Danish traveler Thor Pedersen just completed his mission to visit every country in the world in a single trip without flying.
During his 3,512-day voyage, he visited 203 countries, including several disputed territories not on the official UN list, according to the BBC.
He told the BBC aboard a container ship off the coast of the Maldives that his journey included a two-year stay in Hong Kong due to the Covid lockdown and two marriages.
Read more: Cambodia Travel Guide: Best Attractions and Great Things to Do
In an interview, Thor admitted that nonstop travel isn’t always easy.
He spent four months trying to get into Equatorial Guinea, often on long bus trips looking up at the plane and wondering what he was doing.
“I’ve met a lot of people. I’ve tasted a lot of different foods…I’m fine and ready to go home in two years…but I’ve set myself a goal… I’ve been fighting for that” and he now says he’s “fine and ready to go home”.
Read more: 10 affordable travel destinations abroad for Eid holidaymakers
In October 2013, 44-year-old Torbjørn “Thor” Pedersen embarked on an ambitious mission to visit every country in the world. He expects the voyage to last up to four years.
Thor told ABC News that the voyage, which is being billed as a saga, has encountered unforeseen obstacles including bureaucratic and logistical difficulties, civil unrest and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
“I’m proud that I never gave up through it all. I’m proud that I was able to show the strength that was needed,” he said.
Read more: Essential travel gadgets to keep your trip safe and comfortable
The traveler was stranded in Hong Kong for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and considered dropping the project.
“This was before we got a vaccine, we didn’t know where it was going, we didn’t know how dangerous it was. And it just took up more and more time,” he said.
Funding for the program comes from personal savings, corporate sponsorships and crowdfunding, with a daily budget of just $20, according to ABC News.
Tens of thousands of people have followed his “container ship journey” on social media.
Read more: Can You Travel Abroad Without Buying Dollars?
“Every time I look at a map of the world or a spinning globe, I think to myself that in each of these countries there is a kind and helpful person and I have met them – the possibility How big is it?” he told the ABC.
However, Thor Pedersen believes his achievement may never be repeated.
“As I progressed, it got harder and harder,” he said.
“More and more ferry connections are gone and replaced by planes, and I think border crossings are getting more restrictive and it’s almost impossible to get on a container ship as a passenger.”
Read more: 10 Best Careers for Travelers
After spending some leisure time in the Maldives, Pedersen will return to Denmark for the first time in almost a decade, also without travel.
He has been working on a feature-length documentary for the past four years and plans to publish a book about his travels.
He also wants to get back into the marathon and compete across the globe, according to ABC News.
Read more: Travel 100 countries with the 9th weakest passport in the world
