Guest of the Week: Peter Grip, globetrotter

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Peter Grip has achieved the feat of visiting ALL 196 independent states in the world. He started travelling seriously in 1989 when he backpacked for several months and in 2010, when he was actually only 42 years old, he 'finished' in Tonga - the last white spot on his map. By then he had visited the 195 independent states in the world, and when South Sudan became independent in December 2010, he was of course quick to add country number 196!

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Today, Peter Grip uses his travel experience to work with his own travel agency, Kon-Tiki Resor, which offers trips to exciting and interesting destinations. We are of course very curious to hear more about the experiences and hardships that Peter has experienced during all his travels.

When and how did you get the idea to visit all the countries of the world?

The idea came up when I went on my first long-distance trip in 1989. A friend and I travelled for seven months and visited 21 countries during the trip. At the time it felt more like a dream and the goal was actually to reach 100 countries visited - it didn't become realistic until I crossed that threshold!

How did you finance all your travelling?

Travelling has always been a priority for me, it has always been my main leisure interest and other things have had to take a back seat. In 1997 I founded Kon-Tiki Travel and have had the privilege of travelling on many reconnaissance trips under the company's auspices.

Which country was the most difficult to enter and how did you overcome that challenge?

There are two, I would say: Equatorial Guinea and Saudi Arabia. As for Equatorial Guinea, I got hold of a man down in Malabo who could give me a letter of recommendation which I used for the visa application and after a lot of trouble I managed to get a visa. Once there, I was thrown out of the country, but more on that below ...

Saudi - I was lucky there. I had emailed the head of Saudi Arabian Airlines in Paris to find out more about the possibility of getting a visa through him. Then they made an attempt to establish some tourism and introduce tourist visas (which never materialised) and then they took the initiative to invite tour operators on a reconnaissance trip in the country. There were only French organisers there - and me! All paid for, including the flight - perfect!

Can you recommend and tell us about any destinations that you think are underrated and that you think more people should experience?

Guatemala is in my opinion the most interesting country in Central America, but sadly forgotten. It has everything - culture, both ancient and living, nature and beautiful beaches. Then I think Bolivia is one of the most spectacular countries in the world.

Probably overshadowed by its better-known neighbour Peru, nature here is absolutely stunning - with the world's largest salt desert, the Salar de Uyuni, being the icing on the cake! Madagascar is also a place that Swedes probably most associate with political unrest, but with a unique flora and fauna.

What is your worst travel memory?

Then we move to Equatorial Guinea. The first evening I was in a restaurant having dinner, when the waiter suddenly tells me that there is a man who wants to talk to me and points to a table where five people are sitting - all wearing sunglasses even though it is nine o'clock in the evening. "Can it wait until I've finished eating?" I ask - "No" he replies.

It turned out to be the chief of police in Malabo with bodyguards and he wanted to take me in for questioning. Off we go in an official LandCruiser to the police station, where I was seated for four hours in a room surrounded by 7-8 people, the lights going off every now and then and the same questions all the time: "What are you doing here?" "What is the purpose of your trip?".

They released me in the middle of the night, but the next day I was sitting in a café when a white police car stopped. "The chief wants to talk to you again"... To the same police station, three hours of waiting before the chief came, then three hours of the same interrogation again. In the end they decided that my visa was wrong as it was stamped in my passport instead of a sticker. My objection that they should take it to their embassy in London did not go down well ...

Finally, I was so tired of it all that I suggested to them that they let me go to the Air France office and rebook my flight home, which they let me do. The next day I was on my way home - and I am never going back! It turned out that Mark Thatcher, Margaret Thatcher's son and a mercenary by trade, was going on trial for a possible coup attempt the week after I was there, so they were extra vigilant for fear of a rescue attempt.

Where do you live today and why have you chosen that particular place?

Two years ago my girlfriend and I moved to Valencia, Spain, where we now live most of the year. A wonderful city with a great climate, beautiful beach, a crazy four-week spring festival, charming old town and the steepest football stands in Europe. Today's technology makes it possible to work remotely with the company. We hate the cold so avoiding the Swedish winter feels really privileged!

Can you tell us about Kon-Tiki travel and the trips you offer?

We originally specialised in travel to Latin America, but now work with the whole world outside Europe and North America. We have both a round trip programme, trips with fixed dates and Swedish guides, and tailor-made trips, where we arrange the trips according to the traveller's wishes.

Finally, a question we ask everyone we interview: What is your dream destination?

I have a bit of a penchant for remote islands, my absolute favourite destination is Easter Island, for example, so I've been wanting to get to some islands in the Atlantic for a long time - Tristan da Cunha, Ascencion and Santa Helena. South Georgia is also appealing!

Thank you Peter Grip for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

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