In this exclusive interview with Travel Pocket Guide, Barbs, the charismatic host of Geography Now, reflects on his nearly decade-long journey of exploring 99 countries and building a YouTube platform followed by millions. He opens up about the origins of his passion for travel, the life-changing moments he’s experienced, and his upcoming conclusion to the epic project profiling every UN-recognised country. From hidden gems to humorous travel tips, Barbs shares his unique perspective on the world, leaving us eager for his next adventure.
Barbs – Geography Now | Exclusive Interview | Travel Pocket Guide
Hey, Barbs! How are you, where are you, and what can you see?
Hi! I’m doing quite amazing, I’m in LOS ANGELES right now, my home city, and I can see a messy room with a bunch of discarded laundry items as I write this answer laying on my stomach on a bed with an orange colored bed sheet (Hey, you asked, I delivered).
Having visited 99 countries, you are preparing for the epic conclusion of your decade-long video project profiling every UN-recognised country (in alphabetical order). Before we get into the specifics, what inspired this idea?
To make a long story short, I grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Chicago where I would hear my fellow students at school speaking multiple languages, mostly to their parents when they were picked up, Greek, Polish, Urdu, You name it.
This inevitably got me curious as to where these languages originated from. Upon finding out the names of the countries, it mesmerized me to discover where they were located on the map when I picked up an Atlas. I’m a HEAVY visual learner and I’m drawn into images that contain a high degree of complexity and maybe even some convoluted imagery. Nothing falls more into that realm than a map. Soon, I became beyond infatuated with these lands beyond my little Chicago suburb and I wanted to explore, even if it was at first vicariously through a book.
That being said, I never knew what this “interest” would lead me to. I just knew I liked seeing new places and people I had never met before. Over time the Youtube world fell into my lap and well, the rest is history!
Can you tell us a standout story from your travels, maybe something transformational, or humbling?
You know, when I read that question, I think of the people that answer with grandiose responses alluding to an extreme experience parachuting over glaciers or doing a tribal ritual with an isolated people group in some remote jungle. For me though I would have to say the most profound moment was last year when I visited my Grandmother in South Korea one last time before she passed away.
I consider the USA my Fatherland and Korea my motherland. As someone with half Korean heritage, the role of “being Korean” and visiting the motherland has had a complicated story in my life. It’s a long story but to summarize, going back to Korea after 16 years and being with family sort of reignited a sense of pride in my heritage. I was speaking Korean again, I was singing the pansori songs my dad taught me that I hadn’t sung in years, something was reawakening within me that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
I will never forget this moment in my life.
Barbs | Photo Credit: Storm Santos
Do you have a favourite culture, and why?
Oh come on, that’s like asking me to pick only one puppy to adopt at a shelter where all the puppies are equally perfect. I will say this though, I’m more intrigued by people that live in harsh, often inhospitable conditions, yet are able to adapt and utilize their surroundings to sustain a community. One place in particular that always comes to mind when I think of this concept would be the peoples of the Arctic and specifically, Greenland.
Greenland is like a whole other planet mostly composed of just pure rock and ice, yet the people here know how to harness these elements and thrive. More-so, they train their kids young. I met a 14 year old girl on the streets of Nuuk boasting about how she shot a muskox to feed her family. She then proceeded to put in her earbuds to listen to Europop music while adjusting her purple backpack and taking a sip of her Cocio bottle
I will give it to them. Greenlanders, they are built differently.
Please tell us your favourite 3 places in the world and why…
Haha again with the puppy scenario. Whenever I’m asked this type of question my subscribers are on their toes, anxious and hoping I will give THEIR country a shoutout and high ranking.
I’ve always said, “my favorite place is the one I haven’t seen yet” and I stand by that. I wouldn’t say I have a “top 3” but I have “top destinations per category” for example if I want the best Pizza, Naples Italy will be #1. If I want the best Coffee, Vietnam will be #1 (and specifically chon weasel coffee).
I would say I have a slight degree of enochlophobia, that is a “disdain for crowded places;” so immediately I’m turned off by locations that have a high degree of tourism or overcrowding. This means my most memorable destinations have always been the ones where there were either very few to no tourists joining me and I had full domain access all to myself or the people I was traveling with.
If you want me to list a few of those locations though – at the top of my head I would say Annobon island in Equatorial Guinea was probably one of my “top golden achievement” trips. You need government permission to visit as a foreigner, and once in, it’s not only a beautiful island with a volcanic caldera lake and warm beaches, but the people have a unique heritage that mixes Bantu with Portuguese and Spanish, with a fusion Spanish Portuguese creole you can’t find anywhere else. Very few seasoned travelers have ever been here let alone documented it, and I was so lucky to have had that experience.
If you’re asking me for my “favorite places I’ve enjoyed personally though”, AHHH that’s a hard one, I’ve really enjoyed so many places, but I will be honest, Denmark has a soft spot in my heart as it was not only the very first European country I visited but I have very good friends there and I love the “hygge” or “Cozy” culture they adhere to over there. St Vincent and the Grenadines was the country with the nicest and most fun people in the Caribbean I’ve experienced so far, North Macedonia and Bulgaria are probably some of the most underrated countries in Europe in my opinion. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are just RICH with ancient history… Ahhh I could go on for hours on this.
Can you tell our readers about any hidden gems you found visiting lesser-known countries?
Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Oh my goodness this place needs way more hype. It’s a city that is literally built with ancient roman ruins just popping up out of everywhere and you can just touch them, no ticket access required. The exchange rate is amazing and the food is top notch. Hearty, savory banitsa and Kyufte while overlooking a 2000 year old amphitheater 10 meters away, it’s unlike anything.
If you can get the right people to help you with the paperwork, see if you can take the ferry boat from Bangui Central African republic to Zongo DRC, it’s a bit of a process but if you want to cross off two countries in one day it’s a cool experience.
Entering Transnistria, the unrecognized breakaway autonomous region next to Moldova is actually not that difficult, just don’t make the mistake I did and drive in with a Romanian rental car, they only accept Moldovan. Otherwise you will have to take a bus from Chisinau, or do what I did and hitchhike with a random Russian guy to get in.
The end destination is Zimbabwe! What are you most looking forward to about this video?
It’s sort of like my “magnum opus”. I’m ready to complete this 10-year long project and in the best way possible. It’s not a “goodbye” but it’s the end of a chapter, opening up a new one. I’m ready. I’ve been ready. And I’m excited to make this happen. I’m looking forward to sharing this surprise and it’s going to be good.
Barbs | Photo Credit: Storm Santos
Looking back at your almost 10-year adventure, how has the experience changed you?
I’d say the biggest thing that has changed me is the intense level of knowledge and insight I’ve gained over the years which has played a huge role in how I see the world. I don’t just “research” these countries for my videos, I talk to locals whom are often my subscribers. They give me the “real gritty details” you can’t find on the internet. They give me the “feel” of their countries which helps me write my scripts.
I started as a curious guy who just wanted to ask questions, and now I feel like I’m… still that guy, but with bigger and stronger curiosity and questions that are built off of what I’ve learned. I’ll always be that curious kid with an atlas.
What lessons have you taken from your epic travels that you wish to share with others, maybe to educate people in a growing divided world?
This world is a lot more complex than you think, and often people will just formulate their own perceptions from whatever they hear or read from social media or third party sources.
I will just say this, your story is determined by your actions and choices no matter where you are. At the end of the day all you can do is just take every day one step at a time and love the people you love. I believe there is always hope in all situations. It’s just a matter of time to see how everything eventually unfolds.
You must be extremely proud of the platform you have created, with almost 4 million followers, there is no doubt you are influencing and educating vast numbers of people globally! What action do you think people/corporations should prioritise right now, for a greener planet, and do you believe humans will commit properly, in time (if it’s not already too late)?
You know I follow a few pages and organizations that I think are doing a really good job and making an effort to clean up this planet, one in particular being Ocean 40 – they’ve done wonders with ocean cleanup of plastic waste and I admire that. Occasionally I even participate with an organization in my city called Echo park trash club where we clean up the streets near downtown LA.
At the end of the day I think everyone can agree that they don’t like pollution. Nobody wants smoggy air, plastic bags in the water, or discarded trash on the ground. I think from this “shared sentiment” we can move forward. People like “being clean” and “having clean places around them” and I feel like this should be the first message we need to share and from there the more complex issues of green energy and other actions can fall in place much easier.
What has been your proudest achievement?
(Besides finishing this 10 year long project) I would probably say being able to share so many of these experiences with my mom. After my dad passed away I kind of had to take on the role of providing for her and since then I’ve taken her along on my adventures multiple times and it makes me so happy to see her experiencing new things she’s never seen before. It’s the best feeling knowing I’m in a position where I can give her that type of life.
Your latest video “If airlines were people at a party” is a perfect example of your genius way of combining entertainment with education, it’s hilarious. One of the comments reads “Fun fact, the King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands is a certified pilot who occasionally pilots short-haul KLM flights”. Did you know? And do you plan on creating more content like this?
Haha thank you! I mentioned I’m a visual learner but another way I learn well is by humor. I love incorporating these elements in my content because it helps people grasp complex concepts in a condensed palpable format. Yes, you will definitely see more of this type of content on my channel. I love doing it.
What’s your top tip for passengers flying short and long-haul (and how do you travel/any must haves?)
-Tuesdays Wednesday are the cheapest days to fly out, and it’s best to book out 21 days or more in advance.
-If you are super hungry, you can ACTUALLY request a 2nd meal after they have finished serving all passengers. I didn’t know this until just a few years ago.
-Bring an empty bottle with you so you can fill it with water either on the flight or to your destination as water may not always be readily available everywhere.
Travelling so much, do you miss the “normal things” in life, if there is such a thing?
You know sometimes I just want to sit and read a book. Go for a jog, focus on a new skill…. I haven’t done that in a long time. Most of my life for the past 10 years has been hard core nonfiction research and map graphics. It gets a little exhausting and yeah. It’s time I maybe get back into that.
Do you think you will ever settle in one place, and if so, where will that be?
I love Southern California, and I’ve been here for a LONG time. It’s become my home. Nonetheless it’s possible I could make a move to another location at some point. In any case, I’m usually traveling to a new destination once a month so in reality I just need a place to “leave my stuff” and that could potentially be anywhere.
Finally, what’s next for you and how do you plan to continue growing your Geography Now brand?
I have a lot of ideas and I hope they work! I have a new series in the works and I have a lot of new topical videos I want to cover. I don’t want to give too much away but I will say this, it will involve a lot less “standing in a studio talking about the world” and a lot more “going out and seeing the world in person!”
As I always say, Stay cool stay tuned!