Drew made his first appearance on Counting Countries in 2017 when we both were Wanderers for G Adventures, the global travel company. We also crossed paths in Bangkok when Thor Pedersen passed through Thailand. Drew and I continued a correspondence over the years with some recent communications when Drew was visiting Saudi Arabia, his last country, while I was also in the KSA. This episode is Counting Countries's 100th episode, and several months ago I pondered who would be a good choice for this milestone. I decided Drew was a great fit for this episode, timing with his completion of every country in the world. And also, Drew is arguably one of the most successful travel content creators, especially in the Chasing 193 universe. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting this podcast. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. You can also support Counting Countries be writing a review or sharing this podcast with a travel lover. My patrons will hear exclusive audio content from Drew as well as the full video of our interview. A lot has changed since Drew's first appearance (and I would encourage you to listen to that episode from the summer of 2017), and that is a tremendous understatement. The numbers speak volumes in regard to his success, nearing 10 million followers and 5 billion views across his social media channels. As I mentioned earlier, Drew completed his quest of visiting every country in the world in November of 2021. We discuss a lot during this candid conversation from what counts as visiting a country to his responsibility in creating videos with such a large platform. And of course, we have a lot of name checking … Dan Herszberg, Alvaro Rojas, former guests, Lee Abbamonte and Lexie Alford, Yes Theory, Nomadmania and Most Traveled People, Baderkhan, and Marlon Reed. As many of you have heard, Stefan Kraswoski and I have teamed up to host the Extraordinary Travel Festival, the world's largest gathering of accomplished travelers. This will take place in Yerevan, 2022. We are excited to produce this event to help grow our community while organizing great events, and hosting some amazing experiences. Please go to ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com to see our speakers, our sponsors, and some of the trips we are hosting. Check back often since there are frequent updates. If buying a ticket, please use code ETF to save $50. Hope to see you in Yerevan. A giant thank you for those of you who have been listening to this podcast, all 100 episodes since June of 2016. Here is to the next 100. I was in Chicago for this recording while Drew was in Arizona. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons …. Phillip Jones, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! More About Drew Binsky Counting Countries: Born: US Passports: US Blog: DrewBinsky IG: DrewBinsky YT: DrewBinsky About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if from some of these links like if you order from Amazon/Agoda/etc. Or book a trip through G Adventures. PS Thanks! Drew Binsky Counting Countries

On this episode I am speaking with Harry Mitsidis, the founder of NomadMania. We spoke with Harry Mitsidis on the last episode when he shared that the 2nd Annual NomadMania Travel Awards. Harry will also be hosting a trip to Armenia before the festival. So this is a great opportunity to travel w a legend and visit all 3 nomad mania regions of this historic country. You can check out the Extraordinary Travel Festival website to overview the trip. Please listen in and enjoy.

A Conversation With Harry Mitsidis And Julian Carnall Of Large Minority On this episode I am speaking with Harry Mitsidis, the founder of NomadMania and Julian Carnall, the founder of Large Minority. Harry has big news to share ... The Second Annual NomadMania Travel Awards will take place in person at the Extraordinary Travel Festival on October 16, 2022 in Yerevan Armenia. Large Minority is one of our sponsors and partners of the festival. The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be creating a Curated Trips of 2023. Large Minority will be contributing a trip to this list, which we will discuss during our conversation. This will be an awesome adventure, a tuktuk rally up the KKR in Pakistan. Join us in Yerevan, Armenia from October 14 -16, 2022 At the Armenia Hotel Yerevan For the: Extraordinary Travel Festival This will be a multi-day event with great and inspiring speakers And at night we will be hosting parties and dinners to have fun and unwind This is a great opportunity to meet avid & accomplished travelers from all over the world Our goal is to bring people together from around the world, who are: Traveling to every country in the world Passionate to explore extreme and challenging destinations And love to have fun and network with likeminded people To learn more about this event, please go to: www.extraordinarytravelfestival.com Use code EPS to save $50 off your ticket

This is the Counting Countries Extraordinary Travel Festival Update #2 On this episode I am speaking with Charles Veley, the founder of the Most Traveled People, and Gianluca Pardelli, the founder of Soviet Tours. Charles will play two roles at the festival. He will be a speaker, sharing stories of some of his travel adventures. And Charles will be hosting an optional trip to Georgia and Armenia that takes place before the festival. You can view the agenda here. Soviet Tours is one of our sponsors and partners of the festival. The Extraordinary Travel Festival will be creating a Curated Trips of 2023. Soviet Tours will be contributing a trip to this list, which we will discuss during our conversation. This will be an amazing trip to the North Caucasus. Join us in Yerevan, Armenia from October 14 -16, 2022 At the Armenia Hotel Yerevan For the: Extraordinary Travel Festival This will be a multi-day event with great and inspiring speakers And at night we will be hosting parties and dinners to have fun and unwind This is a great opportunity to meet avid & accomplished travelers from all over the world Our goal is to bring people together from around the world, who are: Traveling to every country in the world Passionate to explore extreme and challenging destinations And love to have fun and network with likeminded people To learn more about this event, please go to: www.extraordinarytravelfestival.com Use code EPS to save $50 off your ticket

Extraordinary Travel Festival How Many Countries Are There In The World video Support Counting Countries at Patreon The new Counting Countries Merch Store Mette and I had been connected on Facebook via Every Passport Stamp, but we recently crossed paths in Jeddah for an evening of dinner and shisha with a group of extreme travelers. We were connected by former guest Henrik Jeppesen who was aware that both of us were traveling in KSA. While I was aware that Mette was a seasoned traveler, over dinner I heard more of her stories and thought she would be a great fit for Counting Countries. After my conversation with Mette, I will be checking in with Thor Pedersen again, of Once Upon A Saga. I have been documenting Thor's journey to every country in the world and all of the challenges he has been facing with this pandemic. You will hear a snippet of this conversation but my patrons will hear the entire conversation. The next episode will be the 100th episode. Our first episode was in 2016. I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons: Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. You can also support Counting Countries be writing a review or sharing this podcast with a travel lover. I have already interviewed three Danes, Henrik Jeppesen, Jakob Oster, and Thor Pedersen, yet I thought Mette's lived travel experiences provided a unique voice. Mette shared a very candid explanation of the changes she made in her life to Chase 193. Mette also travels constantly with her children, who have racked up impressive numbers. We have a wide ranging conversation, everything from the Danish Travel Club to Nomad Mania to Every Passport Stamp, while name checking extreme travelers like Ramblin Randy, David Yang, and Lucy Shoe. As many of you have heard, Stefan Kraswoski and I have teamed up to host the Extraordinary Travel Festival, the world's largest gathering of accomplished travelers. This will take place in Yerevan, 2022. We are excited to produce this event to help grow our community while organizing great events, and hosting some amazing experiences. Please go to ExtraordinaryTravelFestival.com to see our speakers, our sponsors, and some of the trips we are hosting. Check back often since there are frequent updates. If buying a ticket, please use code ETF to save $50. Hope to see you in Yerevan. I was in Chicago for this recording while Mette was in Copenhagen. Please listen in and enjoy. Thank you to my Patrons …. Phillip Jones, Thor Pedersen, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. More About Mette Ehlers Mikkelsen Counting Countries: Born: Denmark Passports: Hold Danish passports Book: Kronisk Rejsefeber volume 1-2-3 - Cronical TravelAddiction - a Danish series of books with the selected best travel stories written and published by member of the Danish Travelers Club during the 25 years, the Club has existed. I have an article in each volume on Faroe Islands, Libya and Sudan Film: David Attenborough - everything. For cozy weekend: Eat, pray, love. TV: Danish television on Danish Diplomats from 2021 App: BEEN, Polarsteps, Danish MFA. Sustainable: TripDoodler Must carry: The purse to organize all passports and vaccine documents for me and my children by Swedish Ordning and Reda Food: Try all local as principle - spiders in Cambodia, bat in Palau before covid Drink - Ecuador whisky in Scotland as it was Al Capone's favorite - admire they got permission to export it to the USA during the period where this was forbidden Hotel: Guldsmeden. Dragon Fly Airline: SAS Blog: www.expandingourhorizon.net IG: https://www.instagram.com/expandingourhorizon/ About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1301 regions. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if from some of these links like if you order from Amazon/Agoda/etc. Or book a trip through G Adventures. PS Thanks!

Key Links How Many Countries Are There In The World video Support Counting Countries at Patreon The new Counting Countries Merch Store Thank you to my Patrons…Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Thor Pedersen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! You can purchase them today on Amazon. And now, you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friend: Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world, including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. And watch my full-length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority. I am friends with Tommy on Facebook and also met him on the somewhat famous Adam Hickman Covid Zoom travel trivia game, but he was many of my social media friends who I really did not know. On Tommy's FB page I noted some interesting posts with a lot of flight maps. It definitely caught my attention and thought I would love to learn more about Chasing 244. After my conversation with Tommy, I will be checking in with Thor Pedersen again of Once Upon A Saga. I have been documenting Thor's journey to every country in the world and all of the challenges he has been facing with this pandemic. You will hear a snippet of this conversation but my patrons will hear the entire conversation. Thanks to Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. I endeavor to interview a diverse set of voices within our community. I want to hear different perspectives and experiences and I believe you appreciate that as well. It has been my shortcoming that I have not had a guest from China, the world's most populous country. Well, that has been rectified with this conversation with Tommy as we learn about his journey to every country in the world and his recent project of Chasing 244. I was in Yerevan, Armenia for this recording while Tommy was in Shanghai. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Fewer people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com. Well…that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Maniadivides the world into 1301 regions. SISO says there are3,978 places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures. PS Thanks! ----- Produced by Sonorous Lab Studio

Join us in Yerevan, Armenia from October 14 -16, 2022 at the Armenia Hotel Yerevan for the Extraordinary Travel Festival This will be a multi-day event with great and inspiring speakers And at night we will be hosting parties and dinners to have fun and unwind This is a great opportunity to meet travelers from all over the world Our goal is to bring people together from around the world, who are: Traveling to every country in the world Passionate to explore extreme and challenging destinations And love to have fun and network with likeminded people Learn more and buy your ticket at www.extraordinarytravelfestival.com Do you want to save $50 off your ticket? Use code - eps.

Key Links

• How Many Countries Are There In The World video
• Support Counting Countries at Patreon
• The new Counting Countries Merch Store
  
  

Thank you to my Patrons…Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Thor Pedersen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims.

Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel!  You can purchase them today on Amazon.

And now, you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa!

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review!

Check out our friend: Large Minority.  They organize international rallies around the world, including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon.  And watch my full-length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority.  

I am friends with Tommy on Facebook and also met him on the somewhat famous Adam Hickman Covid Zoom travel trivia game, but he was many of my social media friends who I really did not know.  On Tommy’s FB page I noted some interesting posts with a lot of flight maps.  It definitely caught my attention and thought I would love to learn more about Chasing 244.   

After my conversation with Tommy, I will be checking in with Thor Pedersen again of Once Upon A Saga.  I have been documenting Thor’s journey to every country in the world and all of the challenges he has been facing with this pandemic.  You will hear a snippet of this conversation but my patrons will hear the entire conversation. 

Thanks to Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast.  You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. 

I endeavor to interview a diverse set of voices within our community.  I want to hear different perspectives and experiences and I believe you appreciate that as well.  It has been my shortcoming that I have not had a guest from China, the world’s most populous country.  Well, that has been rectified with this conversation with Tommy as we learn about his journey to every country in the world and his recent project of Chasing 244.

I was in Yerevan, Armenia for this recording while Tommy was in Shanghai.   Please listen in and enjoy.  

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!!

About Counting Countries

Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who’ve spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Fewer people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space.

Theme music for this podcast is Demeter’s Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi.

About GlobalGaz

Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl.  He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. 

Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com.

Well…that depends on who you ask!

• The United Nations states that there are193 member states.
• The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are226 countries and territories.
• The Traveler’s Century Club states that there are329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands.
• The Most Traveled Person states that there are949 unique parts of the world.
• The Nomad Maniadivides the world into 1301 regions.
• SISO says there are3,978 places in the world.
• Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way.

An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. 

Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures.  PS  Thanks!

-----

Produced by Sonorous Lab Studio

Key Links How Many Countries Are There In The World video Support Counting Countries at Patreon The new Counting Countries Merch Store Thank you to my Patrons…Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Thor Pedersen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! You can purchase them today on Amazon. And now, you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friend: Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world, including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. And watch my full-length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority. I met Ted at a small travel meetup in Boston a couple of years ago, but knew him prior to that as one of my patrons for Counting Countries. We both have homes in Chicago and we also connected a couple times in the Windy City. We met up in late June for lunch and then retired to the Counting Countries Studio to record this podcast. After I speak with Ted we will hear from Nick Butter once again at the end of the podcast, a guest from earlier this year. Nick founded the 196 Foundation. This is a charity inspired by his trip around the world. I will let Nick explain how this all works during our conversation. But I will add that I have become a supporter of the foundation. And I am now one of 500 plus people who have joined together in this project. I imagine everyone of us is inundated with multiple offers to donate or support one cause or another. It can become overwhelming but nonetheless I would suggest to take a moment and to check out his website to learn more. My patrons will hear more of the interview with both Ted and Nick than you will. AKA as exclusive content. Thanks to Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Thor Pedersen, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. Ted shares how his collection of stamps propelled him around the globe. Like many other 193ers, he likes to collect and create lists. Country Counting can be another outlet for this passion. Ted shares many of his experiences including cutting his trip short in Socotra during the beginnings of Covid. And also a big thanks to Tony Wheeler for doing the guest introduction. Ted and I met up for incredible hamburgers at Lux Bar and then recorded this episode in the City of Big Shoulders. Please listen in and enjoy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Fewer people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com. Well…that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Maniadivides the world into 1301 regions. SISO says there are3,978 places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures. PS Thanks! ----- Produced by Sonorous Lab Studio

Key Links How Many Countries Are There In The World video Support Counting Countries at Patreon The new Counting Countries Merch Store Thank you to my Patrons…Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Thor Pedersen, Steph Rowe, Adam Hickman, Bisa Myles & Ted Nims. Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! You can purchase them today on Amazon. And now, you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Check out our friend: Large Minority. They organize international rallies around the world, including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the Philippines, and the Amazon. And watch my full-length documentary in Cambodia when I traveled with Large Minority. Ben made a brief appearance as the guest announcer for the January episode of Gina Morello. After a bit of research, I pieced together who Ben was, pulling on a long thread and realizing that he was connected to many previous guests on this podcast. Ben has a very, very deep travel resume. Do not be thrown off by the length of this podcast, it is really a twofer. You will hear from Ben first and you will hear from Dave Seminara during the second half of the podcast. Dave is an avid traveler himself and also the author of Mad Travelers: A Tale Of Wanderlust, Greed, And The Quest To Reach The Ends Of The Earth. You can buy this on Amazon and wherever else you buy books these days. I read the book and do recommend it. The main focal point of this book is William Baekeland, a former guest of the podcast, who is alleged to have conned fellow extreme travelers of nearly a million dollars. If you don't know the back story listen to William's podcast as well as the William Baekeland Controversy episode. My patrons who support the show, will hear more content from Ben, over 33 minutes, which only they will hear. Thanks to Phillip Jones, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, and Adam Hickman for supporting Counting Countries. They help pay for the production of this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. Ben is an "old school" traveler. Ben forges his own path, and constantly bears left when all of his friends turn right. This is a very candid conversation sharing the magic of travel and also some of the challenges that those of us who are obsessed with extreme travel confront. I feel like I only scratched the surface of Ben's 30 year plus travel career as he chased 193 and so much more. Ben was in Jakarta while I was recording in the home of the New England Patriots. Please listen in and enjoy. More About Ben: Where were you born: Born in Newark, UK. Grew up in a small village south of Nottingham What passport do you hold: British Favorite Travel Book: No idea. Maybe Michael Runkel's "Meine Reisen an der Enden der Welt" as he is mate of mine! I remember enjoying Heinrich Harrer's "Seven Years in Tibet". Bill Bryson can be quite funny. My folks want me to write a book. If I do, I'm sure it will be my favourite. Favorite travel app or website: Kayak and NomadMania Must carry item when traveling (like flashlight, Kindle, deck of cards etc.): Olight flashlight. Bivvy bag. Hydrapak collapsible water bottle. Used to carry mini ipad, but no need now, as iphone pretty much does everything. Same goes for camera. Favorite drink: Ice-cold beer. Pocari Sweat. Red Bull. Fresh mango juice. Banana milk shake. Water. Coffee. Each has its specific time and place. Favorite airline: Emirates for comfort, SQ, for style, Turkish or Ethiopian for network Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today!! About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Fewer people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com. Well…that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are329 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Most Traveled Person states that there are949 unique parts of the world. The Nomad Maniadivides the world into 1301 regions. SISO says there are3,978 places in the world. Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: I will earn a fee if you order from Amazon/Agoda. Or book a trip through G Adventures. PS Thanks! ----- Produced by Sonorous Lab Studio