Globe-trotting adventurer Rasha Yousif has reached her final destination – and 195th visited – after setting out on a quest to become the first Bahraini to set foot in every country in the world.
She started her remarkable quest in 2012 and after reaching Yemen told the GDN yesterday she was ‘overwhelmed with emotions’ as she waved the kingdom’s flag for all to see.
The 42-year-old quit her day job in banking and set out on a global voyage to ‘inspire other hijab-wearing women’ to overcome their fears and discover the world’s hidden gems.
“It doesn’t feel real that I actually completed this journey, and I am happy that I never gave up, as to me, giving up was never an option,” she said.
“I landed in Yemen on Tuesday, but I wanted to soak everything up, and celebrate for a couple of days on my own, before I announced it to the world.
“This all started in 2012 when I took my first solo trip to Zanzibar, which is what inspired me to set out on this mission of visiting every country in the world.
“To look back on my journey and realise what I have experienced is truly amazing.”
The determined Bahraini, who has a Bachelor’s degree in banking in finance and a Masters in finance, revealed that despite occasional family trips to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, she had always had a desire to travel more to learn about different cultures, religions and traditions.
“It was once I started earning my own income that I became determined to set off on this challenge,” she explained.
“I spent years saving and planning, in between trips, and once I felt comfortable with my preparations, I resigned from my job as a senior portfolio manager in the investment field right before Covid-19 (2019),” she said, adding that while she was working, she had managed to notch 70 countries on her global list of destinations.
“During my journey, I also started my own company (Qaflh), taking people on group trips, which became another source of income that I relied on.”
Ms Yousif, who grew up in Muharraq, admitted that her biggest challenge was applying for visas.
“A Bahraini passport requires a visa for many countries, so applying for them was my biggest hassle. Luckily, the process became easier with each country I travelled to,” she said, admitting that Paraguay was the most difficult visa to obtain, taking her a year for ‘unknown reasons’.
According to the latest Henley Passport Index, Bahrain’s passport enables holders to travel to 87 visa-free destinations. The kingdom is ranked at 57 in the latest index (2024), compared to 63 last year and 62 in 2022.
Through the highs and lows, the entrepreneur believes the most important lesson she has taken from her travels was to get to know people from other backgrounds well and share their true stories.
“We see a lot of violence and wars splashed on news channels and social media which can affect the way a person thinks about a country and its people, without even visiting it,” she said, adding that she took it as a privilege to be a tourist in every country.
“For example, when I was in Afghanistan, the locals truly treated me so well and invited me to learn about their culture and life with open arms, which I appreciated so much.”
Although the idea of solo travel can be daunting, especially as a woman, Ms Yousif, admitted that she hopes more hijab-wearing, confident Muslim women will take on the challenge of solo travelling, as she believes it opens ‘you up to a range of amazing opportunities’.
“One of the main reasons I wanted to travel was to show other Muslim women that they, too, can accomplish great things. I also want to show them that the hijab is not a barrier.”
Ms Yousif also stressed the importance of women using their ‘common sense’ and carefully planning their journeys ahead of time.
“Even though I quit my job, I had numerous streams of revenue that set me up for my trip. Also, your first solo trip shouldn’t be to a destination that is difficult to get to. You should start off easy and work your way up to more challenging destinations,” she added.
She also advised first-time solo travellers to visit a country where they understand the language, have access to the Internet and a guide or a friend who can show them around the area.
“Once you have solo travelled to many countries, you can loosen up some of the planning as you get more comfortable, but in the beginning it’s better to be safe than sorry,” she advised.
Her favourite place, apart from her homeland of course, is Kenya. The East African country with coastline on the Indian Ocean, encompasses savannah, lakelands, the dramatic Great Rift Valley and mountain highlands. It’s also home to wildlife like lions, elephants and rhinos. In true diplomatic fashion, she declined to name her least favourite.
Looking to the future, she plans to return to some of the places she didn’t get to spend much time in. She also is looking forward to ‘sleep, stability and family time’.
- For more information on Ms Yousif’s journey and her next travel experiences, follow @Rshrsho or @qaflh on Instagram.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))