An intrepid world traveller, who has visited all 195 countries in the world, has returned to a war-torn state widely regarded as the most dangerous place to visit. YouTuber Drew Binsky travelled to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, East Africa, where he says there are “no rules” in the densely-populated city, which is routinely patrolled by heavily-armed gunmen.

While recording a segment for his channel on Mogadishu’s picturesque Lido Beach, he describes how guns are everywhere: “There are so many AK-47s around me, I’m not joking you when I say this. 

“There’s six guys on that side of the beach, there’s a pocket of six guys right there on the ground, there’s a dude walking towards me in a blue shirt. I feel like I’m just going to be stuck in crossfire. 

“All eyes are on me right now and we should probably get the f*** out of here. The longer we stay here, the more attention we get.”

It’s a wise precaution, as in August 2024, the Al Qaeda-affiliated terror group Al-Shabaab carried out a deadly attack on the beach that left 56 dead and over 200 injured. 

In the UK, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advises against all travel to Somalia.

But the people Drew meets on the beach insist that the worst of the danger is in the past, and that “everyone should come to Mogadishu.”

Dozens can be seen enjoying themselves, with young men playing football and many women in full traditional Islamic dress paddling in the crystal-clear waters while surrounded by AK-47-toting men.

The well-travelled Arizona teacher describes Mogadishu as “one of the most intense places I’ve ever been,” saying it’s “scary and unpredictable,” and quite possibly “the most dangerous city on Earth.”

Drew described how, on his first trip to Mogadishu, he was accompanied by a massive security presence. 

“Every time I left my hotel,” he said, “I was accompanied by eight soldiers with AK-47s and I was hardly able to leave the car and explore.”

For his second trip, he was accompanied by a much more low-profile security team, armed with pistols rather than assault rifles. But nevertheless, Drew adds, the city is on high alert.

There are checkpoints every few miles on every major road and the effects of over three decades of war leaving entire streets little more than rubble.

Five years after his first visit, he says, the security situation on the street is exactly the same: “All the checkpoints, all the barricades, to enter buildings, the barbed wire fences. Just the hostility that you feel on the streets.”

The best estimate put the death toll from Somalia’s various overlapping conflicts since 1991 at over 500,000. The scars of endless war are everywhere in Mogadishu, Drew says: “Bombings, kidnappings, and street battles have turned everyday life into a battleground.

“To make matters worse, Mogadishu’s lawlessness extends offshore, where Somali pirates hijack ships along global trade routes.”

However, despite all the dangers, Drew enjoyed his time in Somalia: “Nothing gets my adrenaline rush going than being in a place like Mogadishu,” he says.