- Shubham Kumar became the youngest Indian and Asian to visit all 197 countries at age 24
- He began traveling in 2018 using budget travel, hitchhiking, and local transport methods
- Shubham funded his journey independently without corporate sponsorship or luxury comforts
Shubham Kumar, a 24-year-old from Bihar's Munger, has gone viral for becoming the youngest Indian and Asian to travel to all 197 sovereign countries. Popularly known as "Nomad Shubham," his incredible journey began at age 17 in 2018. He achieved this impressive feat through budget travel, hitchhiking, and immense perseverance. Hailing from a humble background in Bihar, he did not have corporate sponsorship and relied on his own funds and relentless spirit. He adopted a "slow travel" approach, using hitchhiking, couchsurfing, and local transport to explore.
Known as the "King of Hitchhiking," he often survived on as little as Rs 500 a day. During his early years, he managed on a monthly budget of just Rs 10,000 - Rs 12,000. He eventually grew a massive YouTube following of over 3.21 million subscribers, which helped sustain his travels.
He recently posted a video on his Instagram account, sharing how he completed his global tour in Brazil, marking the 197th country on his list. "Almost 10 years ago I started this journey with a backpack, very little money, and a crazy dream. I hitchhiked, took trucks, buses, random rides, walked for hours, and crossed borders with hope, doubt, excitement, and fear. Today, country number 197 is done. And my last country is 🇧🇷 Brazil. I could not have imagined a better place to finish a journey that shaped my entire life," he wrote in an emotional note.
"From sleeping in the cheapest rooms to standing in the most remote villages, from coal trucks to cold mountains, this was never about luxury. It was about stories, people, and proving to myself that a normal guy with a big dream can actually see the whole world," he added.
Watch the video here:
197 Countries
His journey began in 2018 when he uploaded an introductory video on YouTube, where he shared his passion for budget travel and visa explanations with fellow travelers. Growing up, Shubham's love for travel was sparked at 13 or 14, but it was his 2018 trip to Leh-Ladakh that solidified his desire to explore the world. He started hitchhiking to school, which became his training ground for future adventures. His first international trip was to Nepal, followed by Russia, Thailand, and Laos.
Shubham's early days were marked by financial struggles, and he even took a refund from his coaching center to fund his travels. He chose the unconventional path, opting for travel over a "normal" life, and revealed in a vlog that he deceived his parents about preparing for civil services and instead boarded a flight to Malaysia.
His odyssey relied heavily on hitchhiking, taking trucks and local buses, and couchsurfing. He documented his experiences of sleeping at petrol pumps and staying in the cheapest accommodations. He famously survived temperatures as low as -71°C in Russia and faced military detention in Gabon, where he was suspected of being a spy.
Eight years later, Shubham has travelled to 197 countries and documents his journey and adventures on YouTube and Instagram. His story has inspired millions, proving that with determination, passion, and a backpack, it is possible to explore the entire world regardless of one's background.
