Omar Nok began his journey from his native Egypt to Japan on Feb. 8, 2024.

By any stretch, the more-than 10,000-mile journey would be a tiresome one. But for Nok, who opted to take the trip without traveling by air and without any car of his own, it’s been even more arduous.

“I came up with the idea of doing this journey without flying so I could visit and see as many places and people as I can along the way,” Nok, 30, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.

He continues: “Flying is like a shortcut from one place to another, and I wanted to explore as much as I can on the way, especially [since] I had never traveled in Asia before.”

Omar Nok.
Photo: Omar Nok

Prior to his trip, Nok was working in financial reporting for a European tech company. But his wanderlust eventually took over, prompting him to take a two-and-a-half year sabbatical from his job, in order “to fulfill my dream of exploring and adventuring around the world.”

While he didn’t have a set itinerary, he knew his starting point — Cairo, Egypt — and his final destination: Japan, which he says he settled on due to being so far from home.

“It’s the farthest, allowing me to explore more of the continent since I’m not flying,” Nok tells PEOPLE.

Omar Nok on a camel.
Photo: Omar Nok

Without the ease of airplanes, Nok has relied instead on a number of more unique modes of travel. To cross the Red Sea from Egypt to Saudi Arabia, he took a cargo ship. To cross the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, he went by horseback.

“Also, I hitchhike a lot,” Nok says, adding that one of his more interesting journeys was “on the back of a mini-truck used for transporting livestock.”

“So, I was standing there in the middle of hay, and some other stuff…” he adds.

Omar Nok.
Photo: Omar Nok

Nok shares highlights from his more-than 185-day journey with his 90,000 followers on TikTok.

Along the way, he has visited holy sites in Saudi Arabia, camped in the desert in Iran, mingled with locals in Afghanistan and on a train in Uzbekistan.

In one video, he shares what it’s like waking up in a yurt in Kyrgyzstan before hiking in the mountains. In another, he showcases the scenic views of central Asia.

Some parts of the trip have been long — like a 46-hour train journey in Kazakhstan — and others, more scenic, like when he rode a Mongolian Camel in Turkistan.
Then there are the more traditional modes of transport — like a three-hour taxi he paid just $8 for in Iran.

Omar Nok.
Photo: Omar Nok

Nok tells PEOPLE he now estimates that he’ll arrive in Japan “sometime in October, making the journey about eight months long, give or take.”

As of August, he had already covered some 17,500 miles.

“By the time I finish, I expect the total distance covered to be somewhere around 24,000-27,000 miles,” he says.