Denis David Gray, War Correspondent Joins ETF

Bangkok, Thailand, July 27, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / Extraordinary Travel Festival (ETF) returns for a third year, welcoming extreme travelers and global explorers to Bangkok, Thailand, from October 22-25, 2026.

The four-day event brings together mega-travelers who have reached the world’s most remote corners, alongside passionate explorers eager to push their own boundaries further. Among them: travelers who have set foot in all 193 UN sovereign nations — including one traveller who has done it three times over.

ETF is proud to announce that legendary war correspondent Denis D. Gray will join this year’s speaker lineup. Gray spent more than 30 years as bureau chief of the Associated Press in Bangkok after reporting from the front lines of Indochina. Over his AP career he reported from nearly 40 countries and 20 conflicts, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kosovo and Rwanda.

Born Zdeněk Mečíř in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia near the end of World War II, Denis escaped the country as a child after his family’s flight across the Iron Curtain, later settling in the United States, where he attended Yale and served as a US Army captain during the Vietnam War before returning to cover the conflict as a journalist.

This year, Gray brings his newly published memoir, Lost Horizons: A Foreign Correspondent’s Extraordinary Life Story, to the ETF stage. The book recounts encounters with kings, killers and celebrities alongside brushes with death, betrayal, love and friendships forged in war, structured thematically rather than chronologically. His session promises ETF’s most traveled attendees a rare, first-hand account of six turbulent decades on the front lines of history — a perspective few in the world can offer.

Co-founder of ETF, award-winning travel photographer, podcaster, blogger and filmmaker, Ric Gazarian, says this third iteration of the festival promises to be an unparalleled convergence of the world’s most accomplished and adventurous travelers.

“The Extraordinary Travel Festival is a celebration of global exploration and human connection, and Denis’s impressive career exemplifies this spirit” says Gazarian, whose website features stories and images from his own extensive travels to 190 of the world’s 193 UN-recognized nations.

“Following the tremendous success of our previous gatherings, we are excited to bring this unique community together once again in Bangkok, a city that truly embodies the spirit of travel,” says Gazarian.

Building on the success of past festivals, ETF offers attendees a robust schedule of speakers, complemented by vibrant parties and a gala dinner. The festival will feature more than 40 storytellers who will deliver engaging keynotes and host insightful breakout sessions and lively panel discussions.

Attendees will gain invaluable insights, share captivating travel tales, and learn practical strategies from those who have gone the distance. While many speakers and attendees have achieved the rare feat of visiting all 193 sovereign countries — an accomplishment only approximately 500 known people can claim — the festival aims to inspire and inform all who share a deep love for travel, regardless of their current country count.

Tickets for ETF 2026* are on sale now. Use code BANGKOK to save on your ticket. For more information, please visit the Extraordinary Travel Festival website.

*Readers can use code BANGKOK for a special discounted rate.

About Extraordinary Travel Festival

The Extraordinary Travel Festival unites hundreds of the world’s most traveled individuals, including country collectors, overland adventurers, explorers, extreme travelers, and those pushing the boundaries of what it means to experience the world. The event will feature more than 30 speakers, including adventurers who have climbed the Seven Summits, visited every sovereign nation, and those who explored some of the most remote corners of the globe. The festival will also bring together the leaders and members of major communities such as Travel Massive (80,000 members), NomadMania (56,000 members), Every Passport Stamp (40,000 members) and Pangea, creating unparalleled opportunities for networking among the world’s most dedicated travel enthusiasts.