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
Visiting Libya Under Muammar Qaddafi, Climbing Mountains Haunted by Evil Genies, Traveling Across the Magical Saharan Desert and Having an Entire Ruined Roman City to Myself
November 2010: For years, I was obsessed with visiting Libya—a country ruled by the eccentric and notorious dictator, Mad Dog Muammar Qaddafi. For decades, he had controlled this oil-rich expanse of the Sahara Desert in North Africa, becoming an arch-nemesis of Ronald...
Visiting Hezbollah Mosques and Roman Ruins in the Baaka Valley While Being Shown Around this Amazing Country by the Lebanese Family of a Good Friend, Lebanon
Exploring Lebanon Through the Eyes of Locals November 2010: As part of a longer two-week journey that included Libya—where I explored Roman ruins under Muammar Gaddafi’s rule—and Sudan, where I camped among the Nubian pyramids, I spent three unforgettable days in...
Day trip to the Roman Coliseum and Vatican Sistine Chapel
A Lightning Layover in Rome and Vatican City November 2010: Making Every Minute Count Planning a Mini Adventure During an 8-hour layover en route to Libya, I carefully mapped out a quick escape to visit two must-see landmarks: the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel....
Bizarre Turkmenistan and Camping Next to the So-Called Doorway to Hell-Darvaza Gas Crater
Turkmenistan: A Journey into One of the World’s Most Isolated Countries In September 2010, I set out to visit one of the most unusual and secretive nations on Earth—Turkmenistan. Often called the North Korea of Central Asia, Turkmenistan remains politically and...
Traveling Across the High Andean Mountains to see the Uyuni Salt Flats, Geyser Fields, and Unique Incan Cultures, Bolivia
June 2010: Visiting indigenous cultures has always been one of my top travel goals, and there is no better country in South America for this than Bolivia. Approximately 70 percent of Bolivia's population is indigenous, primarily descendants of the Inca civilization....
Trekking Through the Spiny Deserts, Savannahs and Rainforest of Madagascar to See the Most Amazing and Adorable Animals Found Anywhere on the Planet
Chasing Lemurs and Vanishing Forests May 2010 | Madagascar: A Dream Finally Realized For years, Madagascar sat high on my travel bucket list—an island of bizarre creatures, surreal landscapes, and hauntingly beautiful forests. As someone whose travel decisions are...
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