GlobalGaz

18/12/2023

I shared my 20 best photos from 2023 the other day.

Here is my Year In Review in travel, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

https://globalgaz.com/a-year-in-review-2023/

12/10/2023

Its time for the Oscars!

The Oscars of travel.

NomadMania is recognizing some of the world's top travelers.

In the category of "MOST INTREPID TRAVELLER" you will find Pablo Nemo

Pablo has been walking for close to 2 years! From Cape Town to Cairo on an epic journey.

So, if you have an account on Nomad Mania and consider voting for Pablo and support his amazing journey.

You can vote here. https://nomadmania.com/awards2023-voting/

Pablo will also be a speaker at the Extraordinary Travel Festival, a multiday event for travelers in Bangkok. Join today, use code BANGKOK to save $120.

NomadManiaTravel Awards Vote now NomadManiaTravel Awards Vote now NomadManiaTravel Awards Vote now Only registered NomadMania users can vote. To be eligible for voting in the final round, voters must have registered with NomadMania until September 20th and must have 35 or more NomadMania regions mar...

18/09/2023

A Tale Of 2 AIRBNBs

I typically do not use Airbnbs. In my opinion, there is too much risk. A hotel, you know they are open to check in 24/7, if there is an issue there is a manager to speak to usually, if there is a problem w your room there is another room to switch to, and usually there are some facilities, a restaurant etc.

But now and then, I end up using an Airbnnb ,usually to save money. My experiences over the years in general have been overall bland and uninspiring.

But I want to share two experiences from two different stays this summer.

FRENCH GUIANA

In August I booked a stay in Kourou. This town is well known for the European space base and a trio of islands known as Devil's Island, a brutal French penal colony.

I ended up booking a self-contained studio like apartment that was attached to a family's house. The family was pleasant enough and then on my second night, they invited me for a drink in a hidden-like outdoor patio area in the trees with a distant ocean breeze.

The family is from Brazil and they invited me for Caipirinha , a drink famous in Brazil, and one of my favorites. I was hosted by two brothers, their mother, and a neighbor from France.

We relaxed with drinks and Brazilian sausage sharing stories and making friendships.

It was one of my highlights from my visit to F. Guiana.

ANTIGUA and BARBADOS

My second experience was the polar opposite. I drove to my Airbnb in St. Johns, the capital of Antigua. The map brought me to a KFC. I drove around some more and pulled into a house. Wrong apartment, I was directed a street over. I found the Airbnb but a gate blocked the driveway. I shaked it in anger in the 37 C heat. There was no doorbell. There was a number listed, but no country code. I googled the information. I contacted Cyril, the owner. He told me to walk through the pedestrian gate. I shared with him to open the gate so I could drive the car in so I could unload the luggage. He hesitated then relented.

I shared with him the frustration with the incorrect directions. He shared with me "it was a lot of work" to update the map and told me many people have had problems with the direction. I just shook my head in disbelief.

My apartment was a bedroom, bathroom, and a combined living room and kitchen. The Airbnb description said AC. but it was only one unit in the bedroom. It was 100 F in the apartment.

The coup d'etat came when I took a shower at 10pm. i wanted to wash off the sweat. I jumped into the shower and I thought my eyes were deceiving me. I carried on. The water looked a deep ugly yellow. The water felt slimey. I couldnt rinse the soap off.

I got out, and watched the water drain out. And I turned on the faucet again. and watched the water fill the bathtub.

It was dirty, very dirty. I called and texted the owner. He didnt respond.

I had had it. I wanted to leave.

I contacted Airbnb, it took several call, and 2.5 hrs and a number of messaged and DMs on Twitter. Such a tremendous waste of time. The rep over and over read from a script. Not our problem, we cant solve this, you need to do this and that, we are not allowed to do that.

In short, I switched apartments but wasted to much time and effort. Such a sh*tty experience.

What are your thoughts on Airbnb do you use them?

11/08/2023

I had a very interesting visit today. I went to visit the European Space base which is of course located in South America.

The Guiana Space Centre (French: Centre spatial guyanais; CSG), also called Europe's Spaceport, is a European spaceport to the northwest of Kourou in French Guiana, a region of France in South America. Kourou is located approximately 310 mi (500 km) north of the equator at a latitude of 5°. In operation since 1968, it is a suitable location for a spaceport because of its equatorial location and open sea to the east.

This space base replaced France's first base which was located in Algeria. Algeria gained its independence and French Guiana was chosen as the next location.

In 1964 Guiana was selected to become the spaceport of France,replacing France's first launch site Centre interarmées d'essais d'engins spéciaux in Hammaguir, Algeria. In 1975, France offered to share Kourou with the ESA. Commercial launches are also bought by non-European companies. ESA pays two-thirds of the spaceport's annual budget and has also financed the upgrades made during the development of the Ariane launchers.

10/08/2023

This lovely little island is the holder of horrific experiences for thousands.

This is the French penal colony, Devil's Island (Île du Diable), that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953. It is located in French Guiana, which is found in northern South America. It is actually considered to be part of the European Union despite that it is 1000s of miles away from Europe.

Opened in 1852, the Devil's Island system received convicts from the Prison of St-Laurent-du-Maroni, who had been deported from all parts of the Second French Empire. It was notorious both for the staff's harsh treatment of detainees and the tropical climate and diseases that contributed to high mortality. The prison system had a death rate of 75 per cent at its worst, and was finally closed down in 1953. 70,000 prisoners were sent here.

From the city of Kourou in French Guiana you can take an hour sail to a series of 3 islands, one being Devils Island. As a visitor, you ca not visit Devil's island, but you can visit the other two which were part of the penal colony. A fascinating visit.

08/08/2023

I was recently interviewed by Winging It Travel Podcast. Was a very interesting and fun conversation. Check it out if you have time, on your favorite podcast player.

https://www.spreaker.com/user/13962214/episode-121-travelling-with-ric-gazarian?fbclid=IwAR1yN9pma7yIimtJKxmhleBx3XnqdbYg05qGc3whiR-ghpUROhpS-0r7bX8

Hello and welcome to number 121! This week I am joined by Ric Gazarian who is on a mission to travel to every UN country in the world (193). Ric hosts the Counting Countries Podcast which interviews people whose mission is to travel to every UN country. Ric has a website called GlobalGaz which has h...

04/08/2023

Recently, I visited MicroCon, a conference of self-declared micronations. It was a fun and fascinating visit.

And of course, you never know who you will meet. At lunch I sat next to Ron Claiborne. Ron is a veteran professional journalist. He was a correspondent for ABC News for 32 years.

Ron interviewed me, and my friend for his substack newsletter. You can check it out here and subscribe for free!

Only a few hundred people have been to every country in the world. I met two who are well on their way.

02/07/2023

I just attended MicroCon in the suburbs of Chicago. This is a biannual event that gathers leaders from micro-nations from around the globe. Including the Sultan of The Republic of Slowjamastan

A micronation is a political entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by world governments or major international organizations.

12/06/2023

Some first looks at Malawi, a completely landlocked country anchored by Lake Malawi (will be there in 2 mote days). This is my 52nd African country, only 2 left, Libya and Sao Tome.

08/06/2023

I have been lucky to go on multiple safaris in a bunch of different countries. And I am always amazed with every visit to every park, but I always hope to see something new or different.

I am now in Botswana and I got to check out some hippos from a different angle. Really amazing!

30/05/2023

Country #164, an island beauty, Mauritius.

28/05/2023

Finishing my two weeks in Madagascar and was not disappointed. There is still a feeling here of rawness and corners less discovered. Would love to come back to see more.

Besides lemurs, Madagascar is also known for the Avenue de Baobabs. I was happy to report that this met my high expectations after hearing about it for so many years.

A couple of photos from sunset the other night.

25/05/2023

Still not tired of lemurs. Amazing lemurs in Madagascar.

20/05/2023

Getting to meet my first lemur, a wet-nosed primate endemic to Madagascar. This is a dancing lemur, based on the way it "dances" when walking around.

Peyrieras Reserve is a small park several plus hr drive from the capital. Headed into the forest w the guide and within 20 minutes got to hang out with 4 of these guys.

Spent over 40 minutes in close contact w them. They were very chill and enjoyed snacking on some fruit which the guide gave them.

18/05/2023

Day 18 of southern African trip. Have already visited S Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Mozambique. Now in Madagascar, a large nation off the east coast of Southern Africa. Here for two weeks. Starting of with the island Nosy Boraha / Sainte Marie. Laid back and quiet. Beautiful beaches and nature. 25000 people make their homes here

11/05/2023

Hlane Royal National Park is a national park located in landlocked Eswatini. In between S Africa and Mozambique.

This is a infrequently visited park when you compare it with the Serengeti or Krueger. And it was an incredible value!!

For $90, I had my own lodge and TWO game drives. A sunset drive and a morning rhino drive and walk. I and my friend spent nearly an hour walking with/around a mother and child rhino.

Sometimes it pays to visit less visited places.

Where have you discovered value in your travels?

08/05/2023

I have started a 7 (new) country in a 7 week swing, mostly in southern African road trip.

My first new country of the trip is Lesotho, a mountainous completely landlocked country completely surrounded by South Africa.

I spent 3 nights in a remote mountain lodge and the highlight was the Maletsunyane Falls, a 192 meter water fall known as Site Of Smoke. It was a one hour hike through some villages. I visited twice.

28/04/2023

Some more shots from the world's largest religious monument.

26/04/2023

GWR considers this the largest religious structure in the world. Angkor Wat, in Cambodia, was constructed in the 12th century. originally, it was constructed as a Hindu Temple and over time it became Buddhist. This was the heart of the Khmer Empire. This empire ruled the region from the 9th to 15th century when it collapsed. At times it stretched into Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Vietnam. At its height the population stretched to 1,000,000 people.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my first visit was in 2004 and I have been back here 3 more times since then. And during my visits, I will visit Angkor multiple times, on this recent trip of 3 days, I visited 4 times.

I consider this one of the must-see in the world. I already am looking forward to my next visit.

25/04/2023

Visiting Siem Reap, Cambodia for a fourth time over a 20 year period, and the magic is still here. This is one of my favorite places to visit and I believe this is one of the most fantastic must-see places. A true wonder of the world.

Angkor Wat is the giant and most well known temples in this complex, but a near second equal is Bayon. Here are a couple of shots from my walk around Bayon.

17/04/2023

If you have been following the news, you will note that there is a civil war taking place in Sudan, two armies being led by two different Sudanese leaders are in open warfare in Khartoum and the country. Innocent people are being killed during this long simmering conflict.

There is a hospitable streak in Sudan, whether a handshake, a glass of tea, or a conversation.

Hoping for peace and safety for all in Sudan including my friends

20/03/2023

Is Yeremyan Projects an ethical business partner?

A handshake is a handshake, and your word is your word.

Professionalism and truthfulness are important attributes to you. And honorable ethics is your loadstar.

Unfortunately, after working with Yeremyan Projects I don’t believe they uphold any of these traits.

Let me tell you the story.

I started planning for a conference to be held in Armenia (an international event for 130 foreigners visiting Armenia) in May of 2021. And I didn’t realize how little I knew about planning an event of this size and scope. But over the 20 months I was to learn quite a lot. One of the most challenging aspects of the event was building and maintaining relationships from the mundane to the complex and knowing who to trust and depend on.

I had met with the PR firm representing Yeremyan Projects, the leading restaurateur in Yerevan in September of 2021 when visiting Yerevan. My contact appreciated the concept of this incredible travel event and encouraged me to stay in touch.

During me second visit to Yerevan in May, I met with my contact for a second time. The conversation progressed and I was tasked with several follow ups. The festival was viewed more favorably at this time.

In June of 2022, my contact representing YP confirmed our partnership with a generous offer of hosting both our VIP dinner for 50 people and our group dinner for 120 people. This was a gamechanger for the festival for several reasons. First, this was a major financial benefit for the festival. And second, I realized that YP recognized the benefit of this collaboration and would roll out the red carpet to create a top-level experience for all my guests.
To create value for YP, I had partnered with 3 mega-influencers (1,000,000 plus followers) who would create content for YP, in addition to all the other attendees of the event.

This was going to be a win-win for all parties.

For me, my paramount focus was creating a world class event.

Many people from 6 continents had placed their trust in me, making a financial and time commitment that I would be able to deliver. YP was a critical part of delivering a great experience for our two dinners. My reputation was on the line. I was focused on producing the best event possible.

As summer progressed, YP recommitted to the event. And in fact, YP and ETF had now progressed to choosing restaurants and dinner start times.

Then tragedy struck the nation of Armenia. Azerbaijan launched an unproved attack on sovereign Armenia. This attack took the lives of over 200 Armenians. The mood in Armenia was dark and sullen, but for the vast majority of Armenians life went on in the capital. In fact, my friend attempted to make a reservation after the attack at one of YP’s flagship restaurants and was informed that the restaurant was sold out. In fact, a hosted a networking event the very evening of the attack.

On September 19th, I received an email from Anahit Gevorgyan, PR Director. She was canceling the partnership because of the attack. She informed me that the partnership was canceled due to force majeure.

OK, that led me to think what exactly is force majeure. It is defined as “serious enough that it renders it impossible for the party to perform its contractual obligations”.

Fair enough, was it now impossible to continue with the partnership? Had things changed so dramatically in Armenia?

These are some questions which I posed to the YP leadership team.

Surprisingly, I received no response.

• Is the Zvartnots Airport (Armenian airport) closed?
- No, never shut down
• Is the border closed with Georgia and Iran?
- Nope, it never was closed
• Are your restaurants closed? (Or are you closing them down in solidarity for the lives lost?)
- The restaurants were open the very evening of the attack and some of them sold out and were not accepting reservations
• Did the hotel hosting my event cancel my conference and refund my money?
- They never breathed a word of canceling my contract, in fact they contacted me to get the next deposit
• Did the US State Department issue a Do Not Travel Advisory (level 4) for Armenia?
- No, it is Level 1, the safest level.

It was business as usual for the most part in Armenia.
In hindsight, their decisions appear even more duplicitous. No attendees for the Extraordinary Travel Festival canceled their attendance. No airlines stopped flying to Armenia. And every single Yeremyan Projects restaurant stayed open during the attack and since that date. I walked by their many restaurants during my two months in Armenia and it was business as usual, with people socializing and celebrating on a nightly basis.

In short, there was nothing preventing the team at YP with continuing their partnership. There cancelation was simply based on a feeling that something negative might happen in the future. But force majeure is not a gut feeling of some potential happenstance that may or may not happen one random day.
(In an ironic aside, the founder of YP, Davit Yeremyan proudly stated “we didn’t close anything. We opened a new restaurant”. This quote was made in the summer of 2020, when literally borders had closed, airlines stopped operating, and global tourism decreased by 90%. Yet Mr. Yeremyan proudly demonstrated the resources available at his organization to follow through when he wants.)

YP is a very large concerns with hundreds and hundreds of employees, a dozen plus brands, and multiple store fronts in addition to a training academy, farms and factories. It is preposterous that they were unable to host two dinners. That is of course, what they do every single day, host 100s and 100s of diners every single day.

This fable is one of ethics and character. It is about how you want to be judged. Rationally, there was no logical reason to cancel the partnership. This brief attack was simple an opportunity to weasel out of their commitment.

So, the question is, is this type of company that you want to support? To do business with?

Not me, in my opinion, they have low moral character and ethics to match.

This is an open letter to the leadership of YP. I do not need your help, money, or partnership. But what I would like to see is a donation of $20,000 to an Armenian charity of my choice, such as 1000 Plus. And an apology.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

09/03/2023

One of the most iconic sites in the world.

The Pyramids of Giza. I first visited them back in 2009, and in a way I was not impressed. The skies were gray and dreary, there was no sun to be seen.

And my day visit again in 2023, it was somewhat similar. No sun and overcast skies.

But, this time, I stayed in a hotel, where the rooftop allowed this views for both sunset and sunrise.

In my opinion, this is a must when visiting Cairo, stay in some of the hotels that offer these views of Giza.

05/03/2023

A thickly hot day in Bangui, the sleepy capital of Central African Republic. The extra challenge is I have been wearing the same clothes for the third day. The airline on Friday decided to leave my luggage behind. The hope is the bag will be delivered today. Fingers crossed.

21/02/2023

Long on my bucket list…to meet sapeurs of Central Africa

La Sape, an abbreviation based on the phrase Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes (French; literally "Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People") and hinting to the French slang word sape which means "clothes" or sapé, which means "dressed up", is a subculture centered on the cities of Kinshasa and Brazzaville in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Congo respectively. An adherent of La Sape is known as a sapeur or, if female, as a sapeuse. The movement embodies the elegance in style and manners of colonial predecessor dandies.

20/02/2023

I met these gorillas at the Lésio-Louna Reserve, a reserve established in 1999 in the Republic of Congo (my 155th country). It is a 3 hr drive from the capital Brazzaville. The final third are dirt roads which require a 4 wheel drive.

These gorillas are lowland gorillas which were re-introduced into this reserve. Some of these gorillas have been repatriated from the UK.

You visit the gorillas via a small boat and arrive to 3 different landing points, where the gorillas are fed a lot of fruit as you float only a couple of meters away from them as they munch on their meal.

16/02/2023

My last night in Egypt with a 2.5 week visiting the country. The agenda:

Cairo
Alexandria
Siwa Oasis
Aswan
Abu Simbel
Luxor
Cairo

This is my second visit to Egypt. The first visit was a hot week spent in Cairo in July of 2009. During that visit, I spent an evening watching a musical/dance performance.

Last night 14 years, I attended the same performance. It did not disappoint, still amazing. Only $3 for a 90 minute performance.

12/02/2023

A warm welcome in Aswan. Egypt. I took a stroll around in the souk and took a couple of photos.

There is a reason why Egypt sees so many tourists because it is awesome!

06/02/2023

Check out my interview with Untours on the Travel Massive podcast.

UnTours is the world’s first certified B corp, listen in to understand why this is so impactful.

UnTours, in addition, they offer unique tours, providing a great platform to explore cities around the world.

Ric Gazarian (Extraordinary Travel Festival and Travel Massive Asia) interviews insiders making positive change across the travel industry. Jonathan Coleman ...

04/02/2023

Hey now ... what are you doing March 25 at 17:00 GMT?

I will be hosting a conversation with two of the best known and best traveled extreme travelers, Charles Veley and Harry Mitsidis

Both of traveled to every country in the world, and so much more.

Harry is the founder of NomadMania, a great and powerful platform to track your travels and pursue robust lists of places to visit.

Charles is the founder of MTP another fantastic platform and app to create a profile and track you travels to 1500 different geographic regions.

You can click this link to learn the details and how to join this conversation.
https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/298120/77825692929098870/share?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=what_is_a_visit_part_ii_poll_result&utm_term=2023-01-21

Also, GlobalGaz is now marketing SafetyWing Insurance. This is what I have been using for the last couple of years for a couple of reasons. 1 You do not have to list all of the countries that you will be visiting. 2 You can start the insurance even if your trip has already started. Other products in this space have a lot more conditions. Check them out!

https://safetywing.com/?referenceID=Counting-Countries...

03/02/2023

The subtle (and highly caloric) charms of travel. Sitting on the Mediterranean in Alexandria and stopped in at a random cafe facing the sea. This little wonder including a garnish of some fruit loops set me back $2.30

29/01/2023

I recently attended TBEX, a conference for travel content creators. I was invited to speak with co-hosts, P***e Bo and .calvert, and fellow Bangkok-ian, Jason Rupp, the artist, actor, and presenter. Take a listen in to this fun conversation.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1231821144433050

28/01/2023

Sudan claims to have more pyramids than Egypt, but receives just a handful of tourists comparatively. The pyramids of Meroe had been on my bucket list for some time and I finally made it this year.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, but I was the only person here for sunrise today except for one man who strolled by on his camel. It was amazing taking in these ancient structures and having the place to myself.

The Pyramids of Meroë are part of the larger group of Nubian pyramids, built at the time of the Kush*te Kingdom over a period close to a millennium. These pyramids date back to 350 BC.

20/01/2023

Djibouti was supposed to be my 100th country back in 2016. But I ended up canceling that trip to go to Iraq instead, Another trip was on the books and I ended up canceling again. Too expensive there. A third trip was booked in 2021 and Djibouti never issued my visa, my third trip, canceled. But 2023 was my year and I made it.

For years, Lac Abbe was on my bucket list for some time. The amazing landscapes were unique. The false rumor is the first Planet of the Apes was filmed there. It is a bit of a hike to get there ... a full day's drive, with half of it off road, you need a 4x4. You time it to get there in the afternoon, so you can see sunset, as well as a sunrise. You sleep in a simple camp. It did not disappoint.

Lake Abbe is a salt lake, lying on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border. Lake Abbe is considered one of the most inaccessible areas of the earth. The water itself is known for its flamingos. The scenery is unique. Lake Abbe is known for its limestone chimneys, which reach heights of 50 m (160 ft) and from which steam spews forth. These carbonate chimneys are formed by the mixing of lake water and a deeper geothermal fluid. Flamingos can also be found on the waters.

16/01/2023

The fish market was a lively place in . I was a bit surprised that the locals were somewhat open to photos, EXCEPT these guys carrying fish. One fish carrier noted that I was taking his photo, and he slammed the fish on the ground and started yelling at me. A little bit of money and he started posing.

Visit Mogadishu

12/01/2023

Mogadishu, Somalia is not your typical vacation for a couple of reasons.

First, I was accompanied by three armed police officers. While we drove they sat shotgun in the back of the pick up street. When I took to the street on foot, they would accompany me, holding their weapons.

As a note, Somalia is a clan driven society, meaning their is a strong allegiance to your extended family. There are 4 main tribes in the country with Somalis tracking their lineage from them. Part of the strategy for the security team, is to choose each member from a different clan. The concept is when arriving at a checkpoint, that hopefully there is a match btwn your security team and someone at the checkpoint based on clans. The challenge with this clan society, is the lack of national unity, meaning the loyalty is to the clan not to the country. The security team wanted to share with me that they represented the nation, not the clan.

Second, I was driven in an armored pick up trick (cost about $85,000). The tinted glass was bulletproof and would not roll down. The body was also armored and in fact, you could feel it when you opened or closed the door, it was incredibly heavy.

Third, there was a ton of armed presence all across the city, from military checkpoints, policeman, armored military vehicles, and pickups roaming the streets with technicals bolted to the bed.

10/01/2023

If you asked me ten years ago if I would ever go on vacation to Somalia I would have thought you were crazy to ask this question. In 2015, I visited Hargeisa, Somaliland, , a de facto mostly stable independent state. It was a fascinating trip. But after this trip, I never thought I would go back for a second visit.

But never say never.

Over the years, I read and saw more pictures of people's trip to , the "real" Somalia. This was the Somalia I knew from Black Hawk Down and from reading of the seemingly never ending terrorist attacks and brutal civil wars.

The siren call continued and this year I decided to visit Mogadishu for a two night trip to explore this capital.

This is Secondo Lido Beach. As you can see beautiful waters with destroyed buildings in the background. These buildings were destroyed in the civil war in the 1990s.

With the name of the beach, you might guess correctly that the Italians were here. This part of Somalia was a colony of Italy including the lighthouse which was built by the Italians.

06/01/2023

As some of you know, I am attempting to travel to every country in the world. So far, I have been to 152 countries out of 193 recognized by the UN. Many people say the most challenging continent is Africa with 54 countries. I still have 16 left.

This weekend I will be starting nearly a 2.5 month trip to Africa.

Somalia (Mogadishu)
Ethiopia
Djibouti (new)
Sudan (new)
Egypt
Republic of Congo (new)
Gabon (new)
Equatorial Guinea (new)
Sao Tome (new)
Central African Republic (new)

Any thoughts, guidance, suggestions? Wish me luck!

24/12/2022

This story went viral earlier this year. I have teamed up with a diverse group who decided to buy an island. And this island happens to be our own country. The Principality of Islandia.

Let’s Buy An Island

Read about this unlikely adventure.

A crowdfunding campaign has purchased the tiny island of Coffee Caye off the coast of Belize for $180,000 plus tax with the aim of establishing a micronation called Islandia.