Laos

Laos was my 194th and penultimate country in the world. At the time, I thought it might actually be my last. North Korea remained closed, and there was no certainty that it would ever reopen, so I planned to celebrate the completion of my journey in Laos instead. I was grateful to be joined by my close friend, Harry Jaggard, a British YouTuber whom I’d traveled extensively with over the previous six months.

We based ourselves in the beautiful city of Luang Prabang, one of the most charming places I visited in Southeast Asia. We spent our days wandering through the old town, taking a boat along the Mekong River, and enjoying the relaxed pace of life. We also visited Mandalao Elephant Conservation, one of the country’s most respected ethical elephant sanctuaries. Unlike many elephant attractions, they didn’t allow riding or bathing, instead focusing on the animals’ welfare and allowing visitors to observe them naturally.

The real highlight, however, was a photo shoot I’d organized to commemorate what I believed was the completion of my journey. Our photographer, Tia, arranged early access to the breathtaking Kuang Si Waterfalls before anyone else arrived. Wearing a traditional Lao outfit and holding a sign that read “194,” I climbed up the rocks of the waterfalls while Tia captured a series of epic photos with the water crashing behind me. We continued to nearby rice fields before finishing the shoot at the top of Mount Phousi, overlooking Luang Prabang.

A few months later, North Korea unexpectedly reopened, so my journey wasn’t quite over after all. But at the time, I knew Laos might very well have been the finish line. If that had been the end, I felt incredibly fortunate to have experienced it in such a beautiful place and alongside such great company.