En cierta ocasión, visitando el Polo Sur Geográfico, se extravió durante una tormenta de nieve y a punto estuvo de perder su vida a 40 grados bajo cero. Finalmente fue rescatado por sus compañeros. Tenía 33 años y ese incidente (más otros siete durante sus viajes temerarios en los que también estuvo a punto de morir durante sus lances) le hizo cuestionarse el sentido de su vida y resolvió que debería dar al mundo parte de lo que el mundo le había dado a él. Y como había ganado durante sus trabajos suficiente dinero, decidió crear escuelas en la República Democrática del Congo ayudando así a niños desfavorecidos, pues José Antonio cree que la educación salvará a los niños de la pobreza.
José Antonio es un claro ejemplo para mostrar que los viajes son propios de la juventud, para formar el ser, desarrollarte como persona y adquirir valores “on the road”, como el de la compasión. El viajar siendo sexagenario o septuagenario para acumular puntos en un club es grotesco, pues los desplazamientos ya no te ofrecen más que información, pero no conocimiento y tu ser ya está formado. Por otra parte, José Antonio no viaja para presumir de los países visitados (aunque los conoce todos a conciencia), ni para ascender puestos en las listas de los clubes viajeros virtuales, sino para ayudar a los niños afligidos de África. Por ello es uno de los pocos viajeros nobles que te puedes encontrar en el mundo (junto con el belga Anthony Asael). No hay otro viajero más osado y misericordioso que él en España, y es el único español merecedor de aparecer en este elenco de Best Travelers of the World, pues es el mejor.
Un buen día decidió filmar su proyecto de construcción de escuelas en el Congo y después, con sus grabaciones, y junto a una cadena de televisión en España, preparó seis episodios televisivos de mucho éxito. También escribió un libro titulado: “El loco del Congo. Querer para crear”. Se le conoce como el viajero Mzungu, palabra en suajili que significa “viajero, explorador, extranjero, hombre blanco”.
Main purpose of his travels: adventure, emotion, altruism.
Último país de la ONU: Siria, en el año 2018.
Gunar Garfors - Norway
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN twice and all 7 continents, 246/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list and 600/1381 regions on the NomadMania list.
Luis Filipe Gaspar - Portugal
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 307/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1244/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1213/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 927/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
Luís Filipe Gaspar was born in Lisbon in 1958.
It was early on, while traveling with his parents, that he discovered his true passion, traveling. At the age of 16, Luís did his first Interrail with a friend and realized that, more than a passion, traveling was a way of life and, since then, he never stopped living. He did 4 more Interrails and when he felt he already knew Europe well, he ventured to other continents, with the "haste" of someone who felt they were already too late to know the whole world.
In between traveling, Luís Filipe became an architect, and his education ended up dictating the compass which guides his marathon travels: discovering UNESCO - World Heritage Sites. The Portuguese traveler has been traversing the globe, crossing borders and associating with some groups of travelers - TCC (Travelers Century Club), MTP (Most Traveled People), and Nomadmania.
In 2019, with a trip to Nigeria, Luís Filipe Gaspar completed the 193 countries recognized by the UN and, at that moment, the feeling was that of having completed a first step in the mission of knowing the world from one end to the other. After getting to know all the countries, the travel objectives continued to be many: to travel to all UN+ territories and, ideally, to all regions of the world. Continuing to pursue the UNESCO World Heritage Sites is also imperative for this "incorrigible traveler."
A citizen of the world, currently residing in Lisbon, the Portuguese native has lived in 5 other countries: Egypt, Tunisia, Italy, Mozambique and Brazil. Invited by various institutions, he has participated in conferences, colloquiums and workshops, where he shares his experiences of touring the world. He has also collaborated with several communication agencies and media, telling his stories through travel chronicles and interviews (SpieUP11, Metamorfose and Observador).
Besides traveling, photography is another of Luís’ passions, who shares what he sees and feels in each place he goes to, through his online platforms (Flickr and Instagram) and his website luisfilipegaspar.com
"Almost retired", Luís Filipe Gaspar currently manages to travel about 6 months out of the year and continues to say that he doesn't travel to escape life, but rather so that life doesn't escape him!
e-mail - luisfilipegaspar@gmail.com
WhatsApp - +351 964770505
WebPage – luisfilipegaspar.com
Instagram - @luis_filipegaspar
Luís Filipe Gaspar nasceu em Lisboa, em 1958. A sua formação em Arquitetura e a permanência em trabalho em diversos locais do globo, tem permitido conciliar a disciplina e o rigor, duas das características que o definem, com a de homem apaixonado e aberto ao mundo.
Viajante "incorrigível", iniciou as primeiras viagens com os seus Pais. Porém, foi aos 16 anos, depois de realizar um "interrail" com um amigo, que se apercebeu desta sua grande paixão. Fez "contas à vida" e sentiu que já estava com um grande atraso. Depois de realizar extensas viagens pela Europa, partiu para o resto do mundo, numa jornada sem fim.
Atualmente, integra o grupo restrito de cidadãos do mundo que já completou a lista dos 193 países reconhecidos pela ONU. Embora já com um considerável número de países visitados, a sua próxima meta será concluir a lista de todos os territórios e países ainda não reconhecidos pela ONU. Este vasto e rico curriculum permitem-lhe estar associado a alguns grupos de viajantes - TCC (Travelers Century Club), MTP (Most Traveled People) e Nomadmania.
Um compromisso assumido consigo próprio e uma das prioridades ao visitar um país, é o de conhecer o Património Mundial da UNESCO, tendo já um elevado registo de visitas do património cultural e natural dos países detentores desse título, estando inscrito também no clube - WHS (World Heritage Site).
A convite de várias instituições tem participado em inúmeras conferências, colóquios e workshops, onde partilha as experiências vivenciadas durante o seu périplo pelo mundo. Também tem colaborado com diversos órgãos de comunicação, relatando as suas histórias, através de crónicas de viagem e entrevistas (SpieUP11, Metamorfose e Observador).
Como hobby dedica-se à Fotografia - Flickr, Instagram, algo indissociável das suas viagens. Outras atividades também fazem parte da sua rotina: a Corrida, o Mergulho, o Paraquedismo, o Ski, entre outras. Passados tantos anos e tantas viagens, continua a pensar que - vale a pena viver para viajar
Sascha Grabow - Germany
Starting to travel by himself as a 17-year-old. He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 312/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1333/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1291/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 544/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 35 years on the road.
Sascha Grabow, born January 15, 1968, is a German adventurer, globetrotter, author, photographer and occasional tennis coach who, between 1987 and 2016, visited every country in the world, the last being Somalia. In September 2017, at age 49, Grabow became the world's N#1 traveler, amongst a pool of aspirants dominated by folks in their 70s and 80s. Both Nomadmania and TheBestTravelled, the two largest traveler clubs on the net by member base, listed him as the person having experienced more countries, territories and cultures of the world live than anyone living or in the history of man, much less someone age 50 or below. He became also the first person below age 70, 60 or 50 to rank N#1 in another person's club ever since those clubs came into existence back in 2005; while it's kind of pointless to lead your own list, consisting of the territories that you've designed or partitioned according to your own preferences and past travels.
Right now in six out of the nine better known traveler 'rankings' the 'inventor' sits atop his own list, having published it only after thinking long and hard so as to make sure no one will be able to eclipse them in the first couple of years.
Grabow was also named one of the top three travelers in the world, and the top traveler in the world below age 50, according to Notable Contemporary Travelers by Jorge Sanchez, which chiefly considers 'years spent on the road', even though he is 30 years younger than the two before him. He was an ATP world-ranked tennis player before starting to travel full-time. Grabow operates a website, greatestglobetrotters.com, which invites people to register their own travel histories. He's a Getty Images Photographer whose work has been used by various UN and other well-known agencies. His books, among them 'Traveling – 30 Years Around The Planet', are available on Amazon.
He almost exclusively hitchhikes, likes to climb a country's high point, tries to spend longer than a month in each country to get a good feel for the local way of life, and is fond of sailing the oceans in private vessels.
Frank Wigand Grosse-Oetringhaus - Germany
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, more than 1205/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 1038/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 25 years on the road.
My travel career started when I was about eight, but at that age I travelled only in my mind, inspired by reading adventure books and by collecting stamps. But the origin was at that time: The yearning for foreign countries. The reality came at twelve: Traveling with my parents to the neighboring countries of Germany which just had recovered from a catastrophe amazingly fast. Although the possibilities still were limited my parents pushed my travels. When I was 15 my father bought me a train ticket and brought me to the railway station in Hamburg: “Here is the ticket, learn English, here is the address of a school in the Lake District, good luck”. He wanted me to get independent. By rail and by boat and bus to the Lake District; just me. In Scotland I hitchhiked with some friends. During my university years I became a sailing instructor in the Netherlands, later a captain for interior and coastal waters, I improved my French in Paris, crossed the Balkan with a rented car and camping, the same approach to Russia. Then Egypt and the USA. Thus I gained self-confidence and first international experiences. I had the basic competencies for traveling, except money. In 1968 I finished the Technical University of Berlin with top results - at the same time joining the “student rebellion”. That had a strong effect on me: I became independent in my mind as well. Traveling for its own sake was by far not enough: I wanted more, not only money, but love and a social challenge.
I started working for a global company one of the biggest in the world; a global player giving me the chance to travel, and a leading company that offered outstanding chances. In “corporate development” I got a key position in consulting. With American consultants we worked at a fundamental change of the company. In 1992 I wrote the profound management system during a sabbatical in the house of my partner, Teodoro Murallon, in the Philippines. My company invested in the 70ies and 80ies in the theory and applications of strategy more than all universities in the world combined. So I participated in changing the company and I accumulated new know-how. Thus I became a visiting professor in a business school in Boston and for 18 years an associate professor at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland apart from other teaching assignments. In my last professional years – during and after my retirement – I was an entrepreneur and had my own consulting company for strategy based in Thailand. I mentioned that because it is my firm belief that a fulfilled life is a basis for a good travel concept.
During my professional years I travelled a lot, up to 2 months a year and in addition I could combine professional assignments with touristic interests, that meant an additional month of sightseeing per year. So I traveled to about 1800 highlights before my retirement in 2001. I have traveled in various ways: Public transport, rented cars, sailing boats, motor cycles. From zero spending to luxury. Infact, I took diversity to the extremes, from hammocks in front of the Angel Falls to a mega luxury room in Sun City, near Jo’burg which had accommodated some celebrities like Denzel Washington and Tina Turner. But I paid only for a standard room because I was upgraded for certain reasons. And my company enabled connections which I otherwise wouldn’t have had, going in to the deepest gold mining pit in RSA. Here I reached the deepest point (3.777m) by special arrangements. Another example was the largest meteorite field in the world, the “Campo del cielo” in Argentine which I could discover only with the help of a professor. My management career influenced the guidelines for my traveling career, which took off after retirement. Going to the top, always looking for superlatives, and traveling systematically and efficiently. This approach had been my daily bread in consulting. But becoming older and having less time forced me to travel more efficient compared to travelers who have all the time of their life. I travelled the last 12 years with a partner, very adaptable, a doctor. We became the most successful travel partners, a bit like Yin and Yang. I convinced him to achieve extreme objectives, to see the whole world. And gradually we developed a concept, that focused on quality and highlights. My first list in 2001 had 1.800 highlights, now it expanded to about 5.000, because we had studied and learned over the years. From 2006 to 2016 we have seen almost all: My partner about 4.100; I saw about 4.700. For him most of them for the first time, for me quite a few for the second time. And in these years we went to the extremes, the poles, crossing oceans, mountains, and deserts, going to remote islands and places. So our costs increased considerably, from normal to high. There are people who think we are luxury travelers, because they see only a few data of the last years and get a wrong picture.
I have traveled 24 years in total, 10 years nonstop, 14 years in intervals. Yes we have spent a lot of money because we had the means for diversity after working. But we became old in traveling. So it is natural that the priorities changed: If you get older you gradually appreciate comfort and sometimes luxury. But still we travel the hard way as well. Our recent travel 2017 to the heart of the Sahara, to Ennedi and Tibesti in Chad, was difficult, the whole travel was the opposite of luxury, but with a professional equipment very successful: One of our greatest travels. You will get further information on our two websites: The travel concept on “frankgrosseoetringhaus.com”, our results on “WorldsExtremeTravelers.com”; and our travels on facebook “Teodoro Murallon”.
Jarl Hardenmark - Sweden
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 330/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1182/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1005/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and spent 23 years on the road.
JARL HARDENMARK: Jarl är troligtvis den förste svensk som lyckats med konststycket att besöka alla FN-länder samt alla teratorier. Han var med i Guiness Book of Records som världens mest bereste man i många år. Is there anyone that can beat down below, please let me know: RESESTATISTIK: Resumé 1966 - 2015 (50 Years) Jarl Hardenmark has demonstrably: - been on all 7 continents - visited all the 196 Independent Countries - visited all 142 territories - started more than 427 travels - traveled average 160 days/year, i.e. Totally 7991 days which is NOTA BENE: more than 22 years on the road - visited as an average 20 countries/territories per year - as an average made 99.242 km/y, i.e. Totally more than 4.962.111 kilometers, which is more than 122 times around the world - have been using AIR transport more than 1.473 times - over-night stayed at 1051 places. To 745 of these he has been arriving by car, bus, train or by ship -stayed at more than 1230 hotels -participated in 8 expeditions to Antarctica, spent 198 days in this area, landed at 17 different locations all around Antarctica, visited 25 Research Bases and landed in 26 of the Antarctic or Sub-Antarctic islands - spent 380 days on 21 sea-expeditions and managed to land in ALL the MOST DIFFICULT, REMOTE territories and on more than 50 far-flung islands around the World - visited other continents than Europe 237 times - traveled south of the Equator 48 times, passed the Arctic Circle 8 times and Antarctic Circle 14 times - has more than 193 visas stamped in his passports - has been 17 times in CHINA (PRC) - 11 times in Argentina - 15 times in South Africa 9 times in Yemen (YAR) - 12 times in Indonesia - 21 times in Australia 87 times in Thailand - 8 times in Antarctica - As a proof hereof he has 30 passports and diaries kept since 1966.
Shihe Huang - China
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 318/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 939/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1036/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 1010/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Paweł Krzyk - Poland
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 321/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1383/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1335/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 847/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Urodził się w 1952r. na Śląsku. Z wyboru jest Łodzianinem. Z wykształcenia jest mechanikiem, a z wykonywanego od dwudziestu paru lat zawodu włókiennikiem. Mówi o sobie: biznesmen i przedsiębiorca (obecnie emeryt) , będący z zamiłowania nałogowym podróżnikiem.
Za swoje motto podróżnicze uważa „tego co zobaczyłeś i przeżyłeś nikt Ci nie zabierze”.
Swoje przygody szczegółowo dokumentuje:
na prowadzonej stronie, filmach, w publikatorach, oraz w książkach cyklu „Wędrówki z Pawłem”.
Dotychczas wydał: Notatnik podróżnika PP, Mini kraje Europy, Pojechać dookoła, Wśród pierwotnych.
Niezłej jakości, półprofesjonalne, zmontowane filmy publikuje na youtube.com
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pawe%C5%82+krzyk).
Zaprasza bezpłatnie do kolekcji ponad 200 filmów. Jest jednym z popularyzatorów wiedzy podróżniczej w Internecie. Na swojej stronie internetowej dzieli się szczegółami swoich wypraw. Są to liczne, bogato ilustrowane: szczegółowe relacje z podróży, opisy organizacyjne z cenami, oraz galerie zdjęć.
Dominique Laurent - France
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 307/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1008/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1001/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 839/1273 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I graduated from Centrale (one of the top engineering schools in France), from MIT (International finance MBA) and from Sorbonne (PhD Economics). Then I held finance jobs for most of my career. My best working years were for Total, a major oil company, this giving me opportunities to travel abroad quite a lot and even to live abroad (I was assigned during 4 years in Jakarta). I later worked for real estate companies.
My first truly exceptional trip was the one I did in Zanskar, a remote Himalayan kingdom (belonging to India) in 1977 when it was opened for the first time to foreigners. This was a true adventure, meeting an authentic Tibetan culture & the local king and crossing high passes across the Himalayas, from Zanskar to Ladakh, on then unchartered trails.
My interests for traveling are quite eclectic : discovering other ways of living, old cultures, festivals, volcanoes, wildlife, museums...
When I go somewhere, I try to cover the region I visit as extensively as I can, often off roads, if possible by trekking.
I have at least once in all UN nations (193 countries).
I have a special interest in :
Top on my past travels in this respect include : Zanskar (in 1977 & in winter 2005 Tchadar : a trek on frozen Zanskar river); Papua, in Indonesia (Danis, a ‘stone age’ papou tribe whose men wear only a penis gourd, in 1976); Papua Niugini (a fabulous country with ‘primitive’ tribes and an awesome yearly ‘Sing Sing’ – annual gathering of tribes - in 1982); Papua in Indonesia again (Korowais – another ‘stone age’ tribe building houses on top of trees - in 2002); Bhutan (in 1989 & 2015); Nias Island (off Sumatra, in 1978); Mustang & Dolpo, two Himalayan regions with a strong Tibetan culture, in Nepal (1993 & 2004); Russian Arctic (sharing life with the Nenets, a reindeer herders people, in 2008); Omo Valley in Ethiopia with its many tribes (in 1990); Namibia (with Himba ethnic group, in 1988); Mongolia (with the Tsaatan, a vanishing nomadic people, in 2007); South Sudan and its still authentic ethnic groups (Toposas, Mundaris ..., in 2020).
Among others : Antarctica (twice by icebreaker : first time : half circumnavigation along the Peninsula and in Ross Sea, second time : South Georgia, South Sandwich & Weddell sea), Geographic South Pole, Geographic North Pole (aboard a nuclear icebreaker), Peter 1st Island, South Orkneys Islands, Bouvetøya, Crozet & Kerguelen archipelagos, Amsterdam a& St Paul islands, Pitcairn and its archipelago (Henderson, Ducie), St Helena Island (twice ; where Napoleon was kept prisoner by the British...), Ascension Island (twice), Franz Josef Islands, Wrangel Island, Ellesmere Island, Iles Eparses (Europa, Juan de Nova, Glorieuse, Tromelin), Wake Island, Clipperton (a remote French uninhabited atoll in Northeastern Pacific), Kanton (an atoll in the Phoenix Islands, Kiribati), Spratly Islands (Layang-Layang ; claimed by Malaysia, China, Taïwan, Vietnam & the Philippines), the Chagos archipelago (BIOT) ...
Albania during the communist dictatorship, North Korea (twice, 2nd time for Kim il Sung's 100th birth anniversary celebrations), Turkmenistan under Nyazov’s dictatorship, Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule between the two Gulf wars, Iraqi Kurdistan in 2018, Saudi Arabia in 1996.
I am quite interested in geopolitics ; I went to Berlin when the wall fell in November 1989, in Moscow for last communist May 1st celebrations in1989, in Rumania during the winter when Ceaucescu’s regime was toppled down. Also, even 'risky' countries : Afghanistan (2019), Somalia (2019), South Sudan (2020). I went also to Marquetalia (the FARC stronghold in the Andes in Colombia, 2020, an exceptional trip organized thru the FARC themselves), Yemen (1979, 1988, Socotra in 2022). …
My top places covered are : Zanskar (in summer, my first trek), Everest Base Camp, Makalu Base Camp, Manaslu Base Camp, Kangchenjunga Base Camps (both Sikkim & Nepal sides), Ganesh Himal Base Camp, Mustang, Langtang, Dolpo, Kailash ‘khora’ (Tibet), ‘Tchadar’ (Zanskar in winter), K2 Base Camp (Xinjiang side & Pakistani side), Nanda Devi Base Camps (South & East), Cordilleras Blanca & Huayhuash (Peru), Kilimandjaro (summit), Mount Kenya (Peak Lenana & Summit Circuit), Rwenzori (DRC), Mont Blanc, Mt Kinabalu (Borneo), White Desert in Egypt, Badain Jaran in China ...
I am a great fan of volcanoes ! I have climbed some 102 volcanoes (most of them active & most of them by foot) all over the world : in Indonesia (all of Java, plus many outside of Java), in Italy (Etna), in Central America, in Chile, in Vanuatu, in Ethiopia (the awesome Erta Ale -twice- & Dallol), in Kenya (Lengai, a very specic volcano with "cold chocolate " lava), in Kamtchatka, in Japan …
Among others :
- in Europe : Belgium (Fête des chats in Ypres, Holy Week in Lessines, Lumeçon in Mons, Fête de Saint Roch in Thuin ...) ; France (Holy Week in Corsica, La Sanch in Perpignan, Giants Festival in Douai ..;) ; Germany (Nikolospiel in Bad Mitterndorf, Easter in Bautzen) ; Italy (Holy Week in Taranto, Madonna che Scappa in Sulmona, many places in Sicily for Holy Week, Snake festival in Cocullo) ; Spain (Fallas in Valencia, Semana Santa in Sevilla, in Lorca, in Murcia, in Zamora & Bercianos de Aliste, the 'castells' -human towers- in Catalunya) ; Switzerland (Beromünster, end of year in Urnasch, Fire chariots in Liestal), in United Kingdom (Beltane fire festival),
- in Asia : Bhutan (tsechus) ; India (Hornbill festival in Nagaland, Adivasi Mela in Odisha, Dussehra in Mysore …) ; Indonesia (Pesola in Sumba Island, Karapan Sapi ...) ; Japan (matsuris in Aomori, Osaka, Kochi & many other places, a great country for festivals !) ; Mongolia (Naadam, 1000 camels festival) ; Nepal (Indra Jatha ; Sri Lanka (Perahera in Kandy), Laos (Boun That Luang),
- in Africa : Ethiopia (Timkat in Lalibela) ; Niger (Guerewol, an amazing ritual courtship competition)
- in Americas : Peru (ritual of yearly reconstruction of the Q'eswachaca Inca bridge, the Qoylluri'ti - largest pilgrimage in Latin America with strong Inca influences -, the Inti Raymi ...) ...
The South Pole, the North pole,
The top of main Europe, aside Caucasus (Mont Blanc), the top of Africa (Kilimandjaro), Base Camp of Everest (as well as all the eight-thousanders base camps, with the exception of Shishapangma & Gasherbrum base camps),
the remotest uninhabited island in the world (Bouvetøya), the remotest inhabited island in the Pacific (Pitcairn), the remotest inhabited archipelago in the world (Tristan da Cunha archipelago), some very remote islands (Kerguelen, Iles Eparses, Peter 1st island, South Sandwich islands ..),
my farthest point south reached by sea : Halley Base, at the bottom of Weddell sea in Antarctica,
the closest land from the intersection of Equator & Greenwich Meridian (Rolas island, in São Tome e Principe),
the coldest inhabited spot in the world (Oymyakon, in Yakoutia), the hottest spot in the world (Dallol, in Ethiopia), the most rainy spot (Cherrapunji, in India) …
Nadezda Lazareva - Russia
She visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 302/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1277/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1263/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 861/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The first country I visited (1989) was the German Democratic Republic.
Since 1998, I started traveling with my husband Sergeev Igor and visited with him all 193 UN countries.
The last country (Seychelles) I visited in 2017.
Nadezda Lazareva and Igor Sergeyev are the only people in the world who have visited all 193 UN countries together.
Markus Lundgren - Sweden
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 325/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1116/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1072/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 420/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Markus has worked for the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs since 2007 and so far been posted to the PRC, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. During his studies at university he lived in Minnesota, China, Guatemala and Switzerland.
He currently spends much of his spare time with his twin daughters, with a trip or two every month to new destinations from his new base in Riyadh. While some travellers collect refrigerator magnets, Markus tries local delicacies whereever he goes, including fugu, kobe beef, dog, caterpillars and rat.
Mehraj Mahmudov - Azerbaijan
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 314/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1358/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1323/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 659/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
Paulo Mansur Raymundo - Brazil
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 293/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 918/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 865/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 336/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 32 years on the road.
Paulo Mansur Raymundo - Brazil
Paulo is an Electronics Engineer and Manager with over 4 decades of international experience in technology-based industries, having lived and worked in 12 countries with Schlumberger, the world’s leading supplier of technology and information solutions to the oil industry. “Regarding traveling, I have never been motivated by setting world records, or by visiting all countries in the world; if I did it was because I needed to get where I was going, it's my life,” he says. Racking up the number of countries and destinations, or competitive traveling and collecting passport stamps doesn't inspire him. He believes in traveling with quality by spending at least a few days in each place, mingling with the locals and doing as they do in their daily lives. His goals as a traveler are:
- To interact with foreign cultures and expose himself to different values as a way of self-knowledge.
- To research the genealogy of his ancestors and visit members of his family that spread all over the world long ago.
- To visit astronomical observatories - he has visited 15 out of the 16 largest optical astronomical telescopes in the world, often being invited to stay overnight to observe. In 2002 he became the first Brazilian scientist to ever discover a comet.
- To see the underwater world - he has spent 482 sea days and scuba dived 341 times in 98 TCC countries on 6 continents.
- To lecture/visit/study at the main universities and learning centers in the world.
- To visit the main temples of every religion, to visit National Parks, to run road races - Paulo ran the Boston Marathon in 1998, among other races.
Paulo likes to come back to the same countries and explore them in greater detail, revisiting places already familiar to him. In 2012 Paulo became the first Brazilian, first South American and first Latin American to visit every country in the world. Until a decade or so ago, Brazilians needed a visa in advance for most countries. Nowadays (2024) Brazilians need a visa for only 56 destinations. Paulo has so far visited over 100 UN member countries two or more times. He has had the opportunity to observe the human behavior and cultural aspects of the people in countries where he has lived, worked, studied or visited since 1980. He has been to several of the most hostile territories in the world, visiting amazing places and getting involved in dramatic and sometimes hilarious situations. “Traveling independently allows someone to absorb an extraordinary amount of cultural knowledge and self-knowledge that can not be bought,” he says. “You experience situations that can not be experienced by reading a book, watching a movie, or attending an intensive course. Traveling was much harder in the early 80s when a letter would take as many as three months to get to its destination; a phone call had to be booked a day ahead of time and you had to stay put for that day until the operator called you back. Nowadays we can video-call instantaneously anybody, anywhere in the world. However, I continue traveling the way I always did, trying to be disconnected without phones and social networks, and I continue having more adventures every year than most people have in a lifetime,” he adds.
Paulo has stayed in all sorts of places, from luxurious chain hotels to the most simple and rudimentary Buddhist Temples at the foot of the Himalayas. “Either having three meals per day or spending a week without eating any solid food, sometimes didn't make much of a difference. Crossing the Sahara Desert, leading scientific expeditions searching for oil in remote locations where almost nobody had ever been before, and getting used to extreme temperatures from -30C to +52C was part of my daily routine,” Paulo says. He was in Beirut during the civil war and visited most of the obscure Eastern European countries during the Soviet Union period. In 1981 Paulo became an eyewitness to Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's assassination. Paulo also discovered a new species of crab in East Timor and took DNA samples from whale sharks in Mozambique. His family thought he was dead when Korean Air Lines flight 007 was mistakenly shot down by the Soviet Union on September 1, 1983, over Sakhalin Island; luckily, Paulo had changed his travel plans and had flown to Tahiti that night. He was in Kenya during an earthquake, saw volcanic eruptions in Indonesia, Guatemala and Italy, devastating hurricanes in Barbados and the Northern Marianas, a huge tornado in Georgia and even ran a marathon climbing the Swiss Alps. In 1996 Paulo had the honor to be elected Member of the prestigious The Explorers Club The Explorers Club. He has also traveled solo overland across the whole African continent continuously for over one year, hitchhiking, taking local slow public buses and collective taxis, cargo trucks and canoes, having crossed eleven war zones unarmed and without a bodyguard, carrying only 7 kg of luggage for the sole reason of simplifying material concerns and seeking rich life experiences.
Paulo’s unique criteria for counting a place as visited are when all of the following have been met whenever possible:
1 - Slept at least 3 nights (neither in trains nor in buses) or spent at least 3 days (not inside a hostel/hotel, hospital, prison, airport, or land border post) in the place, preferably between two weeks and one month in each country when time is available and your visa allows him to.
2 - Had at least two main meals in a local eatery consisting of local dishes.
3 - Walked at least 4 hours inside a city/village.
4 - Spent at least one hour in a central public place just people-watching.
5 - Interacted with at least one local (via phone or internet doesn't count) using at least 10 words in the local language and was understood by the local person, without the help of a translation app. Counting "1 to 10" doesn't count :-)
6 - Visited at least one main market/souk.
7 - Visited at least one of their main places of religious worship.
8 - Visited at least one of their main universities.
A few travels that Paulo is most proud of:
- Visiting most Caribbean islands in 1980-1981 while living in Trinidad Tobago and Barbados for over one year.
- Traveling for 42 days on his first RTW trip in 1981 with unlimited stops for US$1,999 in a time when travel guidebooks were almost non-existent. He had to choose his flights using the “ABC World Airways Guide” - a two-volume monthly publication that listed all flights connecting all points of the planet.
- Traveling extensively throughout Asia in 1982 and 1983 without seeing any tourists in many countries like Pakistan, Burma, Nepal and Taiwan.
- Traveling six months by train throughout Europe in 1986, including Soviet-era Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria, countries where he didn't see any tourists.
- Traveling overland crossing the South American Pacific Coast on local buses for six months.
- Traveling for six months in 2004 through many Pacific Ocean islands that he had not visited between 1981 and 1983.
- His 7th trip to Africa, when he spent over one year traveling solo overland crossing the continent clockwise. In a few countries, he pretended to be a missionary just to protect his cash, which was USD 8,300 at the start of his trip.
- Traveling five months overland in 2009, crossing Central Asia, parts of China and parts of India.
- Traveling in 2011 through regions of China and India that he had not visited yet.
Em 2012 Paulo tornou-se o primeiro brasileiro a visitar todos os países do mundo, assim como o primeiro sul-americano e primeiro latino-americano a visitar todos os países do mundo.
Paulo voou o equivalente a 114 voltas ao mundo desde 1980, tendo cruzado a linha do equador 152 vezes, e 263 fronteiras via terrestre. Ele já visitou mais de 100 países da ONU duas ou mais vezes. Em 2006-2007 Paulo viajou continuamente pela África por mais de 1 ano, atravessando 11 zonas de guerra desarmado e sem guarda-costas, carregando apenas 7 kg de bagagem.
Paulo Mansur Raymundo - website The 20 Best Travelers of the World
Rus Margolin - Belarus
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 316/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1126/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1103/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 707/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Kazuto Matsumoto - Japan
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN, 298/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1172/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 559/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 22 years on the road.
Harry Mitsidis - Greece
He visited all the 193/193 x 2 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 326/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1400/1 500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1352/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 810/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
I was born in London to a Greek father and a South African mother. So I suppose from the moment 'go' there was an international element to it all, and this just grew and grew through the years. Before I knew it, I had done all the countries of Europe in 2001 (Belarus was the last), and then aimed for the whole world, which initally started as a joke but gradually, as it became within my reach, turned into an obsession. My last UN country was Equatorial Guinea in March 2008 (unless you count more recently independent South Sudan, in 2011). In the process of seeing, sensing, meeting, understanding and comparing, travelling has become my way of life, and staying put has become increasingly hard. It is my pleasure to present this site to the public, whether you are already a global traveller, or a dreamer who yearns to spread his wings. I hope this site can contribute a little bit to the travel experience.
Slawek Muturi - Warszawa
He is the only person in the world who has visited all 193/193 UN countries three times.
I - 23.10.2009 - Equatorial Guinea, II - 19.09.2019 - Japan, III - 23.03.2026 - Cyprus
Hee visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN, 269/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list and 814/1381 regions on the NomadMania list.
Pół Polak, pół Kenijczyk zaczął podróżować w wieku 4 lat - w roku 1969 pierwszy raz poleciał do Kenii ze swoją mamą. Pierwsze samodzielne podróże (głównie po Europie) odbywał w czasie studiów na SGH oraz na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim. W 1989 roku, wraz z dwoma przyjaciółmi z SGH kupili Land Rovera w Anglii i pojechali nim do Kenii.
1 stycznia 2000 roku, robiąc coroczne podsumowanie, zorientował się, że zdążył odwiedzić ponad 80 krajów świata i postanowił odwiedzić je wszystkie przed przejściem na planowaną w czerwcu 2013 wcześniejszą emeryturę. Jego plan zakładał odwiedzanie około 10 nowych krajów i/lub zamorskich terytoriów rocznie.
W praktyce udało mu się zrealizować swój plan szybciej niż zakładał. Już w październiku 2009 roku odwiedził ostatni z krajów będących na jego liście "do odwiedzenia" - Gwineę Równikową. W sumie odwiedził wszystkie kraje uznane przez ONZ oraz około 80 terytoriów zależnych. Nie zaspokoiło to jednak jego apetytu na poznawanie świata. Sławek dalej podróżuje - w 2017 roku ponad 10 miesięcy spędził poza Polską. Oprócz tego, że każdą zimę spędza w tropikach (zimę 2016/17 - w Afryce), Sławek również uwielbia duże międzynarodowe imprezy sportowe (w 2017 roku były to m.in Puchar Narodów Afryki w Gabonie, Puchar Konfederacji w Rosji, mistrzostwa świata w pływaniu oraz zawody Formuły 1 w Budapeszcie). Sławek co roku uczy się nowego języka, a jego metoda nauki zakłada wyjazd do kraju, w którym danego języka się używa. Dodatkowo, co roku spędza kilka tygodni w sanatorium poza granicami Polski.
W tej chwili (marzec 2026 roku) dorobek podróżniczy Sławka to fakt, że nie tylko odwiedził każdy kraj uznawany przez ONZ, ale że jako pierwszy i jedyny odwiedził co najmniej trzy razy. Tylko w około 70 był jedynie 3 razy.
Od kwietnia 2025, Sławek podróżuje prawie wyłącznie tylko po, by kibicować podczas imprez sportowych. Wg stanu na koniec czerwca 2026 roku (czyli po 15 miesiącach trwania swojego nowego hobby) uczestniczył w blisko 300 imprezach sportowych, w blisko 70 krajach i blisko 70 dyscyplinach sportu.
Podróżowanie ułatwia mu fakt, że od maja 2009 roku, Sławek jest już emerytem. Przeszedł na wcześniejszą emeryturę w wieku 43,5 lat dzięki temu, że wcześniej inwestował w mieszkania na wynajem. Osiągnął pełnię wolności finansowej. Dziś jego misją osobistą jest wspieranie wolności finansowej Polek i Polaków. Jest autorem 6 książek o tej tematyce oraz bloga fridomia.pl. Założył też spółkę Mzuri, która opiekuje się mieszkaniami na wynajem (obecnie kilkanaście tysięcy) oraz Mzuri Investments, która pomaga znaleźć i kupić w okazyjnej cenie mieszkania na wynajem. Sławek był też inicjatorem powstania platformy do grupowego inwestowania w najem w formule crowd fund investing. Mzuri CFI uruchomiło już blisko 10 celowych spółek inwestycyjnych, w których minimalny wkład kapitału wynosi jedynie 10 tysięcy PLN.
Inspiracją do inwestowania w najem i osiągnięcia wolności finansowej były polskie ... bociany. Sławek, podobnie jak bociany, nie lubi zimy i postanowił każdą z nich spędzać w tropikach...
Steve Newcomer - United States
He visited all the 193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 320/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1048/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 659/1 248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
Don Parrish - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, all 330/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1224/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1072/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 620/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 12 years on the road.
I retired young, and travel has always been one of my hobbies. I'm active with the Circumnavigators Club, the Travelers Century Club, MostTraveledPeople, and now TheBestTraveled. My initial interest in travel started with stamps. By age 8, I could recognize the national origin of any postage stamp. At 10 I read Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels, and his adventures all over the world fired my imagination. In high school, I began my half-century subscription to the National Geographic magazine. While a junior at the University of Texas, I spent the summer working in a factory in Germany speaking only German - not a word of English. Being a true foreigner was a profound experience, something very rare for native-born US citizens. This experience helped me understand the world. One of my other hobbies is genealogy. My ancestors include 5 on the Mayflower, a famous Mohawk Indian, and the owner in 1651 of the land that the World Trade Center was built on. I have over 200 ancestors who came to America before 1640. My career was spent in R&D at Bell Labs in Electronic Switching, the foundation of the telecommunications revolution we take for granted. In 1968, I received a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Chicago. In 1971, I made my first trip around the world - six intensive weeks of seeing many of the wonders of the world. I have made four more circumnavigations including a business trip in less than 94 hours. I’m a life member of the Circumnavigators Club and a long-time officer of the Chicago chapter. On December 14, 2011, I made 100 circumnavigations around the South Pole to honor Road Amundsen on the 100th anniversary of his arrival at the South Pole. See my report on www.donparrish.com. In 1977 when Bell Labs decided to sell its telephone switching equipment world-wide, I was the planning manager determining the technical development program required to operate in target countries. I also figured out what was most important to customers and became a legendary market-entry strategist. By chance, I became the first person to retire from Lucent Technologies on October 1, 1996 when Bell Labs was merged with Western Electric to create Lucent. My 30-year career was extended another 5 when I was enticed back as a consultant at Lucent, retiring in 2001. I studied 4 languages in college, and have spent a total of 12 years outside of the US traveling or working. History is another life-long interest which re-enforces my enjoyment of travel. What a thrill to visit places you have read about. What an education to talk to people all over the world. I have often visited hot spots with the Travelers Century Club, e.g., North Korea, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Kashmir, and Cuba. Real travelers appreciate the wonder of discovery and how it changes your perspective. It’s been my privilege to meet many of the world's top travelers and explorers.
Thor Pedersen - Denmark
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and spent over 10 years on the road.
Thor is the only person in history to have reached every country in the world completely without flying! On May 23rd 2023 Thor Pedersen reached the final country, Maldives, completing the project and claiming world history.
On October 10th 2013, at the age of 34 years, Torbjørn “Thor” Pedersen set out on an ambitious journey to become the first person in history to reach every country in the world completely without flying. He had nearly accomplished his goal when he got stuck in Hong Kong on January 28th 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic - with only nine island nations remaining! Holding out in Hong Kong for two years he was able to continue again and completed the project on May 23rd 2023 when he set foot on Male, Maldives.
Joāo Paulo Peixoto - Portugal
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 327/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1422/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1352/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 984/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
How does one come to travel to travel to all 193 independent countries in the world? As a child my greatest adventure was traveling to Vigo to buy caramels and chocolate, or later I would travel further into Spain with my parents on holiday—all quite normal for a young Portuguese boy.
It wasn’t until after I completed university when my cousin asked me how many countries I had been to. Maybe 30, I told him, a humble figure compared to his 70. I said to him, “You’ll see if I do not beat you!” And from that point I began to take my travels very seriously.
My next goal was to overtake the country count of the politician Mario Soares, who had visited 130 countries (or so I thought) and then to surpass even Pope John Paul II, who had 150 on his list. By 2006, I had no other choice but to travel to every country in the world.
Along the way the world had become a revelation to me. Travel means freedom. It has taught me how to see humankind and understand that the sense of family exists in every country. For instance, after I traveled to all the world and contacting/knowing with many believers I became a believer myself but a special believer: now I believe in all religions. What matters most to me is knowing people from every background. One of the countries that had the most profound effect on me was Iran. There, the people were so nice and so kind, completely contrary to the propaganda that the media and newspapers write about.
I am also a very romantic type of guy. I have been married 10 times—but to the same woman, Ana Lisa! And always in a different country and a different religious ceremony. The first time and first marriage was in Ethiopia, followed by a trip to South Sudan. The legal marriage was in our country of Portugal. And since then we have enjoyed a Muslim marriage ceremony in Zanzibar, traditional ones in Cuba and Easter Island, a Presbyterian rite on Niue, a Hindu one on Bali, even a Berber marriage feast in Morocco, and finally a special wedding in Barcelona during a TCC meeting.
Sometimes my wife travels with me, sometimes my children accompany me (I have seven children). Some trips are best to go with other travelers and often I travel alone.
You have to have a certain amount of luck to travel through every country with nothing happening. On my quest, I escaped a train crash in Zimbabwe, avoided by two days an earthquake in the Solomon Islands, had missed staying in a hotel in Kabul that the Taliban had arrived at to shoot tourists, and had jumped off a tourist bus in Morocco because it didn’t have an empty seat and right after watched it fall into a ravine, killing nine Portuguese.
One of my more memorable experiences was in Yemen. My visa was in order when I flew into Sana’a from Eritrea. Two Germans on my flight and I were denied entry. The Germans didn’t argue with the officials and flew on to Germany, but I insisted that I could enter because I had my visa—either that or refund me my money. Because of all my passport stamps the officials thought I must have been with the CIA and took me to an interrogation room and shined a light on my face. One of the police officers offered me cigarettes and talked about Cristiano Ronaldo; the other threatened me—like good cop/bad cop from the movies. The men all had a knife at their waist. For some reason, they did not take away my phone, so I spent the night in custody exchanging messages with my friends and family on Facebook. In the morning they awakened me with the news that I had been authorized to enter the country. That afternoon, I was invited to dance in the street at a local wedding.
If I were to give advice on how to travel to every country, I would first say not to believe what you read but go to the country to learn for yourself how it is; keep an open mind, and try to feel the people—eat what they eat and try to understand how people think. Bring along a change of old clothes in case you have to spend the night on the floor somewhere. Be adventurous and always stick to your goals.
Dustin Pfundheller - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 303/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, more than 1200/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list and 1266/1381 regions on the NomadMania list.
Frank Rainer - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 328/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1178/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 351/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Alvaro Rojas - Spain
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN twice and all 7 continents, 253/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 973/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1004/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 539/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Michael Runkel - Germany
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 317/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1376/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1362/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 947/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
I am a freelance and commercial travel photographer and have photographed every country in the world and many of the planet's provinces. Born in Bavaria, Germany, I discovered my passion for adventure travel while reading Karl May in elementary school. My photo collection covers over 2 million images of travel destinations, people, traditional lifestyles, ancient temples and archeological sites as well as in-depth coverage of wildlife in its natural habitat, flora and fauna and scenic landscapes. I am specialized in photographing UNESCO World Heritage sites and my collection covers around 650 of them.
In January 2018 I published for the German publisher of National Geographic a picture book with personal stories with the name: "My travels to the ends of the world". So far it is only out in English.
Photoshelter rewarded me in 2018 to be one the top 5 travel photographers in the world in their list "https://thelist.photoshelter.com/.
My goal is not to go to every place in the world but to every place I am interested in.
Michael Runkel - website facebook.com/michaelrunkelphotographs Instagram: michaelrunkelphoto
Igor Sergeev - Russia
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 304/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1287/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1274/1301 regions on the NomadMania list and 875/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I started traveling since 1971, and until 1979 traveled to the Soviet Union only.
The first country I visited was Czechoslovakia (in 1979).
From 1979 to 1992, I visited only 14 countries, as to leave the Soviet Union was very difficult.
Since 1998, traveling with my wife Lazareva Nadezda (she is also a member of NomadMania) and together we visited all 193 countries of the United Nations.
The last, the 193-rd country (South Sudan), I visited in 2016.
Igor Sergeyev and Nadezhda Lazareva are the only people in the world who have visited all 193 UN countries together.
Jeff Shea - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 323/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1008/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, more than 1000/1301 regions on the NomadMania list and spent 18 years on the road.
Carl-Gustaf Siby - Sweden
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 329/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1354/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1262/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 486/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and over 25 years on the road.
Milan Srejber - Czech Republib
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 322/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1303/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list and 683/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Jagannathan Srinivasaraghavan - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 326/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1313/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, more than 1200/1301 regions on the NomadMania list and 633/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I grew up in India & traveled within India prior to 1974 when I took my first overseas trip to Singapore & Malaysia. In 1977 I immigrated to USA and became the first Indian to plant an Indian flag at the North Pole on April 23 1985 after visiting Antarctica in January 1985 & literally going around the globe five times. Later I became a US citizen & the last countries I visited were South Sudan & Libya by February 2012. I have visited 326 of 329 places on the Travelers Century Club list.
I am Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, Honorary Fellow of the International Academy of Law & Mental Health, Representative of Illinois to the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association and Secretary of the Section on Quality Assurance of the World Psychiatric Association. I continue to be active presenting around the world and publishing.
Kari-matti Valtari - Finland
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 314/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1269/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1237/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 791/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For KM, travelling is an essential part of his life. At the early age of 15, while touring Europe for a month, he discovered his interest in different lands, cultures and nature. What started as a hobby became a personal objective to see the whole world, leading him so far to 192 countries and more than one thousand regions. KM is a fun-loving traveller, who thrives to experience the best wherever he goes. His hedonistic approach to travelling gives him an open-minded global perspective, free from engagement in any causes or judgement of values.
KM is most passionate about nature and the sea. As an accomplished diver, he can also discover what is beneath the surface of the most remote islands of the planet. Among his favourite places, he lists Australia for its unspoiled nature and beaches, as well as certain parts of the Caribbean. South America gets his top ratings for its vibrant energy. He also appreciates the Mediterranean countries and often visits France, Spain and Italy, where he particularly enjoys the lifestyle, gastronomy and traditional architecture. After Gstaad, London, Monaco, Paris, Los Angeles and Hawaii, KM lives nowadays in Finland, his home country.
KM plans to continue travelling to new destinations and return to the places he already knows. His daughter, initiated to travelling from early childhood, usually accompanies him.
Charles Veley - United States
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 329/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1424/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1334/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 554/1248 UNESCO Heritage List and spent over 15 years on the road.
Axel Wacht - Germany
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 299/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1256/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1264/1381 regions on the NomadMania list and 929/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site.
After WWII my father was deported to Russia and so I got my first long railway trip. Coming back 7 years old, I enjoyed even more the one week on the train, sometimes waiting on freight yards with endless freight trains, pulled by pounding steam engines. Additionally from my mother I inherited the love of travelling. During school and as a student I saw many European countries by hitch hiking. In those days it was very easy and sometimes even recommended by teachers. During my professional life I found a job as a consultant, being sent to countries like Argentina and South Africa. It was even possible to combine family life with travelling. Weekends and holidays could be used to see different countries on a very detailed basis. With 60 I retired and now I the opportunity to travel more than ever before. Until a couple of years ago, I never thought of beating a record with my destinations and aiming to tick off as many countries as possible. Nonetheless I always try to prepare myself for a new destination and learn as much as possible from the trip than just to mark off another item.
Hubert Weissinger - Austria
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 310/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1086/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1110/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 429/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent over 10 years on the road.
In memoriam:
Gustav Adolf Junge - Germany
He visited all the 193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, 323/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1236/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1182/1301 regions on the Nomadmania list, 510/1199 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 13 years on the road.
Karl May ist schuld. Und das nicht nur bei mir! Seine Bücher mit den plastischen Beschreibungen von Land und Leuten haben bei mir das Fernweh geweckt. Nachdem ich mit 16 Jahren einmal um Deutschland mit dem Fahrrad fuhr, bin ich in den Abiturvorbereitungsferien das erste Mal im Ausland gewesen. Während der Semesterferien ging es dann wieder ins Ausland. Während des Sportstudiums setzte ich dann ein Semester aus und fuhr die damals übliche Route mit dem VW-Bus nach Indien. 1979/80 bin ich ein Jahr um Afrika getrampt. Mit 39 Jahren hatte ich dann alle Länder der Welt bereist, (damals) als jüngster Mensch der Welt! Danach bin ich mit dem Reisen erst richtig angefangen! Gott sei Dank muss bin ich jetzt Rentner – ich kann das jetzt ad extenso machen was ein Globetrotter so macht: globetrotten – über ein halbes Jahr im Kalenderjahr – und in die letzten Winkel der Welt. Die dzg kenne ich fast seit Anfang an, aber da ich jeden Pfennig für meine Reisen brauchte, bin ich erst spät (vor 20-30 Jahren) Mitglied geworden. Dort habe ich viele gleichgesinnte Freunde kennergelernt. Während meines Berufslebens als Arzt habe ich über 20 Jahre für und in Vereinen gearbeitet, davon sieben Jahre leitend. Meine Vorstellungen für die dzg werde ich später ausformulieren, da ich erst einmal mit den anderen Vorstandsmitgliedern das Mögliche von dem Unmöglichen trennen muss. Auf jeden Fall möchte ich, dass das Geld der Mitglieder sinnvoll und sparsam eingesetzt wird. Seit einigen Jahren veranstalte ich hier im Norden das alle zwei Jahre stattfindende Elbetreffen, dieses Jahr am ersten Augustwochenende zum dritten Mal.
Jorge Sanchez - Spain
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN and all 7 continents, more than 1000/1301 regions on the NomadMania list and spent more than 10 years on the road.
Died on December 2025 in Barcelona.
Hola amigos. I am Spanish, born in the city of Barcelona (Kingdom of Spain). I like to travel and I have already traveled to all the five continents. From Europe I know Portugal, Andorra and Italy very well. From Asia I have been to Thailand and the island of Bali. From Africa I have visited Morocco and Egypt, and from America I have spent the summer twice in Buenos Aires and also in Cancún, Mexico. While from Oceania I have visited Sydney, in Australia.
I feel very proud to declare that during my intense traveling activity I have gotten to know extraordinary monuments on our planet, such as the Colosseum in Rome, Big Ben in London, the Little Mermaid in Copenhagen, the Manneken Pis in Brussels, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid… and many more fantastic places; I have even managed to visit the Red Square in Moscow and the Pyramids of Giza, in Egypt. Furthermore, thanks to traveling I am a polyglot, as I have learned to speak and write four languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Galician.
My website is: www.jorgesanchez.es
Heinz Stücke - Germany
21.01.1940 - 22.07.2026
He visited all the 193/193 independent countries of the UN, 301/330 countries and territories on the Travelers' Century Club list, 1214/1500 countries and territories on the MTP list, 1190/1381 regions on the NomadMania list, 563/1248 UNESCO World Heritage Site and spent 52 years on the road.
Heinz Stücke (born 11 January 1940) is a German traveller, vagabond, and long-distance touring cyclist from Hövelhof, North Rhine-Westphalia. In 1995, he set a world record for bicycle touring. In a global journey spanning more than 50 years, he has travelled several hundred thousand kilometres by bicycle.
Global bicycle tour:
In November 1962, the 22-year-old Stücke quit his job as a tool and die maker, and rode out of his hometown on a three-speed bicycle, with a plan to see the world. He has never since returned to Hövelhof; he says that his extraordinary desire to travel was partly motivated by his aversion to returning to factory work.
In the early 1980s, after two decades on the road, Stücke decided to attempt to visit every country in the world. He believed he had accomplished his goal when he reached Seychelles in 1996, but to him it felt anticlimactic. He had spent too little time in some countries, and there was still much to experience; so he continued on. Between 1962 and 2010, he cycled more than 609,000 kilometres (378,000 mi), and visited 195 countries and 78 territories. From 1995 through 1999, the Guinness Book of Records described him as having travelled more widely by bicycle than anyone in history.
During his travels, he has encountered many hazards and suffered numerous injuries:
In the Atacama Desert of Chile he was hit by a truck.
In Haiti he was chased by an angry mob.
In Egypt he was beaten unconscious by soldiers.
In Cameroon he was detained by the military for "slandering the state".
In Canada he was hit by a car and pushed into a freezing river.
In the United States he was abandoned by an automobile driver who stole all of his supplies after offering him a ride.
In Indonesia, 1974, he suffered a serious bout of dysentery.
In Zimbabwe, 1980, he was shot in the big toe by rebels.
In Mozambique, 1995, he was attacked by bees while bathing in a river.
In Siberia, 1997, his bicycle was stolen for the fifth time, along with his luggage (all of which was recovered).
In England, 2006, his bicycle—the same machine he rode from Hövelhof in 1962—was stolen again, this time from his campsite in Portsmouth. (The bicycle was recovered the following day in a local park.)
Although he has ridden the same steel-framed bicycle on most of his journeys, in 2002 he rode across Canada with a partner on a Hase Pino tandem recumbent bicycle, which Hase Spezialräder built and sponsored.
Travelers' Century Club
https://travelerscenturyclub.org
Membership in the Travelers’ Century Club (TCC) is limited to those travelers who have visited one hundred or more territories of the world. It was first organized in Los Angeles in 1954 by a group of the world’s most widely traveled people. The idea has attracted the interest of the world travelers everywhere and we now have members throughout the world, as well as the United States.
In the Territory List, you will find TCC’s official list of 330 territories, updated Dezember 2025.
Members who have visited all the TCC countries and territories on the TCC list as of the date of their travels are: John Clouse, Parke Thompson, John Todd, Jeff Shea, Ken Ziegler, A. Allman, Don C. Buckley, Charles Veley, Gig Gwin, Robert and Dorothy Pine, Bill Altaffer, Ray Woods, Dietrich Deppe, Bart Hackley, Rowland Burley, Audrey Walsworth, Robert Spehar, Ron Endeman (the first sitting TCC President to reach this milestone), Phyllis and Bob Henson, Bob Bonifas, Don Parrish and Tim Carlson. Stephen Warner and Charalampos Bizas each need to travel to three more on the TCC List. Many more have been to 300 or more destinations.
Nomad Mania
https://nomadmania.com/who.html
https://nomadmania.com/master/ALL/0/1/50/0
Travellers visited all the 193 independent countries of the UN: UN masters
MTP (Most Traveled People)
https://mtp.travel
https://mtp.travel/checklists/locations/geographic/visited_remaining
https://mtp.travel/faq