site.btaTraveller Yuri Boyanin: I Wanted to Visit Every Country to Find the Ideal Place to Live, but It Might Not Exist

Historian and travel company owner, Bulgarian Yuri Boyanin has taken on the mission of travelling to every country in the world in search of the perfect place to live. So far, he’s made it to every country, except one, reports Sanus Et Salvus, the health and culture website for Bulgarians in Austria.

"North Korea is the only one left, and it's still closed. Don’t ask me how many countries there are - I’ve stopped counting. I’ve been to them all, except that one," Boyanin says. He admits regretting not visiting when he had the chance in 2012: "I was too young then, and South Korea seemed more interesting. I also had a confirmed tour in February 2020, but missed it by a day or two. Ironically, had I gone, I probably would have gotten stuck there when the country closed due to the COVID pandemic - and I might still be locked in! So in the end, I don’t regret it."

Yury says he can strike up a conversation with almost anyone in the world by telling stories from their country. But the search for paradise has yielded an unexpected conclusion: "The idea was to find the ideal place to live. But it turns out it probably doesn’t exist."

“Maybe Kyrgyzstan, maybe the Azores – but nowhere is perfect”

Asked whether he feels most at home in Kyrgyzstan, where he currently resides, Boyanin reflects with mixed feelings: “Kyrgyzstan was close to my heart about 5–10 years ago. The mountains are stunning: raw, beautiful. The yogurt is still actually sour. The food is delicious. But something changed, I don’t know if it’s Kyrgyzstan or us.” A historian specializing in Central Asia, Boyanin notes that Kyrgyzstan used to be the freest country in the region “at one point, even freer than Bulgaria!” - but says that time has passed. “People have become anxious, selfish. And the political situation worries me.”

He and his wife also fell in love with the Azores: “The nature is otherworldly. But the constant rain, humidity, and active volcanoes make us hesitant to move there.”

On retirement, apples, and writing

What will he do when he grows old? “I’ll probably become a farmer,” he says. “Read even more books - I already read hundreds every year - maybe finally write one myself. And I’ll make cider. That’s actually one of the reasons I fell in love with Kyrgyzstan: the apples. The Tien Shan mountains are the birthplace of apples. We still have an apple orchard there.”

The roots of wanderlust

Boyanin traces his passion for travel to childhood. “My parents played a big role. I was only 28 days old when we took our first trip to the Black Sea - a long, hot drive from Sofia to Durankulak in August. I got used to being in a car, sleeping in new places.”

Though his mother preferred staying in one city for two weeks, meticulously visiting every museum, his father was more adventurous: “We crossed Japan twice, explored Mongolia, Siberia, even Africa together. He saw many countries, and I’m grateful I got to show him so much of the world. Sadly, he passed away before meeting his grandson.”

And his son? “He’s a year and a half old and has already visited 21 countries, taken over 50 flights. It took me years to cross the equator and the polar circle - he did both in his first three months. I’m more curious about the role we’ll play in sparking his love of travel.”

On Bulgaria, with curiosity and pride

Boyanin views his home country with a mix of wonder and critical affection. “Bulgaria has strengths and weaknesses. In terms of natural beauty, I’d place it around 40th in the world - behind many countries in South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe, but ahead of many others.”

“I’ve explored everything in Bulgaria, every village and backwater. Maybe I’ve missed only a few spots, mostly around the northern Black Sea coast, where I grew up. I’m proud to be Bulgarian when I travel. Most people respond positively except in a few Western European countries, where they are surprised I’m not Dutch, for example. But in Africa, South America, Asia, even North America and Australia, people are happy to meet a Bulgarian.”

He was especially moved during visits to Bulgarian communities in Ukraine and Moldova. “There, I ate the best Bulgarian food I’ve ever had - except for what my grandmother cooked when I was little.”

How has travel changed him? “First, I became more curious. Then I became calmer. I’m not in a rush anymore. I’ve achieved my dream and now I just enjoy life.”

He finds amusement in online comments like, “He was only in that country for two days, and thinks he knows it?” “You can see more in two days than in two months, if you know what you’re looking for. Otherwise, neither timeframe turns a tourist into a local.”

“In some places, two hours is enough. And if I find something truly interesting, I always come back. That’s how I fell in love with so many countries. And yes, you can definitely see more in two days than by not travelling at all.”

Today, Boyanin continues working in tourism, organizing exclusive tours, mostly for American travellers, to lesser-known corners of the world. “Small groups, good hotels, places few tourists visit. I try to convince them that the world isn’t dangerous - or at least not more dangerous than their own country. So far, it’s working.”