A Canadian man will return home this week after a 23-year journey, which will unofficially give him the title of “world’s most travelled” man. According to the?, Mike Bown left Calgary in 1989 and extensively visited more than 190 countries. This week, Bown visited Ireland and was given his final passport stamp, which he celebrated with a pint of Guinness.
According to the , Bown’s distinction as the “most travelled” comes from the amount of time he has spent in each place. Although many others have visited just as many countries, Bown has made an effort to immerse himself wherever he goes. Bown spoke about his trip in a ?interview.
¡°Some of the least travelled people I¡¯ve ever met have been to 100 countries, or even as high as 170 countries ¡ª what they do is fly between major cities and especially capital cities, stop off in the airport or take a hotel for the night, and then say that they¡¯ve ¡®done¡¯ such and such country¡to my view, such people are passengers, not travellers.¡±
Some of Bown’s travel stories include being the first recreational visitor in the war-charged region of Mogadishu, Somalia, in addition to hitchhiking through Iraq during the U.S. invasion. Bown also lived with countless native tribes around the world and celebrated a birthday on every continent, including Antarctica.
¡°I¡¯ve had no ¡®down time¡¯¡ªevery day of my adult life has been adventure, and for this I feel very grateful” Bown told the .