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Luca Pferdmenges tries to visit every country on the planet, and that means dangerous places can’t be avoided.
The 22-year-old German, professional juggler, social media star and world traveler since he was 15, has so far been to 190 countries (out of 195), and here he reveals which ones he considers the most dangerous.
He also shares some of his creepiest moments, from hearing a shooting to watching gangsters commit robberies.
Read on for a travel guide like no other…
DANGEROUS PLACES
Luca Pferdmenges tries to visit every country on the planet, and that means you can’t avoid dangerous places like Haiti, where he appears in the photo above.
So far, the 22-year-old German, professional juggler, social media star and world traveler since the age of 15, has been to 190 countries, 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 go in, they would be robbed.”
Luca lists Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, Somalia, Yemen (‘where you can rent a gun for a day’), Chad, Syria and the Central African Republic among the most dangerous places he has visited, along with Haiti.
The traveler says: ‘In places like Haiti, where the local population suffers so much, it is already strange to travel there as a tourist. But since I try to visit every country on the planet, I can’t avoid them. They are often the most fascinating and revealing.
‘In Haiti, for example, I did some street interviews with locals. It was heartbreaking. They told us that they do not have access to drinking water, they constantly worry about not having enough food, and the electricity does not work most of the time. There are suburbs in Port-au-Prince where cars do not enter, because they would be robbed. Those places, where anarchy reigns and your security is at risk, are the most difficult countries to visit.’
Luca reveals that he used a local guide to show him the riskiest places: “obviously, things can always happen, but with a reliable guide, the risk is minimized.”
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, remembers being locked inside a school because a shooting took place in 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 how to juggle as part of a circus school.
It was a risky undertaking.
He says: ‘At night I had to be inside the school because things got too dangerous. One night we heard gunshots.
‘The circus school trainers confirmed that there was a shooting on the street we were on. They told us to stay silent until everything was over. It ended very quickly, but the event left its 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 were canceled in the morning because the park came under bombing.”
Papua New Guinea
In Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea (above), Luca witnessed a robbery in which “gangsters stopped cars and demanded money, phones or even the car itself.” He adds that robberies “are sadly common in Port Moresby”
In Papua New Guinea, police came to the rescue when Luca strayed into a dangerous neighborhood.
Luca says: ‘I was in Port Moresby. I’m German, so I love walking everywhere. But when I was about to enter a dangerous neighborhood, a police jeep approached and an officer told me: “You can’t go there, please get in the car.”
‘I decided to trust him. We drove through the suburb he was about to pass through and five minutes after he picked me up, we saw a carjacking. The gangsters stopped cars and demanded money, phones or even the car itself; unfortunately it is a common thing in Port Moresby.
‘Because he was a police officer, my driver took his shotgun, opened the door and shouted at them. He got out of the car and fired warning shots into the air. I was in the back of the jeep fearing for my life.
‘I was the enemy at that time, I was literally in the police jeep. My fitness tracker confirmed that it was the highest heart rate I’d had all week. My driver returned to the jeep as if nothing had happened. This is everyday life in Port Moresby; It was a terrifying experience for me.’
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 yelling at me and grabbed me hard by the neck.
While in the French overseas territory of French Guiana, Luca was attacked.
Describing that day, he says: “It was Sunday and a muscular guy ran after me. I was carrying my heavy backpack with all my belongings inside.
“He started yelling at me and grabbed me hard 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 get out of this situation. The problem was that I had absolutely no euros on me. I found a £10 note in my wallet and gave it to him, but he got angry. I might as well have given him a Monopoly ticket.
“The owner of a cafe came out to the street and saw me. The attacker was so busy complaining about the £10 note that I managed to break free and run towards the cafe. The owner’s family took me inside and blocked the door until he escaped. “It was a very shocking meeting.”
THE ANTI-SELFIE POLICE
When you want to take a photo in a nervous country, the people in charge of protecting you may run in and grab your equipment.
Luca says: ‘I once took a selfie in the center of Djibouti City in Djibouti, Africa. A police officer searched my phone for 20 minutes and wouldn’t give it back. At first I thought he just wanted money. But he didn’t do it. He actually told me I couldn’t take pictures and he meant it very seriously.”
