MACTAN, Cebu— At exactly 3:35 p.m. on January 13, 2025, Kach Medina Umandap, a 36-year-old UAE-based OFW and Digital Nomad landed at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) as her final landing pad to conclude her incredible global journey as the first and youngest Filipina to travel around the world and visited all 195 United Nations-recognized countries using only a Philippine passport.
MCIA officials led by Aldwin Uy, deputy chief operations officer, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp. welcome Kach with the Cebu media in a press conference today. Her milestone is made even more meaningful as she has chosen Cebu as her final landing pad, a testament to MCIA’s role as the gateway to the world and a symbol of Filipino pride.
“I want Filipinos to know that traveling the world is possible, even with a low-index passport. Whether through a Digital Nomad lifestyle or careful planning alongside a traditional job, it’s an achievable dream,” Umandap said, encouraging others to follow in her footsteps.
Kach said that her extraordinary journey concluded on January 7, 2025, at 12:47 AM PST in Port Sudan, Africa arriving via Ethiopian Airlines and this marked a significant milestone for Filipinos in global travel.
She added that standing at Sudan Airport, having set foot in all 195 countries, is a testament to the power of dreams and perseverance. This journey was never just about counting countries—it was about building connections, embracing diverse cultures, and celebrating the shared humanity that binds all people in the world.
Umandap joins the Elite UN Masters, empowers Filipinos to explore the world
Kach joins the ranks of the prestigious UN Masters, an elite group of fewer than 500 travelers worldwide recognized by NomadMania.com for visiting all UN-recognized countries. Notably, she follows in the footsteps of Filipina-Americans Luisa Yu and Odette Ricasa, carving her own path as the first to achieve the feat using only a Philippine passport.
Kach’s global journey began in 2013 when she left a corporate career in Kuwait and Iraq to embark on a backpacking trip across Southeast Asia with her siblings. Teaching English in Vietnam deepened her love for cultural immersion, leading her to adopt a Digital Nomad lifestyle and live in various countries.
In 2024 alone, she visited 26 African nations,
culminating in her historic journey around the world. She now splits her time
living in Dubai, Laguna, and Palawan. She
is currently based in Dubai where she empowers fellow Filipinos to explore the world
through her initiatives, offering practical travel advice and simplifying visa
and relocation processes via FilipinoPassport.com.
Kach is also the founder of TwoMonkeysTravelGroup.com, a popular travel blog, and TravelWithKach.com, a group travel company focusing on unique and off-the-beaten-path destinations. Her inspiring journey has been featured in Forbes, TIME.com, and other global media outlets.
Kach has also collaborated with global brands, tourism boards, and airlines to bring her travel dreams to life. Her work has earned her multiple travel blogging awards and speaking engagements at international tourism events.
Her story exemplifies how determination and careful planning can turn even the most ambitious dreams into reality. “Visualize your dreams, set them as goals, and take the steps to make them happen. To my fellow Filipinos and travelers—you can create the life you want while achieving your goals,” Kach added.
Kach encourages Remote Work and Travel as she shared her experience as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) and her desire to promote remote work among Filipinos. She aims to teach high school and college students the skills needed to work online and travel within the Philippines, and hopes to inspire more Filipinos to become digital nomads and explore international opportunities.
At the press conference, Kach stresses the importance of changing the perception that Filipinos are limited by their passports, promoting the idea that they can earn money online and manage their finances independently. She stresses the importance of changing the perception that Filipinos are limited by their passports, promoting the idea that they can earn money online and manage their finances independently.
Kach bares her entrepreneurial goals and travel aspirations as she wants to visit every province in the Philippines after completing visits to every country in the world. Her travel agency and several websites, including FilipinoPassport.com can help Filipinos obtain visas for various countries.
“I want to help fellow Filipino travelers to obtain visas because there are many challenges in obtaining visas for countries without embassies in the Philippines, such as the Bahamas and other off-beaten path destinations like North Korea and Antarctica,” Kach said.
Kach also wants to promote the Philippines and Digital Nomadism as she emphasizes the importance of Filipinos appreciating their own country more by traveling abroad and then returning with new perspectives.
She expresses a desire to travel with their 83-year-old grandmother, reflecting on their past adventures and the joy of sharing future travels with a loved one.
She is also excited about starting a Philippine tour next year, aiming to visit every province and promote local tourism and plans to teach digital nomadism, encouraging Filipinos to work remotely and travel internationally. Kach highlights the potential of becoming a digital nomad and the financial benefits of earning dollars from abroad, rather than sending money from overseas.
Challenges
and unforgettable experience during her travels
Kach describes a challenging journey from Djibouti to Somalia by land, encountering wild camels and uncertainty. She also mentions traveling the longest train in Mauritania and living on a sailboat from Miami to Puerto Rico for two years with her two cats. She also details solo travel along the Silk Road, a car accident in Pakistan, and visiting Turkmenistan and North Korea, highlighting the strict regulations and the necessity of group travel.
Her travel to Sudan and other countries where conflicts and war exist. Sudan, which had been closed to tourism for two years due to civil war, had only recently reopened its doors by resuming the issuance of tourist visas. Kach visit makes her one of the first travelers to explore Port Sudan, a designated safe zone, during its early steps toward tourism recovery.
The challenging journey from Djibouti to Somalia, highlighting the lack of money and the necessity to travel by land and crossing borders, including encounters with wild camels and the uncertainty of survival. She mentions trying the iron ore train in Mauritania, which she found exciting.
Kach also shares a significant incident on the Silk Road in Pakistan, where she had a major car accident and the solo journey along the Silk Road, including visits to Turkmenistan and North Korea where strict regulations are imposed.
“I prefer to take the train in North Korea dur
to the exciting countryside views, in contrast with the option to fly. Taking long rides at the countryside
including that of coordinating the logistics of the trip such transportation
and accommodations,” Kach shared. (Photos: MBCNewman & Kach Medina Umandap)
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