Globe-trotting is Telugu Youtuber’s cup of tea ...

Hyderabad: A lot of people dream of visiting every country in the world. While such wishes remain a pipe dream for many, there are a handful of people who have achieved this. One amongst them is Ravi Prabhu, a Telugu YouTuber who has travelled to 195 countries and now aspires to work with Tourism department and promote the tourism potential of the two Telugu States.

He is one of the certified 280 people from all over the world who has travelled to all 195 countries in the world. He recently visited Venezuela, which is his 195th country and his travel accomplishments have been verified by NomadMania organisation.

Ravi hails from Vishakhapatnam and had studied Masters in Political Science at the University of Hyderabad. Highlighting his journey, Ravi Prabhu, who works as an Information Technology consultant, said, “From my childhood, I had a dream to tour the entire world. I used to look at the map and dreamed eagerly of the opportunity to explore the world. In 1996, I went to the US for my higher studies and completed a double Masters in Business Management with a specialisation in Information Systems. After getting my first job in the US, I thought to start fulfill my dream, with a target of visiting 10 countries at first. Slowly, I started pushing myself, and finally, I was able to visit 195 countries. The first country I visited was The Netherlands.

Sharing his memorable journey, Ravi said, “Travel is the best knowledge that you can gain. When you travel, you come across real challenges and also can learn many more things than what we read in books. I have lived through extreme hot and cold temperatures while being on opposite ends of the world. I had an excellent experience in Palestine and Pakistan. Especially in Baluchistan, I was able to visit Hinglaj Mata temple, as many are not allowed to go there, but I am very grateful that I could visit the temple. During my visits to any country, I try to inform people about the two Telugu States’ cultures and heritage and motivate them to visit our States at least once.”

Interestingly, he is one of the few travellers who have been able to sustain his passion despite having a full-time job. “I am able to manage my work and travel time accordingly. To fulfill my dream, I took up a consulting job so I could have the flexibility to travel and work as well. I work six to eight months a year and then travel,” he said.

His YouTube channel named ‘Ravi Telugu Traveller’ has over 7.86 lakh subscribers. The channel features his travel experiences and insights into his journeys, including the cultures, cuisines and people he encounters along the way.

Describing his future plans, Ravi added, “Though I had travelled to so many countries till date, I hardly came across any tourism promotion of our two Telugu States. So I want to promote this and I am even willing to be the face of any Tourism destination. I would like to help organisations in promoting the tourism potential of our two Telugu States. I would also like to visit educational institutions and share my journey, and I am planning to pen down my experiences in a book.”

To aspiring travellers, he says travel doesn’t have to be expensive. I always stayed at roadside and budget hotels, camps, and tents. We can overcome obstacles if we are willing to explore and plan each trip accordingly, he added.