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Flying to Every Country in the World; ALL My Flights!

Traveling to every country in the world has taken me a hell of a lot of time. ‘How many countries in the world‘ do I hear you ask? 197. It was a bit of a larger task than I had thought. A lot of effort and a lot of money. And whilst I believe overlanding across continents is the most fun way to travel, sometimes it’s easier to fly. That’s especially the case if you wanna see the best things a country has to offer.

TOTAL AIR MILES COLLECTED? ZERO

First, an embarrassing confession. In over 300 flights flying to every country in the world, I collected the grand total of ZERO air miles. It makes me cringe even typing that. What the f*ck was I thinking?!

I have since learned all about credit cards, collecting air miles, and flying and upgrading to business class for free. Even if you’re from the UK. So don’t make the same mistake as me, just read these:

• What Are Air miles, and how do air miles work?
• Best UK Credit Cards with Airmiles (most people think only Americans can do the air mile thing. Nope. The UK can too.)

Starting My Journey Overland

Since I started this journey in 2006, I’ve overlanded (including boats) from China to Ireland, Cape Town to Cairo, China to East Timor, Cameroon to Morocco, the USA to Panama, and Colombia to Antarctica. Without a doubt, to travel overland is the purest form of travel around for sure.

But You Can’t Always Overland

However, overlanding isn’t perfect. For example, I wouldn’t dream of missing the Galapagos islands, or Easter Island. Nor would I want to spend 6 months finding ways to get through the 13 countries in the Caribbean without flying. I still have my life to live, and my business to run so while travel is a huge part of my life, it’s not everything.

Also, I want to see my mum at Christmas, visit my sister and her kids, have reunions with my friends in Thailand, Australia, the UK, and Ireland. And of course, I want to speak at conferences, and experience everything life has to offer me, flying allows me to do that.

Experiencing everything

So I have had to fly a lot recently. And with all these flights I’ve had some crazy experiences. Twice I’ve been the only person on a flight, I’ve bumped into Mick Jagger in Barbados, flown in the cockpit in Vanuatu, had flights canceled and delayed more times than I can count (including twice on Christmas day!).

I’ve slept in airports too many times to mention, flown economy (most of the time), first-class (once!), and everything in between. I’ve been to the world’s busiest airports (LAX), to some of the smallest airports imaginable, on planes that wouldn’t pass a test in Europe that’s for sure.

Broke, then Not So Broke

Anyway, I’ve crunched some numbers and worked out every flight I’ve taken since I began this Flying to every country thing. I think it’s kind of interesting (but then I’m weird about this sort of stuff).

You can really see the change from 2007 to 2012 and then from 2012 onwards when I worked out how to make ‘real’ money from blogging, my flight frequency increased a lot! My journey to every country took 2 sides.

From 2007 when I started my journey until 2012. I was broke. Teaching English in Thailand and teaching in English camps in South Korea. Hitchhiking rides on cargo ships to China. Living off $10 a day. Then I learned how to start a blog, I began earning a healthy travel blogger salary, and from 2012 my life changed.

Anyway, have a look at my record flying to every country in the world:

MY FLIGHT COUNT FLYING TO EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

2006 (7 flights):

• 1) Nottingham to Belfast, UK
• 2) Belfast to Nottingham, UK
• 3) London to New York, USA
• 4) Newark to Las Vegas, USA
• 5) LA to North Carolina, USA
• 6) North Carolina to Ohio, USA
• 7) New York to Dublin, Ireland

2007 (5 flights):

• 8) Dublin to Abu Dhabi, UAE
• 9) Abu Dhabi to Bangkok, Thailand
• 10) Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand
• 11) Kunming to Xi’an, China
• 12) Xi’an to Kunming, China

2008 (3 flights):

• 13) Bangkok to Dhaka, Bangladesh
• 14) Kathmandu, Nepal to Seoul, South Korea
• 15) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Tokyo, Japan

2009 (15 flights):

• 16) Seoul, South Korea to Manila, Philippines
• 17) Manila to Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia
• 18) Kalimantan, Indonesia to Jakarta, Indonesia
• 19) Bali/Denpasar to West Timor, Indonesia
• 20) Dili, East Timor to Darwin, Australia
• 21) Darwin to Sydney, Australia
• 22) Sydney to Melbourne, Australia
• 23) Melbourne to Sydney, Australia
• 24) Sydney to Mumbai, India
• 25) Mumbai to Chennai, India
• 26) Chennai to Hyderabad, India
• 27) Hyderabad to Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 28) Colombo to Mumbai, India
• 29) Mumbai to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 30) KL to Sydney, Australia

2010 (18 flights) :

• 31) Sydney to Cairns, Australia
• 32) Cairns to Sydney, Australia
• 33) Sydney to Canberra, Australia
• 34) Canberra to Sydney, Australia
• 35) Sydney to Alice Springs, Australia
• 36) Alice Springs to Sydney, Australia
• 37) Sydney to Melbourne, Australia
• 38) Melbourne to Sydney, Australia
• 39) Sydney to Singapore
• 40) Singapore to London, UK
• 41) London to Belfast, UK
• 42) Belfast to Paris, France
• 43) Paris to London, UK
• 44) London to Harare, Zimbabwe
• 45) Harare to Lusaka, Zambia
• 46) Nairobi to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• 47) Damascus to Abu Dhabi, UAE
• 48) Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2011 (10 flights):

• 49) Bangkok to KL, Malaysia
• 50) KL to BKK, Thailand
• 51) Bangkok to KL, Malaysia
• 52) KL to BKK, Thailand
• 53) Bangkok to Yangon, Burma
• 54) Yangon to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 55) KL to Bangkok, Thailand
• 56) Bangkok to Taipei, Taiwan
• 57) Taipei to Hong Kong, China
• 58) Hong Kong to Bangkok, Thailand

2012 (16 flights):

• 59) Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 60) Kuala Lumpur to Seoul, South Korea
• 61) Seoul to Dandong, China
• 62) Pyongyang, North Korea to Beijing, China
• 63) Harbin to Kunming, China
• 64) Kunming to Bangkok, Thailand
• 65) Bangkok to Chengdu, China
• 66) Chengdu to Guilin, China
• 67) Hungary to Istanbul, Turkey
• 68) Istanbul to Tel Aviv, Israel
• 69) Tel Aviv to Budapest, Hungary
• 70) Budapest to Rome, Italy
• 71) Nice to London, UK
• 72) London to Dublin, Ireland
• 73) Dublin to Dubai, UAE
• 74) Dubai to Bangkok, Thailand

2013 (54 flights):

• 75) Bangkok, Thailand to Penang, Malaysia
• 76) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Bangkok, Thailand
• 77) Bangkok to Clarke, The Philippines
• 78) Clarke to Bangkok, Thailand
• 79) Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand
• 80) Phuket to Bangkok, Thailand
• 81) Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 82) Kuala Lumpur to Sydney, Australia
• 83) Sydney to Brisbane, Australia
• 84) Brisbane to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• 85) Port Moresby to Medan, Papua New Guinea
• 86) Medan to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• 87) Port Moresby to Brisbane, Australia
• 88) Brisbane to Christ Church, New Zealand
• *(helicopter ride), New Zealand
• 89) Christ Church to Brisbane, Australia
• 90) Brisbane to Honiara, Solomon Islands
• 91) Honiara to Port Villa, Vanuatu
• 92) Port Villa to Tanna, Vanuatu
• 93) Tanna to Port Villa, Vanuatu
• 94) Port Villa to Nadi, Fiji
• 95) Nadi to Nukualofa, Tonga
• 96) Eua to Nukualofa, Tonga
• 97) Nukualofa to Auckland, New Zealand
• 98) Auckland to Apia, Samoa
• 99) Apia to Fagatogo, American Samoa
• 100) Fagatogo to Apia, Samoa
• 101) Apia to Sydney, Australia
• 102) Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 103) Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, Thailand
• 104) Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 105) Kuala Lumpur to Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 106) Colombo to Male, Maldives
• 107) Male to Colombo, Sri Lanka
• 108) Colombo to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 109) Kuala Lumpur to Perhentian islands, Malaysia
• 110) Perhentian islands to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• 111) Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, Thailand
• 112) Bangkok to Seoul, South Korea
• 113) Seoul to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• 114) Tashkent to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• 115) Bishkek to Osh, Kyrgyzstan
• 116) Osh to Bishkek
• 117) Bishkek to Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• 118) Tashkent to Kazan, Russia
• 119) Kazan to Istanbul, Turkey
• 120) Istanbul to Adana, Turkey
• 121) Adana to Erbil, Iraq
• 122) Erbil to Istanbul, Turkey
• 123) Istanbul to Tehran, Iran
• 124) Tehran to Shiraz, Iran
• 125) Istanbul to Valetta, Malta
• 126) Valetta to Cyprus
• 127) Nicosia, Cyprus to Dublin, Ireland

2014 (42 flights):

• 128) Belfast to London, UK
• 129) London to Belfast, UK
• 130) Dublin to Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 131) Amsterdam to Bangkok, Thailand
• 132) Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Thailand
• 133) Chiang Mai to BKK, Thailand
• 134) BKK to Hong Kong
• 135) HK to BKK, Thailand
• 136) BK to Trang, Thailand
• 137) Trang to BKK, Thailand
• 138) BKK to Singapore
• 139) Singapore to BKK, Thailand
• 140) BKK to Mumbai, India
• 141) Mumbai to London, UK
• 142) Edinburgh to Belfast, UK
• 143) Dublin to Chicago, USA
• 144) Chicago to Texas, USA
• 145) Texas to Mexico City, Mexico
• 146) Mexico City to Cancun, Mexico
• 147) Panama to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
• 148) Montevideo to Asunción, Paraguay
• 149) Asunción to Caracas, Venezuela
• 150) Caracas to Barcelona, Venezuela
• 151) Medellin to Quito, Ecuador
• 152) Quito to Guaquil, Ecuador
• 153) Guaquil to Galapagos, Ecuador
• 154) Galapagos to Guaquil , Ecuador
• 155) Guaquil to Quito, Ecuador
• 156) Quito to the Amazon, Ecuador
• 157) Cusco to Lima, Peru
• 158) Santiago to Easter Island, Chile
• 159) Easter Island to Santiago, Chile
• 160) Ushuaia to Buenos Aries, Argentina
• 161) Buenos Aries to Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 162) Sao Paulo to Belem, Brazil
• 163) Belem to Paramaribo, Suriname
• 164) Georgetown, Guyana to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
• 165) Port of Spain to Bridgetown, Barbados
• 166) Bridgetown to St. George, Grenada
• 167) George to Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• 168) Kingstown to Castries, Saint Lucia
• 169) Castries to Bridgetown, Barbados

2015 (73 flights):

• 170) Bridgetown to Dominica
• 171) Dominica to St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda
• 172) John’s to Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis
• 173) Basseterre to San Juan, Puerto Rico
• 174) San Juan to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• 175) Santo Domingo Republic to Havana, Cuba
• 176) Havana to Nassau, Bahamas
• 177) Nassau to Kingstown, Jamaica
• 178) Montego Bay to Brussels, Belgium
• 179) London to Belfast, UK
• 180) Dublin to Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 181) Amsterdam to Istanbul, Turkey
• 182) Istanbul to Bahrain
• 183) Bahrain to Kuwait
• 184) Kuwait to Bangkok, Thailand
• 185) Bangkok to Shanghai, China
• 186) Shanghai to Chengdu, China
• 187) Chengdu to Lhasa, Tibet
• 188) Lhasa to Chengdu, China
• 189) Chengdu to Kunming, China
• 190) Kunming to Bangkok, Thailand
• 191) Bangkok to Krabi, Thailand
• 192) Krabi to Bangkok, Thailand
• 193) Bangkok to Hong Kong, China
• 194) Hong Kong to Bangkok, Thailand
• 195) Bangkok to Surat Thani, Thailand
• 196) Surat Thani to Bangkok, Thailand
• 197) Bangkok to Muscat, Oman
• 198) Muscat to Kuwait
• 199) Kuwait to Istanbul, Turkey
• 200) Istanbul to London, UK
• 201) London to Dublin, Ireland
• 202) Dublin to Dusseldorf, Germany
• 203) Dusseldorf to Tunis. Tunisia
• 204) Tunis to Algiers, Algeria
• 205) Algiers to Dubai, UAE
• 206) Dubai, to Juba, South Sudan
• 207) Juba to Nairobi, Kenya
• 208) Nairobi to Kigali, Rwanda
• 209) Kigali to Bujumbura, Burundi
• 210) Burundi to Kigali, Rwanda
• 211) Kigali to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
• 212) Dar Es Salaam to Moroni, Comoros Islands
• 213) Moroni to Antananarivo, Madagascar
• 214) Antananarivo to Nairobi, Kenya
• 215) Nairobi to Mahe, Seychelles
• 216) Mahe to Mauritius
• 217) Mauritius to Johannesburg, South Africa
• 218) Johannesburg to Maseru, Lesotho
• 219) Maseru to Johannesburg, South Africa
• 220) Johannesburg to Windhoek, Namibia
• 221) Windhoek to Luanda, Angola
• 222) Luanda to Brazzaville, Congo
• 223) Brazzaville to Libreville, Gabon
• 224) Libreville to Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe
• 225) Sao Tome to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
• 226) Malabo to Douala, Cameroon
• 227) Douala to Bangui, Central African Republic
• 228) Bangui, Central African Republic to Doula, Cameroon
• 229) Douala, Cameroon to N’Djamena, Chad
• 230) N’djamena to Abuja, Nigeria
• 231) Abuja to Lagos, Nigeria
• 232) Cotonou to Casablanca, Morocco
• 233) Casablanca to Oran, Algeria
• 234) Oran to Algiers, Algeria
• 235) Algiers to Paris, France
• 236) Paris to Lome, Togo
• 237) Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Monrovia, Liberia
• 238) Marrakesh to Casablanca, Morocco
• 239) Casablanca to Praia, Cape Verde
• 240) Praia to Casablanca, Morocco
• 241) Casablanca to London, UK
• 242) London to Dublin, Ireland

2016 (62 flights):

• 242) Dublin to London, UK
• 243) London to Tunis, Tunisia
• 244) Sfax, Tunisia to Misratah, Libya
• 245) Misratah to Istanbul, Turkey
• 246) Istanbul to Doha, Qatar
• 247) Doha to Asmara, Eritrea
• 248) Asmara to Dubai, UAE
• 249) Dubai to Kabul, Afghanistan
• 250) Kabul to Istanbul, Turkey
• 251) Istanbul to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
• 252) Ashgabat to Dubai, UAE
• 253) Dubai to Karachi, Pakistan
• 254) Karachi to Dubai, UAE
• 255) Dubai to Bangkok, Thailand
• 256) Bangkok to Manila, the Philippines
• 257) Manila to Koror, Palau
• 258) Koror to Guam, USA
• 259) Guam to Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia
• 260) Pohnpei to Majuro, Marshall Islands
• 261) Majuro to Tarawa, Kiribati
• 262) Tarawa to Nadi, Fiji
• 263) Nadi to Nauru, Nauru
• 264) Nauru to Nadi, Fiji
• 265) Nadi to Suva, Fiji
• 266) Suva to Funafuti, Tuvalu
• 267) Funafuti to Suva, Fiji
• 268) Suva to Sydney, Australia
• 269) Sydney to Singapore, Singapore
• 270) Singapore to Bangkok, Thailand
• 271) Bangkok to Istanbul, Turkey
• 272) Istanbul to Djbouti to Mogadishu, Somalia
• 272) Mogadishu to Wajir, Kenya
• 273) Wajir to Nairobi, Kenya
• 274) Nairobi to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• 275) Addis Ababa to Muscat, Oman
• 276) Muscat to Salalah, Oman
• 278) Salalah to Muscat, Oman
• 279) Muscat to Istanbul, Turkey
• 280) Istanbul to London, UK
• 281) Luton to Lyon, France
• 282) Lyon to Edinburgh, UK
• 283) Edinburgh to Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 284) Dublin to Dubai
• 285) Dubai to Bangkok
• 286) Bangkok to Hong Kong
• 287) Hong Kong to Bangkok
• 288) Bangkok to Manilla
• 289) Manilla to Puerta Princessa
• 290) PP to Manilla
• 291) Manilla to Bkk
• 292) BKK to Chiang Rai
• 293) Chiang Rai to BKK
• 294) BKK to Istanbul
• 295) Istanbul to Dublin
• 296) Dublin to Malaga
• 297) Malaga to Dublin
• 298) Dublin to London
• 299) London to Dubai
• 300) Dubai to Bangkok
• 301) Bangkok to Kolkata, India
• 302) Kolkata to New Delhi
• 303) Varanasi to Bangkok

2017 (14 flights):

• 304) BKK to Dubai
• 305) Dubai to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• 306) Jeddah to Kuwait
• 307) Kuwait to Dubai
• 308) Dubai to Salalah, Oman
• 309) Salalah to Socotra, Yemen * turned around mid-air!
• 310) Salalah to Dubai
• 311) Dubai to Bangkok
• 312) Bangkok to Dubai
• 313) Dubai to Salalah
• 314) Salalah to Dubai
• 315) Dubai to Bangkok
• 316) Bangkok to Copenhagen
• 317) Copenhagen to OSLO, NORWAY (197/197 COUNTRIES FINISHED!!)

FINAL TOTAL OF FLIGHTS TO EVERY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

From when I started this journey to every country back in 2006, to when I finished it, I flew on 303 flights. Plus a couple of helicopter journeys too!

But not all those 303 flights were ‘necessary’ to complete my every country trip. I took my wife to places, took my mum to places, built clinics and playgrounds with my non-profit charity in random places. Probably about 250 were for my journey to every country.

2006-2012: 58 flights

As I mentioned above, from 2006 to 2012 I was broke. I flew 58 times from 2006 to 2011. Less than 10 times a year.

2012- March 2017: 261 flights

From 2012 my blog started making money. I could attack my journey to every country more aggressively. I also stared doing public speaking at conferences, building our charity, seeing my mum and family more. All because I could afford to.

I miss the romance of broke travel, but that chapter is gone, and I’m happy as I get older to afford a bit more comfort.

Final thoughts on Flying to Every Country

I completed one of my life goals. And I’m proud of that. I’m proud that I come from a working-class, single-parent family and made this life myself. And I’m proud that I self-funded, scrimped, and saved to achieve this. And most of all I’m proud that I can show people that any walk of life can do this. You don’t have to go to a posh school or come from a rich family. So that’s great.

After I finished my ‘every country’ thing though, I must admit I was in a slump. Depressed even. It hit me hard. And took me 6 months to recover. 2017 was a tough year, but I came out stronger for it.

Now I’m set on being the first person in history to climb the seven summits, reach the north pole (I finished 8th in the North Pole Marathon) and south pole, and visit every country. Watch this space!