Bahraini globetrotter Rasha Yousif visits 195 countries

Travelling to every country in the world may sound exciting, but achieving it in reality is far more difficult. Such a journey requires extensive planning, money, visas, time and the ability to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings. Bahrain's Rasha Yousif has taken on that challenge. Combining travel with photography, she has travelled to different parts of the world.

According to her account, she has travelled 195 countries. But the distinctive aspect of Rasha's travel story is not only the number of countries she has visited. Another visible part of her long journey is the hijab. For Rasha, the hijab is not merely clothing; it is part of her identity, values and the way she presents herself to the world. As she travelled through different countries and cultures, she saw the hijab taking different forms.

Writing about her travel experiences, Rasha said, "My hijab influences how I move through the world, how I present myself and what I stand for. After travelling to 195 countries, I have also seen how differently women wear the hijab across cultures. Its style may vary from one culture to another, but what remains unchanged is the woman herself who wears the hijab."

Rasha Yousif poses for a photo in front of the historic 15th-century Inca citadel of Machu Picchu located in the Andes of Peru. Photo: Nomad Mania

The picture of women's strength that she has witnessed while travelling across different parts of the world also bears special meaning for her. She further wrote, "I have seen women working in the intense heat while wearing hijab, carrying children and doing physical work that would leave most people exhausted. Whether they wear hijab or not, women are strong. And wherever I have travelled, I have found no evidence to the contrary."

In Rasha's view, therefore, the hijab is not a symbol of limitation. Rather, it is an identity that has accompanied her journey. Travelling from one end of the world to another, she has seen clothing styles change, cultures change and people's ways of life change, but women's strength and ability do not depend on any particular form of clothing.

From camera to world travel

Photography is closely intertwined with Rasha's travel story. She received her first camera while travelling to New York, Chicago and Washington, DC, in the United States as part of an international youth exchange programme. That camera later became one of her main means of seeing the world.

In an interview with Al Wasat in Bahrain in 2016, Rasha said her interest in travelling grew as she took part in various photography workshops and training programmes. She began to realise that the world could be seen not only through the eyes of a tourist but also through those of a photographer. Gradually, one country was followed by another. New people, new cultures and new stories all found a place in her camera.

In October 2024, Bahrain's Biz Bahrain described Rasha as the first Bahraini to travel to every country in the world. The report referred to her 12-year travel journey. The final stage of the long journey was not easy either. Facing financial limitations, she had to seek support from her online community. She also raised money for travel by selling prints of photographs she had taken. In other words, Rasha's world travel was not simply a story of airline tickets, hotels and passports. It also involved planning, struggle, financial difficulties and an unwavering belief in her dream.

Globetrotter Rasha Yousif is all smiles exploring a colorful street during her global travels. Photo: Nomad Mania

Seeing people alongside the world

For Rasha, travelling does not mean simply visiting famous landmarks in a new country. As a photographer, she has tried to observe people's lives, cultures and everyday experiences. She has also spoken with people in different countries. Their curiosity about the hijab, in particular, has often given her an opportunity to talk about her own culture and identity. This is what gives her travels another dimension. She has travelled around the world while also observing its people.

A story bigger than the numbers

Different sources give different figures for the number of countries Rasha Yousif has visited. In one of her own writings from 2026, she mentioned 195 countries. In a subsequent interview, however, she referred to a higher number. Therefore, before reaching a final conclusion about her current total, it is safest to confirm the figure directly with her. The difference in the numbers, however, does not diminish the significance of her achievement.

Whether the figure is 195 or the higher number she mentioned later, it represents years of travel, countless border crossings, encounters with people from different cultures and the courage to see the world while carrying her own identity with her. Rasha's story is therefore not simply the story of a traveller.

It is the story of a woman discovering the world while carrying her identity with her. On this journey, the hijab has not been a barrier for her; rather, it has travelled with her as part of her identity. However large the world may be, if a dream is even bigger, it is possible to find a way forward.