Matthew Allison · World Explorer
Visited Every Country on Earth
Adventures in remote cultures, wildlife habitats, caves, and wilderness regions across 197 countries and 250+ territories.
The Journey
Explore the World Through My Map
Click on any country to discover stories, photos, and videos from my adventures around the world.
Explore the MapLatest Stories
Putting a Face to Kuwait, the Country that I Watched Being Torn Apart by Invading Iraqi Tanks on CNN When I was a Kid
Exploring Kuwait: A Gulf War Memory and a Unique Stopover November 2013: Kuwait wasn’t originally at the top of my Middle Eastern travel list, but when planning a long 20-something-day journey through the Middle East and West Africa, I saw an opportunity. The main...
Observing the Critically Endangered Pygmy Hippos in Tiwai Island While Trying to Avoid Corrupt Police, Sierra Leone
November 2013: Sierra Leone A Journey Shaped by History, War, and Wildlife A Nation Founded on Freedom Sierra Leone shares a striking historical parallel with neighboring Liberia. Both countries were established as destinations for the resettlement of freed African...
Surfing Empty Beaches in a Country Still Re-Building from Civil War in What Was the Only American Colony in Africa, Liberia
Liberia: Surf, Civil War Shadows, and America’s Only Colony in Africa November 2013 Journey As part of a 20-day trip across Asia and Africa that included Kuwait, the UAE, Socotra (Yemen), Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, I carved out three days in Liberia. My goals...
Yemen’s Fairy Tale Island Paradise of Socotra
Return to Yemen: My Obsession with Socotra The Missed Opportunity (2007) In 2007, I made my first journey to Yemen—but for some strange reason, I didn’t go to Socotra Island. At the time, it just didn’t call to me the way it later would. It wasn’t until around 2010...
The Soaring Mountains of the Andes and Camping in the World’s Driest Desert-Atacama Desert
Chile is one of my favorite countries in South America, largely because of its extreme diversity in landscapes. From the towering Andes Mountains to the windswept plains of Patagonia, the lush temperate forests of the southern fjords, and the driest desert on...
Exploring and Camping in the Caves of the Mysterious Island of the Moai Statues
August 2013: Ever since childhood, I have dreamed of visiting Easter Island—known locally as Rapa Nui—a mystical destination shrouded in mystery. Featured in countless documentaries about enigmatic places, Rapa Nui is one of the most isolated islands on Earth. Yet,...
About Matthew
A Lifetime Spent Beyond the Familiar
I have spent more than 29 years exploring the planet, visiting every country on Earth and experiencing some of its most remote cultures, wildernesses, and wildlife. My mission is to inspire curiosity, respect for different cultures, and a lifelong desire to explore.
Learn More About Me