He’s seen the world at 27, loves UAE
dubai — At just 27, former UAE resident Sal Lavallo has been to every country in the world. Of the 193 countries he’s visited, he lists the UAE and Tanzania as his favourites.
From 2009 to 2015, he visited “15 to 20” countries every year. The American visited the UAE for a long layover in September 2011 and instantly fell in love with the place. “I decided to come back for a semester as an exchange student at the New York University – Abu Dhabi, and took up a job in Abu Dhabi.”
Travel lust took over Lavallo as his initially planned six-month break from work turned into a year, and then two. In 2016, he quit his job as an investment analyst and began blogging his adventures on his Instagram page that has 22.4k followers today.
dubai — Do you daydream about quitting your nine-to-five job and embarking on an odyssey around the globe? Sal Lavallo did just that. The American youth left his job in 2016 as an investment analyst at McKinsey and Co in Abu Dhabi and put on his globetrotting shoes.
For the last few years, he has led a life many of us might envy and aspire to. At 27, Sal has become one of the youngest people to visit every single country in the world.
His quest to travel across the planet has got him his passport stamped from the 193rd country — Malta — in November 2017.
It all happened organically for this voyager. Interested in economic development and identity studies, he researched and worked all around the world. “I was travelling often to see classmates from the United World College — a boarding school with students from over a 100 countries. Travel for me is about learning new things and building connections with people.” Having friends all over made sure he had a couch to crash on.
From 2009 to 2015, Sal visited 15 to 20 countries every year. He visited the UAE for a long layover in September 2011 and instantly fell in love. “I decided to come back for a semester as an exchange student at the New York University – Abu Dhabi, and took up a job in Abu Dhabi.”
The UAE’s strategic location became the perfect landing spot for him to continue his travels. “While living in the UAE, I would take long weekends of three to four days to nearby countries like the Maldives, Bangladesh, Eritrea, or Oman. The UAE has well-connected airlines and you can travel to many countries in five hours.”
Travel lust took over Sal as his initially planned six months break from work turned into a year, and then two. In 2016, he quit his job as an investment analyst and began blogging his adventures on his Instagram page (@sallavallo). At 22.4k followers today, the page is buzzing with his travel experiences and might encourage you to take the leap. Go with the flow A planned traveller could take a few weeks or even months to map out their journey before starting out, but Sal only believes in a bit of research. He doesn’t follow a strict itinerary but likes to go with the flow. And his tours have also got him into precarious situations.
He recalls one for us. “I was in a sticky situation on the Yemen border, when the Royal Omani Police came to my rescue. They shooed away some unfriendly men, gave me tea and local sweets, bought me dinner and found me a free ride to a city, three hours away.”
After filling his passport with stamps all across the globe, he lists the UAE and Tanzania as his favourite countries. “I also love Algeria, Syria, Eritrea, Tajikistan, Timor Leste, and more! I like places that have an interesting development history, stunning landscapes, delicious food, and kind people. Definitely, the most hospitable people in the world are in the Middle East, especially in the Gulf.”
When asked to list the crazy things he has done on his trips, Sal shares: “When I visited Jordan, I did the 180km Dead Sea to Red Sea team race. Among the weirdest things I ate on my trips is a whole bat in Pa=u (including teeth and fur), boiled goat head in Albania and insects in Uganda.”
For this globetrotter, reading is another form of travel. He prefers to travel light, with a Kindle and camera as his constant companions. The one thing he remembers looking at from his 193-country tour are the faces.
“No borders or bombs can entirely remove our humanity. I’ve seen smiles in every country and everyone wants to be loved and respected. Also, everybody dances! I think it’s the most beautiful expression of human happiness.”
On a brief breather now from his trips, Sal will be back in the UAE soon.