Luca Pferdmenges is trying to visit every country on the planet – and that means there’s no avoiding dangerous locations.
So far, the 22-year-old German, a professional juggler, social media star and world traveller since the age of 15, has been to 190 nations (out of 195) – and here he reveals the countries he considers the most dangerous.
He also shares some of his most hair-raising moments, from hearing a gun fight to seeing gangsters commit robberies.
Read on for a travel guide like no other…
DANGEROUS PLACES
Luca Pferdmenges is trying to visit every country on the planet – and that means there’s no avoiding dangerous locations like Haiti, where he is pictured above
So far, the 22-year-old German, a professional juggler, social media star and a world traveller since the age of 15, has been to 190 nations, including Afghanistan (above)
Luca, seen here in Heroes Square, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, says: ‘There are suburbs in Port-au-Prince where cars don’t enter – they would be robbed’
Luca lists Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, Yemen (‘where you can rent a gun for the day’), Chad, Syria, and the Central African Republic as among the most dangerous places he’s visited, along with Haiti.
The traveller says: ‘Places like Haiti, where the local population suffers so much, it already feels weird to travel there as a tourist. But as I try to visit every country on the planet, I cannot avoid those countries. Often, they are the most fascinating and insightful ones.
‘In Haiti, for example, I did some street interviews with the locals. It was heartbreaking. They were telling us how they don’t have access to drinking water, constantly worry about not having enough food, and electricity doesn’t work most of the time. There are suburbs in Port-au-Prince where cars don’t enter – they would be robbed. Those places – where anarchy rules and your safety is at risk – are the hardest countries to visit.’
Luca reveals that he used a local guide to show him around the riskiest spots – ‘obviously, things can always happen, but with a reliable guide, you minimise the risk’.
DANGEROUS MOMENTS
Afghanistan
Luca visited Afghanistan (above) six months before the Taliban takeover in 2021 to teach children juggling at a circus school
Luca, seen here in Afghanistan, recalls being locked inside a school because a shooting took place on the street outside. He says: ‘It ended very quickly, but the event left a mark’
Luca visited Afghanistan six months before the Taliban takeover in 2021 to teach children juggling as part of a circus school.
It was a risky venture.
He says: ‘In the evenings, I had to be inside the school as things would get too dangerous. One night, we heard shots.
‘The circus school trainers confirmed that there was a shooting on the street we were on. We were told to stay quiet until everything was over. It ended very quickly, but the event left a mark. It’s terrifying to hear gunshots so close to you.
‘Two days later, still in Afghanistan, we wanted to visit a park, but our plans got cancelled in the morning since the park was subject to a bombing.’
Papua New Guinea
In Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (above), Luca witnessed a robbery, with ‘gangsters stopping cars and demanding money, phones, or even the car itself’. He adds that robberies ‘are sadly common in Port Moresby’
In Papua New Guinea, the police came to the rescue when Luca strayed into a dangerous neighbourhood.
Luca says: ‘I was in Port Moresby. I am German, so I love walking everywhere. But when I was about to walk into a dangerous neighbourhood, a police jeep approached and an officer told me, “You cannot go there, please come into the car.”
‘I decided to trust him. We drove through the suburb I was about to walk through and five minutes after he picked me up, we saw a car robbery. Gangsters were stopping cars and demanding money, phones, or even the car itself – it’s sadly common in Port Moresby.
‘Being a police officer, my driver took his shotgun, opened the door, and screamed at them. He left the car and fired warning shots into the air. I was in the back of the jeep scared for my life.
‘I was the enemy in that moment, I was literally in the police jeep. My fitness tracker confirmed that it was the highest heart rate I had had all week. My driver returned to the jeep as if nothing happened. That’s everyday life in Port Moresby – for me, it was a terrifying experience.’
French Guiana
While in the French Overseas Territory of French Guiana (above), Luca was attacked. He says: ‘A muscular guy ran after me. He started screaming at me and grabbed me tightly by the neck’
While in the French Overseas Territory of French Guiana, Luca was attacked.
Describing that day, he says: ‘It was a Sunday, and a muscular guy ran after me. I had my heavy backpack on with all my belongings inside.
‘He started screaming at me and grabbed me tightly by the neck. He demanded in French “Donne-moi two euros [give me two euros]”.
‘I would have given him the two euros immediately, I just wanted to be out of the situation. The problem was, I had absolutely zero euros on me. I found a £10 note in my wallet and gave it to him, but he was infuriated. I might as well have given him a Monopoly bill.
‘A café owner came out onto the street and saw me. The attacker was so busy complaining about the £10 note, that I managed to get loose and run towards the café. The owner’s family put me inside and barricaded the door until he ran away. It was a very shocking encounter.’
THE ANTI-SELFIE POLICE
When you want to take a picture in an edgy country – the people in charge of protecting you may rush in and seize your equipment instead.
Luca says: ‘I once took a selfie in the city centre of Djibouti City in Djibouti, Africa. A police officer inspected my phone for 20 minutes and did not want to give it back to me. At first, I thought he just wanted money. But he didn’t. He genuinely told me that I could not take photos, and he was very serious about it.’