Khalid Said Al Anqoodi, who calls himself an Omani adventurer and traveller, has climbed eight peaks since he first climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro (5895m), the highest mountain in Africa, in 2013. He has since climbed Mt. Abu (3000m) in the Philippines, Mt. Fuji (3776m) in Japan, Everest Base (5364m) and Mt. Kala Patthar (5644m) in Nepal, Mt. Toubkal (4467m – the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and North of Africa) in Morocco, and, early this year, Mt. Cheget (3000m) and Pastukhov Rocks (4700m) in Russia. He has also travelled to 65 countries around the world!
In addition to the Gulf countries, he has travelled to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Philippines, Japan, Yemen, Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Malta, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia, Morocco, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, UK, France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Lechstain, Russia…
His passion for travel is basically attributable to his love for nature and a desire to care for underprivileged people. “I wouldn’t mind if I had to spend the rest of my life with them”, he maintains.
He relies on social media posts to keep tabs on destinations that could fit into his travel plan. For travel, to him, is all about seeking oneness in diversity. “I see myself as a new person after I mingle with different people…” he maintains.
Asked about his best and worst travel experiences, he lists Switzerland as his best. “I was with my Swiss friends at dawn every day, grazing and bringing a herd of cows from pastures to barns and then taking milk to make cheese,” he reminisces, pleasantly, while pointing out that his worst was in the African continent when he contracted malaria. He had to cancel his plans of visiting Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Togo and Ghana. He recommends, Switzerland and Bosnia for all wannabe travellers –“Switzerland is a nice and safe country; Bosnia has greenery and friendly people,” he adds.
He attributes his physical fitness to his travels. This is reflective in his mental and spiritual growth too. Every aspect of travel is a learning experience he maintains, pointing out that the simple act of changing shoes, owing to wear and tear during the travel, is a learning experience.
And for all those who give ‘too expensive’ excuse for dodging travel, he has this advice: “Work things according to your budget: buy tickets when the price is low, choose more affordable accommodation options, and before travelling to any country, read and check about it to see if it fits your budget.”
He calls himself a traveller who moves from country to country; but, not surprisingly, they are not random destinations. “Some I would have planned two years before actually taking the trips and some I would have chosen randomly,” he muses.
