Who is Omar Nok and Why is He Road-Tripping From Egypt to Japan?

Photo: Omar Nok in Kyrgyzstan

When Omar Nok, who hails from Cairo, Egypt, first announced his plans to travel from Egypt to Japan without flying via an Instagram post on February 8th, 2024, he had no more than 1,000 followers. Today, 190 days and over 28,000 kilometres later, Nok’s Instagram boasts well over 500,000 followers—a staggering growth from the 433,000 he had when this interview was conducted—living the nomadic life vicariously through him.

Photo: Omar Nok in Cairo, Egypt, before embarking on his life-changing journey.

Now, armed with both Egyptian and German passports and forsaking airborne travel, Nok is slowly making his way through Asia, documenting his modern-day odyssey through daily vlogs on Instagram, where he shares details of his often arduous trips, unconventional and unexpected stays, and the people he meets along the way.

Photo: ⁠Omar Nok in Cairo, Egypt, before embarking on his life-changing journey.

Since departing from Egypt in February, Nok has journeyed through Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Southern Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. Now in Kyrgyzstan—where he “turned 30 in style,” as he gleefully shared with SceneTraveller—he's been travelling by buses, trucks, ferries, and everything in between.

Omar Nok’s journey has taken him aboard 48-hour trains, seen him bunking with families he had just met, and playing ‘charades’ to communicate with locals who didn't share his language. In less than a year, Nok has lived countless lives, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Though he misses homemade meals with his family, he has no plans to cut this journey short.

But who exactly is Omar Nok, and why did he wake up one day and decide to traverse the world? We caught up with the wanderlusting Egyptian nomad just weeks before he embarks on his most challenging venture yet: crossing the western border of China via a 100-kilometre stretch of no man's land.

Photo: Omar Nok in Saudi Arabia

So before getting into details on this journey, I’d love it if you could tell me more about yourself…

A long story short, I grew up in Nasr City, Cairo. Both my parents were engineers, so for a while I followed that path as well. Didn’t work out, and I ended up studying Finance and Economics at the German University in Cairo. 

After graduating I just knew I wanted to travel, so I kept applying for jobs in Europe. I couldn’t secure a single interview, you wouldn’t imagine the amount of rejections I got. Then one day I got a call from Amazon. I stayed in the Luxembourg office for three and a half years, then relocated to Munich for two. 

During that time I would begin to traverse Europe, weekend trips to Amsterdam, Paris, and London. It was then that I started realising how much I wanted to explore the world, and I was slowly approaching a phase in life where I would have to settle down, so it was now or never. I took a three month sabbatical to sort of test that lifestyle, and went to Bolivia to see my long-distance girlfriend. Three months weren’t enough. I went back to work, gave my notice, and never looked back. That was two and a half years ago. I have no regrets.

Photo: ⁠Omar Nok in Port Sharjah

I think a question on a lot of people’s minds would be, ‘how the h*ll can you afford this?’

Over the years while I was working I would set aside as much money as I could. I was promoted several times, but my lifestyle wouldn’t change, I knew what I was investing in. The other part of the equation is definitely budgeting; taking public transportation, doing things the way locals do, living off street food, and staying in hostels or bunking up with host families. 

Photo: Omar Nok on a ferry to mainland Iran from Qeshm, Iran

But why Egypt to Japan specifically, what made you want to explore that side of the world?

I’d previously spent quite some time in Latin America with AIESEC, and I’d been almost everywhere in Europe. One day I realised I’d never been anywhere East of Egypt, and I decided that would no longer be the case.  

I wanted to go to the furthest place on Earth that I could possibly reach without an airplane, and that was Japan.

Photo: Omar Nok in the Khara desert in Iran

So no airplanes, why?

Simple, so you don’t miss anything. 

Planning something like this is obviously no small feat, how did you prepare for this journey?

I had to mentally prepare myself for being on the road almost all the time. It was a bit scary, there was a bit of uncertainty to certain places I knew I’d be going. 

Photo: Omar Nok in Kazakhstan

I know how it’s like breaking this sort of news to an Egyptian family, it’s tricky, to say the least. How did you let them know about your plans?

Laughs - Well, by that point they’d already gotten used to my shenanigans. But still, I didn’t tell them, I kept it as a last minute surprise. They got used to it eventually. 

Did you have any ‘Oh my God what am I actually doing’ moments?

Oh yes, day two. I went from Cairo to Safaga on my way to Saudi Arabia, and I couldn’t sleep that night. It felt like a leap into the unknown, but my dad said, “Once you make that first step onto the boat, that will all go away,” and it did.

What was the biggest challenge you’d expected to encounter?

Oh the language barriers, definitely, but I’ve surprisingly grown rather capable of make-believe sign language along the way. It’s honestly just a series of hilarious encounters. It’s a game of charades, essentially, trying to communicate with people.

But I have this mindset that’s basically rooted in the knowledge that everything will either be a fun story, or a lesson learnt, and so I find comfort in knowing that everything will end up okay. 

Photo: Omar Nok in the Khara desert in Iran

What’s been the most gratifying aspect of this journey so far? 

One is definitely getting to know all sorts of different people and being so immersed in cultures I’d only ever vaguely heard of. I’d also be remiss not to mention that the support I’ve received from friends, family, and thousands of people online has kept me going. So many people have reached out to me saying I’ve inspired them, and that alone is enough to inspire and motivate me to push forward. 

Photo: Omar Nok in Afghanistan

So what can you briefly tell me about each country you’ve visited so far? 

I did a Umrah in Saudi Arabia, and that was an incredible spiritual experience. The UAE was fun, I was surprised by the amount of foreigners there. Iran and Afghanistan were very hospitable, and they’re actually misunderstood by so many around the world. The architecture in Uzbekistan is perhaps the most incredible I’ve seen. 

Tajikistan stood out to me because of its locals’ colourful attire, the people in Kazakhstan were beyond generous, and Kyrgyzstan's nature is beyond description. I celebrated my 30th birthday there in the mountains, entirely off-grid, and it’s probably going to be my most memorable birthday. 

Photo: Omar Nok in Makkah

What’s next on the itinerary?

I’m going to China through its western border, and that's going to be the most challenging aspect of the journey. It’s a 100-kilometre road through what is essentially no man’s land.  

Photo: Omar Nok aboard a train in Kazakhstan

What advice would you give someone planning to follow in your footsteps?

Well, invest in a good pair of shoes. Nok Laughs. Google translate and maps are your best friends, have a can-do attitude, and just take that first step.  

People often say, "You're living my dream life, but I'm too scared to do it." 

Most people don't take that first step, but it's all you need to get started…

Photo: Omar Nok in Kyrgyzstan