I first met travel YouTuber Drew Binsky in 2016. Back then, he had visited 74 countries with the ambitious goal of visiting them all.
Now, after a decade of globetrotting, he’s accomplished that feat and details his adventures in a new book called “Just Go.”
In the process, he’s also amassed 14 million followers. So, what has he learned?
“I learned that all people are the same and the world is safer than you think,” said Binsky, who is now on a book tour.
In his book, he shares untold stories from his travels along with practical travel tips and advice.
“It’s untold stories from visiting every country… and then a lot of practical travel tips and advice and secrets I’ve learned along the way,” said Binsky.
Some of Drew’s favorite countries include the Philippines, Iran, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia—some are places the average person might not consider visiting.
“It’s rewarding to have a big knowledge of the world,” said Binsky.
Drew often travels alone, with his wife, or a teammate. He recommends enlisting the help of a local wherever you go.
“They can introduce you to the culture, help with language barriers, and keep you safe,” said Binsky.
How to do it? He recommends hiring a local tour guide through sites like GetYourGuide.com or ToursByLocals.com, or using social media like Instagram to connect with people that are friends of friends.
As for tech tools, Drew’s essentials include his iPhone, MacBook, and Airalo eSIMs for international phone service. I’ve often talked about the power of eSIMs for international travel. You can have cellular service at an affordable price no matter where you go.
“It’s really helpful; you don’t have to get those SIM cards to put in your phone anymore,” added Binsky.
He also uses Google Maps offline mode.
“So even if your phone is on airplane mode, you can pre-download the destination you’re going to,” he said.
He suggests embracing AI, but warns to fact-check its information.
“If you don’t use it, you’re just going to fall behind the people that are using it,” said Binsky.
Building a successful social media following isn’t easy, but Drew has a tip for that too.
“You gotta post consistently, often, and just make content that you feel proud of and want to post about. Then you’ll grow a following.”
So what’s next? Drew tells me a trip to space or the moon would be a cool adventure. But until then, he plans to revisit some of the countries he didn’t get enough time to fully explore during his first visit.
His new book, “Just Go,” is available now.
