Avi Ivan Counting Countries has been to every 166 countries Hey now, I am your host, Ric Gazarian. In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Avi Ivan, who I just met at the TCC meeting in Hanoi. And when he decided to attend ETF I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring him on as a guest and get to learn his story. I was in Boston while Avi was in Miami for this recording. Please listen in and enjoy. 🙏 Patron Shoutout I would like to thank everyone for their support of Counting Countries, especially my Patrons. You know them, you love them! Bisa "fully nomadic" Myles, Ted Nims, Adam "one-away" Hickman, Steph "Phuket" Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Philippe "BC" Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Peter Fenger, Mihai Dascalu, Ryan Knott, Zipping Around The World Podcast, Shawn McDonough, McCade Siegal, Avi Ivan, and Stefan Krasowski for supporting this podcast. You can support this podcast by going to Patreon.com/CountingCountries. My patrons will hear the entire conversation with Avi. I usually take a moment to introduce new patrons. Well, Avi, my guest is a new patron. And his interview will serve as his introduction. And I want to take a moment to thank another new supporter, Stefan Krasowski. Stefan is known to so many in the community. First as the founder of Every Passport Stamp. A community that has made such a big and positive impact on so many of our lives as travelers. It was my key to unlock so many challenging countries. Stefan has been to all 193 and has been a guest twice on CC. Thanks to Avi and Stefan. If you are attending ETF, you will get to meet both of them. ✈️ Extraordinary Travel Festival Please remember the next Extraordinary Travel Festival will be on October 22-25 in 2026. I am excited to announce a new speaker, Denis David Gray. Denis served as a foreign war correspondent for decades, covering conflicts in Cambodia, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and more. You can join the event and use the code BANGKOK. Consider joining our Instagram and Facebook groups and signing up for the ETF newsletter. Any questions, please let me know. 📚 Book News I also want to share some news from former guest and former keynote speaker at the ETF, Renee Bruns. Renee has just published a book, RARE: One Woman's Journey of Self-Discovery, Human Connection, and the Beauty of Being Different (affiliate). Renee is a traveler to be admired for her determination and good spirits as she Chases 193. It is now available to purchase on Amazon. So please pick up a copy! 🎧 More About Avi Ivan Counting Countries Instagram Books And check out Thor Pedersen: The Impossible Journey (Amazon US Kindle (affiliate)): Other book options: Thor Pedersen | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree And Barry Hoffner: Belonging To The World (affiliate) 🎙️ Listen & Subscribe Be the first on your block to sport official Counting Countries apparel! And now you can listen to Counting Countries on Spotify! And Alexa! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts today! And write a review! Thank you to my Patrons - you rock!! … Bisa Myles, Ted Nims, Adam Hickman, Steph Rowe, Simen Flotvik Mathisen, Ed Hotchkiss, Barry Hoffner, Philippe Izedian, Gin Liutkeviciute, Sunir Joshi, Carole Southam, Sonia Zimmermann, Justine, Per Flisberg, Jorge Serpa, Sam Williams, Scott Day, Peter Fenger, Mihai Dascalu, Ryan Knott, Zipping Around The World Podcast, Shawn McDonough, McCade Siegal, Avi Ivan, and Stefan Krasowski. About Counting Countries Counting Countries is the only podcast to bring you the stories from the dedicated few who've spent their lives on the singular quest of traveling to every country in the world. Less people have traveled to every country in the world than have been to outer space. Theme music for this podcast is Demeter's Dance, written, performed, and provided by Mundi. About GlobalGaz Ric Gazarian is the host of Counting Countries. He is the author of three books: Hit The Road: India, 7000 KM To Go, and Photos From Chernobyl. He is the producer of two travel documentaries: Hit The Road: India and Hit The Road: Cambodia. Ric is also on his own quest to visit every country in the world. You can see where he has traveled so far and keep up with his journey at GlobalGaz.com How Many Countries Are There? Well… that depends on who you ask! The United Nations states that there are 193 member states. The British Foreign and Commonwealth office states that there are 226 countries and territories. The Traveler's Century Club states that there are 330 sovereign nations, territories, enclaves, and islands. The Nomad Mania divides the world into 1381 regions. The Most Traveled Person states that there are 1500 unique parts of the world. SISO says there are 3,978 places in the world. And the video that explains it all! Me? My goal is the 193 countries that are recognized by the UN, but I am sure I will visit some other places along the way. An analysis of these lists and who is the best traveled by Kolja Spori. Disclaimer: There are affiliates in this post. Avi Ivan Counting Countries
