Itchy Feet Again: An Amazing Adventure to 195 Countries

On July 2, Lai Nguu Chan (nickname of Noah Nguyen, born in Hai Phong) said he had fulfilled his "life dream" of becoming a Vietnamese person who has traveled to all 193 member countries of the United Nations, plus 2 observers, the Vatican and Palestine.

Itchy Feet Again in front of the statue of Genghis Khan in Mongolia at the end of June 2025.

Sharing his joy with Dong Nai Weekend, Lai Nguu Chan/Noah Nguyen said he had just returned to Hai Phong after a trip to Mongolia that lasted from June 19 to July 1. Mongolia is the 195th country that Lai Nguu Chan has set foot in in the world. In addition, he has also been to many small island nations in the Pacific , the Caribbean... Normally, he goes for about 3, 4 months and then returns to Vietnam "just to eat water spinach with fish sauce - a specialty of his homeland".

Nearly 20 years of adventure and discovery

“Since my first trip abroad in 2006, traveling to China with friends, then going to Germany to study languages ​​and philosophy and then staying to work there, I have had a dream of traveling around the world . My goal is to set foot in all 193 member states of the United Nations, along with the two permanent observers, the Vatican and the State of Palestine,” said Lai Ngu Chan.

“I feel relieved and happy after completing my dream of visiting all 195 countries,” said Lai Ngu Chan.

Noah’s experiences on his journey around the world are extremely diverse. He once wandered deep into the vast slums of India, explored a deserted island with dragon blood trees in Yemen, enjoyed “tomato coconut” in Colombia, witnessed many tribes and ancient customs across the black continent of Africa, met a kind-hearted Vietnamese woman who stayed in the war zone of Ukraine to cook for the poor…

In early 2025, when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea reopened to international tourists after the Covid-19 pandemic, Noah entered the country via the Chinese border. “The most interesting thing I felt in North Korea was the mystery. This country is one of my favorite places and I want to come back again to the capital Pyongyang,” he said.

Itchy Feet Again in North Korea March 2025.

In early June 2025, Noah arrived at the 194th country, Sudan, after more than 2 months of waiting for an entry visa. “It was an extremely difficult and dangerous journey because Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war that has lasted for more than 2 years. I was only allowed to stay here for 4 days and 3 nights for personal safety, even though my visa allowed for 1 month of travel. After all the hardships, I have set foot in all the countries in Africa,” Noah said.

As a typical Vietnamese YouTuber with a passion for exploring the world through close-up, inspiring adventure stories for young people, Lai Nguu Chan revealed to Dong Nai Weekend his secret to traveling around the world: 1. Work hard, save, accumulate finances to hit the road whenever you feel “itchy feet”; 2. Have a positive “curious” spirit, exercise and good health; 3. Practice the ability to learn, integrate, and adapt to all circumstances and environments. The more you travel, the better your skills will be trained.

The secret to "wandering around the end of the world"

2025 is a “lucky” year for Lai Nguu Chan when he becomes a father and goes to Mongolia to officially complete the “195 countries” milestone. He happily said: “I breathe a sigh of relief because I no longer have the same pressure as before. From now on, I will still travel to experience and explore, such as returning to South America or going to Antarctica. I also want to return to many of my favorite countries such as Ethiopia, Bhutan, Brazil, Myanmar, Indonesia, India... These are countries with diverse cultures and races and there are many things to explore.”

Itchy Feet Again to Sudan June 2025.

Noah is fortunate to have a talent for learning and mastering many foreign languages ​​thanks to his “passion and interest”. Not only does he know English, “which is a global language, so speaking it fluently brings many advantages”, Noah also knows French, which he considers “the most beautiful language, especially pronunciation”. Russian “is a language I learned from childhood through Russian fairy tales” and Noah is also a former student of the Russian Language Department, Hanoi University. When he went to Europe, German became “the language I spoke the most later when I went to work, although it was very difficult to learn and pronounce”. In addition, he can speak Polish, Chinese, etc.

“Neither Google nor AI can completely replace the human brain. Therefore, learning a foreign language has never lost its meaning. The most effective way to learn a foreign language is to love it. This can be applied to almost everything you do. If you have passion for what you do, you will do it very well,” Noah shared.

Join the kids on a journey to discover Africa.

Lai Ngu Chan believes that “the more clearly you know and understand your life purpose, the easier it is to make decisions. It is important to live with and accept all the consequences of that decision when making a decision.” He concludes: “No one can foresee the future, so I always want to do what I am capable of doing. Exploring and experiencing is like a delicious piece of cake. If you don’t eat it today, it might spoil tomorrow.”

Loyalty

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/dong-nai-cuoi-tuan/202507/lai-ngua-chan-phieu-luu-ky-thu-den-195-quoc-gia-fc6132a/