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
Teotihuacan Pyramids-the Most Impressive Pyramids in the Americas
A Layover Adventure: Climbing the Pyramids of Teotihuacán In January 2009, with a 10-hour layover in Mexico City on my way to Tijuana from Panama, I decided to make the most of my time by visiting Teotihuacán. Taking a combination of metro and public bus from the...
The Wild and Lawless Darien Gap of Panama
Darien GapDecember 2008/January 2009: Few places in the world are as mysterious and alluring as the dense, foreboding jungles of the Darién Gap. This is a wilderness so deep, mountainous, and hostile that it remains the only break in the Pan-American Highway, which...
Moldova-the Least Visited Country in Europe
Exploring Moldova: Europe’s Least-Visited Country and Its Unresolved Conflict November 2008: As part of a two-week journey through the Balkans and the former Yugoslavia, my friend Dan and I spent three days in Moldova. I was particularly excited to visit Europe’s...
Stepping Into the Soviet Past By Crossing the Break-Away Republic of Transdniestria While Trying to Avoid Border Guard Shakedowns
Break-Away Republic of TransnistriaTransdniestria: A Soviet Time Capsule and a Break-Away Republic Adventure November 2008: As part of a multi-country journey through Eastern Europe, my friend Dan and I set our sights on Transdniestria—a self-declared breakaway...
Exploring Albania’s Pristine Coastline and the Legacy of the Era of Communism Under the Bizarre Dictator, Enver Hoxha
Exploring Albania: From Communist Isolation to Modern Transformation November 2008: I visited Albania twice—first in 2008 during a two-week backpacking trip across the Balkans with my friend Dan, and later in September 2021 with my wife Paula. On my first visit, Dan...
Visiting Serbia 8 years After the Nato Bombing Campaign
November 2008: As part of a two-week backpacking trip across the Balkans, my friend Dan and I spent three days in Serbia. Our main goal was to explore Belgrade and observe how the country has rebounded from the NATO bombing campaign of 1999, which contributed to the...
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