I left my job as an accountant to travel the world – I’ve already visited 115 countries and have plans to see another 23
- Ian Huddart, 59, from Tonbridge, Kent, has visited 115 countries in his lifetime
A former accountant has left his job to travel the world and has already visited 115 countries around the world.
Ian Huddart, 59, from Tonbridge, Kent, has plans to visit a further 23 countries in the future, having already heli-snowboarded in Sochi, Russia, and whitewater rafting down the Zambezi River.
Mr Huddart, a retired chartered accountant, is now regularly accompanied by members of his family.
He appears to have passed the trip on to his daughter, who has traveled to almost 60 countries despite being in her early twenties.
After gaining a degree in mathematics from Bristol University in 1986, Mr Huddard worked night shifts in a bakery in Chislehurst so he could save enough money to buy a plane ticket around the world.
This map shows countries around the world, with the dark blue fields filled in showing where Ian has been on his travels
Mr Huddart, 59, from Tonbridge, Kent, has visited 115 countries around the world and plans to add a further 23 countries to his list before the end of 2024
After four months working at the bakery, Ian left South East London for South East Asia, before experiencing life in Australia, New Zealand and South America.
Speaking about his favorite experience abroad, the veteran traveler said his fondest memory is of Tikal – the ruins of an ancient city – in Guatemala.
The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Tikal National Park and one of the largest centers of the pre-Columbian Mayan civilization.
“It’s a lot less known than a lot of well-known landmarks, and I think that’s why it felt so special for me the first time, because I knew so little about it,” Mr Huddard said. The Telegraph.
After returning to the site with his family 30 years later, they watched the sunset from one of the pyramids at Tikal.
“It was absolutely stunning, and I think my wife knew then that I hadn’t overhyped it, even though I’d been talking about it for years,” he continued.
Ian plans to visit Senegal before the end of 2023, with trips to Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Myanmar (formerly Burma) among others on his agenda in 2024.
When asked what advice he would give to anyone wanting to travel and explore the world, Mr Huddard said: ‘Don’t be afraid. I have few bad experiences along the way and you will meet some nice people along the way.
“Just book a flight to somewhere you’ve never been, get on the plane and on the other side just walk around and take it all in,” he added.