Tom Robbins February 28, 2010

Holiday snaps from the world’s most travelled man

Travel obsessive Charles Veley is on a mission to visit everywhere on earth. He's currently at 806 countries, and counting

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Bali, Indonesia — Bali, Indonesia: Veley grew up in Brooklyn and didn’t leave the United States until he was 18. 'Money was tight and we never had holidays so I used to fantasise about life on the road,' he said
Photograph: Charles Veley Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Dubai — Burj-Al-Arab, Dubai: He was sponsored through his computer science degree at Harvard by the Officer Training Corps of the US Air Force, but after topping his year as a trainnee fighter pilot, he was abruptly dropped when a medical discovered a scar on his retina. Instead, he took a flight to the UK and caught the travelling bug Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Mogadishu, Somalia — Mogadishu, Somalia: Trials during his epic journeys have ranged from his canoe capsizing among hippos in the Zambezi to a tree frog urinating on his forehead in Tortuguero. He rates Virgin and Singapore Airlines as the best airlines, Somalia’s Daallo was his least favourite Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Rio de Janiero, Brazil — Rio de Janiero, Brazil: Back in the US, Veley set up a software company called MicroStrategy, which later floated on the Nasdaq. Its share price peaked at $333 – and he had 500,000 shares Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Peter I Island near Antarctica — Peter I Island near Antarctica: Veley used his new-found wealth to fund his extensive travelling, setting out in 2000 for a year-long round-the-world trip with his wife Kimberley
Photograph: Charles Veley Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Charles Veley: Charles Veley at Machu Pichu, Peru — Machu Pichu, Peru: MicroStrategy’s share price went up and down, Veley kept travelling, on average managing to visit about 100 new countries per year, until his first child was born in 2004 Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in The South Pole — The South Pole: Clocking up new territories is easier in some parts of the world than others. In 2003 Veley visited the South Pole, and was able to put a foot into the territories of six countries (which all intersect there) without moving Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Agra, India — Taj Mahal, Agra, India: Veley says his obsession is 'an investment in life experience'. 'Whenever I meet anyone, no matter where they are from, I can always relate to them.'
Photograph: Charles Veley Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Kathmandu, Nepal — Kathmandu, Nepal: Now the father of three children, he says family rather than travel is his priority, but he still maintains a hectic schedule, commuting between the world’s far flung outposts and his home in San Francisco Photograph: Charles Veley

Charles Veley: Charles Veley in Munich, Germany — Munich, Germany: Though only 65 'countries' remain to visit, Veley says he doubts whether he – or anyone else – will ever complete the full list. Border disputes and arguments over what constitutes a country mean the list is not fixed for long. 'We are always adding new places,' he says
Photograph: Charles Veley Photograph: guardian.co.uk

Leave a Comment Cancel comment