20 Best Photos Of 2023
20 Best Photos Of 2023. I am back again with my annual wrap-up of my best travels from the year. It was another incredible year of travel, especially the first half of the year. The first half of the year was supercharged with two big trips to Africa. Please take a gander and feel free to share any comments. SOMALIA In some ways, this photo of Mogadishu sums up the dichotomy of Somalia. The buildings surrounding this beach are destroyed, yet there is a beautiful beach with equally beautiful waters. A lot of money is pouring into Somalia from the diaspora and hopefully there is a silver lining for this country that has been racked by brutal violence over the decades. ETHIOPIA I met this very smiley girl after I bought some bananas from her in a small market a couple of hours outside of Addis Ababa. DJIBOUTI This is the magnificent Lac Abbe, a dry salt lake on the border of Ethiopia. Amazing, otherworldly landscapes. SUDAN I had attempted visit in 2021 which was thwarted in [...]
Thor Pedersen … He Did It!
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 global Covid lockdown. Thor demonstrated an immense amount of grit and determination to overcome so many challenges. It is a singular and unique accomplishment. The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date. I am also excited to announce optional trips, one for UNESCO Thailand and 3 different agendas to Bhutan before and after the festival. Check out the website or send me a message. Thor joined ETF virtually in Armenia but will be in person as the [...]
Extraordinary Travel Festival Update II #2 With Lakshmi Parthasarathy
Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024. Please use code - BANGKOK - to save $120. Reserve your place today. Want to go to Bhutan? Join us on our side trip to Bhutan. I am pleased to announce a new speaker, Lakshmi Parthasarathy who will be speaking about her experience on a multi-week homestay in Mogadishu. The next guest is Palle Bo, The Radio Vagabond. 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 Mike No Go Zones. Have you bought a ticket to ETF or are confident you will be attending? We want to hear from you to make this event even better, please take several minutes and fill out this survey. Thanks!
Michael Noel … Spinning The Globe
Michael Noel has traveled to 192 countries Want to help out? Please fill out this survey. Thanks. 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 some of you might have heard the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November 15, 2024 in Bangkok, plenty of time to save the date. You can buy your ticket now and use the code BANGKOK to save big at the Extraordinary Travel Fest. I am also excited to announce our first trip, and that is 3 different agendas to Bhutan after the festival. Check out the website or send me a message. We have some great speakers who have already been announced for the event with more to come. [...]
Orest Zub … To The Extreme
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 to 132 countries. We speak about updates in the NomadMania community, where he has a new position at the organization. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite travelers for the NomadMania Awards and also remember there is a live show in Lviv in October. Of course, Orest and I speak about the situation in Ukraine, how is life has changed, as well as his role during the war. The cat is out of the bag. The next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held on November [...]
Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #1
We are pleased to announce that the Extraordinary Travel Festival will be held in Bangkok on November 15, 2024. Please join us and purchase your ticket today. 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, and of course best known as Bangkok. We don't need to sell Bangkok, it was the most visited city in the world in 2019. You will have the opportunity to explore Bangkok, far flung regions of Thailand, nearby neighbors in South East Asia, or access countries like Bhutan or Bangladesh with direct flights. There are countless opportunities to travel in this robust region. WHEN The festival will be from November 15 - 17, 2024. This [...]
