Who doesn’t know him? The Australian travel YouTuber with a cheese paratha obsession, Luke Damant, has gone from mere curiosity about exploring the world to a professional travel content creator. He has travelled across the world and built a global community by producing travel-inspired content through an authentic and honest lens, documenting his experiences as he goes.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, team Brandsynario sat down with him to talk about his journey, the lessons he has picked up along the way, and the experiences that continue to shape how he sees the world, including crossing borders within 48 hours.
Brandsynario: When you first started making travel videos, people told you to “get a real job.” What kept you going during the early days when nobody really believed this could become a career?
Luke Damant: For me, it always came back to the dream: travelling the world and creating videos. Honestly, at the time, I didn’t really care what other people thought because I knew exactly what I wanted. This was something I would set my sights on as a young kid, and I am just naturally a very ambitious person. When I set my mind to something, I go after it.
A big part of it is learning to ignore the noise and block out the people who don’t believe in you. And if anything, those people who tried to pull me down actually made achieving my goals feel even sweeter. There’s nothing quite like that “gotcha” moment.
Brandsynario: Was there a specific turning point when you realised travel vlogging was no longer just a hobby, but your actual life’s work?
Luke Damant: There have been a few of those moments, honestly, but the one that really stands out is when I hired my first editor in 2021. Suddenly, I was a boss for the first time, which was a completely different experience. Someone was relying on me, and there were real consequences if things didn’t work out. It stopped being a hobby and became a business with actual stakes. That first hire was the shift; that’s when I knew this was real.
Brandsynario: Your accident during your travels became a major moment in your journey. How did that experience change your perspective on risk, resilience and the way you tell stories today?
Luke Damant: Honestly, I’m still just as risky as I have always been. I like living on the edge; that’s just who I am. I think bad things happen to everyone at some point in life, but what defines you is how you see those moments. For me, everything is a learning experience, and travel accelerates that tenfold. Has the accident made me more cautious? Slightly. There are certain things where I genuinely weigh the risk versus reward and decide it’s not worth it. But at the end of the day, I’m a young guy who loves pushing limits, and that’s not changing anytime soon.
Brandsynario: You have travelled across so many countries and cultures. Roughly how many countries have you visited, and which five would you personally rank at the top?
Luke Damant: About 55 countries so far. Lebanon has to be number one. It is genuinely one of the most incredible places in the world and massively underrated. Pakistan is number two: the hospitality, the people, the mountains in the north, it never gets old. Iran comes in at three, another hugely underrated destination that people wrongly associate with conflict and the regime, when in reality the people are wonderful, and the landscapes are some of the most diverse I have ever seen. Fourth is Lesotho in Africa. Almost no one talks about it, but it’s this stunning landlocked country full of mountains that literally looks like a Windows screensaver. And fifth, the Philippines. Always more fun there. Beautiful beaches, incredibly friendly people, and it just never disappoints.
Brandsynario: You recently explored both sides of the cross-border experience within 48 hours. As an outsider with no personal bias, what similarities and differences stood out most?
Luke Damant: A few years ago, I spent 24 hours in India and then crossed the border into Pakistan for another 24 hours. The two countries share a lot: the food, the energy, and the curiosity people have towards strangers. But what struck me immediately upon arriving in Pakistan was the hospitality. A rickshaw driver refused to take my money. I was offered free food multiple times within hours of arriving. That level of warmth hit me the moment I stepped across the border. India is an incredible country, and the people are genuinely outgoing and fun to be around, but in terms of that instinctive, immediate generosity, Pakistan stood out.
Brandsynario: You keep returning to Pakistan despite having the entire world to explore. What is it about the country that keeps pulling you back?
Luke Damant: It’s the hospitality, simple as that. I have said it consistently, and I’ll keep saying it. Pakistan is number one in the world for hospitality, right up there with Afghanistan and Iraq. People go out of their way for you here in a way that genuinely catches you off guard. They will pay for your meal before you even realise what’s happening. They will stop you in the street just to ask why you are visiting and make sure you are having a good time. A lot of people associate Pakistan with danger, but that has never been my experience here, not once. The kindness of the people completely reframes everything you thought you knew about this country.
Brandsynario: A lot of Western travellers still have misconceptions about Pakistan. What’s the biggest myth that deserves to be challenged?
Luke Damant: That it’s dangerous. The mainstream media has done a terrible job of representing this country, and I don’t trust the mainstream media to give an accurate picture of anywhere. I trust my own experience, boots on the ground, getting to know real people, seeing things with my own eyes. Yes, like anywhere in the world, there are parts of Pakistan that carry more risk, but to paint the entire country as some hotbed of extremism is just wrong. Statistically, you are more likely to get shot in the United States than in Pakistan. The hospitality and warmth of the people here completely outweigh any potential negatives.
Brandsynario: You are constantly travelling; how do you manage calls, internet and staying connected on the move?
Luke Damant: This is the one question I get all the time. Phone bills when travelling are insane and often break the bank. Even if you are just vacationing for a few weeks a year, you can pay upwards of a few hundred dollars on roaming. I travel full-time, so these savings are crucial. I have actually partnered up with two of my closest friends to solve this problem by building an eSIM provider called Globie. We offer affordable data packages worldwide in over 190 different destinations, including Pakistan, of course. Using Globie, I can stay connected wherever I travel, from South America to Central Asia and everywhere else. If anyone has trips coming up, they can purchase a data package and get 10% off using the code “LUKE10” at checkout.
Brandsynario: Many young people see your journey as proof that passion can become a career. What would you say to someone who wants to chase an unconventional dream but is afraid of failing?
Luke Damant: Just do it. There is really no other way to say it. You can sit there and overthink every possible outcome, but you genuinely have no idea what is possible until you actually try. I have watched people do things the whole world said were impossible. People told me it was impossible to travel the world and get paid for it, and I have been doing exactly that. And here’s the thing about failing: reframe it entirely. If you spend a year or two chasing your dream, meet incredible people, see the world, and then end up back home in a regular job, that is not failure. That is one of the richest educations you will ever get. Fear of failure should never be the reason you don’t try.
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