People travel for many reasons. I travel to experience new things, and to engage with different cultures. Travelling is far more than a box-ticking exercise for me, but that being said, I would like to visit at least 100 countries in my lifetime. I feel like each new place I visit broadens my understanding of the world, and the people who live in it.
In June 2018, during a trip through the Balkans, I entered what was my 50th country. Since then I have continued to travel (even throughout the pandemic) and I’m proud to say I reached my 86th country, Syria, in December 2025. There are some countries I’ve only managed to visit briefly, others I’ve visited for 10 days or more, and there are many I’ve returned to again and again.
Over the next few years I am going to be focusing my attention on the countries in Europe that have some of the lowest tourist numbers, Africa and the Middle East. You can follow along on The Road to “100” by clicking here.
Though I’m restricted by work and life commitments, I’m fortunate that living in the UK gives me the perfect base for exploring all corners of the world, and doing so on a budget. Many of the countries I’m most interested in are within five to six hours of flying distance, or within a couple of budget airline connections.
I’ve found that every village, town and city has something unique to offer, a different shade of perspective, culture, or flavour. Individual people are the only thing that, in my experience, are the same from one place to the next. Everywhere I’ve been, people – on the whole – have been welcoming, kind, helpful, and keen to share what’s special about their home, and their experience.