Credit: @drewbinsky/Instagram & @drewbinsky/Threads
Man Who Has Visited Every Country Says Best Place In World Has ‘Everything You Could Want’
A man who has visited every country has revealed which place he thinks is the best in the world.
Drew Binsky, who grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, set himself the challenge of visiting all 197 countries in 2015.
The United Nations recognizes only 195 countries, but the total number of countries on Earth varies by source, according to BBC’s Science Focus.
The traveler has garnered a huge social media following on his journey, with millions of followers across platforms.
He also published a travel book called Just Go, which he describes as a ‘globe-trotting guide.’
After ticking off every country, Binsky has shared which place has ‘everything you could want in one country.’
From Arizona to Around the Globe
Binsky, whose real name is Drew Goldberg, first discovered his passion for travel while studying abroad in Prague during college.
The experience completely changed his outlook on life.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 2013, he made a bold decision to move to South Korea.
Whilst there he worked as an English teacher despite having no prior teaching experience.
According to his personal blog, arriving in Seoul for the first time sparked an obsession with exploring the world.
“From the moment I stepped off the plane in Seoul, I was instantly hooked,” he wrote.
“It was my first time in Asia, and I was already in love with the foreign sights, smells, and feels.”
While living in South Korea, Binsky began traveling across Asia during school breaks, eventually turning his hobby into a full-time career.
Binsky left South Korea behind in 2015 and began his mission to visit every country.
Visiting Countries Most Tourists Avoid
Throughout his journey, Binsky deliberately traveled to destinations many tourists are too nervous to visit, including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.
Rather than focusing on danger, he says he wanted to challenge stereotypes and show the human side of these countries.
“Some of my best memories have come from these nations,” he wrote on his blog. “I love breaking the stereotypes by sharing positive stories about people and culture.”
His content has often highlighted the kindness of local people in places that are frequently misunderstood internationally.
His fans have appreciated his more personal and positive style of travel storytelling.
That said, traveling to every nation on Earth came with plenty of challenges.
Speaking to UNILAD, Binsky admitted that entering Venezuela proved especially difficult because of political tensions between the United States and Venezuela.
“I ended up getting the visa from the Venezuelan embassy but they were difficult because of the sanctions and political tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela,” he explained. “But I was able to get one last minute.”
He also shared that some countries in Eastern Europe felt less welcoming toward tourists, saying locals could sometimes appear ‘pretty cold.’
Still, Binsky insists the difficult moments were worth it for the experiences he gained along the way.
Completing the Ultimate Travel Goal
After years of nonstop travel, Binsky officially completed his mission to visit every country in October 2021, with Saudi Arabia marking the final stop on his list.
The achievement instantly cemented him as one of the internet’s most well-known travel creators.
But while many people dream about traveling the world, Binsky has been open about the fact that not every destination was glamorous.
In several interviews and videos, the traveler admitted there were moments where he genuinely feared for his safety.
In a video ranking the places where he felt ‘most unsafe,’ Binsky named Mogadishu, Somalia, as the scariest location he had ever visited.
He described the city as having ‘no rules’ and explained that heavily armed security convoys were necessary every time he left his hotel.
Binsky also revealed that a hotel he had previously visited in Mogadishu was later destroyed in an attack, describing the experience as ‘very scary and very unfortunate.’
Somalia wasn’t the only place where he encountered danger.
During a trip to Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, he said he was chased by police and attacked by locals after attempting to take photographs.
In Libya, he recalled hearing bombs exploding while trying to sleep in his hotel room during the country’s civil unrest.
Despite the risks, Binsky says those difficult experiences taught him some of the most valuable lessons of his travels.
He has repeatedly explained that visiting misunderstood places allowed him to connect with ordinary people and challenge stereotypes about countries often portrayed negatively in the media.
The One Country That Stands Above the Rest
When asked which destination impressed him the most, Binsky revealed that the Philippines is his favorite country in the world.
“I would say the Philippines,” he told UNILAD. “I think it’s the most beautiful country in the world, super safe, and full of nice people. It’s like everything you could want in one country.”
The travel creator has praised the Southeast Asian nation multiple times over the years, highlighting its beaches, islands, food, scenery, and hospitality.
For Binsky, though, it’s the people who truly make the country special.
“The moment you step foot in the land of 7,641 islands, you are welcomed like family,” he previously said in a video discussing his favorite destinations.
The country also holds personal significance for him, as his wife, Deanna Sallao, is Filipino.
The couple even celebrated their wedding in the Philippines in 2023, with Binsky saying he had fallen in love with the country long before meeting his wife.
Despite naming it his favorite place on Earth, Binsky and his partner have said they eventually hope to move to Dubai because they love the lifestyle and culture there.
Still, after visiting every country in the world, the Philippines remains the one destination he believes stands above all the rest.
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