This guy visited every country in the world before turning 40

Saturday 29 July 2017 10:17 BST

(Gunnar Garfors )

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In 2008, Gunnar Garfors had visited 85 countries.

It was then that he decided to make it his mission to travel to every single country in the world — 198, to be exact.

He accomplished his goal on May 8, 2013, earning him the title of the youngest person to travel to every country. He was 37 years old.

He has since written a book called "198: How I Ran Out Of Countries," and created a website dedicated to his travels.

Garfors — who works at the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) — managed to keep his job throughout his travels; he never wanted to quit.

Instead he wanted to combine a job he has always enjoyed with travel, his greatest passion in life.

Garfor sent us the best photos from his journey around the world.

This picture of an old man was taken in Herat, Afghanistan.

According to Garfors, "penguins in their real environment are a must-see. They are incredible swimmers and posers."

While in Benin, a French-speaking country on Africa's west coast, Garfors tried several types of Obama beer — none of which he liked —and sampled some delicious street food.

Archery competitions are common among locals in Bhutan. Garfors says the archers shoot at targets over 100 meters away.

While in Peru, Garfors visited the ruins of Machu Picchu.

Here Garfors enjoys a beer with a local police officers and cassette-tape salesman in N'Djamena, the capital and largest city in Chad.

Garfors received a warm welcome in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

While in Congo, Garfors was able to capture this photo of a mother with her seven children.

Garfors had one thing to say about the Faroe Islands, an archipelago that lies between Norway and Iceland: "What are you waiting for? Just visit Faroe Islands."

In the words of Garfors, "Who needs a flashy car when you can travel?" This was taken on the way to one of Norway's best surfing spots.

This picture shows a scene that's common in Greece: men playing chess in a coffee shop.

Garfors says this onlooker in Kerala, India, was anything but impressed by his boating skills.

In Jordan, Garfors made it to Petra, a breathtaking archaeological city in the south of the country.

Neda, a girl Garfors met in Iran, wanted to marry him. He declined but agreed to have their photo taken dressed up as a royal couple.

It's not unusual for children in Yemen to start smoking hookah and chewing khat — a flowering plant native to the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula — at a very early age.

Garfors referred to Kiribati, an island republic in the central Pacific, as a "proper Pacific paradise."

Garfors set a Guinness World Record after visiting five continents in one day in 2012 with travel companion Adrian Butterworth.

Garfors broke another world record when he visited 19 countries in Europe in under 24 hours. Here he poses with his travel companions.

Garfors enjoyed a typical seafood meal while in Zambia.

While in Bhutan, Garfors enjoyed great views of the Paro Taktsang, a cliffside Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas.

Garfors visited a small school when he was in Somalia. Most children attending the school hadn't seen foreigners before, so they all wanted to touch Garfors to make sure he was real.

While in Artush, a tiny mountain village in Tajikistan, located in Central Asia, Garfors stayed at the home of a local teacher.

Garfors was lucky enough to be able to see the blowholes in Tonga. He says the waves push water through small tunnels, creating geyser effects on land.

Garfors says that he had most of the beaches he visited in Tonga to himself.

The burning fire makes for beautiful lighting.

This was Garfors' stash of cash and credit cards he used during his travels through Uzbekistan.

He made friends with a few animals while in Uzbekistan.

Here, he tries out some local transportation in the country: a donkey.

Garfors visited Chile with his girlfriend at the time, who is originally from the country. Here he is in Vina del Mar after receiving a royal welcome from his girlfriend's family.