In 2014, Rachel Davey and her partner Martina touched down in Iran. It was the 100th country that Davey had travelled to since leaving Australia 12 years earlier.
Whilst celebrating this achievement, the big question came up: “How many are there?”
There are 195 countries in the world, and now, ten years after Iran, Rachel Davey has travelled to every single one of them. She is the first Australian woman to do so.
About 300 people in the world have travelled to every country, but less than 10 per cent of this group are women. Davey wants to inspire other women to change that.
“I want to prove that women can be just as adventurous as any man out there,” Davey told Women’s Agenda.
“I want to inspire women to dream big and know they can do that.”
The first 100
It was 2002. Davey had just finished high school and got a job at a travel agency in her home country, Australia.
But it wasn’t long before she caught the travel bug.
“I was always interested in something else,” she said. “I didn’t particularly want the standard things – the house, the job, the car.
“I wanted to explore, to see new things.”
Davey set off for Canada, working in a travel agency for a few years. Wanting to explore more, she made her way to the UK in 2008 and got a job as an on-board chef for a coach tour company. She worked for six months of the year, and the other six months were reserved for her travel pursuits.
Davey laughed as she reminisced about the days in her early 20s. “I was a different traveller back then,” she recalled. “You don’t just go out and know it all – you learn over the years what works and what you should be doing.”
Davey was working, travelling and learning all about the world for 12 years before, almost accidentally, she travelled to her 100th country, Iran.
“It just kind of happened that we hit our 100th country,” she said, “but I guess it was a goal of mine to reach that.
“That’s when the question came up: how many countries are there? Is it possible?”
How does she do it?
It’s not an easy feat to travel to all 195 countries in the world – but it is possible if you do it the right way.
Sticking to a strict budget is the biggest thing for Davey, and there are three main ways to do this.
“Eat like a local, move like a local, and do your research,” Davey said.
Food is Davey’s favourite part of travelling, and what she often finds is the cheaper the food, the more authentic and delicious it will be. It’s the same story with transport – while it might be more convenient to get a taxi or private transport, public transport is not only more exciting, but it’s way more affordable.
Of course, it is difficult to know the best (and safest) spots for food, transport and everything else without doing your research first.
Finding cheap flights is her first port of call, using the Skyscanner ‘Everywhere’ search tool on the app to find the cheapest one. Everything else she’ll learn from locals or other fellow travellers.
“If you don’t do these things, your money just disappears,” Davey said. “I like to travel to places off the beaten track. I like to be surprised. Once you get off the tourist trail, it’s so much cheaper, and you’ll have a more authentic experience.”
Women travellers
Out of the 300 people in the world who have travelled to every single country, less than 10 per cent are women.
It’s hard to know for sure why this gender gap exists, but one reason could be safety, particularly in certain countries around the world where women suffer discrimination and in many cases continue to be targets of attacks.
That’s why research and being prepared for travelling is so important, Davey said. But just as important is trusting in the humanity of people.
“People are fundamentally good – we are all the same. We all want the same things in life. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world,” Davey said.
“You have to worry about your safety, but people are fundamentally good. There’s one per cent of the world that’s bad – 99 per cent want to help you and show you the best of their country.
“The kindness of strangers is a beautiful thing.”