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Over a span of 9 years, Peleg Cohen, an Israeli traveler, has journeyed through 96 countries across continents solely by hitchhiking and couch-surfing. Vietnam marks his 97th stop, where he plans to stay for approximately one month.
Born in 1983 in Nahariyya, a city in Israel, Peleg Cohen embarked on an extraordinary journey after completing his high school education. Diverging from the common path of many Israeli youths who typically travel for six months, Peleg embarked on a continuous journey for a year, exploring destinations such as Nepal, Thailand, Laos, Australia, and New Zealand. Upon his return, amidst the eruption of conflict between Israel and Lebanon, he enlisted in the military for a month.
Peleg describes himself as a person who 'never went to school, never had a home.' His only possession is a worn-out 13 kg backpack. A vegetarian traveler, he predominantly relies on hitchhiking and couch-surfing at friends' homes worldwide. To date, he has stayed with over 100 families through Couch Surfing and has been referred to many more.
To finance visas, meals, and other expenses, Peleg occasionally takes temporary jobs. He spent a year living in South Africa, six months in Canada, and four months in Australia. Peleg has worked various odd jobs such as snow shoveling, garden designing, and restaurant service. He even seized business opportunities during his travels, trading Chinese oil paintings from China to South Africa and exporting Israeli sea salt to multiple countries.
Wandering through numerous countries, Peleg has no intention of settling down permanently anywhere. After leaving Vietnam, he plans to visit Cambodia, Myanmar, and the Philippines, completing his quest to visit 100 countries before considering his next journey.
'My dream is to travel all around the world, I want to inspire the spirit of tourism worldwide because many people love to travel but not everyone can do it,' Peleg expressed.
The young Jewish man stated that he will spend a month in Vietnam with an itinerary covering Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City. He is also impressed by the Vietnamese people for their openness, friendliness, with many willing to help him despite not knowing English. Peleg also enjoys strolling along the beautifully decorated ancient streets during Tet holiday.
'Sapa is incredibly beautiful with its majestic mountains but I felt a bit sad when children demanded 1 USD upon seeing me intending to take a photo,' Peleg expressed.
His Facebook page named Lonely Peleg has over 12,000 followers, where Peleg shares numerous photos and experiences from each journey. He also receives a lot of support from friends for his travels.
Recently, there was a German couple, Alex and Jana, who embarked on a world cycling tour and they made a stop in Vietnam. They provided some comments about the beautiful country.
'Every country has its own unique beauty so it's hard to say which one is more beautiful,' Alex stated. He enjoys cycling in the northern mountains and forests of Vietnam amidst the vast nature. Many Vietnamese people are also very friendly, waving to the couple from afar.
During their visit to Hanoi, they explored many famous landmarks such as Hoan Kiem Lake, West Lake, Hanoi Old Quarter, Temple of Literature... Alex also enjoyed street food in Hanoi and referred to the sidewalk eateries as 'street buffet'.
'I want the journey to continue indefinitely, each country brings me such interesting experiences,' Jana said.
Speaking of cultural differences, Alex remarked that in Europe, people often borrow money for traveling, while in Vietnam, people tend to accumulate personal assets rather than spend money on travel. According to him, Vietnamese youth need to invest more in travel and education rather than personal shopping to experience more and have no regrets in old age.
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MytourFebruary 6, 2014
