Diana Farah
DUBAI: Egypt’s biggest traveler Omar Nok is taking on a feat that not many people would ever consider – traveling from Egypt to Japan – without flying.
Omar officially began his journey on Feb. 8, when he moved from Cairo to Saudi Arabia via a cargo ferry through the Red Sea. His first stop was from Tabuk to AlUla to Jeddah, after which he traveled to the UAE by car.
The Egyptian traveler is currently on day 97 of his adventure and has reached Afghanistan.
Speaking to Arab News Japan, Omar explained that he generally enjoyed traveling overland.
“I like overland travel because I want to see as much as possible of the world, and not just certain spots,” he said. “I chose Japan because it was the furthest country away from Egypt I could think of.”
“I’ve traveled extensively in Europe and America. I have never traveled anywhere towards the east,” Omar added.
The explorer has been inviting his social media audience to follow his journey, as he posts a short video everyday showcasing where he is that day, what he is up to and the views from the country he is in.
Many viewers may question how he is able to travel with an Egyptian passport – which ranks 75 on the Passport Index 2024.
“Aside from my Egpytian passport, I also have a German one,” Omar told Arab News Japan. “However, I use both depending on the country I am visiting. For example, in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, I used my German passport because it’s on arrival.”
However, he said that when it came to Iran, he had used his Egyptian document since he could enter without a visa.
When asked whether he had applied for visas and entry permits prior to his trip, Omar explained that he was “going with the flow.”
“I usually check which country is next on my route, and then based on that I apply for a visa in the country I am in. So, I applied for an Afghani visa in Iran.”
With regards to which route Omar will take, he said that it depends on the season.
“During winter months, I will travel further South, so to India since the weather would not be as cold, and vice versa during the summer months,” Omar said.
Originally, Omar was supposed to move onto Turkmenistan after Iran, however, the country did not grant him a visa, so he had to change the course of route.
“Things keep changing. I’m trying to zigzag to see as much as possible on the way and also making sure to try and be in the right place at the right time in terms of weather as well,” he added.
Omar said he expects to arrive to Japan by summer of next year.
He explained that many people in his social media comments would ask why it would take that long.
“When people ask me that, I explain to them that is not just about arriving to the destination. If I only wanted to go to Japan then I could do it in maybe two weeks,” he told Arab News Japan. “But because of all the zigzagging and the long travel time, it’s important to take rest days and recover.”
The 29-year-old Egyptian said that he had tried not to think of the negative challenges before embarking on his trip. However, he was wary of certain things such as language and cultural barriers during his travels.
“In terms of safety, Asian countries are much safer than Latin American, for example. But finding information in Asia is much more challenging,” he said.
In comparison to his previous travels in Europe and Latin America, Omar found it easy to find information about accommodation and travel paths online as opposed to Asian countries.
“Now, I’m having to rely on more interaction with locals, you know, face to face, offline,” he said.
“Another challenge I am facing is that there are not many other foreign travelers or backpackers in this part of the world like in Europe,” Omar added.
The traveler told Arab News Japan that he has also been trying to not have any formed opinions or biases before visiting each country.
“The media shows certain countries in a negative light, when in fact those countries are just like any other, with normal streets, restaurants, etc.”
Omar said his social media has gained a lot of traction since he started posting daily videos of his adventures. He currently has over 132,000 Instagram followers.
“I think my followers enjoy kind of experiencing my travel adventures through my videos. I have a very diverse audience, such as people from Brazil, Nigeria, Canada and more,” he added.
“Definitely a lot of followers from Japan or expats living in Japan as well. I get a lot of comments in Japanese saying, ‘we are waiting for you.’”
Omar said he was very excited to reach Japan, and thinks of the moment he will reach the Asian country everyday.
The traveler posts daily updates on his Instagram page here.