'I've visited all 195 countries in the world – these are my favourite three cities'

A travel blogger who has visited all of the 195 countries recognised by the United Nations has named his three favourite cities. Drew Goldberg, who goes by the name Drew Binsky, spent 12 years travelling around the world, ticking off countries as he went. In October 2021, he completed the impressive feat of visiting every nation when he landed in Saudi Arabia.

Over the years, Drew says he has visited some “amazing” destinations. Although he does concede there are some that have proven more “challenging”. However, there are three destinations that Drew, 33, would recommend for anyone wanting to head on a trip abroad. The YouTuber says Prague, Beirut, and Seoul are three of his top cities.

‘I fell in love with Prague’

On his YouTube channel, Drew says the Czech Republic capital Prague was his number one destination. He explained the city “kicked off his travel bug” after he spent six months living in the city while studying.

Drew said: “I fell in love with Czech culture right off the bat. It’s Eastern Europe but it’s encroaching on the west so you have a little bit of both.

“It’s grungy, amazing people, the nightlife is great and beer is cheaper than water. It’s in the centre of the continent so you can easily take a bus to Berlin or Munich or anywhere else.”

The travel blogger explained that Prague’s compact nature also means visitors can easily walk around the city. He suggests sights such as the Old Town Square, the John Lennon Wall – dedicated to the Beatles singer – and Prague Castle as must-visits for travellers.

‘Freaking awesome’ Beirut 

Drew says it “breaks his heart” that Lebanon gets a “bad rep” but believes Beirut is “freaking awesome”. He says the people are very “openminded” and labelled the nightlife in the city as “insane”.

Drew says the people in Lebanon have “gone through a lot”. He explained: “People my age, they’ve gone through war, their parents’ age have gone through more wars, their grandparents’ age have gone through more wars. They’re just a resilient bunch and the cherry on top is that they have one of the best cuisines in the world.”

 Foods such as shawarma, falafel and tabbouleh – a salad featuring fresh parsley, mint, lemon, and bulgur wheat – hummus and kibbeh – a dish containing a mixture of bulgur wheat, onions, and ground beef – as his personal favourites.

‘Underrated’ Seoul

Drew believes Seoul in South Korea is “underrated” with many tourists opting to visit cities such as Tokyo, Bangkok, or Hong Kong instead. But, having spent two years teaching English in the city, he believes it is “so cool”.

He said: “Seoul is where it’s at. If you like Korean barbecue, where you cook the meal yourself and get all the little side dishes, and if you like to drink with your friends and have a night out on the town, then Seoul’s your place.”

Drew highlighted the “buzzing markets” of Seoul as well as the Buddhist temples and traditional villages nearby. He recommends hiking up Bukhansan mountain to get a view of the city and visiting the K-Pop district as well as Gangnam.

He added: “The bottom line is you’ll never be bored in Seoul. Don’t overlook the city on your next visit to Asia.”