Meet the man who travels the world.
In February 2023, Alexander Campbell said goodbye to friends and family in Sydney and embarked on a 40,000 km (24,854 mile) walk.
He plans to tour the world in four years, crossing more than 30 countries and four continents.
At the time of writing, he has covered 10,239 km (6,362 miles) and posts updates on his Instagram account: @alexander_campbell. In one post, he reveals how he “burned six pairs of shoes” and experienced “constant” kindness along the way, with locals offering him home-cooked meals, beer, lemonade, a bed for the night and even inviting her to weddings.
Here Alexander reveals the places he fell in love with, some big surprises and a terrifying occasion when he had to fill his water bottle in crocodile-infested waters.
Alexander Campbell is currently walking 40,000 km (24,854 miles) around the world. Over the next four years, he plans to travel to more than 30 countries and four continents. It is pictured above in New South Wales, Australia.
During his trip, Alexander said he “burned six pairs of shoes” and experienced “constant” kindness. He is pictured arriving in Darwin after traveling 6,200 km (3,852 miles) across Australia.
Alexander concocted the idea over a beer with his best friend. The 27-year-old told MailOnline Travel: ‘I spent a lot of time looking at maps and imagining possible ideas. And then, somehow, it snowballed into, “Why don’t I go around the world?” »
He added: “This has definitely been the most eventful year of my life.”
Alexander began the adventure at the Sydney Opera House and spent six months traveling around Australia on foot, covering up to 50 km (31 miles) a day, enduring scorching heat and going days without seeing a soul .
After that, he took a boat from Darwin to Indonesia, where he visited islands such as Bali, Flores, Lombok and Gilli Trawangan.
Alexander began his journey at the Sydney Opera House, where his friends and family came to greet him.
He spent the first six months traveling around Australia on foot, covering up to 50 km (31 miles) a day. Here it is photographed in the Blue Mountains of Australia.
‘It’s definitely been the most eventful year of my life,’ he told MailOnline. Alexander is shown above in the Blue Mountains
Alexander said backpacking through Australia “was a great way to get to know the country I live in better.” This image shows his tent pitched in front of a beautiful sunset in the Northern Territory in Australia.
He then crossed Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. He avoided flying when possible, but hopped on a plane between Thailand and Bangladesh.
He financed the trip mainly through his savings and with the help of an adventure grant from Australian Geographic. Throughout his journey, he stayed in cheap accommodation and with locals – and pitched a tent when possible.
Alexander told MailOnline there were several memorable highlights, one being hiking the National Trail in Australia from Queensland to Victoria.
He said: “It was a great way to get to know the country I live in better, and it was so nice to be in the bush and enjoy the solitude.”
Of the different countries he has visited so far, Indonesia – which includes 17,000 islands – is Alexander’s favorite.
Alexander stayed in cheap accommodation, pitched a tent, and stayed with locals throughout his journey. Here he is pictured with a family who hosted him in southern Thailand.
Alexander was even invited to a wedding during his trip. He is pictured above with a bride and groom in Flores, Indonesia.
LEFT: Alexandre is photographed at a village meeting in Flores, Indonesia. RIGHT: He is pictured with a family in Indonesia
He explained: “The people were incredibly friendly and the food was excellent. Each island was unique and there are so many volcanoes to climb.
Alexander said he was very surprised by Bangladesh.
While admitting he was “a little nervous” about visiting due to the lack of tourists, he said “it ended up being amazing.”
He explained: “The people were amazing and welcomed me with such warmth. And because of their love of cricket, everyone was particularly excited to learn that I was Australian.
While he didn’t hate it anywhere, he said going through a monsoon in Malaysia “definitely stands out as one of the least pleasant moments.”
However, he said: “The food was great and the people were lovely, so it was still enjoyable. »
Alexander is pictured in Bangladesh, where he said “the people were amazing and welcomed me with such warmth.”
Alexander is pictured above with a group of workers repairing a railway bridge in Bangladesh.
Alexander didn’t hate any of the countries he visited, but he said hiking through a monsoon in Malaysia “definitely stands out as one of the least enjoyable moments.” He is pictured above in the country
He also encountered quite a few obstacles during the journey and avoided various dangerous animals, including scorpions, snakes, and wolves, as well as the aforementioned crocodiles.
The heartbreaking incident of refilling a water bottle happened in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Alexander said: “I saw a crocodile jump from the bank into the river as I approached. I still had 60 km (37 miles) to my next water source, so I had no choice but to stock up on water there.
“This may have been the scariest time I had on the trip. I spent the next 30 minutes watching for crocodiles. I finally found a spot with some water visibility and found the courage to quickly fill my water bottles and get out of there.
Alexander is currently in Nepal and will spend the next few months crossing the Himalayas.
Alexander is currently traveling through India. It is shown above in the Indian state of Meghalaya
Alexander is shown above in West Bengal, India, receiving roses from locals.
Although a long journey awaits him, he said he never considered giving up.
“There are challenges and unpleasant aspects sometimes,” he said. “But the reason I took this journey was to challenge myself and hopefully grow through these experiences.”
He is also motivated by raising funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation, an organization that works to end preventable blindness and visual impairment. So far he has raised AUD$16,710 (£8,627) for the cause.
What will he do once the trek is over? He said: “I’m looking forward to spending time with my friends and family.
“But as far as my life path goes, I’m not too sure. I have a lot of walking left to do and time to think about it until then.
To follow Alexandre’s journey, go to his website, www.worldwalkexpedition.com/aboutor Instagram account –www.instagram.com/alexander_campbell/. To donate to the Fred Hollows Foundation, visit fundraise.hollows.org/.
During his trip, Alexander raises money for the Fred Hollows Foundation, an organization that works to end preventable blindness and visual impairment.