Barry Hoffner is a man who belongs to the world.
An investment banker-turned-philanthropist, Hoffner set out to explore the world — every country except North Korea, which he plans to visit later this year, that is — after his wife died in 2017.
Determined to be deepened, rather than defined by his loss, Hoffner set out to visit all 193 countries in the pursuit of reflection and human connection.
“I’d been well-traveled before, but during COVID, I decided I was going to travel to every country. Once I made that decision and started doing it, things changed a lot for me,” Hoffner told The Post.
He shared that in the wake of his grief, the intention for his travels has evolved.
“It shifted from adventure to learning over the course of this journey, really seeking out people’s stories, because those stories make you feel closer to this magnificence of the Earth,” he said.
Hoffner has documented his worldly wandering in the book “Belonging to the World: A Journey from Grief to Connection in Every Country on Earth,” where he shares a few highlights from his treks, including some surprising standouts.
Of the countless roads he’s traveled, Hoffner counts Pakistan’s Karakoram Highway as the most stunning stretch for a road trip.
Comprising part of the old Silk Road trade route, the 800-mile drive offers views of soaring mountain peaks such as K2 (the second-highest mountain in the world), massive glaciers such as the Baltoro, and sprawling rivers such as the Indus.
At 15,397 feet, the Karakoram ranks as the highest paved international road in the world.
Hoffner, who was traveling with his college best friend and a guide in a beat-up Toyota sedan, began the trip in the Hunza Valley and wound his way to the end of the road in Islamabad.
“It’s just incredible terrain, so beautiful,” he told The Post.
Hoffner shared that part of the magic of those miles lies in their unpredictability.
“A number of times, part of the highway caved in, and we had to wait hours for military backhoes to clear the road. You’re never in danger, but you’re not really sure how long it’s going to take or what’s going to happen along the way,” he continued.
“One of the greatest road trips ever, no question about it.”
An avid coffee drinker, Hoffner carries Starbucks instant packets when he’s traveling, just in case he’s somewhere too remote or awake too early to find a local source.
However, in Sudan, Hoffman found the fabled perfect cup.
“We were in this conflict country, and we weren’t allowed complete freedom of movement, so I spent a lot of time in little roadside coffee places,” he told The Post. “The first time, I just ordered a coffee, and it had this funny taste. They brew it with ginger powder, and it’s delicious.”
Hoffner spent his 63rd birthday in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where his local guide, Fadi, brought him to his home for a celebratory feast.
“Bowls and platters to no end: lentil soup, baba ghanous, fattoush salad, kibbeh, labneh, and muhammara,” Hoffner recounted in his book.
According to him, Syria just edges out Lebanon for the best food in the world.
Of all the sights Hoffner has had the privilege to see, he recalls the far west of Mongolia as the most beautiful and unspoiled landscape on any continent.
“The valleys unfolded like a vibrant tapestry of raw nature: shimmering rivers and pristine lakes…The rugged mountains were alive with bright patterns of colorful midsummer wildflowers in bloom,” he writes in “Belonging to the World.”
“I imagined this untouched land looked much as it might have centuries ago, when Genghis Khan and his Mongol armies swept west across the steppe.”
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