On March 1, 2026, Indian travel vlogger Nomad Shubham had reached a destination almost no one even attempted: all 197 sovereign countries before turning 25. His final stop, he wrote on Instagram, was Brazil.
Who Is Nomad Shubham?
“Today, country number 197 is done. And my last country is Brazil. From my first hitchhike to my last one. 10 years. 197 countries. I don’t know whether to smile, cry, or just stay silent and feel it.” He wrote, and it felt like a declaration at the end of a very long road.
According to Beats In Brief, Shubham Kumar grew up in a small village in Bihar, far removed from the usual launchpads of global travel. At 16, he walked away from formal schooling. He describes his decision of leaving “conventional school life” to begin a journey of self-discovery. It sounded impulsive, but it turned out to be almost magical.
Time became his capital! Starting early meant he didn’t have to compress continents into rushed itineraries. He could move slowly, return when visas stalled, and wait out bureaucratic dead ends.
For an Indian passport holder, visiting every sovereign nation is not just about wanderlust but about paperwork too. Regional clustering reduced repeat application costs, so visa-on-arrival countries were prioritised. When approvals dragged, routes changed, but not his goal.
Also Read: What Are Brazil Nuts? Nutritionist Explains Its 3 Big Benefits For Women’s Health
How Does Nomad Shubham Afford Travelling To 197 Nations?
Money, meanwhile, was rationed with discipline. Earlier coverage cited in the report notes that during parts of his early travels across around 40 countries, he survived on roughly ₹500 a day. Hitchhiking replaced flights, local buses and trains replaced convenience and overland border crossings were favoured wherever geography permitted him. He travelled light, and more importantly, he travelled flexibly.
But logistics alone don’t carry you through 197 nations; people do. Couchsurfing hosts became more than temporary accommodation; they were navigators of unfamiliar systems, advising on safe neighbourhoods, obscure transport links, and local documentation quirks. In regions where formal tourism infrastructure was thin, these relationships became the backbone of sustainability.
All the while, he recorded it! That digital trail also helped fund the journey through platform monetisation.
Also Read: What Is ‘SheTravel Policy’, Himachal Pradesh’s Initiative To Raise Solo Women Travellers By 35%?
All in all, it’s just a teenager from Bihar who traded certainty for time, and kept going until there were no countries left to enter.
Cover Image Courtesy: nomadshubham/Instagram
For more such snackable content, interesting discoveries and the latest updates on food, travel and experiences in your city, download the Curly Tales App. Download HERE.