Nabil Kazi has traveled to 129 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to share my conversation with Nabil Kazi.  I connected with Nabil Kazi back in 2021 when he suggested a guest (Nick Butter - episode 95) for Counting Countries.  I guess everything comes full circle as Nabil is a guest on this episode. Nabil and I have been in contact ever since and even connected in person for dinner in Bangkok at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Charlie Browns.  Nabil has had two...

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  .  The discount will be reduced starting in May, lock in your savings and buy now. Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to. I was fortunate to secure Richard Barrow as a speaker for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Richard has been living in Thailand since the mid-1990s.  He is one of the most knowledgeable individuals and a trusted source for all...

Tan Wee Cheng has traveled to 187 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Wee Cheng, a regional neighbor, and I have communicated on and off for several years, but like many of us in the community we were only virtual acquaintances.  That changed when I met Wee Cheng in person at an extreme travel dinner in Singapore last year and then a more recent catchup in Honolulu.  I was surprised to learn about Wee Cheng’s longevity as a traveler and also noted how he is a bit of an iconoclast...

Elena Chechina has traveled to 158 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I met Elena back at the ETF in Yerevan and started to realize what a unique life she was leading.  She is a true global citizen with true family connections to Europe, Asia, and Africa.  Elena has somehow managed to balance the multiple moving parts of her life … 3 children, a spouse who lives and works in Northern Africa, a full time job, and of course Chasing 193.  In this conversation, we learn how she...

Hayley has traveled to every country in the world   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  I started to follow Hayley in the last year or two on Instagram.  And over the last several months we started sharing some messages.  She has just completed her journey to every country in the world and I wanted to learn about her adventures as well as her two physical disabilities and how she overcame these challenges.     The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in...

To hear the entire podcast join us on patreon.com or Apple Podcast subscription.   Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to. For those in the know when it comes to Thailand, you must know the name Joe Cummings.  Joe has been living in Thailand since the late 1970s and has a resume that will rival the most interesting person in the room.  He wrote the...

This is the second publication of this interview.  The first podcast had a corrupted file.  All audio from the first interview had been deleted after 1 hr and 31 minutes.  This publication is the full file.   Raiiq has traveled to 118 countries Hey now and Happy New Year to all!  I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I knew Raiiq from EPS and had the pleasure of meeting him at the ETF in Armenia.  I was spurred to learn more about him after a recent post in EPS detailing his challenges with carrying...

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?    Or you can join us on a tour to . I am happy to introduce a new speaker at the ETF, .  I consider David a Papua New Guinea product expert.  He has spent a cumulative one year over the last five year in PNG as the founder of .  David will be sharing his tips for traveling independently in PNG.  He is a professional photographer, and you will be...

Thor Pedersen has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with multi-repeat guest and travel legend, Thor Pedersen of Once Upon A Saga.  For those of us in the know, Thor recently finished a nearly 10 year journey to every country in the world without flying in an unbroken journey with a minimum of 24 hours in each country.  These additional rules that Thor instituted increased the complexity and length of this journey in addition to the...

Zach Forbes has traveled to 140 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to introduce Zach Forbes, our new guest this month.  Zach was a character I saw all around social media and connected to many of my friends.  I finally met him face to face in Yerevan at the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  Zach is a true global citizen, raised in Canada and the US.  He also lived in China, Dubai, and Vancouver while traveling to 140 countries. He also shared with me getting shot in...

Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024.  Please use code - BANGKOK - to save $120.  . Want to go to Bhutan?  I am pleased to announce a new speaker, who will be speaking about her experience on a multi-week homestay in Mogadishu. The next guest is Palle Bo, .  Palle attended the first ETF and is coming back for the second one. And our last guest is a first-time attendee to ETF Bangkok, Mike Fiorellino at YouTube creator at . Have you bought a ticket to...

Michael Noel has traveled to 192 countries Please fill out this survey and provide feedback - https://forms.gle/1RmLQh7hLuw2Xnc6A Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Michael Noel and I crossed paths in the Douala airport en route to Bangui.  We ended up sharing a dinner and a trip to a waterfall.  Always great to run into fellow travelers in the least traveled places, and he shared a number of stories which I thought would make a fascinating conversation. As...

Orest Zub has traveled to 132 countries   Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Orest Zub, a name many of you might be familiar with.  Orest and I have never met in person, but he falls into that category of someone who I feel like we have met in person, but we never have.  We have shared video calls, messages and share many friends in common.               This is a busy conversation where we speak about Orest’s travels around the globe which have brought him...

We are pleased to announce that the Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held in Bangkok on November 15, 2024. .  Use code - BANGKOK - to save $120.  If you are an alumni of ETF Yerevan or a Patron of Counting Countries, please contact us for your special code. Please listen to this podcast for an overview of the event with a special guest. BANGKOK Thank you for your patience and we are excited to announce that the ETF II will be in the City of Angels, also known as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon,...

Check out the Ed Hotchkiss has traveled to 128 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Checking in with our new guest, Ed Hotchkiss.  As I note in my conversation, Ed and I have shared a lot of face time in less than a year, whether it was in the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Armenia or on trips with ITC Sudan to Sudan and a visit to Djibouti.  Ed is also one of those people you hear mentioned every episode since he is a patron.           As I traveled with Ed for a couple of...

Ross OJ Jennings has traveled to 106 countries.  Ross OC Jennings Counting Countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian.  Did you note that the intro has been updated?  Thanks to Evo the longtime voice of Counting Countries.  Ross OC Jennings might not be well known in the 193 community but he is cutting a unique path.  I had read about Ross a couple of years ago, and as I shared with him, I was a bit skeptical about his quest.  His goal was to the first bagpiper to travel to every country...

David Yang has traveled to every country in the world.  David Yang Counting Countries I feel like I have known David for as long as I have been in the community with our mutual 218 FB friends.  David is an outgoing, gregarious and omnipresent traveler in our group.  Whether he is sharing his travel photos on FB sometimes multiple times a day or jumping from one corner of the globe to the other to meetup with travel friends.  I have met David twice in real life which we touch on.  And David is...

Renee Bruns has traveled to 117 countries Renee started appearing in my IG feed over the last year.  And like many of my virtual friends, I tracked her travels to the far flung corners of the globe.  But what caught my attention is that Renee is Chasing 193 in a wheelchair.  She has the same quest and goal as myself but is accomplishing this feat in her wheelchair.  I thought her quest deserved greater attention.  This is a reminder that I am partnering with SafetyWing, a travel insurance...

Barry Hoffner has traveled to 155 countries  Barry should be much better known in the travel community than he is today.  He showed up on my radar screen when we connected on Instagram.  I follow many who are Chasing 193.  Barry later became a generous supporter of Counting Countries via Patreon, and we connected on the phone where I began to learn more about his amazing and at times tragic life journey.   Barry has already lived several lifetimes of amazing experiences with many to go. ...

Riza Rasco has traveled to 192 countries Riza Rasco is a well-known person in the extreme travel community.  And I have crossed paths with her twice, once for breakfast in the North End of Boston and for the multi-day Extraordinary Travel Festival in Armenia. She is a prolific and immersive traveler who is only one country away from completing her quest.    Riza shares so many experiences yet this podcast could have been double the time since there was so much to discuss.  Riza shares some...

Special Links Join the live conversation with Charles Veley and Harry Mitsidis on March 25th at 17:00 GMT, click here to learn the details.   Sign up with SafetyWing for your travel insurance for your next trip Katelyn Jarvis … Giving Back In West Point  Katelyn Jarvis has traveled to 150 countries Katelyn is one of many who has been on my radar screen for some time as we passed each other like two ships during the night on FB.  I finally got to meet Katelyn in person at the Extraordinary...

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SafetyWing Ildikó Szabó has traveled to every country in the world.  Ildiko Szabo Counting Countries I knew of Ildy for several years and had noted her social media presence, but it wasn’t until October of this year when I met her in person at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Yerevan.  I shared several conversations with her and recognized she would be a great guest for the podcast.  And, voila, a month after the festival we were recording this podcast. ...

Dr Song Nopparat Rattanawaraha Counting Countries Breaking News I speak with a 193 Insider who was working intimately to free Dr. Song from his kidnappers.  Dr. Song is Chasing 193 and I was kidnapped by bandits as crossed by land from Burkina Faso to Mali.  Dr. Song was held in captivity for 3 weeks until a $150,000 ransom was delivered.  This Insider provides the behind-the-scenes details.

On this episode, I will be providing an update for the Extraordinary Travel Festival.  I am happy to share with you the schedule for the event and all of the great speakers. Check out the speakers for the festival. Check out our Extraordinary Adventures with Soviet Tours, ITC Sudan, Large Minority, and WSE Travel. And you can still buy a ticket here to join us in Yerevan.  And also remember to check out the Last Tourist, read my review here.