Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #8 - Fadi Assi, Jon Beardmore, Evelthon Vassiliou

Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #8 - Fadi Assi, Jon Beardmore, Evelthon Vassiliou

Author: Ric Gazarian August 2, 2024 Duration: 1:52:54
Join us in Bangkok for the Extraordinary Travel Festival in November of 2024. Please use code – BANGKOK – to save $100 (the discount will be reduced starting September 1). Reserve your place today. On this episode, I speak to 3 amazing people who you will also meet at the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok on November 15-17. First up is Fadi Assi. Many people in the extreme travel community are familiar with Fadi and his generosity. He has welcomed many of us to Syria. Fadi is the founder of Golden Team. Fadi will be one of the speakers in Bangkok and will be sharing his wealth of knowledge. If you are considering visiting, make sure you check in with Fadi. Second is Jon Beardmore. Jon is an accomplished traveler and has undertaken a fascinating project, The Galapagos Postman Project. We all love travel and sometimes incorporating in an additional quest has the potential of really adding to your travel experiences. The Galapagos Postman Project is one of those really cool quests. You can follow along on his quest on Instagram. And third is Evelthon Vassiliou. He is another accomplished traveler who recently accomplished the 193. Evelthon was ahead of the curve visiting places like Angkor Wat in the late 1990s. Despite finishing the 193, he is still actively traveling. Follow along on Instagram. I believe there are 3 main pillars of why you might want to consider attending the ETF, this November in Bangkok. First is the destination. Maybe BKK might seem too common. Well as a resident I would posit that this city offers so much beyond the Grand Palace, the Skybar and riding a tuktuk. This is a true onion; you can keep peeling back more and more layers and keep on exploring. Maybe you are missing some NM regions in Thailand, maybe a funicular or the new UNESCO site, Si Thep. Or you missed Laos or Brunei on your last visit. There are cheap flights to everywhere in ASEASN. Or maybe catch a direct flight to Bangladesh, Bhutan or Kazakhstan. There is so much to see here! Second, is the content. We have an incredible lineup of speakers. More will be announced. Please take a moment to look at the speakers on the ETF website. Everyone from Thor Pedersen who went to every country without flying, or Renee Bruns who has explored over 130 countries in a wheelchair, or the Sultan Randy Williams, who invented his own country. And last up, is the community, the network of extreme travelers whether you are Chasing 193 or maybe enjoy Iraq more than Italy. Then you have found your tribe. We have some great events to share a drink and conversation with your fellow travelers .... Friday night will be a great party with music, Saturday will be the gala dinner, and, don't leave early, we will be hosting the NomadMania Awards live in Bangkok on Sunday. And we added in another meetup on Thursday evening, November 14th to check in with fellow attendees before the event officially kicks off on Friday morning. The host of our meetup is Travel Massive and you can reserve your place today. So think of Bangkok as the hub for the event. A hub with great infrastructure at great prices. The spokes are everywhere in Thailand or the region you can visit easily. Don't get FOMO, come join the 170 plus who have already committed. And how many more will sign up in the next 3 months. Should be a lot of people! Feel free to go to the website, use code BANGKOK to save $100, and join us in Krung Thep this November. If you have questions, reach out to me on SM, contact form on the website, or anywhere else. Please listen in and enjoy. And check out the last episode on Counting Countries.

The journey to visit every country on the map is a pursuit that defines a life, blending obsession, logistics, and profound personal discovery. Counting Countries, hosted by Ric Gazarian, explores this rarefied world through conversations with the travelers who are doing it. This isn't a typical travel podcast about tips or destinations; it's about the human stories behind the stamps. Each episode delves into the motivations, the decades-long itineraries, the close calls, and the unexpected moments of connection that happen along the way. Listeners hear firsthand accounts of what it truly costs-financially, emotionally, physically-to chase this singular goal. The podcast naturally examines the shifting definitions of travel and countryhood, the ethical considerations of crossing borders for a list, and the quiet reflections that come from a lifetime of movement. Gazarian guides these discussions with the insight of someone who understands the quest, creating a space for honest talk about an endeavor fewer people have completed than have gone to space. It’s about the texture of the world, one border at a time, and the unique perspective gained from seeing all of it. Tune in for intimate narratives that go far beyond passport counts, revealing the deeper meaning of a global life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Counting Countries
Podcast Episodes
Pav Mbeda … Go Big Or Go Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:10
Pav Mbeda has traveled to 106 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. We are back with the second episode of 2025. I hope your travels are off to a good start. Today, I am happy to share this conversation with P…
Yooshita Fathi … Breaking Stereotypes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:49:01
Yooshita has traveled to 108 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. A giant Happy New Year to all of you country counters! We are back today with a new episode after a small break. Over the past year, you've li…
The Maverick Show ... Hosted By Matt Bowles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:45
Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Well not really. Today I am sharing an interview of me hosted by Matt Bowles who hosts the Maverick Show Podcast. Matt and I had great conversation and wanted to share it with my li…
Extraordinary Travel Festival II Update #11 - Charles Veley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
Hey now! This is it, the last episode before the Extraordinary Travel Festival in Bangkok. Still a little time left to join. Use code BANGKOK. My special guest is speaker and sponsor Charles Veley, founder of the Most Tr…
Phillips Connor … IBZ To SIN Via GGR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:21
Phillips has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Today, we are speaking with Phillips Connor. I had the pleasure of meeting PC in Singapore with a group of extreme travelers and…
Andy Hicks ... Recatalogging DNA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:02:35
Andy Hicks Counting Countries has traveled to 120 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. Today, we are speaking with Andy Hicks. I have had the pleasure of meeting Andy at the first ETF in Armenia and the TCC m…
Luisa Yu … The Black Sheep [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:02
Luisa Yu has traveled to every country in the world Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am excited to have Luisa Yu on the podcast. She is well known and beloved member to many in the community. For those not in the…
Jason Wang … No Poop Left Behind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:24
Jason Wang has traveled to 175 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. I am happy to introduce to you Jason Wang, an avid traveler, foodie, and photographer. Not only is he Chasing 193, but he also chasing the 7…