Maliha Fairooz stated her first reminiscence of touring was from Bangladesh to London when she was 4 years previous.
“Most children, after they’re on an airplane, they’re crying and throwing tantrums,” she stated. “But not me — I used to be so excited. I bear in mind flying by the clouds, trying down at the sky and pondering ‘I’m principally a chicken.'”
She’s simply as excited to journey now, she stated.
Fairooz has traveled to 102 countries and is more than midway towards her objective of visiting each nation in the world.
But the purpose she received a NomadMania Award in October is that she’s made it this far with a Bangladeshi passport, ranked the eighth worst passport globally in the Henley Passport Index.
The Bangladeshi passport solely permits visa-free entry to 40 countries. In comparability, Singaporeans, who maintain the high passport in the rating, can enter 193 countries with out a visa.
Fairooz has traveled to 102 countries and goals to visit nearly as many more.
Maliha Fairooz
That makes touring a lot tougher, with more pink tape to handle, she stated.
For instance, earlier than Fairooz may apply for a visa to visit Kyrgyzstan, she wanted an official letter of invitation from a journey company in the nation. To get the letter, she had to purchase a journey bundle with a Bangladeshi journey agent first.
Then she waited 5 to six weeks for her visa to be authorised, she stated.
At 16, Fairooz left Bangladesh along with her mom and lived in numerous elements of the world, together with East Africa and the United Kingdom. She now resides in Berlin and works for a human rights and democracy non-governmental group.
Traveling as a girl of coloration
For her, a significant problem she faces whereas touring is the stereotype that Bangladeshis are unlawful immigrants, she stated, mentioning that countries with stronger passports have a tendency to be wealthier, which provides to the mindset that these vacationers are explorers and adventurers.
There are additionally many challenges that solo feminine vacationers endure, Fairooz stated, but it will get even worse when one’s nationality is added to it.
Fairooz received a NomadMania Award in October for being so properly traveled regardless of having a passport that opens few doorways.
Maliha Fairooz
“I’m extraordinarily privileged — in phrases of class, training and financially,” she stated. “In spite of all this stuff, folks still see me as a quantity or a statistic.”
Fairooz stated one of her most traumatic experiences whereas touring was being detained in an airport in the African nation of Cape Verde.
Even although she had the required visas and paperwork to enter, she stated officers did not let her enter after they noticed her passport. According to her account of the incident, the authorities threatened to deport her to Senegal, the place she had come from, regardless that she not had a visa to return.
CNBC reached out to Cape Verde’s tourism authorities but didn’t obtain a response.
“The purpose they gave me was that no person would journey there for simply three or 4 days, regardless that they’re only a small island,” she stated.
Maliha Fairooz in Ghana.
Maliha Fairooz
Fairooz stated she was detained for 17 hours. Officials lastly let her go after her mom, who works for the United Nations, contacted the U.N. workplace there, she stated.
“They gave me a extremely troublesome time,” she added. “I used to be extraordinarily traumatized.”
The nervousness and feeling of being trapped in a cell was a horrifying expertise, Fairooz stated, including that she’s now afraid each time she goes to an airport.
Still price it?
However, unhealthy experiences have not stopped her from touring.
Fairooz stated she believes her optimistic experiences outweigh the damaging.
“There’s simply a lot magnificence and kindness and generosity on this world, and I really feel so privileged to have been in a position to join with so many individuals from so many locations,” she stated.
Maliha Fairooz in Slovenia.
Maliha Fairooz
“I journey when nothing’s taking place in life to make one thing occur in life, and I journey to disconnect from the world,” Fairooz added.
Some folks lower your expenses to purchase a home or a automotive, but not her.
“I receives a commission higher working as an expat than I might be if I lived in Bangladesh,” she stated. “So no matter cash I make, I spend nearly all of it on journey. And it is the greatest.”
Her recommendation for many who need to journey the world? Start someplace.
“The daunting factor we do to ourselves is to set this objective, and from the starting this objective is such a terrifying factor,” Fairooz stated. “But begin someplace small — journey inside your nation alone, journey to close by countries, after which you’ll slowly construct up the braveness to do more.”
“Surround your self with individuals who care about you and who additionally imagine in your objective,” she added. “That might be what retains you going as properly.”