It took 1,458 flights and 1,117 buses and trains for Drew Binsky to achieve his purpose of touring to every country in the world.
And he did it in lower than a decade.
CNBC spoke with Binsky 9 hours after he touched down in his final country — Saudi Arabia — about how he financed his 10-year journey spree.
Visiting every country in the world
According to your tally, you have been to 197 international locations. How do you outline “country?”
You’re hitting me with a tough one instantly. It’s very political. The U.N. has 193 acknowledged sovereign states. I add 4 to that — Kosovo, Palestine, Taiwan and Vatican. Some of those are observer states of the U.N., and they’re additionally the 4 most acknowledged of all the unrecognized “countries.” I believe I’m like the 250th particular person to go to every country.
Is there a reputation for this group?
The “every country” membership. It’s a small group, and I’m pals with possibly 20 of them. There’s a number of drama. It’s like: “You actually haven’t been to North Korea because you only went to the border of South Korea.” I do not get entangled in all that.
You’re planning to remain in Saudi Arabia for two weeks. What’s the common period of time you spent in every country?
The common is a few week. There are about 10 international locations that I spent greater than three months in, and I spent greater than six months in Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, South Korea and Czech Republic.
But a few of them — Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and there is a few international locations in the center of South Africa — you’ll be able to go in and do every part you wish to do in 24 hours. In the future, I plan to remain a minimal of two weeks as a result of you’ll be able to actually soak it in.
How do you arrange your visits?
It is perhaps stunning to listen to this, however my plan is to haven’t any plan. I actually wish to be spontaneous. The finest moments in life occur while you step out of your consolation zone and you do not know what is going on to occur subsequent.
I’ve a singular approach of touring in that I depend on my social media followers and native pals. They decide me up, they usually present me their country. Most of the time I arrive in a country I do not know the place I’m sleeping that night time.
Binsky stated getting visas to locations corresponding to South Sudan (right here) is the hardest a part of journey planning.
Courtesy of Drew Binsky
So planning is not too exhausting?
Getting visas is the single largest problem. I’m very lucky to have visited 160 international locations without having a visa. But the 40 visas that I wanted — Iran, Turkmenistan, North Korea, South Sudan, Venezuela, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria — they’re exhausting for political causes.
Which international locations did you save for the finish?
I handpicked my final six international locations as a result of I’m capturing a docuseries, and I needed the final six to be completely different. So we did Ghana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Palau, Jamaica and Saudi Arabia.
Traveling throughout the pandemic
How did the pandemic have an effect on your plans?
I had six international locations left in March 2020, which I deliberate to go to in a twelve-week span. Here we’re 18 months later, and I lastly completed.
I’ve had about 80 Q-tips shoved up my nostril over the final 18 months. But I did handle to go to 20 international locations: Mexico as a result of they had been the solely country open in June 2020, then Egypt, Afghanistan — pre-Taliban takeover — Iraq, Dubai, Turkey, Tanzania and Dominican Republic. It’s been a battle however one which’s been enjoyable to battle.
Binsky works whereas he travels, like right here in Myanmar.
Courtesy of Drew Binsky
To verify, you visited 20 international locations throughout the pandemic?
Yes, which is loopy — fourteen had been revisits, plus my closing six international locations.
Did you get Covid alongside the approach?
I did. I have not publicly talked about it. I picked it up in Iraq, after which in Afghanistan I noticed that I could not style or scent. I examined unfavourable in Iraq, however they barely put the Q-tip in my nostril — it was like a faux take a look at. I wasn’t tremendous sick, however I stayed in my resort for seven nights, which was fairly depressing. But I did not wish to infect anybody.
Earning cash on the street
What are your main sources of earnings?
I began out educating English in Korea. I made $2,000 a month, and housing was free. I used to be 22 years previous, so it was superior at the time.
Then I bought a head begin on Snapchat in 2015, and I bought sponsored by a bunch of manufacturers. I bought paid $5,000 to go the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro to make Snapchat tales. For an entire yr I used to be making a dwelling off Snapchat. I made $30,000, which is quite a bit while you’re a funds backpacker.
My first 300 movies, I did not make a penny.
Drew Binsky
Travel blogger
I used to be additionally utilizing my journey weblog to scale back journey prices by working with hostels and funds airways. Then I began making movies in 2017. My first 300 movies, I did not make a penny. It was fairly gradual.
While I used to be dwelling in Bangkok, I made a video about this guy who makes these really good burgers. You pay no matter you need — there is not any value. That video bought like 7 million views. I’ll always remember after I checked out the earnings, and it stated $10,000. I used to be like ‘Holy crap!’ It was 5 hours of labor.
Well, it turned out that was the most I made out of any video in the subsequent 18 months. Still, it was an indication which you can make some huge cash by way of adverts on Facebook.
A big a part of Binsky’s journey model depends on assembly locals, he stated.
Courtesy of Drew Binsky
Then I began posting on YouTube, which now makes between $20,000-40,000 a month. On a very good month, it could possibly be extra. Facebook is comparable.
This appears like some huge cash, and it is some huge cash. But now I’ve a crew of about 23 individuals, so I’m paying a number of salaries.
Do you’ve gotten different sources of earnings?
That’s solely advert income. I cost manufacturers that I work with between $15,000 to $30,000 per video. Then there’s my merchandise, which isn’t actually that worthwhile. It’s extra for rising the group. I additionally promote journey hacking programs for $150 a pop. There’s a number of completely different income streams.
Do you meticulously document your journey prices?
No, I do not nickel and dime myself. It type of ruins the enjoyable. I’m nonetheless fairly frugal. I’m not going to spend cash on first-class tickets except I’ve factors. I nonetheless eat avenue meals, and I nonetheless sleep in modest inns. Even if I make 10 occasions the quantity that I make now, I do not have to be flashy.
Is any of your journey comped?
I come out of pocket and pay for virtually every part, besides with tourism boards — they cowl every part. Usually after I work with a resort, I do a paid sponsorship. If a resort presents me a very nice room for two nights, I’d fairly simply pay for it and never need to put up about it.
The ups and downs of journey running a blog
What’s one reminiscence that you’re going to always remember?
It’s most likely spending 24 hours with the pygmy tribe in the Central African Republic. They are genetically the shortest human beings in the world. I needed to fly into the capital of Bangui, take an eight-hour taxi trip into the center of nowhere and stroll by way of the forest for two hours.
We discovered an area information on the approach. They advised me not solely had they by no means seen a white particular person, however that they had additionally by no means seen a non-pygmy. They had by no means left their tribe to exit into the metropolis.
Binsky stated he began recording his travels after receiving a video digital camera as a present a number of years in the past.
Courtesy of Drew Binsky
How a few reminiscence you’d like to overlook?
Food poisoning. Probably the worst I’ve had is in Yemen. I’ve had for poisoning about 30 occasions. I bought actually sick in Iran and India too. But I’m additionally consuming stuff that I do know is dangerous. At the finish of the day, you simply lose 10 kilos and transfer on.
One of Binsky’s worst bouts of meals poisoning occurred in Yemen, he stated.
Courtesy of Drew Binsky
What’s subsequent?
We’re making a very cool docuseries about visiting every country. I’ve bought a e book coming and an NFT mission, which I’m actually enthusiastic about. I’m constructing meetups in completely different cities round the world. But I do not wish to lose the core of going on the market and assembly individuals and galvanizing individuals to journey.
Editor’s notice: This interview has been edited for size and readability.
