I’ve visited nearly every country in the world without ever taking a plane, New Zealand is next – Stuff

Torbjrn Pedersen agrees that his idea sounds crazy. Travel to every country in the world, live on just US$20 a day, and do it all without ever using a plane. Crazy, yes, but as Pedersen puts it, a good kind of crazy.

For the past nine years, Pedersen, who is also known as Thor, has been criss-crossing the globe, enduring hardships from pounding storms while on cargo vessels, wrangling visas from sometimes hostile border guards, all while juggling the logistics of how to navigate an airport-free adventure. Throw in a pandemic and the incredible feat that he has been achieved so far seems even more crazy.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Pedersen has crossed off 195 countries from his list, with just eight left to go. Currently, he is on a cargo ship due to arrive any day now in Townsville, Australia. His next stop will be New Zealand, then stops in Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu, before travelling to Sri Lanka and then on to the final destination in his epic journey, the Maldives.

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Pedersen in Tarawa, Kiribati.

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And then he will finally return to his native Denmark, the first time home since the start of the adventure.

Pedersens upbringing and career have helped him navigate, quite literally, the tricky task of planning this journey.

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Pedersen, aka Thor, has been travelling since October 2013.

His family travelled extensively as his father worked in the textile industry, while his mother worked as travel guide and spoke many languages. A stint in the Danish Army was followed by a 12-year career in shipping and logistics, but Pedersen said the inspiration for the trip came from his father.

It began with an innocent email from my father. I opened it and clicked on the link which brought me to an article about world travel, said Pedersen.

It turned out that only about 200 people have achieved reaching every country and nobody had successfully managed it completely without flying.

So the seeds of an adventure were sown. While his friends were supportive, it took a while for his parents to get on board.

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He is a goodwill ambassador for the Danish Red Cross.

My father warned me against doing it, stating that it would be bad for my career. But I left home with his support, and he has since become one of my greatest supporters. When I visited my mother and told her about the project she simply stated that she also likes to travel, and then went on to talk about other things as if I had told her I was off to the dentist. Shes also a huge supporter today.

After several months of planning, he set off on October 13, 2013.

Documenting his travels on his blog, Once Upon a Saga, as well as on social media, Pedersen started with Europe, then made stops in North America, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Mediterranean, Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia. The Pacific Islands would be the final stops.

His logistics background, plus his connections as a goodwill ambassador for the Danish Red Cross, have helped his journey. Having a Danish passport has also been an advantage, especially when navigating the quagmire that are some visa processes.

There are countries which require no visa, some visas can be applied for easily online, some are easy to obtain at embassies and most visas are simply a standard process of filling out forms, bringing passport photos, and paying the amount.

Some visas have, however, been mind-boggling hard to obtain, and I have different stories for different visas. On one occasion I had to become a resident within one country to apply for a visa in another. Mad.

He is not the first to try this journey. A fellow adventurer, Graham Hughes, holds the world record of the fastest to visit all countries by public surface transport, according to Guinness World Records. However, he was allowed to fly back to Britain twice during his journey.

Pedersen said he will be the only person to visit every country in the world on a single journey without catching a flight.

Despite all the years of careful planning, he could never have predicted a pandemic. The original plan was to finish the adventure in 2020, but that was ruined by Covid-19. In fact, he has been stuck in Hong Kong for the past two years.

It started with four days of transit which turned into 11 days. Then countries started closing their borders to Greater China which includes Hong Kong. Then the virus outbreak went to become a global pandemic and most of us thought it would be over within a few months."

But despite the setback, he said he made the best of it.

I built a life for myself, made friends, improved on myself, collaborated left and right, developed contacts, etc. When I left I had a driving licence, a Hong Kong ID-card, an employment visa, a dentist card, and I had donated blood four times.

He also got visits from his wife. Yes, despite all the travelling, Pedersen is married. The original plan was to get hitched when he got to New Zealand, but the pandemic forced a rethink. Le Gjerum has joined the journey on many occasions, including a three-month stint in Hong Kong. Pedersen admits another ambition to finish soon is so the couple can start a family.

Another obvious question is how is he funding all of this?

I get financial support from Ross DK and GEOOP since I left home. They are Danish companies which focus on geothermal energy. Im also supported financially through donations from my followers. And on and off, I make some money from writing an article or from speaking engagements.

The project budget is US$20 a day which covers transportation, accommodation, visas, and meals.

He said some days prove more expensive than others when having to apply for things like visa extensions, but there are other days when he lives very frugally, so it balances out. Thankfully, he is rarely charged for the cargo ship journeys.

Another frequent question is whether he has ever thought about giving up and flying back home. He said that's a resounding yes!

I often wonder if its still worthwhile to continue. As time passes on, my wife and I see our chance of starting a family diminish. Also, my friends and family have children Ive never met.

But now is not the time to quit, especially with the finish line coming up. He hasnt got a set date of when he will reach New Zealand.

Im fortunately supported by several shipping companies. One of them is Swire Shipping which has a service from Australia to New Zealand, and also onward to Samoa and Tonga.

I might stay a little longer in New Zealand if I see my chance to join a ship to Antarctica and back. It would be a nice touch to include every continent as well.

Through all the hardships and delays, there is one thing which keeps the drive alive.

As a goodwill ambassador of the Danish Red Cross, Ive symbolically united the humanitarian movement across 190 countries by visiting and raising funds. My determination and endurance within this project is also inspiring and motivating people on a daily basis.

Personally I have received an education second to none. And many people have through my work changed their world view, learned about cultures, learned about people, and learned about countries, which they otherwise never would.

For more information go to Once Upon a Saga, or follow Thor on Instagram and YouTube.

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I've visited nearly every country in the world without ever taking a plane, New Zealand is next - Stuff