A ‘danger tourist’ has travelled to some of the world’s most perilous countries, including Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine.
Callum Mills, 32, is a thrill-seeker from Coatbridge in Scotland relishes visiting locations with heightened risk factors such as active war zones or areas of political instability.
His daring travels have led him to encounters with drug lords, the Taliban, and even dining with gang members in Brazil. He’s stood in Saddam Hussein’s Palace, seen an original Banksy mural in the West Bank in Palestine, and visited Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
He even met Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto Escobar, during a trip to Medellin, Colombia. Now, Callum is planning his next adrenaline-fuelled adventure — to North Korea.
His fascination with danger tourism began after exploring Egypt’s most obscure places during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Callum insists it’s not just about the danger; his trips are about connecting with different cultures and meeting new people.
He said: “It is hard for people to understand this — it does become an addiction you seek the adventure and that feeling of being on edge. Their representation is always negative — I wanted to go there and connect with people locally. I like to roam about and see what happens. I would always buy a one day flight. I like to get to the more obscure places that are not touristy. I’ve been asked this many times — about how I get to see some of the things that I do. I always say, ‘I just speak to people’.
“There have been incredible people who I’ve spoken to, with some people teaching me a lot about things. Getting to visit all these countries, people and areas has delivered a better education than school ever did.”
Callum, also known as Callum Abroad on YouTube, found himself riding the waves of adventure when his nursing degree at the University of the West of Scotland was disrupted by the pandemic. As classes were cancelled, he felt confined and restless, prompting him to seek an escape.
He revealed: “The longer I spent at home the more restless I became … The only flight I could take was Cairo in Egypt – and I never looked back I just kept doing.”
Cairo wasn’t an initial pull for him; the pyramids weren’t the draw. He added: “It wasn’t because I had a keen interest in Cairo. I wanted to see something a bit different – not just the pyramids.” Callum’s curiosity led him to “Garbage City,” a place colloquially named by the locals.
It’s an unusual choice and comes with cautionary advice, as he pointed out: “I decided to go to ‘Garbage City’ as the locals call it. It didn’t go well with the locals — I was told I was going to be attacked.”
This unique experience involved witnessing the local community collecting city garbage and then sorting it, which Callum found fascinating. After his initial adventures began at the age of 28, university became a chapter of the past.
Travel transformed into his life’s curriculum as he noted: “I found it pretty interesting — they go round the city and collect all the garbage before taking it back to their community to be sorted.”
The more he voyaged, the more his story captivated others, ensuring he never returned to his formal studies. He then packed his bags and jetted off to Syria, driven by a desire to “show people what the world is really like.”
His journey quickly made headlines when he shared a video revealing the reality of crossing into Syria. He revealed: “My social media went crazy. I was being wanted because I exposed what it was like to enter the borders – where you had to pay soldiers to enter the borders.”
Despite this, Callum thoroughly enjoyed his time in Syria, praising the locals as “fantastic”.
“People think it is a complete war zone. But once you get there people are really nice,” he added. “The media and the West forget sometimes that people in these countries are just ordinary people.”
Pakistan was next on his travel list, a country he’s now visited six times and considers his favourite destination.
He admitted that he understands why some might feel “intimidated” in Pakistan. “Both of my arms are filled with tattoos — but people just look at you because they are curious,” he said. “I go to a lot of weddings there — it is countless the number of weddings I go to.”
Alongside travelling for personal fulfilment, Callum documents most of his adventures on his YouTube channel. After encounters with drug gangs in Barcelona and Bogota, he flew to Medellin, where he met Roberto Escobar, brother of infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar.
He recalled: “I chatted with him while his wife translating what I was saying. We got a picture together. I don’t tend to plan things in my travels — I just plan things as I go. That’s the beauty of it.
“I could hear the bombs dropping off behind me when I got to Kherson. There was a time I had to take a second because I felt very emotional. A lot of people said they are prepared to die in Odesa. They don’t think the Russians will stop until they get Odesa – that was a common theme I was getting from people. I just wish the war would stop killing each other — the level of devastation is bad.
“The bomb sirens were going off doing the day and the night – when the siren goes off people don’t panic. I think it has got to the point where it is numb to them.”
His adventures took a tense turn in Afghanistan, where he recounted: “I took the land border from Pakistan – it is very strict and it is a bit hectic there is a lot of screaming and shouting … The Taliban came up for me and I remember I was a bit nervous and only of them spoke English and the other didn’t. I was making small talk with them.
“In Afghanistan it was my first interaction with the Taliban. They were asking me where I was from, asking if I was in the military or my family. Asked if I was Muslim and then they shook my hand.”
In Colombia’s notorious Bogota’s Bronx, he encountered gang members who shared their stories. This happened while he was next to a crocodile, with the gang members claiming they would use the reptile to bite off the limbs of rival gang members if caught.
The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to North Korea, but Callum is itching to go. The country has been under the rule of the Kim family since 1948 and has faced widespread condemnation for human rights abuses.
Callum stated: “I am prepared for any backlash I get and I want to see it with my own eyes. Nobody in the West was allowed in for five years. I wanna see the capital. It’s a chance to speak to a North Korean — it would be great if I could do it.
“I understand that it will be a challenge and I can take that on board – I am aware of the hardships people in North Korea face. I know some people might think that it’s wrong to travel to North Korea however as someone who’s got a desire to travel and see the world, I would hope people can understand that.
“It’s like when a car has a bump on the motorway, people tend to slow down and look because they are curious.”
However, Callum admits he doubts this will be possible in North Korea due to the strict guided nature of the tours. During a candid interview, he expressed his thoughts on foreign travel, he stated: “I think when you go to these countries you have to follow the rules. Don’t go and break the rules in these countries.
“As long as I conduct myself in a proper manner I am pretty confident. It’d be good to have the human perspective and see it with my own eyes.”
The government warns that despite everyday life in Pyongyang seeming normal, the atmosphere on the Korean Peninsula can be unpredictable, often without forewarning. This unpredictability, according to the Foreign Office, could put British nationals at considerable risk. Details of his adventures are available over at YouTube on Callum Abroad or via his Twitter handle, @CallumAbroad.
