Jordanian Travel Blogger Wissam Al-Harsha on His Road Trip Across Russia: “It’s not like It Says on Social Media, and I’ve Seen Only One Bear”

Wissam Al-Harsha, a Jordanian road traveler and travel blogger (Wesam.travel), who has already gained 1.3 million subscribers on YouTube, is known for his large‑scale expeditions to a wide variety of regions around the world, often to remote, extreme, and little‑studied areas. On August 20, 2026, he visited the Moscow headquarters of the World Peoples Assembly, where he gave journalists a detailed account of his impressions of a road trip across Russia.

— Tell us where you’re from and how you became a travel blogger.

— I was born in western Jordan, in the city of Al‑Karak. I used to swim and worked as a lecturer at a local university. And then it just occurred to me that I needed to drop all of that and start traveling. So I left the education sector and became a travel blogger.

First, I tried traveling around the world in the classic way, like an ordinary tourist: flights, hotels. But then I realized there was no point in it; I decided I would travel by car. To do this, I modified my car, which I had been driving for eight years by that time. I set up a kitchen and a sleeping space in it — everything you need for a trip. When people found out about this, they mostly looked at me like I was crazy. Many said I wouldn’t even make it to the border in such a car. But I proved to everyone that you can take your own car, modify it, and go traveling around the world.

— How did you manage to gain more than a million subscribers?

— I prepared for the first route for a month; there was a lot of coverage on social media, so by the time I set off, the whole of Jordan already knew that I was preparing to travel to Europe. Before I set off, I had 70,000 subscribers, and by the time I reached Europe, 700,000 people were following the journey. After I returned, my videos had tens of millions of views.

To those around me, I turned into a walking reference guide. Even people from other countries started writing to me and calling to ask how to start such a project, what challenges there are, and what to expect along the way. Many friends became interested in road trips and asked questions. And I told everyone that, despite the difficulties, it’s worth it — you experience the happiest moments of your life while traveling. You interact with ordinary people, see the diversity of cultural traditions, and observe the most beautiful nature.

— Did you have any concerns about coming to Russia? Did someone write to you in the comments: “Don’t go there, it’s dangerous”?

— Of course, before I set off, I posted about my plans on my blog. And I received a lot of comments dissuading me from taking that route, saying that it is very dangerous. But if you’re a real traveler, you shouldn’t listen to that. You should try to follow the route, see everything for yourself, and show what it’s really like there.

When I informed our embassy in Moscow that I was planning to come, they replied that anyone who has the desire can obtain a visa and travel around Russia. There’s nothing to worry about; everything here is not like it says on social media.

— What country did you enter Russia from? How did you get to Moscow?

— I travelled via Georgia and spent ten hours at the Georgian‑Russian border. There were a lot of cars, but I didn’t complain because I understood that these are difficult times in Russia right now. They checked thoroughly: before letting me into the country, representatives of various services spent four hours talking to me.

Before the trip, I received messages saying: “Don’t go to Russia, because they’ll draft you into the army there. They’ll make you sign a contract and send you to the front.” But when I talked to the border guards, I realized that this wasn’t true at all. And when I traveled around the country, interacted with the people, and felt the good attitude towards me, I wrote to everyone who had warned me that there is nothing to be afraid of here.

No matter what country you visit, you need to behave like a guest and follow all the rules to avoid any violations. You are responsible both for your own behavior and for ensuring that you don’t have anything prohibited. On all my trips, in any country in the world, I comply with local laws, find out in advance what the requirements for visitors are, and follow them all. And I've never been bullied or harassed anywhere.

Of course, when traveling in Russia, I have been checked many times, especially in the south of the country. Both the military and the police were interested in looking at me, at my documents. Checked and released.

In Russia, I met people with whom it was very, very pleasant. However, due to the language barrier, we often could not communicate, but I was very warmly received. Three times I met people who wouldn’t let me leave until they fed me. Many took out their wallets and offered money…

I made it to Moscow safely. And, of course, I was very happy when the embassy told me that no one had ever made such a journey before and that I had the first Jordanian car to arrive in Moscow.

— Do you have a family?

— I communicate with my parents every day. In the morning, as soon as I wake up, we have a video call session that lasts about thirty minutes. I don’t have a wife or children, but even if I get married, I won’t stop — I’ll just get a bigger car. I’ll travel in a motorhome with my family.

— Do you like Russian cuisine?

— I’ll answer this way: when I set out on the road, I decided to lose weight, but in Russia I started gaining weight again. And when I travelled around Europe, I lost 11 kilograms.

— How do you like the roads in Russia? And have you had any memorable moments on the highway? Have you encountered any wild animals, bears?

— Yes, that’s an interesting question. There are places in Russia and settlements where the road isn’t quite what it should be. As I understand it, this is largely due to the climate, to the snow.

I’ve seen only one bear, but it was a cub. And the only wild animals I came across on the highway were moose. 

— You have already traveled to 42 countries. Tell us about your future plans.

— I will move from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and from there to Kazan. Then to the former Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan. And then to Japan via Mongolia and China. I plan to return home only in a year.

Photo archive, photographer — A. Burmeister.

Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly and at media@world-assembly.org.