Travelling around the world in 80 days might seem daunting, but one adventurous individual from Vancouver Island has plans to travel around the world in just 15.
Bert Chen recently sparked a buzz on Reddit with his announcement of a whirlwind round-the-world trip scheduled from April 15 to May 1.
“[Just] Booked my first Star Alliance Round the World ticket,” he posted in r/aircanada.
“The booking process is gonna be symbolic of the journey itself, so I’m going to post here for anyone else having an issue in the future.”
In total, Chen will visit five countries in 15 days, including the USA, Turkey, Mongolia, China and Japan — something redditors couldn’t believe.
“Holy crap you are doing all that in 15 days, that’s sooo stressful,” reddit user, u/dosunx, said
Chen told Daily Hive that his trip has a practical aspect: He was already headed to Miami to see friends and had work in Mongolia a few days after. “[Mongolia and Miami] are basically on the exact opposite ends of the world,” Chen said.
“A lot of the routes are disrupted because of the war in Ukraine, so I couldn’t fly into Russia. Plus, there’s not a whole lot of round trips [from Victoria] to Mongolia.”
Chen, who works in the renewable energy sector, said he’ll be working remotely on Pacific Time for the majority of the trip, creating a rather unique work schedule for his global escapade.
“So, for example, in Istanbul, I’m going to be working after dinner, and in Mongolia I’ll be logging on after midnight, basically,” he said. “I’m really planning my day depending on where I am.”
The key to travel, Chen said, is having everything worked out beforehand — travel, hotels, and places where he can work. “I’ve got it all figured out in an Excel spreadsheet,” he said.
Wondering about the cost of such an adventure?
Well, the 33-year-old from Sidney disclosed that he shelled out $12,000 for the trip, a bargain, he said, considering it spared him over $10,000 compared to booking a separate flight, with connections, to Mongolia. He’s also fortunate enough that a significant portion will be reimbursed through his work.
“The jet lag is going to be the worst, ” he said. “But that’s why I booked business class, because it’ll be the best way to adjust — especially if I’m only in each place for a couple days.”
Still, some Redditors couldn’t help but gasp at the cost.
“Wow! Still too much for me lol,” one reddit user said.
Chen says he will finish his trip by visiting Beijing, China, and Tokyo, Japan, before flying home.
He says he’s most excited to visit Miami Beach, see the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and go off-roading on the Mongolian Steppe.
While he’s not a totally unseasoned traveller, “I have done trips to Europe and Africa in this time span,” Chen said, he says this will be the first one with such a densely packed schedule.
With that said, and in spite of all the critics, he’s unphased.
“For a lot of us that work remotely, we’re always accommodating different time zones,” he said. “It’s really all about knowing how to get to the airports and how to factor in traffic and all.”
So, would you travel the world in 15 days? Comment below.